Great Dane excavating co.

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by thebigo

Cooper, just a sugestion, I use a botch Jiggsaw with metal blade to cut my curvey stuff I have cut up to 1/4 inch steel with it. This of course is a cheap but effective solution to cutting about anything. This jigsaw is not your normal jigsaw, because it has kind of a circular reciprocating motion.

Throw in a pic if you can so I can see what ur talking about,, thanks

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by steamer

Great job on the lines and fittings! Very time consuming making all the fiddly parts isn't it. Sometime you wonder if it's worth it, but when people ask you can still say I made those myself!! I see the supervisor is sound asleep in the chair as usual! It's hard to get good help these days isn't it! Good job they work for peanuts and kibble.
Cheers Rob

Yes the employee pool is more like a hot tub around here thanks !!

[Cooper]

Was trying to figure out how to add some pounds (fairly easily) instead of making a new bottom plate , as joe suggested, I am trying to locate heavy parts, pump, batteries,ect,, towards back. I did decide to add a 1/2" piece of alum stock to the counterweight. And I also relocated it back a bit more , just a touch past 1/2". It also gives more scale 12'4" swing of the 1:1 cat 349.


I didn't strip paint off these side pieces yet, but will.
Milled the sides flush and just filed the radius by hand.

[Cooper]

Made some reference pieces for the top motor hood. They are not the final but just some reference for height, look, ect.

[RCP57]

The hard lines look awesome! I have been wondering though, why does your right track say left on it?lol

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by RCP57

The hard lines look awesome! I have been wondering though, why does your right track say left on it?lol

I couldn't decide what direction I was going so both are marked left!! As I always say to my wife, no,,,, your other left!!!!! Lol!!!

[RCP57]

Fair enough!lol

[rccrazy523]

Absolutely great rebuild .You have given Me a lot of great ideas thank you

[woodhog]

You have given me some ideas as well The rebuild looks awesome,I never thought about cutting the bottom of the cab off instead I made a whole cab out of styrene and made the engine house out of styrene as well. I like your cylinders as well the stock ones are not much to desire. Might would like a set built If you are interested

[Cooper]

Let's see how the clearances on the orings work and then I may be able to possibly make a set for you wood hog. I have to make one of the pistons a bit longer on the bucket cylinder. It hits the braces when bucket curled all the way. Longer piston will limit how much the bucket can curl. Would be simplest mod verses making new cylinder.

This is the face of frustration!!!!!!!



The following pics will show why,,



Had this crazy idea of making a hydraulic tank and hiding it in the front compartment. Good idea but I still am not all there with brazing/ soldering thin stuff!!! A few mishaps, cussing, melting, bending,,,,ect!!!



Pressure tested, had two leaks that were fixed. Tested with about 20psi, blew it up once and realized it's just a tank and didn't need to be pressure filled. At least not enough to split the seams,





Always wanted to have some sight glass or sight tube so I could know at a glance how much fluid. And the suction and return lines were made to hopefully enable running on incline and allowing air to bubble to top before suction. Also vent has a small cavity towards top so when machine is less than level fluid should stay and air escape. Yes hopefully I will be incline surfing and placing the ex in some rather unfavorable positions, working or loading.

And had some time to get a better idea of engine compartment /crow, hood whatever it's called. It looks a bit too tall, some more tinkering,,,,

[RCP57]

That's looking great! I use the same type of "breather" on my tanks and it works well. I have them right on the top of the tank with no extension and there aren't any leaks. I'm sure with the pipe on there that will work until you're upside down.lol I went to the trouble of adding baffles and screens inside the tank on my Volvo. I don't believe any of it was necessary but I did it anyway because that what "real" tanks have. I also added a clear hose like you to see the oil level. My skidder doesn't have one and I have to remove the cap to see the oil height...It sucks! I like the way you have the tank tucked up front like that. Will you be able to increase the battery volume now or does it just allow for less clutter? How long does it take to print those size pieces with you printer? They look really good!

[Cooper]

The print was done in four separate prints. The print bed is like 5x5". I'll just glue them together, I just use regular abs/PVC hardware store glue instead of mixing up acetone and strips,, it's all the same for me. The one with the stack was like 3 1/2 hours. The others were 2-1/2 to 3 hours. I'm planing on installing a fan inside them. But having it connected with touch terminals so no wires when removing / replacing batteries.

Hopefully the location of tank works out. I don't have all the pieces for her yet.

