What's your hoe doing?

[aighead]

Prom night baby! My son, junior in high school, has prom tonight. Maybe you've read of his adventures in driving? First time he went out driving (unlicensed) we get pulled over by the cops. Two hours after he got his real license we get pulled over by the cops. Now, prom night.

He's coming to my house, from theater rehearsal, to pick up his suit. He's driving a 2007 dodge caliber. It's junk but fine for a kid, at least up until about an hour ago when I get a phone call.

He says "dad I'm in the middle of the turn onto Dayton-Farmersville (from Rt 4 a busy 2 lane road) and my axle isn't attached to my transmission, at least that's what the guy that stopped said" I told him to make sure he was standing in a safe spot and he said that the guy said he'd need a tow truck. I have a backhoe, so off I go.

It's probably about 3/4 of a mile down the way so, luckily, he was close. I arrive to find he couldn't have got to a better spot in this intersection, it's a big intersection and his car is mostly on the Dayton-Farmersville part so traffic can actually move everywhere without much trouble. There was another guy that pulled up as I was pulling up (then the cops showed up too) and he helped lookout and hook up chains (thanks good Samaritan!) and I dragged her back home. He got very lucky, he was likely doing over 50mph seconds earlier and travels on the highway pretty frequently. I'm assuming this much rust is not conducive to fixing the problem and that I'm now on the hunt for a new(er) car.

 

[colson04]

Sounds like you got lucky in where his car decided to let loose. Backhoes sure come in handy

 

[Willie B]

I'm not sure how to answer. For me, digging the ditch is a small fraction of the job. Average 200 foot ditch 46" deep (how I bury conduit) is pretty quick, 3 hours to dig. Most often I am digging across lawn. I could do a crude job of back filling pretty quick. This would leave about an 8 foot wide swath of ripped up lawn. Filling with a toothed bucket inevitably tears up some sod. If I can remove the spoils from the sod without damage I have a 4' wide area to repair.

Those familiar with woodworking understand using the back of a big chisel or slick to extend a plane. The same works with backfilling. A good backfill bucket forms a plane with the flat of the sod. Set a wide toothless bucket on the plane of lawn, as you draw it to you keep one corner of the cutting edge visible, not digging, riding just above sod. It is easier to scrape dirt off without tearing up sod.

I tried welding a piece of cutting edge to the teeth. The geometry of the teeth makes it not work to plane the bottom of the bucket on the sod. Also, a narrow bucket makes it difficult to keep a corner exposed in my sight line. Wider bucket with a flat bottom makes it easier to pick up the spoils, leaving enough sod to rejuvenate itself.

In past one man can dig & refill 200 feet of ditch in a day. Restoring the lawn is a 2 day job for two men. I hope to reduce the total job to two days, not three.

If a welded edge is best you can do, it's a better backfill system than a toothed bucket. So far, I believe the wide toothless flat bottom bucket will save time cleaning up.

 

[Willie B]

I've told the story a few times of Miss N. who became the present Mrs. B. I bought her an Audi 100 LS in 1980. I'll shorten the story a few paragraphs, she fell through the floor. I welded a new floor in the car, she drove it another year before I found her a better car. We survived those days of poverty. Now we are lower middle class, slightly less destitute.

 

[aighead]

Thanks for the description Willie, that makes a lot of sense!

Ha! I had similar concerns for my old 1977 Ramcharger that I should have never gotten rid of, there was smore hole than floor in a lot of spots!

 

[edgephoto]

Prom night baby! My son, junior in high school, has prom tonight. Maybe you've read of his adventures in driving? First time he went out driving (unlicensed) we get pulled over by the cops. Two hours after he got his real license we get pulled over by the cops. Now, prom night.

He's coming to my house, from theater rehearsal, to pick up his suit. He's driving a 2007 dodge caliber. It's junk but fine for a kid, at least up until about an hour ago when I get a phone call.

He says "dad I'm in the middle of the turn onto Dayton-Farmersville (from Rt 4 a busy 2 lane road) and my axle isn't attached to my transmission, at least that's what the guy that stopped said" I told him to make sure he was standing in a safe spot and he said that the guy said he'd need a tow truck. I have a backhoe, so off I go.

It's probably about 3/4 of a mile down the way so, luckily, he was close. I arrive to find he couldn't have got to a better spot in this intersection, it's a big intersection and his car is mostly on the Dayton-Farmersville part so traffic can actually move everywhere without much trouble. There was another guy that pulled up as I was pulling up (then the cops showed up too) and he helped lookout and hook up chains (thanks good Samaritan!) and I dragged her back home. He got very lucky, he was likely doing over 50mph seconds earlier and travels on the highway pretty frequently. I'm assuming this much rust is not conducive to fixing the problem and that I'm now on the hunt for a new(er) car.



@aighead That looks like the subframe that rotted. If the unibody where it bolts to is sound you can just replace the subframe and control arms. Although putting any money into one of the worst cars built next to the Pontiac Aztec is probably not smart but might be cheaper than a replacement car. A young driver will crash and damage his first car.

 

[aighead]

Yeah, that's what I thought too. It was my ex-wife's car that she gave to the kids thinking it would last their high school careers. I was talking to her yesterday and she got all offended when she said she was surprised that it broke and I told her it was a piece of crap to begin with. It had also been sitting for several years, which didn't help. The look of it tells me that most of it is rotted away and not worth saving.

 

[casey518]

Thanks for the description Willie, that makes a lot of sense!

Ha! I had similar concerns for my old 1977 Ramcharger that I should have never gotten rid of, there was smore hole than floor in a lot of spots!

