We finally gave the hip cutter a new coat of paint. I think the stealth black serves it well. Still waiting on it’s dedicated snow cat to come out of the shop from summer service so it will still be a little while before we get to post the final glory shot of it all hooked up and ready for action.
Here’s a little insight into the BOREAL HIP CUTTER:
Created on the platform of a HPGR17(circa late 1990’s super pipe cutter), the BHC is super light weight and efficient with magna steel cutting blades and positive drive on an industrial roller chain system. The HPGR17 was chosen as the platform because of its proven reliability, cutting power and most of all simplicity. Original plans called for our old purple super dragon but were scrapped due to its higher weight and lesser reliability. Lucky for us, Planet Snow Tools was looking for an operational original purple super dragon and a trade was struck that landed us the HPGR17 and Planet Snow got the dragon they sought after.
The BHC’s newly designed shape will offer maximum flexibility in its use, normal park features can be cut at angles of 45 – 60 degrees with perfect matching tranny at the base. Unique and one of a kind features can be cut up to true vertical with unlimited height potential. The BHC will be on a dedicated snow cat this winter so it will see nightly service in all of Boreal’s Parks.
specs:
Bottom transition radius 17ft
Hip extension: 11.5ft
Total operational range of movement: 45-90 degrees
Normal operational range: 45 - 65 degrees with matching lower tranny…typical nightly operation in parks
Maxium operational range: 65 degrees to vertical…for special features and photo shoots
Height at 45 degrees: 18.3 ft
Height at vertical: 29ft
Dedicated operation on a BR275 Terrain Master Snowcat
Oh man has this been a long time coming. After a few bumps in the road, I’m super stoked to anounce that fabrication on the BHC (Boreal Hip Cutter) is finally complete. No more tinkering with the design, no more re-engineering, no more bugs to work out..it’s done…done, done, done. Just in time too for it’s dedicated snowcat to roll out of the shop from it’s summer service any day now. The cutter is ready for a fresh coat of paint and then about a days worth of bolting back on the original cutters, chain and sprockets.
It’s only taken 15yrs of dreaming to get it to this point. Ever since I hand shoveled my first hip while working for MHSC (Mount Hood Snowboard Camp) back in 1994 this contraption has been burning in my mind. The need to build this was fueled year after year at events like SuperPark when the builders would get together and daydream about the tools we wish we had. It’s been a long time coming for the right combination of time, resources, knowledge and support to come together to allow the creation of the first purposefully built hip cutter in the world.
Plans were drafted last summer(https://borealterrainpark.com/?p=579) and posted to our park blog. Construction unfortunately started and stopped many times over the winter(https://borealterrainpark.com/?s=hip+cutter&x=0&y=0&=Go). Primary fabrication was completed earlier this month and the Boreal Hip Cutter is finally a reality.
Created on the platform of a HPGR17, the BHC is super light weight and efficient with magna steel cutting blades and positive drive on an industrial roller chain system. The HPGR17 was choosen as the platform because of its proven reliability, cutting power and most of all simplicity. Original plans called for our old purple super dragon but were scrapped due to its higher weight and lesser reliability. Lucky for us, Planet Snow Tools was looking for an operational original purple super dragon and a trade was struck that landed us the HPGR17 and Planet Snow got the dragon they sought after.
The BHC’s newly designed shape will offer maximum flexibility in its use, normal park features can be cut at angles of 45 – 60 degrees with perfect matching tranny at the base. Unique and one of a kind features can be cut up to true vertical with unlimited height potential. The BHC will be on a dedicated snow cat this winter so it will see nightly service in all of Boreal’s Parks.
specs: bottom radius 17ft
extension: 11.5ft
operational range of movement: 45-90 degrees
dedicated operation on a BR275 Terrain Master Snowcat
———
For years and years park builders have talked about how to build a better hip faster and easier. Usually a good hip takes tens of man hours shoveling for something that can’t ever be groomed again. It just the nature of good steep hip landings that there is no really good way to fix them once they have be riden and mellow hips that a snowcat can groom really aren’t all that fun to ride. Well, after all the years of dreaming we are going to do something about this problem…BOREAL IS BUILDING A HIP CUTTER. We got our hands on a used HPGR17 which with a fair amount of fabricration will become the first ever purpose built hip building/grooming machine. This will allow us to consistently build and maintain hip landings anywhere from 45-75 degrees of pitch. Fabrication will take place this fall so look out for a mid winter launch of the BOREAL HIP CUTTER! . .
