MODIFY BRUSH HOG SOME MORE

[sandman2234]

john_bud,
Don't fall for that reduction to a root beer float as him giving up anything. Actually paying off the debt of a rootbeer float will require a trip to the middle of nowhere, as that is where he lives and there are no local sources available within shipping distances of the half-life of a rootbeer float. I think it would be easier to pay him off with a pound of gold then a rootbeer float, which is probably why he wants the RB Float. Only way I can figure to do it is with a 15 pound block of dry ice in one box and a separate box for the rootbeer, but that just makes for the ingrediants, and not really a rootbeer float in the true sense of the word.
David from jax

 

[sandman2234]

Did I mention that I already fell for that rootbeer float, which is why I know about not being able to pay the debt dispite my trying.
David from jax

 

[patrick_g]

Actually paying off the debt of a rootbeer float will require a trip to the middle of nowhere, as that is where he lives

Actually, I don't live in the middle of nowhere but on a clear day you can see it from the top of my hay barn.

Pat

 

[tommu56]

Colin

I have a lot of leagicy programs at work for the equipment I work on and use virtual pc

link
Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 Product Information

most are dos based and i use it to keep my generic cad going al though i am sloly bighting the auto cad lt. bullet



Rob

When Loretta is out run the dirty wheel through dish washer so it looks like new one.

tom

 

[3RRL]

Tom,
THROUGH THE DISHWASHER??? shees, I would never get a way with that. But is is a GREAT idea!!
She would kill me if she found out and you'd have to finish all my projects and the log home.
Thanks.

 

[GuglioLS]

Rob,
The pins came out great, they must be worth their weight in gold now., looks like they were a load of work, with many different machining operations. I suppose it's tough working with hardened steel like that. The recessed Zerk fittings came out really nice. And the wheel brackets are coming along nicely too. I don't remember seeing your whirly gig, the gizmo you used to turn the pins while you ground the retaining ring slots, I'd like to see a picture of that setup. You seem to be getting pretty close to wrapping up this fine project. Is there any brush hogging that needs done so you get a chance to try it all out?


Larry

 

[3RRL]

Thanks Larry for commenting.
It is a lot harder to work with hardened steel. There is always a risk of work hardening the material and also scorching the drill bit and freezing it into the hole. ??? Usually you have to grind or use carbide, but once you get through the case hardening, the centers are cut-able or drill-able.

I have 3 Harigs and 1 Gromax whirlie gig that you can put round stuff on to grind, cut off, cut slots and index for different cuts/holes and a couple motorized pin grinders. One I made myself. They all have sliding "V" blocks to put the round stock in, then you center them up using a test indicator. They run true to about .0002" TIR (total indicator reading). They are super handy and I have a large round magnet to spin larger diameters.



If I can get a few more hours on the project, yeah, I'll have done what I can at home in my garage. But I still have to tote it all to the property and weld it all there. Then the hydraulics up there too. So I might need a weekend to work on it?

Right now there is a small area I can try it out on, but I have not combed it for rocks and logs yet. But I'm sure I'll get a video of it cutting something and adjusting the wheel height accordingly.

 

[patrick_g]

Right now there is a small area I can try it out on, but I have not combed it for rocks and logs yet. But I'm sure I'll get a video of it cutting something and adjusting the wheel height accordingly.

Small area... SMALL AREA... S M A L L A R E A !!!!!!!!!!

Such a master work deserves, nay demands, a proper testing regime to prove/demonstrate its capability.

I have over a hundred acres of waist deep native grasses, including big blue stem that haven't been cut this year. That and small cedar trees, persimmons, seedling pecans and oaks and on and on, a veritable proving ground for your testing convenience. I have flat/smooth as well as angled and eroded rough land, a plethora of testing possibilities.

PM me to make arrangements for one of our guest rooms and to state your breakfast preferences and similar domestic considerations.

My Cimmaron 6 ft HD brush hog with manually adjustable single tail wheel broke a blade ( 3 1/2 by 1/2 by 20 inches) and will be out of service until next week but I can leave a variety of different challenges for your testing convenience.
Let me know your first three choices of dates.

Pat

 

[GuglioLS]

Rob,

I really appreciate you taking the time to post the pictures of all your whirly gig's. In the first picture, the one in the box, how old is that one? looks antique to me, I bet it works as good now as it did new. The one on the right in the first photo seems to have a magnetic base, does it have an internal magnet? And I see you have one with a motor. Man your sure did assemble quite a collection of machine tools and accessories over the years. I bet you never imagined you would use all that to modify your brush hog along with all the other great tractor fabrication projects. If it weren't for your tractor you would probably just me making "stuff" on all that equipment just to keep yourself busy and to keep it all from rusting.

Larry

 

[3RRL]

Pat,
Thanks for the offer. I wish I could email it to you so you could use it today. Unfortunately, I am busy at the moment making more useless ...er ... useful stuff for my tractor. It keeps me occupied and off the golf course. LOL ... I was thinking of adding gauge wheels to the RC after doing this. What do you think?
Being a tool maker is a curse.

Larry,
Some of those spin jigs are old but still true. I have used them to make many, many things over the years. I love making tractor stuff (I'm just like you). Can you tell?