Ok well I might as well say it, I know Christmas time is upon us and I thought about getting my wife some real expensive presents,,,,, ya know I think we all have herd this before,,,," that's ok, it's the thought that counts". Right? Well I'm going to put that to the test as I decided to use her present funds to purchase premacon pump and valves, and a couple other nic knacks for the excavator. So we shall see if that saying " it's the thought that counts" as I "thought" about using those funds on her, but didn't. . As some of you have gathered I don't always make the right decision, but do rectify the situation to a more favorable one (at a later date). Ya know that redneck engineering and the redneck love.
We shall see or should I say to be continued,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Oh and I should have room to stack two 5amp 3s batteries in back to add more weight and more weight towards back. I do want to have things looking square and neat so more room is always better!!!

[Lil Giants]

Your printed hood, is it mostly hollow or a solid block that you'll mill your fans into?

Nice work on your hyd tank. That is a job that I will tackle this wkend, but with 1/16th steel strip b/c I don't have ready access to any brass.

Your wife doesn't know you post on this forum? risky putting "the thought is what counts" in print!

[steamer]

Just making a spacer for the piston rod would be easier than making a piston over again. That way you can adjust the length of the spacer to give you the stroke you want. Did that on full sized ones before with no problems.

[doodlebug]

Hey Cooper, have you seen "heat paste" for soldering? http://muggyweld.com/all-products/coolblue Might help with soldering small stuff together.
Cheers, Neil

[Cooper]

That company makes a lot of stuff I need to get!! Thanks, doodlebug!!

Steamer, I'm most likely going to make new pistons. I'm using aluminum for them and they are pretty easy/simple to make. Plus I have one that is sized wrong on diameter, forget which one but I know I have to remake at least one. The stick cylinder could use a touch longer piston as well. Fully retracted it almost contacts the boom. Have to get with the R&D department Monday .

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by Lil Giants

Your printed hood, is it mostly hollow or a solid block that you'll mill your fans into?

Nice work on your hyd tank. That is a job that I will tackle this wkend, but with 1/16th steel strip b/c I don't have ready access to any brass.

Your wife doesn't know you post on this forum? risky putting "the thought is what counts" in print!

I'll get some pics on the progress of the underside of hood. It's 1/4" thick shell. And I "thought" having it in print would be irrefutable proof of my sincerity. Yea, that went over like a lead balloon!!! Reminds me of an earlier years present, she (from now on referred to as plaintiff ) was quoted as requesting a more personal present. Tires, dog food, soap were not cutting it anymore. So I "thought " real hard and decided I would appease her (the plaintiff ) and get a more personal gift. Well I "the defendant" settled on a gift that would surly be more thoughtful and personal.
She "plaintiff " was excited when she saw the large gift wrapped superbly in shiny classy wrapping paper. Cut and folded as professionally gift wrapped. Excited and curious the plaintiff quickly and with great excitement sat down and started unwrapping what seamed to be a well thought of present for a deservingly loving wife as she was/is. But much to my surprise as the plaintiff opened the present and reviled a whole carton of toilet paper was when I the defendant began the actions of the accuser. Now after the initial confrontation had subsided between plaintiff and defendant (myself) I still could not think of a more "personal" present than toilet paper!! I even got the most fluffy kind I could find!! Now that's the irony of being a good listener and not thinking of yourself!!!

[Cooper]

Hey reg, here is a great logger dozer!!!

It's more than a winch but would suit you good in logging country!!

The underside of hood. Still have some fitting of fan to do. Probably going to instal magnets to secure it for quick battery access.



This is the contact for bucket curl I was talking about. I made the piston for that cylinder almost 1/2" longer. Keeps teeth from scraping underside of stick also.


And added braces to all the long hard lines.

[headers]

Cooper I am lost for words to what you have done to this machine just amazing great job

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by headers

Cooper I am lost for words to what you have done to this machine just amazing great job

Thank you!! Hey who's cat articulated dump truck do you have? I see it in the background on your kat thread. I would love to get or build one of them!!

While I wait on my wife's Christmas present from premacon to be delivered I decided to try and make new drive wheel inserts for the dumptruck. Hey if the wife doesn't like her Xmas present from premacon I'm not going to send it back or have her exchange it, I'll use it!!! Done that before too!. (Yea I don't know why she says she loves me ? ) anyway, I want the front wheels to be a touch wider stance, like maybe 1/8 or 3/16 wider each side. The axle I have is just a touch narrower than stock tamiya.