426 replies to this topic

[UncleWillie]

You can't beat 50 rounds. I think my Crossman 760 holds like 200. The pumping gets old after a while. 

[Hondarider]

Knowing that I need to do a bit of fabrication to correct a couple things that I don't like about the original design, I've been scouring Craigslist for about a week in search of a belt sander.  Now that I've got the lathe and the milling machine squared away, I'd really like to find a sander to round out the shop.  What I'd really like is a Delta-Rockwell like the one I had in my old shop.

 

 

I could have taken it with me when we closed the doors, but it was 550VAC/3 phase and I didn't have a lot of storage space at my house.  Had I known how hard it would be to find another one of that quality, I would have replaced the motor and found a place to store it.  In a moment of abject ignorance, I let it go to the scrap yard.

 

Sadly, my search only uncovered one unit...2.5 hours away from my house...and it was gone before I could even hit the road with a pocket full of cash.

 

Instead, I cobbed something up in my backyard...

 

[Hondarider]

As I assembled the tail end of the Panzer, I wasn't happy with the relationship between the sheet metal chain cover, the battery tray, the seat leaf spring, and the tool box.  There's a lot of rubbing and bending and scratching and pinching.  Now that may sound like a rockin' good Saturday night with Amber Heard, but it's no way for freshly painted parts to interact with one another.

 

I've spent the requisite couple weeks staring at the problem...I've picked up some flat steel bar in various widths and thicknesses...and today I was ready to get after it.  I'm a little ashamed to say that I spent most of the day cutting, welding, and grinding...just to end up with this little paper weight...

 

 

Edited by Hondarider, February 28, 2016 - 07:18 PM.

[Hondarider]

I still have to drill some holes in it and paint it, but the mock-up seems to address my concerns.  The rear edge of the sprocket cover rests at just the right height to provide clearance for the left implement lever and the battery plate sits just above it...not making contact at all...though I may add a piece of plastic edge protector to the front edge of the battery plate just for safe measure.

 

 

 

 

The additional altitude also means that the leaf spring will no longer rub on the cover.

 

 

 

Edited by Hondarider, February 28, 2016 - 07:32 PM.

[Hondarider]

Next comes a 3" wide spacer for the tool box to prevent it from rubbing on the leaf spring.
 

 
It will need paint, of course...
 

Edited by Hondarider, February 28, 2016 - 07:50 PM.

[Hondarider]

I really wanted the belt sander so that I could put a nice radius on these brackets. The don't look very good with square edges. I'll have to keep shopping.

[Hondarider]

Another 50+ degree February day in New England. It doesn't make any sense, but I'll take advantage of the opportunity for some spray painting. The collars for aligning the right lever to ensure positive engagement of forward and reverse.

[Cat385B]

It's really hard to describe that as 'beefy' and 'simple' when it looks so darn nice. 

[UncleWillie]

Nice engineering.

[Clint]

Another 50+ degree February day in New England. It doesn't make any sense, but I'll take advantage of the opportunity for some spray painting. The collars for aligning the right lever to ensure positive engagement of forward and reverse.

IMG_3318.JPG

 

If anyone has a rusted or bent shaft or their collars are broken or stripped from overtightening, these seem to work quite well. No disassembly required on the shift lever arm!
​

Copy and paste this into ebay.

 

3/4 SINGLE SPLIT SHAFT COLLAR BLACK OXIDE 3/4" 1 PIECE CLAMP COLLAR-USBB

 

 

[KennyP]

If anyone has a rusted or bent shaft or their collars are broken or stripped from overtightening, these seem to work quite well. No disassembly required on the shift lever arm!
​

Copy and paste this into ebay.

 

3/4 SINGLE SPLIT SHAFT COLLAR BLACK OXIDE 3/4" 1 PIECE CLAMP COLLAR-USBB

 

collar 1.jpg

 

collar 2.jpg

Ace hardware carries those here!

[Hondarider]

Those are pretty slick. I've never seen those before. Getting those collars off of my boogered up shaft required many whacks with the 5lb sledge. Then I had to file and polish the shaft and hit the I.D. Of the collars with a Dremel.

I apologize for the delay in Panzer progress, but I have been temporarily sidetracked by my daughter's science fair project. I think I probably enjoy these more than she does (I hope I get an A). She's doing the work...I'm just providing the hardware. Any guesses on what scientific principle she's going to demonstrate?

[the peej]

Block and tackle?

[Hondarider]

Block and tackle?

You, sir, are smarter than you look. ( ;

[Hondarider]

Short Attention Span Theater

When I last checked in, I had fabricated a spacer and I was pondering how I might integrate it into the Panzer. At first, I thought that all I needed were 2 simple holes spaced 2" apart. Then after some long deliberation and test fitting, I decided I would need 4 threaded holes instead; altering the original design of the tractor just a bit.

I probably spent 3 days just mocking up parts and wondering if my alteration might have some undesired consequence elsewhere...reducing spring tension on the implement arm...causing interference between painted parts...lifting the hood to some strange angle. In the end, I was fairly confident that my small change would only pay positive dividends and no ill effects. I was committed to making holes.