My very own grapples!

[EddieWalker]

While on the subject, do you want to see some boring details what is involved in making the pins so they can be greased?

Of course we do !!!!!!!!

I've never even considered how a grease fitting should be made, but I sure enjoyed seeing how you make them. You actually make them look like a piece of art when all said and done!!!

Thanks,
Eddie

 

[IXLR8]

Of course we do !!!!!!!!

I've never even considered how a grease fitting should be made, but I sure enjoyed seeing how you make them. You actually make them look like a piece of art when all said and done!!!

Thanks, Eddie

It IS a piece of art.... must be nice to have the knowledge, and the tools, to do this sort of work.

 

[3RRL]

You guys are too kind.
You can see I'm a fast learner ... Loretta taught me well.
Thank God for pictures so a tedious little detail like that draws some interest.

Yellow paint ... Swiss cheese hahaha. I'm sure Loretta will react to that one. I can't take all the credit, since Loretta wanted more lightening holes.
BTW, I just weighed those jaws and you won't believe it ...they are exactly 50lbs all welded up like that.



That is pretty light for being 24" wide and compared to what they would be without holes. I was planning to add a plate on top of her bucket and also one on the back to add strength and rigidity to it. I calculated the top plate (1/2 x 6 x 32") to be 27.2lbs. The pivot brackets and pins (all) weigh 10.8lbs and the cylinder weighs 15.9lbs. So that's 103.9lbs for the whole shebang! If I decide to use the back plate behind the bucket lip, add another 27.2lbs for a grand total of 131.1lbs.

But that is not really what it will weigh because I'm planning to use only 6" x 6" squares under the pivots instead of the entire plate across the top to cut the weight down. If I do that for the top and back, the plates will weigh 30.6lbs. That will make the entire assembly weigh 107.3lbs with top and back stiffening plates. Her loader lift capacity is less than 1000lbs, so for what she wants to do, the grapple weight won't hurt that too much.

 

[3RRL]

Last weekend we started fitting the electric solenoid valve mounting bracket to Loretta's Jinma. Loretta left the ordering or materials up to me since I've had experience doing all this before on my Kama 554. The valve is a true third function double action solenoid valve so the grapples can be operated simultaneously with the other FEL functions. That is, while curling/dumping and raising/lowering the bucket all at the same time.
It is not a diverter valve where you lose (usually) the curl to operate the grapple.

We purchased the components from Surplus Center.
They are for an OPEN center system like most of our tractors. For those of you interested in a DIY valve installation like Loretta's, these are the components you need, or least the ones that I used. Of course there are several others to choose from, but these are pretty reasonable.

Click on the link for details.
The valve is an open center EATON-VICKERS DG4V-3 12 VDC 10 GPM OC DA SOLENOID VALVE
The subplate is DO3 1 STATION SUBPLATE which can be used for either open or closed center valves.
The electrical connectors are HIRSCHMANN CONNECTOR FOR DG4V3 SOLENOID VALVE and you need 2 of these for installation of wires to solenoid coil and up to the switch on the joystick handle.
Click the pictures to enlarge them.

 

[tlbuser]

That will make the entire assembly weigh 107.3lbs with top and back stiffening plates. Her loader lift capacity is less than 1000lbs, so for what she wants to do, the grapple weight won't hurt that too much.

As usual, awesome job. Is Loretta the first student for the Rob and Larry School of tractor gadgets?
If she's getting upgraded to fabricator, who's going to be the painter

 

[3RRL]

My good friend Larry sent me a link where he got his new joystick handle. When I first designed the grapple, I sent him a copy of the drawings so he could build his own set. He had to get some parts for his installation and found this neat handle. When I did my grapples, I didn't know enough to buy a switch separately, because I could have installed one into the pocket of my Koyker handle. So that is another option to mount the switch.
Click on this link and look at the different grips, switches and components for the handle.
Scorpion Technologies Joy Stick Handles



Well, I just got off the phone with Scorpion Industries and placed the order for a joystick handle.
Brian, the owner himself sent me a quote via fax within 5 minutes. I mentioned Larry's name and he new Larry and the Forum so he gave me a super deluxe discount. When I got the fax I called to place the order with Eden who was great to talk to. I got the "S" series customized handle with a rocker kit switch installed and an M10 x 1.5 mounting adapter to fit Loretta's FEL lever.

Larry also suggested placing a diode between the solenoid terminals to prevent arcing across and also to lengthen the life of the switch or something like that. He told me to get them at Radio Shack and that these would work, 2.5 amp 1000 volt diode (NTE125), so I will do that too.
He said "Just make sure to get the correct polarity on the diode - Cathode (white band on the diode goes to the positive lead)"

 

[3RRL]

As usual, awesome job. Is Loretta the first student for the Rob and Larry School of tractor gadgets?
If she's getting upgraded to fabricator, who's going to be the painter

Good question?
Next thing you know she'll be telling how SHE wants the new shop to be laid out.
I'm afraid it will have a broom, vacuum, microwave and dish washer to keep me occupied.

 

[3RRL]

I mentioned we had done some preliminary work for the new grapple.
The valve will be located on the left FEL mounting tube. We made a bracket at camp to accept the DO3 subplate for it. You can see it in the bottom of the photo on the tube. We also got ORB fittings to screw into the subplate and got two short hoses made up which now have those quick connects on them.
Here is a picture of what we got done so far. (click to enlarge)



We also made a bulkhead bracket (painted yellow) mounted to the tractor's left FEL upright. Attached to it will be the other quick connects and hoses leading to the front bucket, but they are not installed yet. Those quick connect couplers on the short hoses will plug into the ones on the bulkhead. That way, if Loretta ever takes her FEL off, she can undo those fittings right there. The bulkhead bracket, quick connects and hoses leading to the front will all go with the loader, leaving only the short ones you see in that picture. We will secure them with something like this when disconnected.



Next visit up, we have to measure and make the hoses running to the FEL cross tube up front. Also those going to the hydraulic cylinder for the final grapple connection. We will use 3/8 hose for that. The hoses from the cylinder to the FEL cross tube up front will also have quick connects on them, since she has a quick attach bucket. So if she ever wants to take the bucket off the FEL, (not the entire FEL) she can do that to put on fork lifts or whatever.

 

[TBDonnelly]

While on the subject, do you want to see some boring details what is involved in making the pins so they can be greased? I thought so.

Rob,

My dad was a tool and die grinder for 42 years. However all the 'big' tools were at the factory and never to be seen by me. The one thing I did see was his set of micrometers. We 'miked' everything that would fit in the jaws of his micrometers.

We practically 'miked' the spaces between each carrot seed while planting the garden.
Loretta............I feel akin to your pain.

With that said, Rob, I thoroughly enjoy the details. I appreciate the extra time you take to document the involved processes. You are a highly skilled tradesmen.

Ok, now, when is the upgraded dishwasher coming out?

Don

 

[3RRL]

Don...lol...I see you are as nuts as tommu!
You guys kill me.
Seriously, thanks for the nice compliment.
I think I get more pleasure from sharing the work I do than from doing it. When I was a young man, it used to be the other way round, but after cutting maybe a million pounds of chips, I got tired of it. It wasn't until I got here on TBN that I realized some of the stuff I do would be of interest to so many people. Even Loretta is interested. Now, thanks to you guys, machining for the tractor projects is fun again.
I appreciate your interest.