Great Dane excavating co.

[Cooper]

Just wanted to add to the mods, sorry about the Canadian women rant, lost my bearings for a moment, we are sorry.


And back to the important stuff, going to start work on the hydraulics of the hoe, in Great Dane style, never finishing one project before starting another!!

I have had zero problems with pump and valves in the dozer (except a possible servo death) so that money for my wife's Xmas present showed up in the form of premacon pump and valves. They are going to be the exes new heart and lungs!!

[RCP57]

What? No fourth valve for a thumb?

[Cooper]

I knew someone would say that!!!

[Cooper]

But it has had a thought or two

[Supermario]

It would definitely work but I would be worried about doing damage to it if you curled the bucket inward too much.
On a 1:1 excavator the thumb relief is always set lower than the bucket relief valve. No relief on a linear actuator.
I mean, the hyd power of the hoe is probably way stronger than what the firgelli can handle and you'd have to be careful with it?

[bigford]

or he could make a rigid thumb

[Cooper]

Yea I figured that actuator wouldn't be the best option. I more so was trying to one up reg . But I do have this actuator laying around??? At some point I would like to install a rotary cutter like the small dremmel saw blade on the stick. Kind of like a harvester. I would be able to get under the deck and cut all the little saplings and runners that are growing up into deck. Another project . So far I've spent about two hours placing and replacing pump, valves, electronics into different positions trying to find the best and most convient fit. Still placing and replacing!! Brain and eyes were starting to bleed!! But I did realize a lot or real estate is in the vertical area .

[Lil Giants]

The Firgelli linear actuator in that IzzyBuilt dozer, it doesn't take much force to move the blade up & down, free wheeling the actuator. I didn't notice before installation what ratio it was. I see your actuator there is the 150:1, that might be too high & not free wheel. I doubt you'd injure the actuator anyway.

Say, did you send your email to Firgelli for round bodied actuators? Maybe we'll see those in the near future & something like that would look perfect on your model.

Do you have any trouble those push lock fittings? I have one on the 4206 that I can't get to quit dripping and now I see on this hoe I'm building that one out three of them tank fittings is dripping too. Just push the hose in & pull back to lock it tight, right?

[RCP57]

I have those fittings on all of my hydraulics except the pump connections on my Volvo because I am using standard size hose and fittings(pump is oddball G1/8). I find that the small fittings are fine but the larger 1/4" lines start to weep over time. I bought some of the larger fittings from Princess Auto and they are the worst for it(read Chinese quality). What happens is every time the pressure comes up the hose pushes against the barbs that hold it in place. Eventually it wears the hose and starts to leak. I have never had one come apart though so in that regard I am happy. You just might have to change hoses ever once and a while.

[Cooper]

I think the leftover actuators I had laying around are a bit too big, I think some shorter stroke would be better and yes joe I would go with a little less power, would rather have it stall or force retract than anything. The thumb and harvester attachment will most likely end up being rain day work when digging in summer is getting routine. .

Joe, the push-lock fittings are great in most applications. Some things to consider. Correct size, angle of hose force, and in my opinion these fittings should have a hard insert to go inside the tube about 1/8" to keep consistent pressure on seal. But the small size doesn't really allow that. Most of the fittings I have been using are only rated for 80~100psi but I've been using them in 300psi range. And the way they work is a tooth washer is on a lock angle to prevent tube from backing out. An o ring is all that makes the pressure seal. To remove the tube all you are doing is releasing the lock washer/spring (whatever ya want to call it). If you got a leaker might just as well replace fitting, the seal may be damaged. BUT, a big issue is to make sure the hose is cut square and sharp edges are bad. 99% of the time just using wire cutters and stuffing it in the hole works. I cut with razor blade and sometimes run through a lighter flame. (Don't want to heat to the point of balling the ends). Or better yet maybe a heat gun. As far a locking , yup just push in don't worry about having to pull to lock, it will lock. A good idea is to hold hose next to fitting and eye about where hose should bottom out. Then you have a better idea if hose has been fully inserted. On the 1:1 size fittings I use on small home waterline repair jobs I will so,entires run into a fitting/tube that is a real bugger to seat. And had a situation where a whole 100' roll of waterline had a defect in outside (it had a very small lateral groove or scratch) and couldn't use those type of fittings. They would leak. So another thing to consider if a small scratch or nick, cut on outside of tube it may leak. Uggg enough hoseing around I'm heading to the garage!!! My coffee got cold!!

