Scale Cat Twenty Two Dozer Ride On For My Son

[dozerbuilder01]

Where did you get the digital angle gauge?

I got it off ebay several years ago when I was doing axle work on my Jeep. It's a Craftsman though and I think it sells for $35.

Show us your shop too. Here is an idea for your tracks made of radial tire with cut off sides.

If you go back a few pages, I have a few pictures on my shop.

And I have seen that before but a Micky Thompson Baja Claw which you show in the picture would cost a lot more than my tracks did. And they wouldn't quite work how I wanted.

Nice. I use EMD Locomotives every day. After seeing your work on this project, I hope they put you in charge of designing the cabs on the new engines.

Since this is the internet, all I can say is no comment.

As for the update, I worked on more sheet metal. Got the side pieces done that also hold the fuel tank.

Also made a cross brace that will keep everything together and support the tank. It ended up being real strong.

And I made another tool. Of course. I needed to make brackets that hold the tank similar to the real thing.

And I ended up trying to make the hood out of 14 gauge. Too lazy to go to the metal store (since it's a pain in the *** because they close so early). Since my bender doesn't like long lengths, I cut it up into 3 sections.

Overall, considering what I'm using, it lined up pretty well. I was only off by maybe a 1/16". I'll live with that. My Dad did bodywork a long time ago and still does from time to time. So it won't be a problem to finish it to make it perfect.

And I couldn't resist to put it all together to see what it would look like.

 

[dozerbuilder01]

Been working on the grill. Here is what I'm using as reference.

My brother has a wider brake at his house that we built together. Needed it to bend the lower portion.

Then I clamped everything down to keep from warping too badly.

I had to mount it up. Still need to grind the corners like I did to the tank.

I wanted to use some 1/2" square tubing for the "frame" around the grill. I tried a simple set up but it didn't work. So I had to get more elaborate. I needed to make my own die. Luckily, I had a piece of scrap that worked just right.

I used a chuck that I had to hold it. It's not a rotary table so I would make a pass with a 1/2" cutter then rotate 15 degrees. Cut, repeat. Then I chucked it in the lathe to clean it up a bit which a crappy parting tool. Not the best but it works.

Here is the final set up.

Now you may notice two dies. I made one for 1/2" radius and another for a 1" radius. I'm doing a two tiered frame to get the extra inch width I'm looking for. I bought a 12" square piece of wire mesh and didn't feel like paying a lot more for a 2'x2' just to cut out 13" square. I'm picky. 14" square to the edge of the tube is what I wanted. So it's what I did.

The 1" radius die worked great. The 1/2" not so much. First bend was nice. The next 12 kept tearing the steel. I ended up getting 4 corners and I just had to piece that frame together. Live and learn.

Here is the outer frame.

I got all of the frames tacked together and called it a night. I was anxious to see how it all looked so I taped it together. It looks like **** in the pictures but it will hopefully look better when I'm done. Might be all the glare.

That is all. Thanks for looking.

 

[aczlan]

I got all of the frames tacked together and called it a night. I was anxious to see how it all looked so I taped it together. It looks like **** in the pictures but it will hopefully look better when I'm done. Might be all the glare.

Looks great to me. Once you get a coat of primer on it to cover the color differences where the materials change, you will agree with me

Aaron Z

 

[mjncad]

It's looking great to me. Are you going to put a dummy crank handle on it like the model has?

 

[Iplayfarmer]

It's looking great to me. Are you going to put a dummy crank handle on it like the model has?

OOHH!! I like that idea. That would be cool.

 

[dozerbuilder01]

It's looking great to me. Are you going to put a dummy crank handle on it like the model has?

I thought about it after you said this. And I almost started on it but I have a problem with things that aren't functional. On anything. And since I'm trying not to make it look exactly like the model (even though it is turning out that way) I decided not to at this time because then I'll start getting overly detailed on other things and that means I'll get frustrated trying to make it too perfect. Thanks for the idea though. It probably will still eat at me and you'll see one in a future post.

I have another update and then I'm takin tomorrow off to smoke some pork and relax.

I finished the grill. It took longer than I expected and started getting frustrated but I got it.

Made the top bar for the grill slats.

Gave it a little chamfer too.

On to the bottom pieces. These were a PITA. I still don't like them but I'm keeping them.

I know I shouldn't cut multiple pieces this way especially raw material. One piece is always thinner than the others. But I did it anyways. Sure enough on the second pass, one grabbed. I was able to save the piece though but the bit didn't make it.

I stopped taking pictures because I just wanted to get them done. You'll see them in other pictures.

I made a tool for to grill slats a while ago. You can see it in more detail in an earlier post.

Welded in the frame and top bar.

Finished product.

Now it's time to relax and clean up the garage a bit. It's a **** mess in there.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thank you for sharing the pics of your progress. You are an artist and a craftsman!!!! Rare to find somebody with one of those qualities, but you excel at both of them.

Eddie

 

[Domush]

This is an amazing project! You have some serious design and fabrication skills! I'm in awe. I can't wait to see the startup test.

 

[bobhaub]

Very nice fabrication work, dozerbuilder01.

I have a question about bending 1/2" square tubing. Did you bend it cold, or did you heat it?

I have some 4" aluminum bar stock, so I can make a 1.5" radius die. Would that work better than the 1" radius die you used? I'm making pannier racks, so the larger radius is not a issue.

Thanks,
Bob

 

[schmism]

Very nice fabrication work, dozerbuilder01.

I have a question about bending 1/2" square tubing. Did you bend it cold, or did you heat it?

most likely bent cold. no discoloring from heat