Finally Building my Backhoe

[NormL]

Pictures would be of immense help too!

OK! I picked up a card reader on sale at London Drugs and tried it out on the photos I had taken. Of coarse they were too large a file size to allow more than one on the post. Took a closer look at the settings in the camera and found it was at the highest grade for quality shots. No wonder! I've set it for taking photos to be sent by e-mail and let's see what happens now!

SCORE!!:thumbsup: The first one shows the tank and filter I can use for the hoe. Also, that short cylinder looks to be about right for swinging the boom. 2): The only other cylinder I expect to use for this build. Rather long, but I'll try to use it for curling the bucket. Any advice on how to prevent damage when the machine structure has reached its limit but the cylinder has travel left? I'm thinking some kind of bypass but that might limit digging capability. Thoughts? 3): Shows a lot of the hard line I plan to salvage. The joints are all mechanical fittings. Does that limit the range of usable line pressure? 4): Iplayfarmer: this shows about the only pieces suitable for beams of any kind and regrettably they are 3/16". I don't think that is rigid enough. The only way I can use them for structure is to close the open side with some flat steel welded in. Better I use something already closed like square or rectangular tubing. 5): Does anyone see a boom and dipper in this pile of steel rollers? These were left behind by the previous owner and some have 1.5" steel shaft going right through the full length. The outer shell is 1/8" x 3". 6): The pump. Iplayfarmer: I think you had some other kind of pump in mind when I said this was PTO driven. The sprocket you see has 15 teeth. The sprocket on the PTO shaft from which it was driven has 30 teeth. The operating RPM would be 1080 RPM max. I'm not sure what the output of this pump is yet. I'll probably have to measure it because it looks like the ID plate was a stick-on and has not survived years of soaking from hydraulic fluid seepage. 7): One of the valves. I'll have to find out if it is single or double acting. The loader had one single acting cylinder and the others double.

 

[NormL]

Norm:

A buddy of mine is clearing out his library of unneeded books and he gave me this one. https://training.womack-educational...ore_Code=WE&Product_Code=011&Category_Code=TB

Today I paged through it and found it to be quite informative. I may get Volumes 2 & 3. Best of all the price is reasonable.

I followed the link and looks like there should be lots of practical information to be gained from that book. If you see me doing something I am going to regret on my build I hope you warn me before I make potentially disastrous mistakes.:ashamed:

 

[Redneck in training]

Norm,
There are several ways to limit stroke of the cylinder. My solution would be to attach the cylinder such a way that when extended it will bottom without putting necessary stress on the bucket mechanism. Then you could put stops on the stem to limit its stroke when retracted.

 

[mjncad]

I followed the link and looks like there should be lots of practical information to be gained from that book. If you see me doing something I am going to regret on my build I hope you warn me before I make potentially disastrous mistakes.:ashamed:

I've only scanned the textbook as I haven't had time to read it in detail; but there is a wealth of good information in it; so I think the ~$22 it costs would be worth adding to your library since you're playing around with hydraulics.

I suggest you PM KennyD and ask him to look over your ideas as he's the resident hydraulics guru.

 

[NormL]

Norm,
There are several ways to limit stroke of the cylinder. My solution would be to attach the cylinder such a way that when extended it will bottom without putting necessary stress on the bucket mechanism. Then you could put stops on the stem to limit its stroke when retracted.

I thought of that first but I threw the bypass idea up as a trial balloon in case someone could advise one way or other. So, do hydraulics suppliers sell something to clamp to the stem? I would also guess that the portion of the stem that never gets to go to the sheltering environment of the inside of the cylinder would need to be coated with grease, or some such.

 

[NormL]

I've only scanned the textbook as I haven't had time to read it in detail; but there is a wealth of good information in it; so I think the ~$22 it costs would be worth adding to your library since you're playing around with hydraulics.

I suggest you PM KennyD and ask him to look over your ideas as he's the resident hydraulics guru.

I may well order that book; problem is my son-in-law (lives next door) will borrow it before I'm done and I'll never see it again.:laughing: Now I have to reveal my ignorance once more: I have seen the term "PM" on this forum and I assume it means contact directly. I have no clue what it means beyond that nor how to do it. Help!

 

[Redneck in training]

PM stands for Personal Message.
Here is link to stroke limiter:
Welcome to Wadler Manufacturing.

There are probably also limiters that can go inside of the cylinder to limit stoke when extended.

 

[mjncad]

Redneck beat me to the punch on the meaning of PM. :laughing:

 

[NormL]

I'm almost ready to start on my backhoe build at which time I'm sure I should start a separate thread. Before I do that, though, I have a question to ask about the bucket I need to build for it. Is there such a thing as an automatic cleanout device? I will be using this hoe to dig in heavy clay. Having done so with a spade till now, I have seen how it sticks to things. I would like to build something that will push the mud out as I uncurl the bucket to dump what I've dug. Normally the mud should fall once the bucket has curled far enough for it to be hanging free of the bottom of the bucket. If it sticks there as it often will, shaking the bucket by rapid back and forth on the controls most often takes care of most of it. What I envision is a device in the bucket that would stay out of the way at the back until it is time to dump. Then while the bucket is being curled, it would would remain inactive till the very end of the cycle at which time some mechanical or hydraulic device would move it just enough to dislodge the lump. Has any of you built, seen, or heard of such a feature? I know I'm going to need it. This clay sticks like ticks to a dog!!!

 

[rcurrie]

You could try using search as I'm pretty sure I saw a thread on it somewhere on one of the forums, or a simple thing I've seen is to weld a couple chains from the end of the stick to the inside of the bucket just behind the teeth . The chains should be long enough so that they are almost tight when the bucket is fully open.