Jd 4720 woods canopy build

[andy1981]

Here are some pics of the last couple of days progress, I got the main frame work done.

 

[dieselcrawler]

Nice progress... Looking good.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Great fab work and design, but I too am worried about top heaviness. Be careful on hills. Be sure to put a sheet of insulation under your roof so you don't get solar heated out. I vote that the top skin to be aluminum too.

Not knocking your hard work and idea at all. You will have a nice protective cab. I would have tried to buy aluminum, and incorporated the original ROPS too. But I understand that you might not have the welding supplies for aluminum.

 

[andy1981]

Well it does add some wieght but it is definatly lighter than a the same tractor with a factory cab. I also plan on spacing out the rear tires because I have them in the narrowest position now, not only for stability but also for tire chains. more than likely this canopy will be taken off in the warmer months so I'm not to worried about solar heat. Thanks for all the compliments everyone, this project is taking a lot more time than I originally thought but so far I'm very pleased with the results, and if I were to do it again I would use 1/8" tubing instead of 3/16" .

 

[stuckmotor]

I want one. Even the wooden one would be an improvement on none at all which is what I have now.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Well it does add some wieght but it is definatly lighter than a the same tractor with a factory cab. I also plan on spacing out the rear tires because I have them in the narrowest position now, not only for stability but also for tire chains. more than likely this canopy will be taken off in the warmer months so I'm not to worried about solar heat. Thanks for all the compliments everyone, this project is taking a lot more time than I originally thought but so far I'm very pleased with the results, and if I were to do it again I would use 1/8" tubing instead of 3/16" .

spacing your tires out wide is a good thing. Thanks for posting your project.

 

[andy1981]

Yesterday I got the mounts for the front posts drilled and welded on. This afternoon I put the loader on and checked for clearance issues. I have a couple of small things to tweak but nothing major. As Dieselcrawler mentioned to watch for clearance on the bucket level indicator I had to loosen the lock nut and spin the adjustable rod 180* , and I also have to trim the front of the limb risers were they bolt to the front bumper because the heads of the mounting bolts just barely catch on some hoses. You can see were I marked what I have to cut off in the one picture. All in all everything fits really well and I have enough room to open the hood. Tomorrow I plan on tasking the top of so I can take it and get a piece of 1/8" steel sheared for the roof . I am going to get an 1" overhang all the way around and have it bent at a 45* angle to act as a drip edge. I also need to finish up the front grill guard with some vertical bars and a heavy screen material, and then some tabs for lights, a grab handle , a spot for a chainsaw scabbard and an overhead gun mount are some things on my list.

 

[Rustyiron]

How'd I miss this one? Real nice design & execution Andy!
You say that you think you'll be taking the top off in the summer, I put an electric fan up high and between that & the shade, it's pretty nice in the summer sun. If you have the room up against the "roof" it's also a good place for a small electrical panel for extra light switches and a radio. Jensen makes a tough little radio for tractors & skid steers that's self contained and will take a aux connection and has a headphone jack. The speakers are worthless with the machine in operation.
If you have a place nearby that can shear and bend up a sheet of 1/8 for the roof, have them "cross break" an X through the top to dampen the vibration that is bound to happen. Also a small 90* bend at the sides makes a handy little gutter to keep's the rain dripping to the front or back.:thumbsup:

 

[andy1981]

Tuesday I dropped the frame for the canopy of at a local fab shop to have a piece of 11 gauge sheared and the edges bent for the roof. Tonight I got the corners welded up and drilled and mounted it to the frame with some 5/16 thread cutting screws. I also got some elastaform which is a flashing for rubber roofing made by Carlisle rubber, it is about an 1/8" thick and has adhesive on one side . I am going to use this between the roof frame and panel and any other metal to metal points of contact between the tractor and rops to help with vibration. I also picked up some paint today and hope to have this finished up by next weekend.

 

[GreatWhitehunter]

Excellent progress and workmanship. Can't wait to see it completed with the winch on it.

Matt