LilGiantsConstrCo

[catmack]

Joe,

What is the track pitch for the "bolt-on pad" machines you have? (you may have already told me some of them)...I am planning to run a batch or two or three of several different size pads in aluminum in a series of pitches I already have drawn and quoted to start. What I am interested in doing is starting a construction model/undercarriage/equipment business for this hobby and want to know if there is interest in a "discussion" for input to see if there is some common requirements and/or suggestions people would like to see come to market in addition to my own ideas . This would be a good platform for everyone to have an opportunity to express their desires. I plan on offering complete track assemblies with sprocket blanks like others have commented on so, it may not make a difference, I could just fly with a step up (incremental) product that is able to interchange components within the same pitch and cross-scale the pitches to minimize how many large quantity stock orders placed with the raw material supplier. I plan on aluminum and steel link and pad assemblies or what ever works out economically to start. The photo attached is a sample of the aluminum pad. I have a better photo if you want to see a closer look. I need to talk to the administrator at this point I think so I don't overstep the rules. This post would most likely need to be moved to maybe a more appropriate thread?? I am posting this because you are running your models steadily and be good for feedback. thanks, Colin

[Lil Giants]

Not sure exactly Colin, standing on my head with caliper in hand with dim light, looks about 0.650"... Kalle took his tracks apart for pics and measurement for Chris, perhaps he's got a much more accurate number, eh Kalle?

I put new shoes on the WA500!



The tires have pretty thick sidewalls & sole, still some hollow space though to add nearly two pounds of steel BB's.



I had originally thought I would use the rims/tires from my scrapped 740, but discovered that the rims were too small of diameter to fit over the gearhead with it's offset spur gear output shaft. The rims from Fumotec for these other tires were large enough diameter, but the bolt pattern was beyond macgivering. The oem rims are a bit too wide & don't have a bead trough like the Fumotec rims, but are a couple mm bigger in diameter which will help grip the bead, and the BB's should help to both lock the tire to the rim, as well as keep the sidewalls pushed outward to help keep bead seated to the rim's edge. I used a bit of air pressure to expand both sidewalls to set the bead, which then created a little bit of a cavity & the BB's now slosh a bit... I'll see what happens.












Nearly have my new steel bucket finnished, little bit wider, but everything else is virtually the same. Just need to smooth out some welds with the grinder, turn some brass bushings for the pivots & give it a coat of paint.







I've made a pretty good dent in screening the wet lumps pile this week, but before dumping the damp dirt from the area that I just mined it from, I thought I'd better lay down a layer of bone dry crush so I don't have a welded (so to speak) glob of cement hard clay packed back in there when I go to retrieve it in dry form next winter for processing.

[rockNmayhem]

Joe Great updates on the loader. I really like the new tires and the tread design on them as well. The new bucket also looks good and it'll be right at home with some new paint on it and playing in the dirt. Keep up the pics and vid's as we can never get enough.

Tyler

[Lil Giants]

Thanx Tyler, much appreciated!

I got some more movies, but gotta wait till the 8th of the month for my internet data cap to reset... rural living & hi spd internet is not only obscenely expensive, but unfairly limited too.

[buzzy16]

Joe, I know how you feel about the whole Internet situation.

I'm currently saving up for a vario right now, only about 10 months of saving to go haha.

[catmack]

Originally Posted by Lil Giants

Not sure exactly Colin, standing on my head with caliper in hand with dim light, looks about 0.650"... Kalle took his tracks apart for pics and measurement for Chris, perhaps he's got a much more accurate number, eh Kalle?

Would you say it is 16mm?

[Kaf343]

Joe, love the new shoes on the WA500, they look right at home. And great idea with the BB's. I love following this thread as someone said before this is the proving ground for ALL equipment. Thanks for keeping us updated.

[JAMMER]

Hello Joe it must be time to rebuild the Deere it is showing some external ware from what I see in the pictures. The most use my Deere got was at Cabin Fever last year. I got the new tracks fixed now I hope. I got to thinking about that and if you could put the two motors in the undercarriage in the center and run the shafts out to the side panels were the motors use to be and 2 sprockets and a chain to drive in there to the sprockets it would have been cheaper and every thing would be inside the housing. Ed

[Lil Giants]

Good choice Buzzy, you'll be pleased when you have it, look forward to seeing your build thread of it.

Colin, probably most likely a round number like that, but not to say for certain that it wouldn't be 16.5mm too.

Yes indeed Keith, this proving ground has been what has kept me enticed for such a long period of time... I've seen alot of ppl (internet friendships) worldwide come & go over the yrs from this particular unique hobby, mainly b/c they didn't have a ready access playground to torture their creations regularly.