 

[3RRL]

I do have another update for you.
I managed to mount the double pilot operated check valve (DPOCV) which I bought from Mark over at CCM. Like you saw on my backhoe leg's mounting, those have Metric fittings and steel tubes.

The hydraulic cylinder I bought is a 2-1/2" bore by 6" stroke, and it has a 1-1/2" rod. I chose it for the rod diameter for strength, since a small cylinder would work the rise and fall of the linkage. But I didn't want to bend the rod by hitting rocks or the severe bumps I go over. Since it eventually takes all the rear load/weight of the cutter and the new frame and linkage, it had to be beefy.

Well, it has #8 SAE ports. The banjo bolts for the DPOCV are British 3/8" BSPP (parallel thread) so I had to find an adapter. Of course I could not find one, but did find a male JIC #8 to female BSPP, but no "O" ring to seal it. So I lathed off the JIC taper and bored out the cylinder ports themselves to fit an "O" ring, which I put on the neck of the JIC fitting (now an SAE fitting ). The red thing in the port is a plastic threaded plug to keep chips out.
I fit it so it was in there perfect and tightened the fitting until the shoulder hit the port.

 

[patrick_g]

Rob, If the project uses tools, is fun, keeps you off the streets, out of bars, and away from strange women then it is probably a good thing!

 

[3RRL]

Then I cut the 12mm steel tube to length and installed the DPOCV onto the cylinder. Here are a couple shots of the fittings and check valve installed. They show the banjo fittings and copper washers and adapters.
It came out super clean so I am happy with that part.



Now, the in and out ports of the DPOCV are also 3/8 British, but BSPT (taper thread). So had to get an adapter for that too, to fit my short hydraulic hoses which have JIC #8 ends. These were scrap hoses from another project and had the JIC ends put on. I could've had them put BSP ends on, but opted for the cleaner install of the JIC fittings, in case I ever needed to dis-assemble the unit.
Here are a couple photos of that.



So that's all I did this weekend. Now the cylinder and hoses are ready to take up to camp where I will connect them to steel pipes. The steel pipes will run the length of the RC and upwards next to the 3pt top link. I will run hoses with QD's (also spares) from there to my rear remotes. This puts the hoses out of harms way, since the rotary cutter is notorious for slinging stuff that could sever them. But I'll have to do all that up at camp next weekend.

I'm going to spend the rest of this week at home working on slitting those 2" square tubes and grinding/cleaning up the welds.

 

[GuglioLS]

What a super sano DPOCV install ! you never cease to amaze me, if you cant find what you need you just make it on the fly. Real clean Rob, it looks great.


Larry

 

[3RRL]

Here's an update which adds a new twist to this project. It will mean a little delay in finishing this one, but it sure will be worth it.

After seeing all those threads about gauge wheels, I've decided to use this contraption as gauge wheels for all my implements. After all, the way it is designed and constructed, it is completely self contained and independent of the implement... including the hydraulic cylinder which moves the wheels up and down.

In the case of the rotary cutter, I was going to weld the "U" shaped frame to the rotary cutter itself. But if I make two heavy duty rails or bars that fit inside the "U" of the frame, and weld those onto the rotary cutter, I could set the entire frame and wheel assembly on those 2 rails. I would use pins to fasten the frame to the rails.

Then I could weld similar rails to all my other implements (where the wheel assembly would work best for that particular implement), and the whole wheel assembly, including hydraulic cylinder would fit onto those rails too. I could move this wheel frame assembly from implement to implement by just removing some pins.

Each implement would have hydraulically controlled gauge wheels.
Ha...what do you think about that?

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Each implement would have hydraulically controlled gauge wheels.
Ha...what do you think about that?

I hope that you have a strong back. Sounds like to much work to me.

 

[GuglioLS]

I think it's a superb idea being able to move your precision built gauge wheels from one implement to another. It's a good thing you took your time on this project as it allowed for more versatility, therefore getting more bang for your buck.

My guess is you will build a stand or some other form of support structure for it. That way you can just back whatever implement underneath the the U channel and pin it on without having to struggle one bit. Rob this qualifies as a new invention "Quick Attach Gauge Wheels"

This should be duck soup for you, so I don't think it's going to be much of a project delay winding up in cost overruns or anything like that.


Larry

 

[3RRL]

Brian,
Strong back ... weak mind.
I'll give it a shot anyway. I know it's heavy.

Larry,
...this qualifies as a new invention "Quick Attach Gauge Wheels"
Man, I like that! And thanks for the suggestion of making a stand for it too. That will save the back.

 

[MrJimi]

And you could use a 2" receiver mount for each attachment and if you want more tightness you could use 2, one on each side
Jim

 

[MJPetersen]

Wait a minute guys!! Can you just imagine the QA that Rob would make? laser guide to line things up, precision tolerances, machined surfaces, spring-loaded snap pins. Wow this will be something!!

Rob, You will have to add more weight to the front of your tractor when you attach that to your customized BB. That BB will be so heavy that it will just sink into that decomposed granite, just sitting there!!

Actually I think that it is a great idea. economy of materials, time and added functionality.

Mike