John Deere 744k Wheel loader

[mkerkovius]

This is my first build that I started working on a few months ago with basically zero experience working with metal. Sorry for the bad quality pics, they were taken from my phone. My idea is to have lots of weight for more traction. The front part of the main frame is built from a mix of 14 gauge steel and 12 gauge steel with everything being tacked together with a mig welder, and then finished off by brazing. The hood is made out of 14 gauge steel, and just soldered together as it does not require the same strength that the frame does, it still needs many more details and parts to be finished. The base plate for the cab is made from a solid piece of 1/2 inch steel, and still needs a door and windows to be made. The pieces for the boom have been cut out and need to be attached together, I'm not quite sure how to do this yet as aluminum seems to be very difficult to weld. The tubes for the hydraulic cylinders have been roughly cut, they still need to be finished to exact length, and I am waiting for some reamers to arrive so that the bores can be made. I hope you enjoy the pictures, and if you have any advice it would certainly be appreciated.
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