MODIFY BRUSH HOG SOME MORE

[tommu56]

Rob
The 4 for the house are stacked to get 220 and in parralle to carry the current

The ones for the shop are just stacked to get 220 at alower current
I would spring for another one or the shop and eliminate the phase convertor.

It's easy spending some one elses money.
I am putting one invertor in (I'm on a lower buget than rob)

tom

 

[3RRL]

Rob

I would spring for another one or the shop and eliminate the phase convertor.

It's easy spending some one elses money.
I am putting one invertor in (I'm on a lower buget than rob)

tom

Hahaha, sure spend all my money. Heck this thread started because I was able to do a project from scraps ... thus saving money. Now you've got me trying to spend a bundle on another converter and you are using only one? Those babies are expensive man.

I was thinking of using the phase converter first since it cost me nothing to do it. Then if I find out it uses too much power, I can re-evaluate. Maybe cut out some of Loretta's electrical use?

Guess what,
I've actually got an update for the quick attach wheels and a few photos coming.

 

[3RRL]

You know how I was slicing those large tubes in half using a saw blade on the milling machine? Well that sucks. I ended up seizing the blades and eventually breaking them, so I quit doing it that way.
I made a vertical sawing table for my shop saw. Figured I'd do it the way smart guys do it. My saw raises all the way up but did not come with the vertical table attachment. I clamped on a guide and sawed them up that way with coolant. That was way easier.



Those tubes when cut in half are going to be the base receivers which will be welded to the other taller implements such as the boxblade and rake. Actually, they will be welded to a 3/8" thick plate first, and the plate will be welded on. The dog leg extensions will slide into the half tubes and get pinned together.

 

[3RRL]

I also got the base for the rotary cutter done. It will get welded to a plate which will be welded to the body. Again, the Quick Attach Wheels will slide onto that and pinned. So here they are all chamfered and ready to weld up. I rounded the tops of the bars where the QA Wheels slide on so it would match the inside of the tubes.



Next is to weld up the dog leg extensions. I can do that here at home. But I have to bring the implement receivers to camp and hand fit them to the boxblade, to be sure it fits and position correctly. The spacing has to be the same on all the implements the QA Wheels go on. So I'll have to do all that final welding at camp. Maybe this weekend?

 

[3RRL]

Got the welding at home done today. I used 7018AC rod with my stick welder. Seems my super old Forney doesn't like it as much as my new Lincoln arc welder does? Some welds came out great and others so so. The ones I didn't like I just cut off.



What you see there is the "hook" welded on the frame bar. The hook will capture the end of the QA wheel frame and along with a 1" diameter pin, will hold the assembly in place so it can't move.

 

[3RRL]

I took these pictures to give you an idea what the receivers look like and how they will work with the wheel frame. The first one shows the receivers for the rotary cutter. the next ones show how the wheel frame will slide onto the receiver. You can see here the rear of the wheel frame is captured and the big pins hold it all together.



Those receivers will be welded to the body of the rotary cutter. You pull out those 2 pins and slide the QA wheels off. I'll need to disconnect the QA hydraulic fittings first of course then they can be parked or put on another implement in a similar fashion.

 

[sandman2234]

Nice pictures, but there is one thing I don't understand. How do you get the rust off all of your steel? I just leave mine on it, as most of my steel is older than dirt anyway. I collect it, stash it, and use it when I need some. Yours looks like you buy a new piece for every job.
David from jax

 

[3RRL]

Now these are the "dog leg" parts that you saw in the drawings. They are shaped like this to allow the QA wheels to touch the ground when used on the boxblade or rake. Otherwise there would be little adjustment since the boxblade and rake are taller than the brush hog. In the next photos you can see the tubing I cut in half. Those will be welded onto plates and then welded onto the boxblade and rake. I made a couple spare sets of tubes for other implements.



Anyway, you take the dog leg bars and slide them into those tubes and pin them so they are fully captured. Then you slide the QA wheels onto the front of the dog leg just like on the rotary cutter. That part of the dog leg bar has the rear "hook" and front pin just like the rotary cutter. Last picture is after I primered them all to get ready to go to camp tomorrow.

 

[GuglioLS]

Wow Rob, it's coming together nicely, man what a load of steel and work. I see quite a few solid bars there. Are you taking them up with the Jeep or the Blazer? Did you already take the wheel assembly up to camp? Those plasma cut parts do look cool, thanks for letting me help you out on that part of the project.

Great job pulling this off. I'm in anticipation of seeing the end result and the big ole smile on your face when you see it working perfectly to your satisfaction.

Larry

 

[3RRL]

Thanks David.
My steel just looks like I got the rust off, but there is still some on it. I try to get it off by using an India stone and oil, but if you look closely at some of those pictures, you will see it's still there. The parts that look new might be where I machined some off or oily?

Thanks too Larry,
The Blazer is up at camp with that stick through the window.
Got to get that fixed too.




Lucky the rest of the wheel assembly is already up there. I posted some pictures of what I did up there (see post #125) and also of the assembly already painted black and greased. It is waiting for this part now.

