Completely homemade excavator

[snowb]

Only the tracks are commercial excavator tracks, all the rest is made from raw materials and standard industrial parts.


Several pieces are too big for the lathe, which complicates matters.



All axes should be straight to the frame, but measurements are not straightforward.



Some parts have to be welded together because all move during welding, despite all this moves all the same.

 

[snowb]

Everything is now made to paint but there was only very partial mechanical assembly before painting.
No hydraulic assembly,no engine assembly or no assembly of the track drive system, and therefore the tracks. Let’s hope that there are not too many parts encroaching on the space of another, that the movements of the hydraulic levers are complete.

My garage is not big enough to have all the parts in it. They are scattered in 4 different places.

 

[snowb]

Design of the sockets from the tracks (no plan) and they are slightly different from each other (not the same pitch, I had a big discount because of that.) Drawings and machining with CNC engraver in plastics and tests in the round of the tracks, a few thousandths of more or less does not work well, therefore required several fabrications before making them cut in steel with large CNC plasma.














The design of the track supports was a puzzle, the 20 steel casters, the adjustable idle wheels that must remain accessible when everything is in place, the sprocket with their training systems, the structure that connects everything must be very solid, space conflict.
Everything must be parallel or perpendicular for the many parts of the assembly.

 

[snowb]

The tracks which are the size of a Kubota K71-2 (2.9tons) are very difficult to get on the cart (134g) it is heavier than one of my full snowmobiles full of gasoline included.

Little stress for the caterpillars, are the calculations good! but they install very well, more easily than on a commercial excavator, without even needing to run the excavator's motors at the same time as holding a large lever between the track and the sprocket. Just lift the 3 inch subframe and slide the track into place. As the tension adjustment is great and in addition I can easily unscrew the front ile wheel and then screw it back when the track is in place. there are a lot of games, no need for prying with lever.

I only have 2 anchor points for a hoist in my garage, no overhead crane, with the underframe and overframe taking up almost all of the garage space, it causes some headaches.

The subframe does not move with arms

 

[ptsg]

Oh I like this a lot. I like to see people tackling complex homemade projects. It sure expands the skills on various areas.

It's looking awesome snowb.


I did follow your other projects, so I know this will be awesome. :thumbsup:

 

[Thomas]

Interesting...keep the updates coming.

 

[Tinhack]

Wow! All I gotta say is you got some BIG brass ones to be turning that chunk of steel with that much overhang. I don't see a tailstock center.
I'm not sure I could even lift that piece. :ashamed:

Great looking project. Can't wait to see more.

 

[Frankenkubota]

Holy moly

Amazing!

 

[fried1765]

Absolutely FANTASTIC !!!!

 

[MossRoad]

WOW! :thumbsup: