Another Mini-Dozer

[ultrarunner]

Sorry, I didn't really think about what you were saying when I posted that lame answer in my 2nd from last post. You may have something there. Even though I've not welded stainless in about 30 years (I nearly forgot about that), I still may have developed an allergic reaction to say....the fumes from the mild steel welding rods or the dust from the grinding wheels. Thanks for the food for thought ! BTW What was your cousins husband's symptoms, can you say ?

His skin would have ulcers and bleed, crack and wouldn't heal...

It was traced to an allergic reaction he developed to Nickle after years of exposure...

Once the cause was found and he got out of the shop... in time, the ulcers healed.

I have to add that he was raised on a farm and very much a big, strong, hands on type of guy... he would think nothing of climbing into tanks and polishing out the welds... in retrospect... a little too much gunge-ho... did beautiful work, no matter how difficult the job.

 

[Short Game]

I don't know which ones they are, but there are herbs that can help the body eliminate built up metals. Might be worth a search.

 

[psdx]

rawinok2 - just wondering how your legs are doing. Your work is really impressive, but I'm thinking you'd be working on it if you could. So just hoping you're doing ok.

 

[Loudo]

Sir, I have just read through the thread,Now that's a project,:thumbsup: your skills as a welder and fabricator are awesome, I also would like to see a video. Now I've retired maybe this would be a good project for me as well as She who must be obeyed will not let me buy a small dozer. Can anyone tell me where I can get build plans? I also hope your new doctor can sort your legs out. After reading what has happened to you my aches and pains are trivial. All the best and god bless. Kerry.

 

[matthewmdn]

rawinok2, I hope your new doctor can find some answers for you and give you some relief. I can't wait to see you continue this project if not for your beautiful workmanship, but then because it means you are feeling better.
I know you already have your clutch system worked out, but after reading this entire thread tonight I found a link on another thread to a guy that builds scale tanks. I thought his design for the clutched belts was so slick I just had to post his video explaining it. If nothing else it may help explain the principle behind the belts.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWHAfaC-pPg&feature=relmfu]How to build a 2/5th scale SHERMAN Tank. part 4 - YouTube[/ame]

Best wishes to you and yours!

 

[Dirty Dog 6]

Guys, the various military tracked vehicles - battle tanks, armored personnel carriers, self propelled guns, etc. - place their power packs (that's the engine and transmission/final drive unit) according to a whole bunch of factors. Some of those factors are its center of gravity (on battle tanks the turret alone can weigh 21 tons or more, which means it HAS to be in the center of the vehicle, etc., etc.), the type activity the vehicle will engage in (SP guns need a lot of room in the crew compartment for the gun crew to serve the gun), and even protection for the bodies inside (most armored personnel carriers and infantry combat vehicles have the power pack in the front of the vehicle so anything hitting the front of the vehicle will have to penetrate a big ol' chunk of power pack in order to get to the grunts packed in the troop compartment).
The other item of note about track on military vehicles - especially Western European ones - is the difference between live and dead track. This dozer has dead track, it's just pinned together and flops around. That takes a lot of power to pick it up off the ground and bend it around the sprocket. Live track, on the other hand, is constructed using a rubber bushing around the track pins which causes each track shoe to want to bend inward. It WANTS to bend around the first and last road wheels, the sprocket, and the idler wheel. Although live track is heavier than dead track, it actually takes less power to move it off the ground and around the sprockets.
Sum of all the above? Don't even think of comparing military tracked vehicles' final drive placement and track type to dozers and crawler tractors. My M-1 never pushed dirt, and a D9 Cat never has to worry about taking a hit from a 125mm.

 

[matthewmdn]

Thanks for the long explanation about the difference between military and construction tracked vehicles. It's cool to learn about that stuff, but I think you missed the point. I was just commenting on the cool belt clutch system the guy had devised, and thought it was a good explanation of how a belt drive system could work on a tracked vehicle that size.

 

[Dirty Dog 6]

Mathew, my apologies. My post was prompted by one from Renze (#283), on 12 Dec, not yours. Personally, anyone who can figure out all the belt drives, brakes, reversers, and all 'at stuff there on one of these things qualifies as Mensa material to me. I have problems enough figuring out shovels and hammers.

 

[Brahmus]

My M-1 never pushed dirt, and a D9 Cat never has to worry about taking a hit from a 125mm.

Or do they??

Armored bulldozer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Dirty Dog 6]

Brahmus,
We have a problem here. Please take a good look at the Wikipedia article you cite. Nowhere in it is a reference to construction equipment intentionally engaging in direct armored combat as part of its mission. In fact, you will notice that the armor kits/applications are for protection against RPGs, mortars, small arms, and anti-personnel and anti (unarmored) vehicle mines. To the best of my knowledge, there is no dedicated/designed combat engineer vehicle or (especially!) adapted construction vehicle on the face of the planet capable of sustaining a hit from a battle tank main gun.