Landscape Rake Build

[tlbuser]

TLBuser -

Yep it's a plasmacam, just like yours in the picture you posted you have a plasma cutter? sweet . His has a Z axis stepper motor, it's manual or software controlled, and he fiddles with it allot. I think it's due to a combination of table and part warp-age. Do you use your plasma cutter much? What kinds of parts have you made? and do you use autocad or the plasmacam software to design parts? If I keep at it, one day I may have to invest in one. But so far I have a good gig going with them - Trade my mechanical and electronics skills to repair their equipment in exchange for metal and plasma cutting, it's a win win situation.

Larry

Yea, that's what i was wondering. Mine is servo controlled not stepped. The plasmacam guys have never really been able to tell me why either. Using software control, once setup and "calibrated" I shouldn't have to manually adjust it every time we set it up but........The table gets used quite a bit. I made a garden gate for one of our customers and she is always referring people to us to get one like hers. Made a couple of signs for friends, some caliper brackets and a rock bucket/grapple combo for me. I need to get back on it to make a thumb like Rob's for my little backhoe. Maybe I have ADD or something, never enough time to do everything
Maybe your buddy didn't share very well, Plasmacam software will import autocad, g files, etc. I think your trades are a better deal than what I get. I like autocad for drawing because I still haven't figured out how to set dimensions in plasmacam

 

[GuglioLS]

TLB -
I had a few parts plasma cut for SkunkWerX, I double checked the motors on my Buddy's PlasmaCam, and found they are servo motors after all. The Z axis motor is rather small.

Our Monsoon season is here, so no progress on the rake this past week.
All the rain and mud has given me the opportunity to make J.J.'s anvil for his hydraulic press. I wonder what he's going to use that for?................
J.J. - Your Anvil construction is complete , here are a few of the steps it took to build that... First round up the steel parts, turn the ends flat, drill a 1/4" hole clean through three inches of solid steel for the blade holder screw. Then use every 1-2-3 and 2-4-6 block I had to get the part up the the 1/2" solid carbide mill bit.





Center the bit, mill a 1/2" wide X 3/4" deep slot, cut the anvil knife, drill and tap for 1/4-20, start boring out the holder to 1" id x 1" deep






Final counter bore, test fit the knife blade, cut some DOM (Drawn Over Mandrel) a.k.a.seamless tubing for the mounting stub, square up ends of the DOM, test fit.






Cut the knife edge to 35*, cut the knife holder to 45*, assemble and post pictures.




The only thing left is heat treat the knife and ship it. I will do that sometime Saturday. With any luck I should make some progress on the rake too.

J.J. - I hope you find your metal bending anvil satisfactory and that is gives you many years of service.

Larry

 

[Defective]

You forgot to post the pic where you came back to the saw & said: "Darn...Need to find another 3" clamp..."

 

[J_J]

Larry, Looking good. On the seamless tubing, do you have a way to keep the tubing secured to the anvil? On my receiver, I have a bolt in the side to secure the top half .

 

[GuglioLS]

You forgot to post the pic where you came back to the saw & said: "Darn...Need to find another 3" clamp..."

HaHaHa -
Yea that darn saw, Not a problem though, I just weld them clamps back together I'm sure you figured out when the blade got close to the clamp, the clamp is removed then placed above blade to finish cutting So far I've been lucky doing it that way.

Larry

 

[GuglioLS]

Larry, Looking good. On the seamless tubing, do you have a way to keep the tubing secured to the anvil? On my receiver, I have a bolt in the side to secure the top half .

Thanks J.J. -

Not to worry about the mounting stub, got that secured in place with lead free solder composed of SnSb5, (95% tin, 5% Antimony) melting point is 232-240*C (450 - 464* F). SnSb5, has good shear resistance so it will not come out under normal use. If for some reason you ever had to replace it, just heat it up and slide it out.


Larry

 

[GuglioLS]

I guess this rake build is turning out to be insane.

OK here is the latest -
I got the swing cylinder hydraulics plumbed to test it out under power. Ran the cylinder to it's extremes in both directions, amazingly I got exactly full 90* swing. I guess designing this stuff in CAD really does work after all. Next was to test fit the tine holding bar, it fit so I took it off and apart to weld on the index plates and the 1" ID DOM seamless tubing for the angle cylinder clevis pins.






I tack welded the DOM in place so the 1" pins and holes were parallel to each other. Last was to apply the finish coat and re install it onto the boom. After that I plumbed in the windrow angle cylinder which also acts to keep the blade parallel to the line of pull no matter what the swing angle is. (articulation) My next post will be a video showing how all that works...




I guess I'll have to bolt the tines on it tomorrow so that is will be DONE!!!!

Larry

 

[GuglioLS]

Here it is, the moment of truth.. will it work?, does it work?.... you be the judge.



In the first segment of the video, I gave the rake tine holder a little nudge, if you watched the video, the flange bearing I added sure does make it smooth, If I had not stopped it, there is no telling how long it would have spun around like that.


Larry

 

[3RRL]

Absolutely fantastic Larry.
Everything works great and fits perfectly. Guess it's time to bolt on the tines and give it a rip now, eh?

 

[mjncad]

That looks and works great!

How about some pictures of your Redneck Ingenuity...err...Yankee Ingenuity powder coating oven?