Video Transcript

The moldboard is the rounded shield in the front of the SURF RAKE. It serves three functions:

1. Leveling the cleaning area

2. Controlling cleaning depth

3. Protecting the conveyor system.

Adjusting its height controls how deeply the tines penetrate the sand. When the moldboard is raised and the turnbuckles or cylinders are lengthened, more of the tines are exposed, and they will clean deeper into the sand. When the moldboard is lowered and the cylinders or turnbuckles are shortened, the tines will not dig as deeply into the sand.

Depending on how your SURF RAKE is configured, the moldboard’s height can be controlled in two ways; manually, by tightening or loosening the turnbuckles, or hydraulically from the cab of the tractor.

To adjust a moldboard that is equipped with manual turnbuckles, you will need an adjustable wrench.

Begin by loosening the locking plate on each turnbuckle. To lower the moldboard, tighten the turnbuckle by hand so that fewer threads on the bolts are visible. To double check, you can view the moldboard from the side. A smaller portion of the tines should be exposed. Repeat the process on the other side and make sure both sides are set equally. When the desired height is reached, tighten the locking plates against the turn buckles to lock the moldboard in position.

To raise the moldboard, perform the same process, except you should loosen the turnbuckle so that more threads on the bolt are visible. When checking the exposed tines from the side, more of the tine should be exposed.

If adjusting a hydraulic moldboard, simply check to makes sure the hoses are plugged into the tractor’s hydraulic spools (and on the same spool) and raise or lower the moldboard using the appropriate lever in the tractor. The numbers on the cylinders indicate the moldboard’s level. When the indicator is at a 6, it indicates the moldboard is raises to the maximum, exposing the greatest amount of each tine and digging the deepest into the sand. When the indicator is closest to 1, the moldboard is as low as possible, and the smallest amount of each tine will be exposed.

To learn how to determine the best moldboard setting for your cleaning conditions, see Barber’s operation video.