Great Dane excavating co.

[Stuart]

Nice machining, those cylinders look great!
Your right about the DRO, I wouldn't be without mine on the mill, I've fitted one to the lathe too.

[Cooper]

Thanks Stuart, I would like to say I got them down but still finding ways to make um better.

This is my heat shield to prevent caps from coming loose. Probably didn't need it as a lot of room between heating area and caps but I would be cussing for a while if not. .


And after some clean up the joint is barely visible. Even though it's getting yellow or black paint I was happy with it.




My honing and polishing station




Using stainless for the shafts, it actually looks more polished than pics show.

[RCP57]

Man that looks purdy! Have you tried using drill rod for the shafts?

[kerst]

Nice work!
Did you solder them together or did you braze them?

Kerst

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by kerst

Nice work!
Did you solder them together or did you braze them?

Kerst

Silver solder on those parts and then just reg solder (lower melting temp) on the tubes and hardware. I think next cylinders I make I will braze those and solder the smaller stuff.

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by RCP57

Man that looks purdy! Have you tried using drill rod for the shafts?

Never thought of drill rod. I know the tolerances are a lot more exact than the stainless I use but for these I think it's fine. And that tool steel might be more of a pita for me to work . Although I need to get some to make shafts for prop balancers. (Center ground on ends but I will get a chance to machine that stuff).

[RCP57]

Originally Posted by Cooper

Never thought of drill rod. I know the tolerances are a lot more exact than the stainless I use but for these I think it's fine. And that tool steel might be more of a pita for me to work . Although I need to get some to make shafts for prop balancers. (Center ground on ends but I will get a chance to machine that stuff).

All my hydraulic cylinder's shafts are made with drill rod. For tool steel it actually machines very well. It even threads really nice. That's not to say that there is anything wrong with what you are doing at all. Just another option.... I have found out that it does weird things after you have welded it though. It seems that it becomes very brittle after turning red.

[Joe25]

Originally Posted by RCP57

All my hydraulic cylinder's shafts are made with drill rod. For tool steel it actually machines very well. It even threads really nice. That's not to say that there is anything wrong with what you are doing at all. Just another option.... I have found out that it does weird things after you have welded it though. It seems that it becomes very brittle after turning red.

Which grade are you using RCP? Could be overheating? Or the part is possibly cooling too quickly? I ran into that during my welding class at school (in the dead of winter) would weld a part and put it on my hand carry toolbox to cool in a different room, come back and there's some flaw... took me a minute to realize it was my routine not my welding causing the problem.

Other than that, Cooper very impressive work! Keep it up

[Cooper]

Well if it machines not too bad then I will use that for next project. I did look into McMaster and the different tool steels, easy to machine.

Like I said before I can't take the boom apart cuz of seized screws (without a lot more work). I was using the 6mm shaft for centering the part on the table. That way I could make sure both top n bottom were lined up.


And bushings, bushings, bushings. Also used them for a bit of spacer.




And made this up, some added support for end of stick where bucket connects. I do want to add weight to the machine but not to the arm, rather like joes idea of plate steel on frame. Somehow I'll bulk her up .

[ihbuilder]

The drill rod could be in it's tempered form ( not heat treated ) .

[RCP57]

I'm not sure what grade the drill rod I have been using is. The local metal supplier only has one kind so I just get what they have(blue paint on one end). I know that I overheated the piece I was referring to. I welded a very small piece to a big piece and then tapped it with a hammer to straighten it. It broke right off but not at the weld. Anyway, I went back to using mild steel for those parts because it's much cheaper and I save the drill rod for the important parts!lol

Sorry for taking your thread off topic RW. You're doing a great job on the excavator rebuild. By the time you are done it will be a whole new machine!

[Cooper]

Never off topic at this company. I have realized lately that using the right tool and materials make a difference. I got spring steel before unheat-treated and it was like butter. Then torched it to harden and it got its properties back. Just have to have the knowledge, I may be slow,,,,, but can still learn . Lol. Yes the 4200 transformation into a 345d cat is getting extensive. I'm not sure how the details will end up but the structure and functionality are what I'm aiming for. I'm not going to mess with the swing gear assembly, just get right mesh and everything tightened up. Although,, I may look into a more robust gear head???? And possibly a touch faster swing.

[Cooper]

So I should be done bushwacking!! I tried to keep bushings sticking out a touch. All have been undersized boared and pressed in. Then .001 oversized reamed for shafts to operate smooth from the start.



Now to start on hard lines or new bucket. Any areas you guys think need some tlc?

[Cooper]

And again had to make parts to make parts .

[RCP57]

Don't you mean "buckets"?

[Cooper]

Humm,, lol,, I'm thinking of that, don't know how much work it will be making one. I'm not a fan of the thin metal work . But once one is made, well might be two, then a claw, then a sifter and ,,,,,, oh where does it end? I have to find that thread someone had with an electronic quick connect. I do want to somehow put a dremell blade on the end and use it as a makeshift harvester for a lot of saplings growing under the deck.

[Cooper]

Just dropped this off at home, another project that will never be completely finished . A conveyor and/or screening plant

[RCP57]

Oh this is just great! Another hoarder like me! Misery loves company! There's a special place in heaven for our wives....

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by RCP57

Oh this is just great! Another hoarder like me! Misery loves company! There's a special place in heaven for our wives....

Ha!! Lol!!! About peed pants!! Ya know, I've been into a lot of different stuff, ski racing, motorcycles, boats, rc stuff,, and pretty sure I've finally found my home that I've been unwittingly searching for!!! I've always love this stuff but never had the been or ability to get into it. I work for myself, small family business and my dad has a barn and several outbuildings. It's pretty safe to say if there is room there is something to put in it. Fittings, wood, metal, broken stuff, it all gets carefully thrown into some pile . I'm pretty sure I could tell anyone where anything is and what shape it's in. It's a very well kept property from the road but inside the barn (non working farm) it's my ,and your paradise !!! And reason I say this is home is I've noticed that just about all of ya can see the potential in something like an old microwave turn table mechanism.

Yea, I told the wife when she happen to stop by when I was unloading the latest treasure that my mom had this old treadmill that she wanted me to take a look at, as it didn't work. Kinda funny as she immediately replied " why, that junk doesn't work and she already has one,,,,,,oh ,,, no,,, wait a minuet, did she ask you to fix it or toss it??" Then the fun deceitful creativity took over, hope she doesn't talk to her about me "fixing" the old treadmill!!! It will be in pieces and neatly stowed waiting to become another backyard landscape feature that will only improve property value.

[RCP57]

Haha! The one I have came from my wife's parents. It still worked but they didn't use it anymore as they have taken up running and swimming. I found out that it was going to the scrap yard so I told them I needed it! My wife and mother in-law gave me a weird look(the same look your wife gave you) as my father in-law and I quickly proceeded to go down stairs and prepare it for "transport". It is stowed in a canvas car shelter just waiting for the day that I decide I need a conveyor that's 6' long.lol I prefer to call myself a "re-purposer"(not a real word) rather than a hoarder. There isn't much that I don't see potential in.... It's how I was raised so I guess that explains why my shop is cluttered with "stuff" from one end to the other.