Ice Ripper

[asgard]

Well, as we have been getting lots of ice and the weather is a bit milder than it should be, I thought I would look at ripping into the surface in an attempt to offer more open area for a melt.

Having used the same grate to Feng Shui my gravel drive in summer, it gives it that expensive look, I though of a simple adaptation.

It is nowhere near a good standard and I might improve it slightly with a coat of paint but that would be about it.

I used old rotors to offer down weight but when that wasn't enough I placed a section of wood onto the spiked I used to mount the rotors and added a couple of bags of salt/sand mix. I estimate about 120lb down weight.

It works reasonably well, even on hard ice I allowed a pattern which made it less treacherous, on slightly melting ice it either tore large grooves or broke it up.

It is more successful in reverse when it is very hard, you just have to watch out for a jack-knife. I did slightly point the ends for additional bite.

As it is it can be angled and even raised without ejecting the bags - held on with bungee cords.

Anyway some picture of the creation and the result.

 

[Grouse Feathers]

When we get freezing rain on the snow packed driveway our 4wd vehicles will not make it up our hill. I use my front end loader with a piranha bar to do the same thing you are doing with your grate. I drive the tractor up the hill and back down with the piranha bar pointed down and the loader in float. The grooves in the driveway and the chips of ice from the grooves provide enough traction to get up the hill. Driving over the chips seems to freeze them back to the surface leaving the ice bumpy for good traction.

 

[D2Cat]

Nice job of thinking outside of the box!

I've got a bunch of "grate" material like you used. It came from the cell doors at the Leavenworth Fed. Penitentiary when they remodeled several years ago. I used some if it on the beaver tail of my trailer, strong, good traction, and last.

 

[asgard]

Nice job of thinking outside of the box!

I've got a bunch of "grate" material like you used. It came from the cell doors at the Leavenworth Fed. Penitentiary when they remodeled several years ago. I used some if it on the beaver tail of my trailer, strong, good traction, and last.

It is always a quandary what sort of window detail goes with grate