Cab for the Kubota

   / Cab for the Kubota #11  
I am going to track this thread. Something I want to do myself.
 
   / Cab for the Kubota
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#12  
Picked up more wire at HD today. 2 spools of .030, because I could have SWORN that's what it said it came with. Nope, had .035. Adjusted the tentioner, the wire broke inside the feeder. took all the little pieces out. I cut and lowered the front, and am going to build up the back a bit so it's level.

Long welds are much easier to cover mistakes, it's hte short ones that are a challenge.

2pBdHW7.jpg
 
   / Cab for the Kubota #13  
Couple pointers.

Always make sure your welder lead isn't bent sharply when trying to weld. The feeder pushes the wire thru the lead. If it's bent too sharply or crimped the feeder will bend the wire at the rollers while trying to push it. Makes a mess.

Most lead liners are designed for 2 sizes of wire. Mine is .030/.035. Not sure about yours. That allows me to use either size. Read your manual to see what wires yours will feed properly. For the light metal you are working with you'll get along better with smaller wire.

Your weld pictured is too cold. The bead should look melted and smoothly flow to the edges. Yours is piled on top of the metal with very little penetration. When switching from welding your tin to welding the thicker metal as pictured you need to readjust your welder. With practice you'll get used to the changes. Whenever I am switching back and forth I weld a couple inches, stop and look at the weld, and if satisfied I continue. If not, I adjust and do a sample again.

Keep at it, you'll get there!!!!
 
   / Cab for the Kubota #14  
You're going to spend a fortune buying steel at HD or any of those box stores. By your info, you're in Collegeville, PA. I searched google and came up with this place:

Hoover Steel

Looks like they're about 12 minutes from your town, may be worthwhile to check them out, or maybe for future projects.

Otherwise, looking good. I agree with ovrszd, you're a little cold on those welds and it looks like your travel speed is too fast. Really watch the puddle and when traveling do so in a cursive lowercase "e" fashion, or trace the front of the weld puddle. The front of the weld puddle is where the action is, always watch it.

On your off time, check out videos at Welding Tips and Tricks - TIG, MIG, Stick and a pantload of other info. Jodi is a pro welder and gives great advice in his youtube videos. With the heat and wire feed dialed in, it's all about that puddle and working with good ground shiny steel.

Keep doing what you're doing, by the end of this you'll have it figured out.


Also, one last thing I thought of- your welder is probably set up for flux core wire already, but it wouldn't hurt to doublecheck. (If/when you switch to solid wire and gas you'll have to reverse the polarity)
 
   / Cab for the Kubota
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#15  
As usual, quality advice here. Thanks much, I'll check out hoover steel, I know exactly where that is. I've already bought a bulk of the materials unfortunately, but I still need 1/8" sheets.

I'm not happy with those thin pieces, but it was the only flat I could find. It's not bad, so to say, and the cab doesn't need it for rigidity, it's plenty strong, but if I want to mount anything to it I would need to reinforce. I need some plates for mounting cab lights, wiper, and various electronic components. I also need some heavy rubber, 1/2" thick or better, to go between the tractor frame and the cab mounts so I'm not making an echo chamber.

The "fun" part tonight will be the door frame, which will be angle iron, which needs ot be cut to make a 90 degree bend in, then cut many times to curve around the fender. Have to do that for both sides, then again to make the actual door. Going to use screen door handle/latch for opening and closing.

Picked up a power window motor off a crown vic for $20, going to weld a bracket onto the blower and wire that up to change the chute direction. Not sure what to do about lighting yet, but I'd better decide fast, stuff takes time to ship. running lights, on front/back/side, hazard light on top. Won't need a backup camera, as I'm going with a rear window this time. need to figure out a cup holder solution.

And then there's heat. Since it's water cooled, I have an option to tap in a heater block that can go in before the radiator. I am not sure what it's going to look like yet, but I want as much of it to be part of the cab as possible, so when it comes off, there isn't much modification to the tractor.
 
   / Cab for the Kubota #17  
Bentru, thanks for the link. Good stuff there that we can all use.
 
   / Cab for the Kubota
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#18  
   / Cab for the Kubota
  • Thread Starter
#19  
I did the lower door frame today. Used cuts to make bends, the bottom part will be bolted to the bottom floorboard. There will be rubber padding between every seam between the cab and tractor to insulate against vibrations of the tractor.

ftTxhDK.jpg
 
   / Cab for the Kubota #20  
..................................I also need some heavy rubber, 1/2" thick or better, to go between the tractor frame and the cab mounts so I'm not making an echo chamber.

The "fun" part tonight will be the door frame, which will be angle iron, which needs ot be cut to make a 90 degree bend in, then cut many times to curve around the fender. Have to do that for both sides, then again to make the actual door. Going to use screen door handle/latch for opening and closing...............................

If you do rubber mounts and you haven't had experience with using vibration isolation, do some recon. It's a bit involved. Bolting rubber between two pieces of steel won't do anything if the bolts aren't physically isolated from the steel. I was going to do some remedial isolation work but it was easier to use ear plugs:)

For the frame on my cab I used square tube for most but then used rectangular 1/2" X 1" for pieces that needed a radius bend. My cab is made to fit outside of the fenders so it is roomy. The floor also has filled-in areas at the front so the cab doesn't get narrow there. The build thread is kind of long:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/263920-diy-cab-finally-decided-time.html
 
 
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