thumbs up...thumbs down
I laughed at that as well.
Then realized that the thumb is on a thumb and laughed again.
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Homemade Attachments for Forklifts Skidsteers and Other Equipment
- Thread starter Muckin_Slusher
- Start date
I laughed at that as well.
Then realized that the thumb is on a thumb and laughed again.
billybob_81067
Redneck
I need to someday build a thumb for my excavator. Is it better to weld on an attachment point on the boom like that, or extend the bucket pivot pin and run my thumb off the same pivot point as the bucket? I would think if you ran off the bucket pivot it would follow the exact same arc as the bucket and if you have your thumb relief set so it will release before your bucket pressure tops out you could grip and curl and maintain grip on stuff...
ThePanzerFuhrer
The Rock Breaker God
You want it on the bucket pin. That way the thumb is always in the right spot. How ever you’ll need to make sure the pin is attached to the bucket so it cannot spin in the bucket. That means the thumb needs a bushing for the pin to spin on when the bucket is moving while the thumb is not. It also needs to get greased as much as the bucket does.
billybob_81067
Redneck
Nice, that's kinda what I was thinking. You got any good online sources for pins? I'll have to get a longer one of course.
AlxJ64
Rust is Paint
thumbs up...thumbs down
What size machine is that?
Its a '94 year model Bobact X331, so a 3.5T machine. It runs like a champ though. House is a little sloppy and it needs pins but I am going to knock those out sometime soon. Thing will pull itself all around and never think twice about it; way more power than the same chassis size Kubota my buddy rented last summer for some work at his place.
Glad you guys got my sense of humor. Since I could, obviously meant that I had to.
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We had a 308 that got used mainly for brushing road. Granted there were several different people running the thing. But still ended up with that thumb bent a few times, got the cylinder once as well.
clodhopper
Get off my lawn, punk!
Shoulda reversed the image so it was thumbs up when being used and thumbs down when up and out of the way.Its a '94 year model Bobact X331, so a 3.5T machine. It runs like a champ though. House is a little sloppy and it needs pins but I am going to knock those out sometime soon. Thing will pull itself all around and never think twice about it; way more power than the same chassis size Kubota my buddy rented last summer for some work at his place.
Glad you guys got my sense of humor. Since I could, obviously meant that I had to.
V30crewcab
Well-known member
I've bent my thumb cylinder twice, was able to press it straight again. probably need to order a spare cyl for it.
SomeGuyFromOlympia
Well-known member
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or quit bending it
V30crewcab
Well-known member
sometimes you just gotta ram it in!or quit bending it
Its only happened when I'm clearing. moving/pushing stuff and the thumb accidentally gets in the way. not good to push with the thumb.
AlxJ64
Rust is Paint
Is there not a balance valve between the thumb and the bucket cylinders? The rod side of the thumb cylinder is usually smaller and therefore the force of the bucket can create a higher pressure so the thumb needs a relief. Look into a balance or a relief valve between the circuits that way you can't over force the thumb and bend the cylinder.
This is the exact thought that randomly popped into my head last night.
Pretty sure that some type of valve in the circuits for the bucket and thumb allow bypass or bleed to prevent them from destroying each other...
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We were always bending them by either hooking them on something, or trying to grab something at an odd angle and only one side of the thumb was making contact.
V30crewcab
Well-known member
it has a balance valve. I can push the thumb in with the bucket. but if you're moving fast, and don't have it fully retracted, it can bend it. Just have to hit it just right.
SomeGuyFromOlympia
Well-known member
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Landslide
Red Skull Member
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20 plus years ago I acquired two laminated road construction warning signs that were powered by small diesel engines. The engines were toast and already removed. These were the style with black lights and 1” green disc they could setup to make letters out of them to make words.
Anywho, I stripped the trailers down to the frames, one I turned into my chassis fab table and it works out great. The other is just a trailer that I haven’t got around to finishing as a flat bed trailer.
The stuff I removed from them I scrapped and used some of it. I got these 1/4” wall 8” square tubing they used to hold the signs with. This was a one way power up hydraulic lift sign and gravity down. I still have the cylinders.
So I got a used tore up bobcat bucket and was going to plasma out the mounting plate but a friend of mine traded out the bucket for a new blank quick thatch plate. Worked out great for me.
So I welded the blank plate to the bottom of the sign post and it worked out great as the sign post bottom plate and gussets fit perfectly on the blank plate. I was amazed by that alone.
I welded a chain hook to the end of it along with a D ring. I may put an insert tube in it to extend out. It’ll handle that I believe
Anywho, I stripped the trailers down to the frames, one I turned into my chassis fab table and it works out great. The other is just a trailer that I haven’t got around to finishing as a flat bed trailer.
The stuff I removed from them I scrapped and used some of it. I got these 1/4” wall 8” square tubing they used to hold the signs with. This was a one way power up hydraulic lift sign and gravity down. I still have the cylinders.
So I got a used tore up bobcat bucket and was going to plasma out the mounting plate but a friend of mine traded out the bucket for a new blank quick thatch plate. Worked out great for me.
So I welded the blank plate to the bottom of the sign post and it worked out great as the sign post bottom plate and gussets fit perfectly on the blank plate. I was amazed by that alone.
I welded a chain hook to the end of it along with a D ring. I may put an insert tube in it to extend out. It’ll handle that I believe
aczlan
Good Morning!