I had an 88 Ramcharger in high school. 172hp in front of a 3 speed auto that would SLAM! When you put it in gear. Gutless on the highway but alot of fun on the trails. Fond memories of that tank.

 

[Black_Cirrus]

Well my unit got some attention this week.
It shut off while my wife was driving, found a bad fuse contact melted fuse and corrosion on a relay. Easy enough.

But the excitement is I finally got my titan thumb bracket welded on. I have some figuring to do to get a power thumb but it's a vast improvement over nothing. I may shorten the thumb a couple inches as it can hit the boom. The wife enjoyed stacking rocks. Soon we will be making more rock retaining walls.

 

[joe--h]

When you get that figgured report back. I have one too and how to get the hydraulics going is a complete mystery.

Instructions consisted of nothing. Zero.

Joe H

 

[Tinkerer]

BC; you need to fabricate another mounting bracket and place it further up dipper.
That will enable you to retract the thumb completely up and away from the bucket when it is retracted.
I created a thread a while ago that goes into detail on how to plumb into a stabilizer circuit to operate the a thumb.
I used a mechanical diverter valve. But, an electric one could be used also.
I would advise anyone that uses a Titan brand thumb to reinforce the pin holes in it.
The stell it is made from is to soft to withstand the erosion the caused by the forces it is subjected to.
My first thumb had the holes elongated so badly that I removed and scraped it.
It had very few hours on it.
This is a link to the thread !

 

[casey518]

BC; you need to fabricate another mounting bracket and place it further up dipper.
That will enable you to retract the thumb completely up and away from the bucket when it is retracted.
I created a thread a while ago that goes into detail on how to plumb into a stabilizer circuit to operate the a thumb.
I used a mechanical diverter valve. But, an electric one could be used also.
I would advise anyone that uses a Titan brand thumb to reinforce the pin holes in it.
The stell it is made from is to soft to withstand the erosion the caused by the forces it is subjected to.
My first thumb had the holes elongated so badly that I removed and scraped it.
It had very few hours on it.
This is a link to the thread !

Yea it's just low carbon steel. For occasional use really. I built this wall with the titan and holes are already slightly elongated and teeth mashed over. But it still works. Pretty good for $250 delivered tho.

 

[Black_Cirrus]

I read several other posts here including yours Tink. I have the other bracket that came with the thumb kit and a longer cylinder to get more stroke so it's a real thumb. but I'm out of funds for a bit. Life has been $$ lately.
I'm going to spend a little bit on steel and reinforce what I have. Then I have to adapt the 1/2" lines to the approx 1" hammer lines already in the boom ( this might happen sooner if I can get past the budget keeper. After that it's deciding out what to do for controls I want a foot pedal but that's another level of extra complex...

 

[Tinkerer]

I totally understand about having money available for your project.
Keep us posted on your progress.
Especially as to how you get that hammer plumbing to operate a two way hydraulic cylinder.

 

[Black_Cirrus]

Well this isn't going well. I barely got to use the thumb, my wife used it about a day resetting a rock wall and the bracket is pretty much trashed. I'm pondering my options but here are pics. One pin bent but I'm not surprised by that..

My theory is I had to mount the bracket pretty high on the dipper to clear the bucket at full curl. But that means the thumb pivot is being pulled away from the stick during holding because most items are held at the bucket teeth.

 

[Tinkerer]

That is the same kind of damage I had on the first thumb I installed.
I used grade 8 bolts on the thumb I am using now.
I also did extensive reinforcement of all the pin holes.
I described what I did along with pictures in a thread I posted a while ago.

 

[Keith Merrell]

Well this isn't going well. I barely got to use the thumb, my wife used it about a day resetting a rock wall and the bracket is pretty much trashed. I'm pondering my options but here are pics. One pin bent but I'm not surprised by that..

My theory is I had to mount the bracket pretty high on the dipper to clear the bucket at full curl. But that means the thumb pivot is being pulled away from the stick during holding because most items are held at the bucket teeth.

Bad case of Chinesium? All that space between the bracket is a poor design because all of that is unsupported, look how much distance is between the eye on that cross bar and the bracket itself. Perhaps add some "donuts" to the inside of that bracket?

 

[Black_Cirrus]

Bad case of Chinesium? All that space between the bracket is a poor design because all of that is unsupported, look how much distance is between the eye on that cross bar and the bracket itself. Perhaps add some "donuts" to the inside of that bracket?

Yea Chinesium and the load point is the thinnest area of metal. If the pin was close to the bucket the load would be into the bracket instead of out of it.
I had planned to beef up stuff but needed to get some work done while I was off my day job. Back to work tomorrow, so not much time to mess with it for awhile.

 

[Willie B]

Newer than mine Case 580 Super N offer a Case brand thumb. It pivots on the second pin where bucket links pivot. I believe this is 2.25" diameter, & the steel is very meaty.

You can start new with a beefier design, or cut off those ears & replace with heavier. I would torch cut new ears & add .010" oversize DOM tubing as bushings. Leave the DOM full length, (12"?) until very carefully aligned & welded in place. After cooled, cut away the center of the 12" length to leave two 1" long pivot bores. There is a chance the two bores won't be perfectly aligned & will need some die grinding, or reaming for pin alignment after welding.

 

[Doug580l]

Trying to move a very big boulder with a Case 580SL. I've moved it about 150' so far on 3 tries. It's pretty hilly and uneven land. Almost tipped over sideways once and I had to lower and dump it. The 2 other times it just fell foreward out of the bucket. I need to move it about another 1000' or so. The first few hundred feet are bad but after that it's fairly level ground. I've given up for now but am thinking of a couple different ways to go about it on the next attempts.