Building A Progressive Thumb

[wolf44]

Ready to weld

Finally got the machine back to the shop. I have spent the last several days making weldbushing and fixtures. I am ready for pre heat and welding. here are a few pictures

 

[wolf44]

bending T1

Bending some plate to weldto the thumb.

 

[wolf44]

bending T1

Bending some plate to weldto the thumb.

 

[joispoi]

opcorn

 

[L&W]

Are you keeping track of your time ? It looks like you'll have the the worlds prettiest, most expensive
mini-x thumb in the world!

 

[Hendrik]

Are you keeping track of your time ? It looks like you'll have the the worlds prettiest, most expensive
mini-x thumb in the world!

And I won't be posting any pictures of my hack job thumbcreated in the shed.

 

[wolf44]

More Parts

Here is the Y link for the clyinder. I am down to making a few pivot pins for the control links and plumbing up. And a test fit.

 

[wolf44]

All Welding and Machining Done

Here it is all ready for the paint shop. And get it mounted on the machine. Alll parts weigh 97 lbs. not to bad I think.

 

[stuvecorp]

Wow. That has to be fun to do. Looks great.

 

[Allgood]

So are you selling thumbs too?

Working on a tacheuchi tb53fr...

I have a TK 145 and have been starting and stopping for quite a while on building a thumb. My issue is time. I don't have a CNC machine, but I have a friend who is the manager of a really large metal fab shop. My problem is that I don't have dimensions of what I need. To put it bluntly, I've built about everything I've ever needed. It just takes me longer using my plasma cutter and having to make cardboard cut outs (over and over) to figure out what I need. And, honestly, I have no CAD program and I have no engineering degree and could very well spend a couple hundred hours building something that doesn't work right. Just when I get to the :Banghead stage, I see the price to buy one. Then I begin the whole process over once again.

 

[wolf44]

Allgood have a little faith in yourself. You can do it. Go back to the top of the thread and look how I started. Make cardboard cut outs to start with. then make plywood model to check out the size. Make the plywood model just like you would make a steel one. If all works well you can give your wood patterns to your buddy in the fab shop and he can burn the shapes for you. You don't need cad or a CNC machine but it does make it faster. the other way to get a design if you don't want to start from scratch is if you see a machine like yours with a thumb take your cardboard over to it and make a pattern:drinkup.

 

[Allgood]

the other way to get a design if you don't want to start from scratch is if you see a machine like yours with a thumb take your cardboard over to it and make a pattern:drinkup.

Funny thing you said that. I think I may go by the dealer and take some pics of machines with thumbs on them.

 

[wolf44]

My favorite definition of R & D is
rip-off and duplicate

 

[wolf44]

Test Fit

Here is some test assembly pictures of the first assembly. All fits and works well I need to mill two areas for some added clearance. The Thumb travels the full rotation of the bucket no problem. Hope to get it painted Tuesday. I still need to get the special pivot pins head treated. I am waiting on new pivot bushings from Kubota. They are worn out at 384 hrs. But this is another thread.

 

[wolf44]

One more

 

[tootalltimmy]

Looks terrific!

 

[upnover]

Awesome job! You should be happy with the way it turned out. I keep looking at that and wonder how hard it would be to convert a non progressive to progressive.

 

[wolf44]

That is what I am going to be doing next. This entire project has been a test bed to convert my standard hydraulic thumb on my 312 to a progressive link to give me more thumb travel. In general all you need is a Y link and two control arms. The cylinder may need to be relocated but other than that you should be good to go. When I get going on the 312 project I will post some pictures.

 

[tootalltimmy]

Definitely keep updating your progress. I am interested in the conversion on the 312 as well.

 

[cps]

:thumbsupGreat job been watching your porgress from the start and it really did turn out great! just out of interst did you use mild steel for the link arms, i know Kubota use some kind of cast steel? Also what did you use for your pins, are they hardened or just mild, also have you got hardening equip?

Also the is one great shop you got there, what your main line of work? general fab, milling turning?

Im full of questions today, eh! like i say, thats a great job!

CPS