Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Hey Cooper, awesome work! I build offshore oil rigs for a living, quite often the design basis is called "design-build", meaning we start construction way before design is complete. In my experience, it works well but we typically see up to a 30% revision rate based on the count of drawings issued......the idea is you can actually build a project quicker by designing at the same time you build. I'm doing the same in my garage now. I think I enjoy the cam more than the cad.... I ordered a fogbuster today, do you have a particular coolant you like?

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

I purchased the fogbuster from tormach, I use that most of the time as I’ve been finding out the liquid coolant just doesn’t have enough pressure to get chips out of pockets. And I recently found out tormach made it that way as they don’t intend the flood coolant to be a chip evacuation but more of a lube/coolant setup. The fog buster is more for evacuation of chips. I switch to flood for surfacing with any ball mills. Oh and I’ve just been using the coolant mix they offer, basically because lack of knowledge and experience with any other products. And I like the more clear flood coolant than the milky ones. Purely for visual reasons.

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Size comparison ����������

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psrkmyovyc.jpg

And I got the lift arms machined

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psiwkppwkd.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psovovdaiz.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...pspfk5ar7d.jpg

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

And finally the dog was on my side of an argument!! Yes he is chewing on my wife’s head!! Big puppy!! Just had him to the vet and he weighs in at 189#!! Hence the Great Dane construction company:).

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psfgnc98yi.jpg

And also made the lift cylinder mounts for the lift arms

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psue3t2pia.jpg

They are made to be a press fit into the arms and just some small hardware to give some insurance to stay put. In the pictures I don’t have them pressed in just located for pictures.

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...pssgrujxqj.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...ps05g6ifqn.jpg

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

And the framework between lift arms. This part was difficult to cam and to machine, have 5 different set-ups and about 4.5 hours in it. This is a pic mec-eng, where I do use flood coolant because I’m using a 3D toolpath and ball mill. Better finishes.

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psyfm4heb7.jpg

From block to part

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psjxqgvhbc.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psk6r1kd16.jpg

And the square outside will be welded flush with lift arms, and they are a press fit also.

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8bi234xj.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psvrc7c9hh.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psjdawklso.jpg

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Great progress! Wow.

Heh cute, big puppy

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Just.. WOW! That will be one strong and beautiful loader!!


Stein :-)

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Mech-eng, this is the synthetic cutting fluid I’ve been using.

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psv1sj15hp.jpg

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

:drool::drool::drool::cool::drool::drool::drool:

Some nice eye candy you've fed us cooper! That things going to be the bestest thing since sliced bread!

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Hi Cooper

:):):)
Great work as ever loving the CNC work.
Just taken delivery of a small 6040 CNC
So will be starting to produce some of my items in metal now instead of plastic.
Loving Fusion 360 for my 3D printing so how have to make the move to use the CAM part for the CNC machine

Keep up the good work and thanks again for sharing with us all

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Thanks, I have no experience in anything else other than fusion 360. But I do think it is fairly easy to figure out/learn and most of all free!!!!!

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Started making the mold for tires. I’m using a five gallon bucket cut up for the mold walls. And this is just one half with the printed master tire in it. Have to make other half then will be able to cast tires.

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psfzft7gws.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psnhok4tsr.jpg

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Printed a test piece to give me an idea of range of hydraulic cylinder travel. And this piece is going to be 3 different setups , top, bottom and slots on sides. At least this time I am designing with capiablities of macheing in mind and also with the cutters I have. :)

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psvcc6ptpe.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7gnsp2vs.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psm1nm6xtn.jpg

One hour to print that part, had to slice it in half due to printer size , then just glued together. Having the printer is nice because I can make a physical part that I can wrap my brain around to see just how it is going to fit/work. And basically penny’s worth of material. Verses making it in machine and realizing a change is needed having to make a new one. I’m still fighting with my old habits of keeping everything in my head verses using the computer and knowing it will work 99.9% of the time. ;). Ya can take me out of the sunlight but my neck is still red!! Lol!!! I wouldn’t know what to do if everything fit correct the first time :).

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

I also like your homemade daddy longleg :o)

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Lol!! That was some brass soldered together to hold the master tire when I gave it an acetone bath (vapor bath,about 30-45 seconds to smooth out print lines and sanding marks). Then I bent it up and told the wife I made her a hair brush,,, She wasn’t impressed!! Lol!!

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Or better yet bo,,, a real live brain sucker,,, attached to the cat!!!

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psfrfcejg6.jpg


,,,,,, I know ,,, stupid cat picture,,,,,, and just for the record,, all animals are harmed in the pictures!!! ;). By the brain sucker!! Cat lived but it’s dead!! Starved to death!!

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Paint it black and put it as the shopguard :cop: I'm trying to teach my wife to run the lathe and make super wide rims........she isn't impressed ether........why ?

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Squeeze that fist...............


















Not !

