My homebuilt Loader 3B

[Graydin]

The lifting boom looks quite simple. But it provides a lift capacity of up to 450kg. That's quite a lot, if you think about it... But I still don't like this solution. In my loader, I will use a rectangular tube. This is a closed loop that works very well under torsion. I think the load that my boom will withstand will be up to 5000kg. This is not the weight that the loader can lift, but it is a large safety margin that will satisfy me. I will sleep peacefully.

 

[Graydin]

I apologize for posting the progress of my work so spontaneously. I work for a while and film. Then, when I have free time, I post it for your judgment. Sometimes, I do not touch the loader due to other work. To be continued....

 

[Graydin]

Great! It looks like something similar to machinery is taking shape. An important point here is the welding of the boom. A small mistake, and the boom won't be aligned correctly with the body. This is unacceptable. In the photo, you can see how I center the part of the hydraulic cylinder that attaches to the boom. It's crucial to position the attachment points of the hydraulic cylinder exactly in the center to avoid any misalignment. I'm using plates from the bucket, 8 mm thick. (Sorry, no inches here. Everything is in millimeters.) Pay attention to the weld seam. I lay the metal wide. This way, I can make sure the metal melts properly on both parts, and the weld is strong and secure. Strength is very important in this place. The loads here will be very high, over 1000 kg. Welding with a semi-automatic machine is very easy; you just need to practice. What's great about my loader is that it's made from simple metal, and if I make a mistake during assembly, it's easy to fix by cutting the weld and welding the metal again, correcting the mistake. It's just amazing because I already made a mistake, and I fixed it in half an hour. Simply wonderful and easy. I'm thrilled!

 

[tacticalturnip]

You're making really good progress, this thing is coming along!

 

[Graydin]

Thank you for following the process! I truly appreciate it! Those who enjoyed building models, cars, or construction sets as kids will understand me perfectly. As I assemble my forklift, I’m transported back to a calm and carefree childhood. It reminds me of when my parents handled life’s challenges while I, tongue out in determination, pieced together parts to create a model. Now, instead of letting it gather dust on a shelf, I’ll sit on it and do my homework, conserving my energy, time, and health. This is incredibly inspiring. I always look forward to those precious hours when I can return to my favorite piece of iron.

 

[Graydin]

I’ve finally finished assembling the frame and the lifting mechanism. Now it’s time to paint the body and move forward with the next steps. I even cleaned up my workshop and mopped the floor))) It feels great to walk around now... But, as always, problems show up when you least expect them.

When I started fitting the hydraulic motor, I realized with disappointment that mounting it to the side of the frame was a bad idea. Check out photos 1 and 2—the red line marks the loader’s side.

I installed an MGPK 315 hydraulic motor, which delivers 560 Newton-meters of torque and is equipped with strong, durable roller bearings in its housing. The shaft is rated to handle axial and radial loads of up to 3000 kg. My plan was to mount the wheel directly onto the shaft by machining a custom hub to fit.

But there’s a problem—the shaft is too short, only 1.5 inches long. If you look at a standard car wheel rim (I’m using regular automotive wheels, which are readily available to any farmer), you’ll notice how deep it is.

To connect the wheel to the shaft, I’d have to create an extremely long hub, which would significantly weaken the structure and compromise the motor’s efficiency. That’s simply not an option!

Last night, I spent some time in SolidWorks, brainstorming possible solutions. Then I took a break to relax in my Russian sauna... And now I’m on my way to the store to pick up a few things...

 

[Graydin]

So, after some thought, I came up with a simple and cost-effective solution—moving the hydraulic motors outside into special "baskets." Here's what it looks like on the blueprint. Decision made, time to buy the materials. I'll need a steel pipe—219mm in diameter, with a 6mm wall thickness. My calculations show that by extending the cylinder by 110mm, the loader can balance on one wheel at full weight, with two more loaders stacked on top, and the cylinder will still hold up. Sounds good to me.

I bought the pipe and got to work. Unfortunately, it’s a bit rusty, which is disappointing. I had just cleaned up, and now the workshop is covered in dirt and rust again. Annoying.

Cutting the hole turned out to be tricky. Everything was already welded solidly, and cutting through the seam with my plasma cutter was no easy task. But in the end, I got a solid setup that pushed the wheel 40mm further from the loader’s side—twice as much as needed, and I like it. Of course, the loader’s overall dimensions have increased, and now getting it into the bedroom is a challenge… but I’ll manage somehow.

 

[Graydin]

Hey everyone! So, I finally finished relocating my motors and properly setting up the wheel rims. I really wasn’t happy with the original setup, so I went ahead and modified the design of my machine. Now, those “cups” will be installed in a standard configuration. On top of that, I redesigned the entire front end of the loader and ended up with a more ergonomic and practical layout — and honestly, I think it looks way better and more interesting too. (You can see the difference: the photo shows the old version, while the screenshot highlights the new one.) The new bumper has a rounded, semi-circular shape, so if it hits an obstacle, the loader can smoothly roll over it without taking any damage. That’s definitely a plus. Interestingly, the front “bumper” is actually a piece of pipe originally used for the cup mounts. This also makes it more efficient when sourcing parts for DIY assembly — all you need is a 3-foot pipe, and nearly all of it gets put to use.

 

[Xfaxman]

 

[tacticalturnip]

It's awesome seeing the draft images and the production coming together, keep up the good work!