Build an Excavator from Scratch

[pufferfish]

Hi,

actually my Mining Dumper is completed for 98 percent and just waiting for spring to get some small details out of my resin printer.

But playing only with a dumper is quickly boring. So I need a suitable loading vehicle. After some research I decide to build a tracked excavator. From scratch of course.

I don't have any experiences with excavators so the complete project will be a great challenge.

First, i would like to say that it will be a fantasy rig, no original, no liebherr, no cat. Just a little big monster with tracks and a bucket on the other end.

My goals are learning much about excavators and get a feeling for this, for me, new genre.


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All starts with the tracks. Researches show me, that real scale tracks are very expensive. Too expensive for a project whose ending is doubtful.

So I've ordered a standard industrial chain with brackets to hold the crawler plates





The form isn't flat like the real chains so i've to use a simple trick to prevent the running wheels from hopping.

I orderded simple small chain wheels and cut the half of the teeth.


So it will be a smooth rolling with the ability to hop over a little stone.

The holders of the tracks and their wheels follows

10 blocks of aluminium


shaped


drilled and provided with bushings and axles


mounted on a stainless sheet.
(The complete holder will get a optical more suitable hull later.)



shortly before christmas i've made a little cardboard model to get a feeling for sizes. the table has 120cm length

[pufferfish]

While waiting for material i've made the hydraulic cylinders

the cylinder are made from seamless, high precision stainless tubes



almost ready. just the ports are missing. i don't know the exact positions so far.


in the box laying the crawler plates too.

drive train is ready for testing



first little testrun on the terrace

https://blog.rb-fotos.de/wp-content/...01/testrun.m4v


The connector between undercarriage and body is done.



That is the actual standing of this project.

More to come....

....if anyone is interested

[Tgrzes]

I can’t even think as fast as you fabricate/Machine stuff…lol.

[bigpipespete]

Must be nice to be able to make machines that are yours instead of paying thousands to someone else to make it. I admire you guys.

[frizzen]

Wow, that's looking like its going to be great!

[pufferfish]

Last post with pre-fabricated things.


i first attempt for crawler-plates. they need some improvements



the large bolt for the rotary union



fits perfect


but with a bit weight n the upper base plate, the bolt tilted





so i've made today a counterpart to avoid this.


















Thats it. From now on my posts in this thread coming not so fast anymore

[pufferfish]

Finetuning of the crawler plates. 1,5mm between work and crash




70 times


no more collisions



last pic: first attempt of the teeth.
Not scale, i know. But they will make grip, I hope

[pufferfish]

Today, in an attack of work mania, I've made 140 threads and mounted the crawler plates for th first track.



Now I'm waiting for the next attack for the second track

[pufferfish]

The undercarriage gets his stabilizations.
Looks a bit rough, but later invisible.


Stable enough, I think
(The carriage isn't so small, my feet have size 16 1/2)


After this succesful test, the hull work started

[bigpipespete]

Its looking really good so far.

[pufferfish]

Thank you.

For better planning the positions and pipe layout upwards, I need all components for a manual tetris.

electronics, pump, valves etc. are already on board. just the oil tank is missing.

500ml volume is needed.

Welding is expensive in labor. So i've calculate the seams length of a quader and a cylinder. The cylinder wins with 30cm lead.

And here is the building of the oil-tank



raised thickness to hold the threads for the nipples


the ring welded on one sheet and cutting the excesses




testing with water and fixing some micro holes


ready for tetris

[pufferfish]

Hi,
positioning was easy. I wish, I have so much space in every model



the sandwich construction of the baseplate prevents a simple fasteting from below.

Thereby i've made a socket.


ready


valves and tank are mounted too

[bigpipespete]

Very nice , sorry if i missed it but what is the scale of this excavator ?

[pufferfish]

Originally Posted by bigpipespete

Very nice , sorry if i missed it but what is the scale of this excavator ?

sorry, it's 1/10.

because i've no idea from excavators so far, i've roughly copied the sizes from the liebherr r966

[pufferfish]

This will be my last post here. too much work for just a few clicks and almost no replys.

Enjoy your hobbies.


Bye

[Soul2012]

I am really sorry to hear this.
It would figure I get in here a day to late.
I am really enjoying following this build even if it was all here in 1 day.
I can only hope we can get you to change your mind about this because I feel I am learning a lot just by following along.
I hope to see this completed and in action one day.

Best of luck to you,

Brian M.

[frizzen]

I'm sorry you feel that way, and that feeling is a large part of why so many forums and message boards become ghost towns.

Your solutions and build techniques are really impressive. I've been watching in awe without having much that would add to the conversation since i don't know much about the machining syde of things. I didn't want to clutter up your builds with too much of the same sounding praise and admiration

[Tgrzes]

Same here. I enjoy looking at all the builds and have learned a lot so far, but I often find it hard to comment if I don’t fully understand all the trucking/construction terminology and can’t contribute solutions. Would love to see the end result of this build.

[Jared]

I hope you'll change your mind! I've enjoyed watching the progress and your methods which are different from most on here.

[bigpipespete]

Thats a shame and i hope also you will change your mind and continue to post progress.