Great Dane excavating co.

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by modelman

Cooper-that cut seems to be a long way from the table. Hope your mounting is good. I haven't understood what you are doing with the wheels but I thought I would just wait until they were done. I'm sure it will be good. Question-why did you decide to make such a large truck at such a large scale? The reason I ask this is that most mines seem to match truck size with shovel size. I think they like to load with 4-6 buckets per truck. If you load this truck with your standard excavator that will be like "filling a 5-gal. bucket with a teaspoon". Do you have plans for a larger bucket or maybe a larger excavator? Keep the pictures coming.

This may give you a better idea of what I'm trying to do. The bolt flange allows the rim to rotate past mounting ears then rotated a bit to line up bolt holes.

[bigford]

there are plans for a large bucket rw just dont know it yet LOL!!!!!!!

[Northern Farmer]

Your work looks great, getting a kick out of squirrel pictures lol!

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by Northern Farmer

Your work looks great, getting a kick out of squirrel pictures lol!

Lol!! Thanks, I'm just as much a nut as that little tree rat in the pic more nuttier than an outhouse at a peanut farm

[andyathome]

I cant wait to see the new excavator to match this awesome truck....

it has to be a large front shovel , but seriously I think the tyres came out fantastic.

cheers andy

[Cooper]

Well this is what a couple hours in garage netted me tonight. Had to make new t slot nuts for bolts I have. (Metric/standard!! I've got all the wrong things I need!! One of these days I'll actually have what i when I need it!!). Still have to make a block for top that is recessed. That way I'll get the mill spindle clearance I need for a small endmill. It's going to bolt down from top, alignment boss bolted to plate, plate bolted to table. And also for security I will bolt down bottom ring to plate also. The bolt in center will be enough for light cuts I'm doing but why skimp on the tooling department!!! Lol!! Another tool/jig to add to pile. (That I will probably never have a use for again!!!

[modelman]

Cooper-that picture helps a bit but still confusing to me but no worries, I'm old!! Your fixture looks good but I would be careful with the aluminum threads. In my experience they will eventually fail. This probably doesn't help your feelings but I have at least a dozen fixtures that I used only one time. Seems like we spend more time making fixtures than actually making parts but I think that is part of the game. I'm enjoying watching..

[Cooper]

Yeah, I don't like the idea of alum threading for milling jigs but one offs don't bother me. And I'm sure I could get a couple dozen jobs out of this before any worries. And I have the aluminum stock on hand, no steel around to use. But,,,, I have been wanting to make a bolting plate for the rotary table. If I eventually do it will be made out of steel, something that I can use for whatever other projects the future holds.

Another thing on the list of toys and items I am going to steal from my fellow Canadian islander if I ever get out there, that steel fixture he has on his rotary table

[Cooper]

My setup for rims

And this is how they assemble

[RCP57]

I wish I could whistle through the keyboard sometimes. Nice work. I asked my father in-law to build me a larger hole filled plate but I think he forgot. I haven't used this one for a while but it does come in handy. Making tooling for a one time use sucks but cutting corners and F-ing up parts that are 99% done sucks more. Great job on the wheels. Now hurry the F up and get onto the next part... Oh, I have that other toy now. When are you getting one?

[DADSGARAGE]

Nicely done, looks great!! Some parts of a build take far more time and effort than what we first thought and this type of milling takes time and you really need to be on your game with the rotary table...keep up the good work!!

[Mikem]

You got the Hayes !

[Cooper]

Reg, I think these wheel things are more work than making the tracks for the dozer!! At least I could day dream while cracking the handles on those parts!!

Dads, yeah,,, this wasn't the idea I had in mind at first!! Oh it will be simple, spin some wheels, make the hubs,, though the hard part would be threading for 2/56 bolts!!! Like I said above, and you are correct, the tedious cuts with the rotary table have got my jaws hurting from grinding my teeth. Only have two more rims to cut with the table. One bad thing is I think the top spindle bearing is loose or going bad in my mill!! Gonna let it cool down and hopefully tomorrow I can cut the other two before having to tear into that. Just don't want to have set up again. Doesn't feel loose but making a rhythmic noise. If I remember correct one of the gears is plastic. I never have been happy with the bearings from the start, after breaking it in I tore it apart again because they just didn't sound right,,,,even called grizzley and remarked that something may be bad with them but that was two years ago. I wouldn't think bearings would go in less than three years on just alum work. ,,,,, yeah just rambling on , taking a break from not breathing while using the rotary table and keep thinking a little more,,, hoping the endmill doesn't bite and climb up the part!!

[RCP57]

No Mike, I didn't buy a Hayes. Think smaller with a lot less tires....

RW, yeah I feel your pain with things taking forever. When I made the diffs for my KW I was pretty stressed. With one completed my mill fried it's board so that added to the fun. Hopefully your bearing hangs in there. Once this hurdle is over there will be another and another and then it will be complete and you'll be bored and start something else that challenges you in a different way. It's a vicious circle for us scratch builder types.

[headers]

Nice job coop it's coming along very good

[Cooper]

http://youtu.be/rDgTk9kdX6Y

Couldn't hold the wheel with one hand and spin it. Had to mount it in the lathe. Back axle with tires is up to 25 pounds.

[Cooper]

Well good news, bearings in mill are fine. But the cheep plastic gear is got play around shaft/keyway. Teeth look good so it's fine but I may look up hoss machine and see what he did with replacing plastic gears. Smeared some more grease on gears and good to go (for now).

[steamer]

The plastic gear is made that way to be sacrificial!! They do it that way in case of a jam up in the machine you loose a couple of teeth, and that's all. If Grizzly can supply you with new ones, I'd suggest you get a couple of spares as you are lucky after three years and it's still there. And If it's a loose as you say, it won't there much longer!!
Rob

[Cooper]

Thanks rob, I'll be ordering a couple tonight. What do you recommend about the bearings? As far a maintaining them? Tear down every year to re grease? I know when I got it I had it completely apart, to finish building it that the factories don't do. I used a specific bearing grease, don't know where it got to I haven't taken it apart since last year. But haven't had much use on it up till now.

[speedy8305]

hey Cooper if you by chance have the Grizzly Mill that is the same as the Seig X2 . The have stated that those gears get chewed up as time/use passes, I have a Sieg X2 and did the little machine shop belt conversion to elimate that problem. Jut a thought. Steamer is correct they made it with those gears so they tear up before the machine.