[Lil Giants]

It's one of the return lines from the valve back to tank, about 6mm OD. The other 6mm return line seems to be fine. I made sure to cut all lines squarely with a razor blade. Those yellow 6mm hoses are quite soft rubber & maybe I have some brass tube that will fit correctly in the ID, thanx for the suggestion, makes sense.

I used a heat on the suction line, quite a stiff clear rubber/plastic line about 8mm OD, to put a bit of a S curve in it so neither end of the hose was binding on either push lock fitting. I don't see it leaking. I think that's what my problem may be with the 4206 suction line, I need to heat/form the clear hose more so the clear hose is not pulling at an angle on the fittings.

The 4mm push lock fittings have 20 bar pressure on them & I have never had a leaker. But then the 4/2.5mm hose is very rigid walled.

Looking at various builds on german forums of this Fumotec 490 I noticed a lot guys didn't use the push lock fittings at all.

[ihbuilder]

Originally Posted by RCP57

What? No fourth valve for a thumb?

my thinking too where's the dopeslap smilie ?

[Cooper]

Ok after a couple of your comments I decided to add a thumb, however I don't know how well it's attached or if it will interfere with the other controls.

[ihbuilder]

Originally Posted by Cooper

Ok after a couple of your comments I decided to add a thumb, however I don't know how well it's attached or if it will interfere with the other controls.

[doodlebug]

Originally Posted by Cooper

Ok after a couple of your comments I decided to add a thumb, however I don't know how well it's attached or if it will interfere with the other controls.

Lol!

[steamer]

Cooper, you've been hanging around with that squirrel too long!!! LOL!!!

[Cooper]

Yes we both have been accused of being nuts!!!!

I've looked all over the net for an instructional manual for my build, can't find one . So,,,,, I don't know how the planning will work till well ya all know how it goes, everything in place and then the brilliant idea hits!! Well I've got room for 2 5000mah batteries. Got 10 amps in this puppy. Well more for weight


And my modular pump/valve assembly. It was more so I have room for the suction line under pump.

[RCP57]

It looks like your "thumb" is the only thing safe judging by the cuts in your finger... Your game of Tetris looks good!

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by RCP57

It looks like your "thumb" is the only thing safe judging by the cuts in your finger... Your game of Tetris looks good!

Tiz only a flesh wound!! And now that I got you attention reg, that dump body payback is rearing it's ugly head!! For those that don't know my purchase from reg was used as blackmail from my wife!! I even have to be the driver to upstate New York on Tuesday. My dumptruck has been leveraged against me for my wife to purchase another four footed, hairy, cat litter eating , snorting, farting, French bulldog. At least it isn't as big as the other residents she makes me share the house with. Sooo, reg, she wants to thank you and I want to,,, well I ain't mailing the truck back!!! Lol!!! So this new little bugger is going to be put in the pit from a young age and to be worked to the bone!! I will hound him till he rolls over!!! I have found an effective way to get the dogs to work, just bury a bone and they will dig!!! I'm really thinking of running cable and a small couch to the garage.

[Mikem]

Well Cooper in October my daughter , soninlaw and grandson moved back in after they had to sell there house . Another story. Sandy and I and our 2 cats ( who don't care for trucks and trains ) were quite happy , then Saturday Tina our daughter brings there spaniel who has a vacant stare because there is nothing behind the stare ,home who was boarding elsewhere . Anyway the cats reprogrammed him real quick . Take care Mike