Build an Excavator from Scratch

[pufferfish]

Thanks for the advices, Joe. I appreciate them and will give them a try at the next dig.

But due to a complete disassembling of the excavator this will take some time.

Disassembling for fixing issues , improvement and so on.

Til waiting for easter brunch with the family I've made the cables for the working lights on the monobloc.
Simple wires are bending in very unpredictable ways.
To tame them I've used a simple but effective method.

Whilst the hole procedure take care that the wires laying flat side by side.

Two single wires are bound with a very thin stainless wire


This thing pulled through a heat shrink tube.



After shrinking the wires get more stiffer and bends reproducable nice way

[pufferfish]

Several times before, in some other projects, I've wished to be able to build my own little louvers.
A previous attempt to make a punch and die works but has imperfections to build a even row of identical louvers.

Today i've started another attempt.
the groove for the die was made with a radius mill and cut off one side.
A sharp cutting edge was added.



The die mounted on a piece of wood together with a stop and a ratched grip



with a quadrant milling cutter i've made the punch.



the punch guide


all together clamped an read for the next louver

you can use a hammer or a press.



the result. I'm happy with it and look forward to make some of them for the hull of the excavator.