The guys who put up our pole barn had one like that that they set trusses with:20 plus years ago I acquired two laminated road construction warning signs that were powered by small diesel engines. The engines were toast and already removed. These were the style with black lights and 1” green disc they could setup to make letters out of them to make words.
Anywho, I stripped the trailers down to the frames, one I turned into my chassis fab table and it works out great. The other is just a trailer that I haven’t got around to finishing as a flat bed trailer.
The stuff I removed from them I scrapped and used some of it. I got these 1/4” wall 8” square tubing they used to hold the signs with. This was a one way power up hydraulic lift sign and gravity down. I still have the cylinders.
So I got a used tore up bobcat bucket and was going to plasma out the mounting plate but a friend of mine traded out the bucket for a new blank quick thatch plate. Worked out great for me.
So I welded the blank plate to the bottom of the sign post and it worked out great as the sign post bottom plate and gussets fit perfectly on the blank plate. I was amazed by that alone.
I welded a chain hook to the end of it along with a D ring. I may put an insert tube in it to extend out. It’ll handle that I believe
They had a double acting cylinder inside to extend/retract it.
Aaron Z
Landslide
Red Skull Member
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That’s what I was thinking about doing with mine. I want to use one of the cylinders that I got from the sign post as it was originally inside the beam I made. Only thing I’m not sure about is wether or not you can convert a power out gravity in hydraulic cylinder into a dual action cylinder. I never researched itThe guys who put up our pole barn had one like that that they set trusses with:
They had a double acting cylinder inside to extend/retract it.
Aaron Z
aczlan
Good Morning!
Depends on the cylinder, some just have a dust wiper on the rod. Others are a hose away from being double acting.
Also depends on how much pressure you let build up on the retract side.
Aaron Z
GLTHFJ60
Stupid is as stupid does
How would you have a useful skidsteer attachment if you couldn't control both directions of hydro pressure? It's not like you'll climb up there to give it weight to retract it.
AlxJ64
Rust is Paint
Im in the process of collecting parts to build one of these booms as well. Decided though that I am going to mount it on my Qtach plate with a more vertical nature when retracted and also have a chain pulley with a piece of chain on it as well that is anchored back to the plate . I can install or remove if I want (just tag off the extra) to where if something is right in front of me. This way I can still pick it up right close, and boom straight up and lift it with the cylinder or use the tilt cylinders on the machine to reach way out. That will give a better range of motion for the attachment itself. It'll reach higher too up close.
aczlan
Good Morning!
More that you wouldn't want to retract all the way and keep putting pressure on it.
If its a "dust seal" you might get away with 500-1500PSI where it would blow out at 3500PSI (especially if you disconnect it with pressure in the cylinder when its cold and it warms up).
Aaron Z
Muckin_Slusher
****
The one I built (shown in the first couple posts of this thread) got mounted so that when I was full boom up and full tilt back the stick was vertical. This maximized the height available.
Also, mine got a pulley and winch for lifting things close and high (just like a real crane).
Landslide
Red Skull Member
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I’ll post up a photo of the cylinder when I get back home this weekend. It looks like it could be a double action cylinder. It just has a filter installed on the rod end of the cylinder port.
arse_sidewards
Red Skull Member
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Just curl the bucket up and gravity will retract it.
toocheaptosmoke
Dollar Save Club
Those telescoping boom poles are 
Had made a boom pole from scrap a few years back, but it was setup for Cat 2 pins on a tractor. Added some extra Cat 1 sized pins with chunks of scrap angle. Now works with the skid loader adapter plate as well.
With homemade log tongs
Had made a boom pole from scrap a few years back, but it was setup for Cat 2 pins on a tractor. Added some extra Cat 1 sized pins with chunks of scrap angle. Now works with the skid loader adapter plate as well.
With homemade log tongs
AlxJ64
Rust is Paint
Threw together a pallet fork slide on thing to move trailers around. I made the riser for the goosenecks so that I could keep the boom frame low and be able to get my crippled ass in and out of the machine still to move wheel chocks, jack blocks, etc. The clamp is on there after some tests as the trailer would occasionally try and lift the fork frame up. When I made it, I thought there might be a need for some diagonal bracing so there is a spot in the top to hook chains and I have chain hooks on the pallet frame too. Seems that the big 5800 lb EW gooseneck is the only one that really acts silly. I am gonna find two drops of chain to put on it and it should work just fine for everything that comes and goes around here. Aside from the tabs, most of this was from random drops of channel and angle.
Uses a double sided ball so I can use it on the front for bumper pull trailers with both 2" and 2-5/16" and the 2-5/16" works with the goosenecks.
Uses a double sided ball so I can use it on the front for bumper pull trailers with both 2" and 2-5/16" and the 2-5/16" works with the goosenecks.
arse_sidewards
Red Skull Member
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What does that do that a hitch tube on the SSQA adapter doesn't?
AlxJ64
Rust is Paint
Works on the forklift at the family farm. Allows me to easily climb in and out of the machine while the boom has a gooseneck vs a tube on a QA plate would have the boom way up in front. Also allows me to really jackknife a bumper pull trailer because I have that much more distance from the trailer. I can see the connection easily over the boom spreader in both scenarios.
so... things.
clodhopper
Get off my lawn, punk!
One of the many homebrew abominations. Lifting pole made of junk laying around. Built it to lift a grain bin roof into place. Receiver for winch mounted upside down under the main bar, add a pulley to the end and instant crane. The triangle hanging below was added so I didnt crush my winch into the ground, cause... dumbass. Was using it last weekend to lift some beams into place for another outbuilding.
