Clamp tube clean-out

[Chuck White]

Has anyone figured out a way to clean out the square clamp tube.

I've just been hitting the small opening on the operators end of the tube with the air nozzle, but that doesn't clean out very much.

I'm pretty sure the tube is packed full of sawdust and small pieces of bark.

I was thinking of taking a hole-saw and making a 1" or 1¼" hole through the plate at the other end of the tube, but not knowing what's inside has kept me from doing that!

Suggestions or solutions appreciated.

[ladylake]

I don't know how it looks but plug it with some foam...    Steve

[Chuck White]

Steve; I would, but I'd like to clean it out first.  ;)

[hackberry jake]

I'm not familiar with wm mills, but why don't you drill a 1/4" hole and blow it out from the bottom up?

[Chuck White]

I know this is an old post, but I finally got tired of the tube being packed with sawdust, bark, etc.

I unbolted the 2 stud bolts on the end plate (loader side) and the 2 smaller bolts below and pulled the end plate off.

As suspected, the tube was absolutely packed with debris.

I took some heavy wire and configured a hook on the ends of it, resembling a stove poker and started snagging the stuff out of the tube.

I ended up filling a 2½ gallon pail to within a couple of inches of the top and now the tube is clean.

When I went to reinstall the square tube, I noticed that the square tube had settled down and had to be pryed up just a little in order to put the end plate back in position.

All in all, it took about an hour.

Now I know, and just wanted to pass along the info.

I do think that a clean-out hole in the bottom would be a good idea, but I'd suggest that at the end of the day, slide the clamp into position to cover the hole so critters can't get in there and make it their home.

[Delawhere Jack]

Chuck, that has concerned me too. It's on my list of things to do, but it keeps getting put off.

[Chuck White]

Nothing to it, it took me about 20-30 minutes at most, once I got the plate off, it was really packed with the sawdust, etc.

I put antisieze compound on the bolts before reassembly.