another backhoe mechanical thumb, fixed or articulated

   / another backhoe mechanical thumb, fixed or articulated #11  
Eddie,
I sure would like to see some front and side views of your bucket grapples. The pictures posted don't show enough detail for me to determine how to design one for my tractor.
Thanks
 
   / another backhoe mechanical thumb, fixed or articulated #12  
Rob I am in the process of making a thumb for the backhoe very similar to yours
,any suggestions or recommendations. What size flat bar did you use for the linkage and bolts to hold it in place.
 
   / another backhoe mechanical thumb, fixed or articulated #13  
fiddler,
Send me a PM and I can go over it all with you.
It needs to be beefier than you think.
 
   / another backhoe mechanical thumb, fixed or articulated #14  
Dave and Rob,

Thanks for posting your articulated thumb builds. Very impressive work. I didn't even know there was such a thing till a couple of weeks ago when I read about it here on TBN.

I have about 25 feet of an old stone wall to move. I have a woods mechanical thumb, but I think I'll look into trying to convert it to an articulated thumb.

Vic
 
   / another backhoe mechanical thumb, fixed or articulated #15  
Vic,
Don't know if you went through the archives and saw my articulated thumb build or not, so I'll post here on Dave's thread for you.
Hope you don't mind Dave.
Articulated Thumb
 
   / another backhoe mechanical thumb, fixed or articulated
  • Thread Starter
#16  
3RRL said:
Don't know if you went through the archives and saw my articulated thumb build or not, so I'll post here on Dave's thread for you.
Hope you don't mind Dave.
Click to expand...

That's great, Rob. You reminded me that I need to update this build. I
have since gone from the articulated linkage to a hydraulic setup with
a short 2x8 welded cylinder, and now a solenoid-operated single spool
valve to switch between parallel thumb control and 'off'. My next
modification will be to replace the cylinder with a custom-made unit that
will have an 11-inch stroke.
 
   / another backhoe mechanical thumb, fixed or articulated
  • Thread Starter
#18  
Another TBN member has mounted one of my mechanical thumbs on
his New Holland blue Woods 7500, which is dimensionally the same as my
Prairie Dog.

Looks great, Bob (rawilber)!
 

Attachments

  • Woods7500_thumb.jpg
    Woods7500_thumb.jpg
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   / another backhoe mechanical thumb, fixed or articulated #19  
dfkrug said:
I did not even consider a link in the middle of my kidney link, as you did,
since mine are cast and have large concavities on their outboard sides. I
also did not want to weaken them, esp since they are cast steel.
Click to expand...

dfkrug,

I see the cast, concave links you are talking about, on your Prarie Dog--are they called "Kidney links" generally, or is that your personal term for them?

Either way, why are they called that? :D I can't quite make them look like more than half a kidney, at best? LOL

Thanks,

My Hoe
 
   / another backhoe mechanical thumb, fixed or articulated
  • Thread Starter
#20  
My Hoe said:
I see the cast, concave links you are talking about, on your Prarie Dog--are they called "Kidney links" generally, or is that your personal term for them?

Either way, why are they called that? :D I can't quite make them look like more than half a kidney, at best?
Click to expand...

Wow, more than 5 y since I put this up.

I don't know where that term came from, but the first I heard of it,
I knew what he was talking about. I prob heard it from Rob. We
talked about various pros/cons of how to make or modify these links.
Some of them have a slight curve to them; maybe that is why?
 
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