wood manure spreader redo

My MM wood box manure spreader needs new floor. Any particular tips on tackling it? Thinking treated T & G for floor. Keep it simple or are there curves coming at me? Thanks

I guess it depends on whether you want to be "correct" or just get the job done well!
I did my JD model L with a 3/4" sheet of PT plywood cut to fit!
HTH, Dave

I am completely redoing a New Idea No. 10 right now that I have had to replace the front frame due to rusting away and dropping the floor. I am using standard 1 x 6 lumber (3/4" x 5 1/2") for everything except one sideboard on each side the has to have a 8" instead of a 6" board. I could if had to be have the lumber made into toung and grove but I don't think it is nessary. Remember to start with the middle board in the floor as the beds are tapered and wider at the back than at the front and if you do not do that then you will come up with needing a wide board at the back but it will be narrow at the front and then you could not use a square cut as that would make one side longer than it is supposed to be while the other side would be shorter. This is custom work as this spreader belongs to an Amish friend and his son. I also have a New Idea No. 8 dating to about 1929 that belongs to his brother to completely redo and on this one the frame that carries the wide spread fell off from rust. Will do the same with it. Then I have waiting in the wings to redo a second No. 8 and a No. 9 and 3 John Deere Model E spreaders. And on none of them would that plywood idea work as plywood sheats are 4' x 8' and the floor boards in all of them are between 9 and 9 1/2' long so have to use 10' boards for floor and 12' for sides. Will use 1/4" carriage bolts to hold floor on but sides are mostly 5/16" carriage bolts. These are all supposed to be 4 wheel spreaders and all are on steel wheels. Will have to make front axles for some. Bit different than most of what I have been working on as in the last 10-15 years I have done at least 40 steel wheel hay rakes, some times using parts of 3 rakes to make a good one. Have 4 of those New Idea steel wheel rakes here to do this next year as well and everything is spoken for when it gets ready to use.

Should have said there is plastic pannels made for use for that for both sides and floor but they are mighty expencive, too much to use on a working spreader that possibly can still get only 20 years of use out of.
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I am with Dave on this. Unless your going for a show queen, I would just use pressure treated plywood. You can special order it in 12 foot lengths for a spreader floor.

I would be very interested to see some before and after pictures.

This isn't for show, frame looks great, got it very used and been using it for 12 yrs. so no complaints. All of a sudden, the wood just gave way. I keep it shedded. THANKS so much for the tips. Never thought about the back being wider than the front. I assume you can undo the chain anywhere...there aren't special links? Leroy sounds like you do this in your sleep. Grind the bolts off? bolt cutter? Need this by spring. Hadn't thought of before or after pics...good idea. So glad I asked here. Thanks again.

Some of this I had to use the torch on and some I used a cutting disk on a 4 1/2" angle grinder. As for ordering 12' plywood I would not know where to get that. My wife works for Lowes and as far as I know they could not order anything like that. At one time I mentioned to the manager at that time about needing some lumber they do not carry and he said they could get it but I would have to take a whole shipping bundle to get it, could not afford to do something like that needing only a half dozen pieces.

Would have no idea how to post pictures and camara is not compatable with computor.

I used 5/4" PT decking on mine. It seems to be working fine. I didn't T+G it or even square edge it. But my spreader had 5/4 to start with. 3/4" seems awful light for something like this.

Advantec has a great warrantee.

This 3/4" is what they had when new, you go to thicker on these is when you run into problems. Remember these were designed for hand loading and not for a loader to dump in a large frozen chunk. The orignal lumber was never treated southern yellow pine and to last the years these did the new treated lumber should last for years untill rust takes the rest of the spreaders. Not sure the exact years this newest one was built but it is the last model 4 wheeler New Idea built and was started in about 1940 up to probably about possibly the mid 50's so it has lasted a good long time. Yours is probabyt a lot heavier total built from several years newer and designed for loader and tractor use. Then I can see the heavier wood. But to be the make it is the poster asked about I would guess its age to be in the same range as this New Idea.

What is Advantec? The lumber I am using came mostly from Lowes but foe one size Lowes does not carry I went to Menards. Anmd a lot of Lowes employes shop at Menards for items Lowes do not carry.

(quoted from post at 06:29:14 02/04/15) What is Advantec? The lumber I am using came mostly from Lowes but foe one size Lowes does not carry I went to Menards. Anmd a lot of Lowes employes shop at Menards for items Lowes do not carry.

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Advantec is a form of wafer board bonded with some type of super resin. it is nearly impervious to moisture. Pretty much any lumberyard or big box has it.

We re-did the floor on an old spreader almost 20 years ago with pressure treated 1x6. Used a 4" grinder to take off what was left of the bolts. This model,I think it's a Massey Ferguson, is straight, not wider in the back, so it was pretty easy to do. We still use it and it works fine. My daughter just painted it last year! If you brush it down with old crankcase oil, I think it may last forever!

I put a new floor in a small new holland about 10 years ago, used rough cut oak, then oiled the heck out of it. I used it for at least 5 years, then sold it for double what I had paid for it. The guy that has it now still uses it, and oils it down at least once a year. Still in good shape.

If there are any weird angles or curves, try to salvage the old wood to be used as a pattern.
Also, get a good helper!
Mike

When you pull the old floor up look at the ends of the boards to see if they are tapered or not. Clean your cross rails and paint them and when you put the new wood in coat the top of the cross rails with wheel bearing grease to help prevent rust. Now for the floor you can use anything you want for it, I've seen plywood, T&G, rough cut oak, 5/4 Deck lumber and Compasit Deck boards (Plastic formed boards) or Plastic covered plywood so lots of choices to pick from, It's up to you. If you use T&G a good coating of wheel bearing grease in and on the T&G will help to preserve it. Do good prep work and pre fit everything before you start bolting it down it really helps. Good luck and post some pic of the before and after. Bandit

I used a spray rust converter, then paint over that. And there are angles to the wood on the sides.