Daves’ Gadgets

[just Dave]

I like to fixture in a way I can turn the pin, in a situation where you could really get by without line-boring. The spacers are faced off square and clamped with a bridge on one end so I can turn the pin as I weld to insure alignment. I have about .005” clearance on the bore.  Reclaimed hubs from salvage.

A few wedges at the frame joint help maintain for some tacks.

15” span , pin still free

Looks ok on the dipper. Raw 1045 pin for now. They stick it to you on onezy heat treating. I will check a couple local hydraulic shops for a piece of induction hardened cylinder rod that got scraped due to a gauge or such. That makes cheap or free hardened and chromed pin stock. Honestly the raw 1045 will last my lifetime but I want a spair for when it breaks? 
I will certainly fit a cylinder but maybe a stiff leg for now,…. anxious to get back to digging……and away from welding.

I put a picture of this hoist up just because I love it. It’s come down to me, has fence wire cams, a load lock and an original rope that’s been through everyone’s hands. I think it came from the house well on the old Family Farm NE. I don’t use it that often, but very handy for couple hundred pounds going up and down a lot…..while I figure my next move.  

[just Dave]

I have this TD9 Drott tilt cylinder in for shortening via eye mods. It fits the dipper and will be tough enough by far. Notice the aluminum block clamped to the table to guide the blade as it enters the angular fillet weld. A cross tube will be better suited in this application and will gain a couple inches. 

[just Dave]

New end on . I’m making the clevis to weld to the dipper from plate.

[snoshoe]

Just shows what an amateur I am. Never would have thought of using an end mill in a boring head.

[DT Fan]

23 hours ago, snoshoe said:

Just shows what an amateur I am. Never would have thought of using an end mill in a boring head.

Me too. Can't believe that's the first time I've seen that done.

[just Dave]

23 hours ago, DT Fan said:

Me too. Can't believe that's the first time I've seen that done.

If you orient it just below center it has clearance, and cuts on only the tip.

[Rawleigh99]

Very interesting!!

[just Dave]

Now I need a clevis on the thumb, a little 1” plate, scrap.

Part of the store bought manual thumb will be the bridge to support the clevis.

Fixture and weld, weld, weld…..

I need to get some braceing in there to transfer the load from clevis out toward the tip. I need to cut a couple of compound angles for this fit. The feed in band saw can do anything you can imagine

A bit more welding……..

I think I’m done with his part for now . I will remount and prepare to weld the dipper end clevis in the CORRECT position.

 

[Rawleigh99]

Wow!  And I thought it was going to be a simple weld on job when you started!  Talk about project creep!!  LOL  Nice job though!

[just Dave]

I got my dipper clevis welded on ok. 

I did a pressure test on the cylinder ports I changed, bad test, found a pin hole. I’m going to TIG weld the repair. I don’t see like I used to, so most of my welding is squirt gun , high amps. I ordered some packing for the old Drott cylinder and some fittings and hose to plumb it up.

[just Dave]

I did a pressure test on the tube and found pin holes where the old hard pipe I reused met the bead. The welds on the other places are ok.

I ground them out and went after em with the Tig torch and some 309.

no good this old piece of pipe is about 75 years old and will now retire. I’ll get a piece of seamless tube Monday. 

[just Dave]

I cut off the old pipe and replaced. Put it back n the test rig and all is great at 120 PSI. Waiting on some hoses and packing now.

[just Dave]

We will have to call this Linda’s Gadget. She thought my hat was getting to be more of my zig-zag patching than hat, so she made me a a couple new ones. That Girl!

Great fit and long enough to cover my ears to keep spatter out.

[mike newman]

....a very intimidating look there , Dave ???!!!!

 

Mike

[just Dave]

Well I had a chance to do some digging yesterday. The thumb is working well, this rock is 2-3 ton easy.

[Ian Beale]

On 6/27/2024 at 1:17 AM, mike newman said:

....a very intimidating look there , Dave ???!!!!

 

Mike

Very close to a "Foo was here" look

[just Dave]

The road I’m making to my upper area is through mainly undisturbed limestone . I have a couple hundred feet length to get 20 some feet elivation . Getting enough dirt to cap the rocks is pretty tough. The top layer in many spots is only a few inches and solid slab limestone down about 6 feet under that. Pictures are over time . I’ve gained about 6-7 feet elevation so far.

thats where the Fruehouf trailer was.

 

[Rawleigh99]

The rocks are breeding!!

[just Dave]

I put a few hours in scratching at the hillside. If you can lift it a little it breaks out in chunks….sorta. 

I’m stacking chunks cross hatch up the left/ downhill side.

Being my only access at this point is from below it is difficult to pop up layers.

I think I’m going to do some packing and prying with the 150 track loader…..

[just Dave]

I’m into a layer of undisturbed limestone, maybe 10-15 feet thick. At lower levels I could undercut it and break it off, up higher I only want to step it back in 8-10” layers.

I’m setting at a fair incline and pounding on a layer to break it off is not going to be my best way forward. Time to trade big yellow for a little yellow machine.

I screwed some 1/2 x 14” lag screws in horizontally, and added a little wedge pressure.

This is opening some cracks nicely. The lags would screw in better with a pilot hole. Next layer maybe?

[hardtail]

Gonna be tougher slugging now, hopefully you don't have far to go or a friend with explosives shows up with smother blankets

[just Dave]

I built a thing I call the beak. It hang on the back of the bucket to pry out layers.

I had a chance to try it out a bit this morning. It works ok but still tough going.

I was able to pull up some large chunks, mainly loosened already with drilling .

It did hold up well. I was picking up my tail while hanging on it. The tip is a piece of a breaker bit that been lurking around here for years, knowing that some day I would ask a lot of it.

[hardtail]

I think it was Limestone at a buddies in WA state? The top that was exposed to weathering did break up, after you got past that it was extremely hard going with conventional equipment 

[Rawleigh99]

Need some dynamite!

[Alan Dinan]

My nephew knows a father and son who both have their license. He said that they work cheap, they like to blow things up in trade for adult beverages! Don’t know how far they would travel, though