It's time; either get started or....

[chad22]

An update. I recorded a video yesterday of the excavator in operation.

Finally got a bit of gasoline for it. :cool2: When I edited the near 300 MB video in windows movie maker I somehow lost the sound.

So I figured instead of having a quiet video I would add some music to it. Didn't want to add something that would get the music muted for copyright.

So I used the backing track to Brad Paisleys song "Water" and made up a song. I call it the excavator song.

I just made the words up to the song on the spot.

I'm uploading the video to youtube and will post a thread when it gets uploaded.

Chad

 

[NormL]

I'm gearing up to get moving again on this project. One of the issues I've had is the chuck-speed of my drill press. It has been just too fast for the hole cutting saws and a related issue has been that the motor it came with is simply "puny"!:grumpy: Sooo... as I threatened to do quite some time ago on another thread - rawinok2's mini dozer build -, I have made some modifications. I considered posting this on his thread but decided against it in case that attracted unwelcome attention to what he has going on right now.

I have two drill presses like this so there is no need to retain the variable chuck speed capabilities on this one. First photo shows the step-down thing-a-mabob. Second photo you see the hidden components. Both the bearing and the short shaft are press-fit. Third one shows a conveniently positioned threaded hole where I'll bolt the thing-a-mabob into place. Fourth - the puny motor I swapped out for a 1/4 hp. That motor does not have a plate to identify brand nor power/rpm info. Hmm...:muttering: The last one shows the way it looks now with the changes and ready to drill. I've done a test hole with the 1.5" hole saw and although I can still stall it, I can easily control that. The chuck speed has dropped from 570 rpm - no load, to 320 rpm - no load. Load speed will be quite a bit less, of coarse, and that is just fine by me. I hope to put in some shop-time soon and get this machine a-diggin'!:thumbsup:

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Good to see you back at it again!!

I know that a slower speed drill press made a HUGE difference in my projects.

 

[chad22]

Might have to try that trick on my drill press. It could really use some slowing down.

Chad

 

[NormL]

I think I am ready to restart or resume this thread - it has been rather a long time since I did any work on this machine.:ashamed: Like someone in another post once wrote "Life got in the way!" I have been putting in an hour or three here and there for the past month or so and I am moving on to the hydraulics issues. I am far from expert where hydraulic systems are concerned so I will lean heavily on any advice I can get from you good folks on this forum.

I have a pump salvaged from a bale-loader and am trying to use as much of the hard line from it as is practical. Where flexing is going on, I will switch to hoses. Because of budget constraints, I am scrounging wherever possible which brings me to the advice I need. For the boom, dipper, bucket and swing functions, I have purchased a 4 spool set of controls. That leaves me to somehow add controls for the outrigger legs and the dozer. One of my coffee-shop buddies had a two valve spool lying around for years that he let me have. For the dozer blade lift I have one of the valves from the bale-loader. The 4 spool and the 2 spool are both plumbed for 1/2" while the single spool is plumbed for3/8". Is it possible to connect them all in series? This is all open-center stuff.

Sorry the pics are scattered around on the page. I mostly don't know what I'm doing with this computer.:confused3: The first one is of the 4-spool control and my messy shop. the other two are of the rest of the valves and the dozer setup. It came off another garden tractor I have.

 

[NormL]

Sorry its been so long, folks. About seven and a half years since I last posted anything to this thread. I'm wondering if any of the guys who were following and lending me advice are still around. I had to do a long, long pause due to other responsibilities and lack of funds to finish the hydraulics. I am getting ready to resume the final push and get this backhoe ready for work in time for Spring.

 

[Xfaxman]

Just now finished reading your thread from the first post. Very interesting and good luck finishing it .

 

[NormL]

Thanks Xfaxman, the challenges are real and numerous, but once the temperatures in the "Great White North" ease enough to allow for working without mitts or gloves it should help. I just dug this machine out from under a significant pile of stuff I had draped over and around it and was relieved to discover that the engine is NOT ceased nor is the hydraulic pump. While I'm waiting for milder conditions I'll do an inventory of the lines I still need to run and watch for a sale on a triple spool valve in place of what I was originally intending to use. The rest of the project should then be just a matter of assembly followed by building the "shoes" on the outriggers and finishing the teeth on the bucket. I have all the materials for that. Once I re-learn how to post pix on this thread I'll do that. Cheers everyone!!

 

[NormL]

I need some advice related to assigning functions to the spool valves operating the cylinders of the bucket, dipper, boom and swing. I could assign them any way I like but if another operator tried to use it and the valves were not standard arrangement, there could be problems. So I'd rather do it right the first time. The remaining cylinders for the stabilizers and dozer blade will be operated from a separate set of valves using power beyond and I do not anticipate any issues with them. Thankyou in advance for any helpful tips.

 

[aczlan]

Pick SAE or ISO controls and stick to one.

Aaron Z

 

[NormL]

Thanks aczlan, that helps a bit. I should have clarified that I am working with what must be old-fashioned system here - spool valves operating one cylinder per valve. So I have four valves to operate the boom, dipper, bucket and swing. I have a separate set of three valves to deploy the stabilizers and the dozer blade that serves as a substitute for the FEL that one normally finds on a backhoe. What I am leaning toward is to assign as follows: from left to right - swing, bucket, dipper and boom. Since I am left handed, I would keep my right hand ready to operate the boom and move my left from one to the others as needed. Most operators are not lefties which is why I'm looking for the accepted standards for these controls. I am ambidextrous enough to handle whatever the standard may be.

 

[aczlan]

Why not make two spools on each side into a joystick?

I will try to remember to draw up the adapter I saw once.
Was $20-30 in parts IIRC.

Aaron Z

 

[NormL]

Hmm... Never heard of that before but sounds interesting and makes sense. I'd like to see how that's done.

 

[aczlan]

Hmm... Never heard of that before but sounds interesting and makes sense. I'd like to see how that's done.

They had 3 swivel rod ends bolted to a triangle shaped piece of plate lined up like the ball joints in that picture.

Aaron Z

 

[NormL]

I'm not seeing how I would modify the spool valves that I have. In post #145 I show a picture of the four spool valve I am using. It does not show much detail but I can try posting a picture with better detail once I figure out how to do that. Its been a while.

 

[aczlan]

That should still work, flip the handle bracket around, then use a rod end like this:
uxcell 12mm Rod End Bearing M12x1.75mm Rod Ends Ball Joint Male Right Hand Thread: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
One bolted to the end of the lever bracket (that currently faces the tractor) and one bolted to the same spot on the other with an extension that is as long as the space between the two valves and a 3rd to a bracket on the frame that makes an equilateral triangle with the other two rod ends.


Aaron Z

 

[Xfaxman]

An image search found a drawing that might help understand how the joystick operates two valves:

 

[NormL]

You guys are early risers . What I'll probably do is search the manufacturer of the valves and see if they offer a mod kit and see if I can copy it somehow. Failing that, I'll look into adapting the information you good folks have offered, thanks.

 

[aczlan]

You guys are early risers . What I'll probably do is search the manufacturer of the valves and see if they offer a mod kit and see if I can copy it somehow. Failing that, I'll look into adapting the information you good folks have offered, thanks.

Surplus Center carries them.

Aaron Z

 

[NormL]

The valve set I have I bought at Princess Auto, a Canadian outfit similar, I think, to Harbor Freight.