Then I have to deal with the hydraulic part of it. You know I'm on a tight budget and wanted to make this project out of as much scrap and spare parts as I could. So I will be scrounging for hoses since the ones I have will be used for my hydraulic winch. I'll need to scrounge up a bunch of fittings and quick disconnects to make this happen this weekend. I know I have some spares but not sure how many? I really hope to have this done this weekend.

I forgot to tell you that during one of the visits, one of the kids was racing my Ranch ATV and it busted a rear axle, brake caliper, disc, hoses and cables. So I'm bringing all those replacement parts too. I spent all week online trying to order them. I hope I got the right parts because I don't have a shop manual for it. Crap.

I've also been trying to figure out a QA hydraulic winch mount. Which may end up not being QA since it's so big. Oh, plus I've got to put new tarps over the tents themselves, since the old ones are leaking. I already changed the main tarp over the big decks. Not to mention taking pictures of the log home progress. So I've got a billion things to do.
But believe me, if I get this thing finished, you will see photos and a couple videos for sure. THEN you get to see that big smile on my face.

 

[GuglioLS]

The Blazer is up at camp with that stick through the window.
Oh Man what a bummer, how the heck did that happen? Or maybe you don't want to talk about it

Sorry I asked about the Blazer

And your ATV is busted up too, that's the Pitt's. Plus you got to replace the tarps. Now I see why your on budget with this project. Is it so you can pay to repair all the other stuff?

Larry

 

[sandman2234]

There is nothing wrong with being on a budget. Being on a budget would elude to actually having money coming in that needs to be budgeted. In my case, there is no budget, because there is no money coming in.
Most windshields will redirect a gunshot, (TV gossip?) so I am also among the many wondering just how you did that with a stick?
I sure hope the tractor doesn't have any problems picking up and controling all that extra weight!
Maybe you and "Wayne County Hose" can get together and trade out some hoses for some repair work to his old tractor. Surely he has a part that needs rebuilding, or just a touch of machine work? Too bad he lives so far away, as shipping would kill most of the deals we could conjur up!
David from jax

 

[3RRL]

I drove the Blazer under an Oak that had (what I thought was) a dead branch. NOT...
I sure I had quite an expression on my face when it popped through.
I'm meeting a window guy this Saturday to have it replaced. He's coming out to the property to do it.

It would be great to do that, swap services like Larry and I have done over the years. Shipping is a bummer though, but then in many instances if all it is is shipping, and the value of what's done is worth it (probably way more) than it could work out as long as it's agreeable to both parties.
Then there always the timing issue too.

Yeah, I've got a lot of chores to do at camp. I'm gonna pick one at a time and finish it. Probably need to put new tarps on the tent canopies first. Then work on the QA wheels. I'd like to complete that this weekend but I'm not sure about all the hydraulic connections I need (and have) at camp. Not only that, I left the receptacles (receivers) for the boxblade long. I'll need to cut and fit them before I can weld them on. So there is still a lot to do before it's complete.

I'll probably repair the ATV and make the hydraulic winch mount during Thanksgiving vacation. I'll have more time in case I need something else. Usually, I only get one day or less to work on projects up there. And if I forget something I'm screwed.

 

[SkunkWerX]

It's looking real good Rob! (The project, that is, not the log thru the window).

The dog-legs came out nice, they look extremely solid. The plasma cut pieces look better-than-factory, especially these days, the factories aren't doing such nice work.

Good luck on your window, those window guys are fast.

What's next? Ready for final assembly and fit-up at your property?

Can't wait to see the next set of pics!

 

[3RRL]

Thanks Skunk.
Yep, transport to the property and assemble up there. Just checked the weather report and it's probably going to rain. Still got to figure out the hydraulic hoses and best way to do that so it fits all the implements too.
I'll be leaving here shortly after loading everything up.
Talk at ya on Sunday eve.

 

[MrJimi]

Rob, with all these things your making it looks like you may be needing a large place to store all these pretty items in your building, maybe about 60 X 100 building
Jim

 

[3RRL]

Rob, with all these things your making it looks like you may be needing a large place to store all these pretty items in your building, maybe about 60 X 100 building
Jim

Hi Jim,
Yeah no doubt you are right man.
I'm starting out with two smaller buildings at first.
The garage is 24 x24 and the barn is 40 x 50. It will be a modest start. But I see all the time how the guys build a building and then fill it up in what seems a couple hours. Then they need more room. I'm sure I'll find the same thing.

 

[MrJimi]

Make sure you build it real big, I out grew my 50 X 50 in no time, I wanted 50 X 100
It will work for awhile
Jim

 

[3RRL]

Well I didn't get a thing done on my project this weekend. Guess it'll have to wait another 2 weeks.
Here's why.
BROKEN CAMP

 

[tommu56]

Rob
You could cut your travel time drastically use your tractor to cut a heli port in one of you fields and just land on one of the greens at home.

when we had the trees cleared at my cabin a neighbor asked me what i was doing and i told him it was my heli port & feed plot & solar path way.
He just looked at me confused. he didn't know i was working on my solar project.

tom