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psj1ir3tlw.jpg

Back to work,,, top half of tire mold poured. Have to wait till tomorrow to take apart and cut casting holes and cast first tire. Have an idea of how much black pigment to add from making the haul truck tires. But not exact. Hopefully I nail it on first one cuz material ain’t cheep. And I’m casting them a solid tire shore hardness of 40, same as haul truck tires. Too much work to make them hollow verses cost savings.

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

And just for those that don’t know , fat malbert is the shop help (well helpless) and he is happy I’m not into rc airplanes ,,,, he is well taken care of and not harmed! (Yes being politically correct and don’t want to post ill-information)

A video of fat malbert , doing his favorite thing, being lazy and transported!!

https://youtu.be/l-lHh47xXgY

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Fat Malbert does something............. Sweeping the floor nice Broom. I know i go back to basement.....:lol:

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

:lol: Wish I could train the cats around here to do cool tricks like that. All they do is eat ANYTHING that DON'T eat them first, & leave parts/pieces of it laying in my floor!

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Couldn’t wait so I peeled open mold to see how tire looks,, some small air bubbles but this is the backside of tire so they will not be visiable. And hopefully the next ones will be better. I really was using this tire to test amount of pigment added. Looks good in that respect. The air bubbles are difficult to exterminate with this type of tire design and mold. And from using this material before I don’t have much time to use it. Set up time is 5-7 minuets. Sounds like long enough but by the time you thoroughly mix it then the time it takes to pour in small holes , and the reality of it thickening around 3-5 minuets, tilting and shakeing to get trapped air out goes quick. And from experience I don’t have enough time to mix it then vacuum degass it then pour. So it is what it is. Guess that’s why the pros that make these custom are $$. Put the mold back together and will let sit till tomorrow.

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...pslcjnxhwa.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psjj5cewhu.jpg

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

That's a huge tire.

If you can make more of a funnel on the fill side, try pouring from higher above the mold, it stretches the material more and helps break up bubbles before they can make it into the mold. It's not vaccum degas, or vaccum bagging before sticking in an autoclave, but it helps.

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Working on the bucket dump arms,,,

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psa5t63wxb.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3dxblyqt.jpg

Have to flip them and do the backsides then cut pockets in ends


And tires came out pretty well, could have used one or two more drops of black pigment, u see some light they appear grey. It may be me over looking at them too :).

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psn0m9rnap.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psnjx6qbnn.jpg

They still have some mold release on them so appear to be shiney. And stil a bit soft as I haven’t post cured them yet. I actually read directions this time around and best to leave in mold for 18-24 hours then bake at 150 degrees for 2-4 hours. Looks like I’m having roast tires for dinner the rest of this week!! Can’t wait till the wife asks “what’s in the ove??” But she’s been around enough to know ,,,,,,

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Very nice! I'd say more but I don't want to inflate your ego too much.:lol::lol::lol:

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

need more air in my tire?,, eh??:lol::lol:

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Pic of the tire next to the Haul truck tire

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

They look like black tires to me

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Guess it’s just me, keep looking at them and they may turn red :)

Finished the bucket dump arms

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...pss13tuj4c.jpg

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

And started mocking up the front end,,

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...ps88shdyxd.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...pscdj0e32h.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psk6mfd2uk.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psuxqs5pjn.jpg

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

You have some great skills coop, that machine will do some heavy liftin...

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Holy cow that is amazing! You have some serious skills!

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Tire color just looks like a machine that stays outside, rub some dirt on it.

That thing's a beast. Loading dumptruck with 1-2 scoops...

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Wow! Impressive! i like the way you make these tires.

Kerst

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Hi Cooper

Tyre casting is:jaw::jaw::jaw: amazing work so glad you have shared it with us.
CNC machining is coming along great thanks for showing us what you have been upto.

Please keep posting the good work

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Haven’t been on here in a while, RW this things off the chain! Can’t wait till it’s done!

I loved your post about fat malberts treatment, any cat person who’s ever followed your builds knows you’d be a lost puppy without him!:lol::lol::lol::lol:

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Amazing work and i havent been thru all 114 pages yet:)

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Thanks guys!! Ed, I’m getting a new phone in mail anyway, speaker doesn’t work so I’m not ignoring you :),

Have some more done with the frame. I will be going back and adding features and more detail when I settle on placement of electronics, pump and transmission. But progress on frame,,,

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...pstwxhqpzm.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psr7rcjyrk.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...pssupnuhd8.jpg

And normal sized soda can for scale,,,,

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...pspxh1xse2.jpg

42 degrees of articulation and 10 degrees of rear oscillation.

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...pshqchhqkm.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psptjbb8pl.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psuywhplhh.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...pscxjuawzg.jpg

Order is a little random (posting with phone) but the rear counterweight is pinned and bolted together. More work will be done to that big piece but I wanted it to be solid as it’s going to be a point of lifting with your hand. And the brass piece is a hinge that will enable rear crowl to be tilted to access battery.

Re: Great Dane excavating co.
 

Looks awesome!