That would simplify things greatly for sure Ed, but then also at the sacrifice of the scaled look of the elevated bridge having to lower the center body to line things up, cutting ground clearance immensely... quite honestly, it's a shortcut I'd take if I had to make it myself.

[Azonic]

Colin/Joe: I dont know if you talk about the pitch of the sprocket or on the tracks, either way, the distance between 2 pins on the tracks (center to center of pins) is 18.5mm. The distance from tooth to tooth on the sprocket is about 10mm. If i understand you right thats what you want, right?

[ihbuilder]

Originally Posted by Azonic

Colin/Joe: I dont know if you talk about the pitch of the sprocket or on the tracks, either way, the distance between 2 pins on the tracks (center to center of pins) is 18.5mm. The distance from tooth to tooth on the sprocket is about 10mm. If i understand you right thats what you want, right?

pitch= center of pin to center of pin

[catmack]

Originally Posted by Azonic

Colin/Joe: I dont know if you talk about the pitch of the sprocket or on the tracks, either way, the distance between 2 pins on the tracks (center to center of pins) is 18.5mm. The distance from tooth to tooth on the sprocket is about 10mm. If i understand you right thats what you want, right?

So, the vario is 18.5mm(.729"), that is a little more from what Joe said. That sounds more like a 1/12th scale track pitch of a machine that size in 1:1 though.

[catmack]

Originally Posted by Lil Giants

Good choice Buzzy, you'll be pleased when you have it, look forward to seeing your build thread of it.

Colin, probably most likely a round number like that, but not to say for certain that it wouldn't be 16.5mm too.

Yes indeed Keith, this proving ground has been what has kept me enticed for such a long period of time... I've seen alot of ppl (internet friendships) worldwide come & go over the yrs from this particular unique hobby, mainly b/c they didn't have a ready access playground to torture their creations regularly.

That would simplify things greatly for sure Ed, but then also at the sacrifice of the scaled look of the elevated bridge having to lower the center body to line things up, cutting ground clearance immensely... quite honestly, it's a shortcut I'd take if I had to make it myself.

The new tires look very nice and are bigger as is the new bucket (which looks great, like going from a rock bucket to a mulch bucket), think it will make a noticable difference in the crowd loading ability or breakout force?

Do you think you were that far off on the pitch to what azonic said? And yes I agree, if what you found (.650") would most likely be 16.5mm.

[Lil Giants]

Thanx Kalle for checking in. And thanx Steve for the clarificiation.

No doubt I was that far off Colin, to be out 2mm looking at it cockeyed in dimlight. Kalle and I have the same model with the only difference being cosmetic; his is 12th scale bodied 470 Hitachi, mine is a 14th scale 850 John Deere, Jammer has a 12th scale 450 JD.. everything else is the same.

Crowding & stability should be much better for sure with bigger tires & more weight. Breakout force however is of no existence in this small scale, not enough weight or power to do anything more than work with cultivated material.

[JAMMER]

Joe what I was talking about was putting the motors in side the undercarriage were the electric are for the swing and wires for the track motors, then a shaft out through the inner plates to the out side were the original motors were that is were the sprockets would be so every thing would be inside and enclosed in the chassis an out of harms way. This way you could use the original motors all you would need is 2 shafts 4 sprockets and 2 lengths of chain and you are in business. Ed

[RCLogger]

The new boots look good Joe, is the rubber a softer compound on the new tires ? What are you going to do with the old tires ? Also, in the one photo I can see a new bucket with big teeth, it still has paint on it, what does that belong to ?

greg

[Stuff]

new shoes look good!

[Lil Giants]

Originally Posted by Lil Giants

I understand perfectly what you're saying saying Ed, is your newer u/c different than this one? Being these motors have planetary drives (much more powerful & durable than a spur gear) the output shaft would come out above the track body.

WernerS 12th scale Liebherr hoe was built the way you're saying, motors/electrics are water tight inside the bridge, but he doesn't have the center clearance this one does & get's hung up/high centered alot.

Greg, the new tires should flex a little more than the solid rubber of the other tires, we'll see... still on the bench currently fitting the new bucket to it. The other tires will be for track dollies. That other bucket came from a New Brite plastic wheel loader I had 20yrs ago, it's pretty tiny, I had it on my Stahl track loader a time ago, bucket isn't wide enough even for that.

Cheers Dean.

[Lil Giants]

It's in the paint booth tonite, I'll be scarring the paint off next week.

[Bigrigger]

Nice upgrades to your rig! This is by far the oldest thread in my forum experience (between GardenTrucking and others), and one of my most favorites! I really like the custom bucket, making your own parts is awesome! I can't wait to see it painted!