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The mini excavator thread

Got to dig a ditch with the mini today. I suck at operating the mini. I’ve always said backhoe and excavator guys are easy to train to be helicopter pilots. Apparently, it doesn’t go the other way.

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It was easy when I started at the water and just backed up scooping dirt and dumping on the side. When I got out to the road and wanted to join the ditch along the road, things got a lot tougher. Looks like shit. I will come back with my tractor and clean this up.

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Took the mini home to give it some much needed grease. It was making fingernail on the chalkboard noise. Not sure if this is far enough forward, but it towed nice.

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The mini looks nice with the new bigger bucket. I might get mistaken for the Panzerfurer driving this.

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The dozer blade needs paint. So does my old bucket.

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Nice to have two sporting vehicles in the shop.

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it also helps to work with someone who can teach you, but you either have it or you don't.
 
Probly depends on what you are doing and what material you are working with.

Not to mention that you are now a truck driver babysitter
 
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It appears that I've been using mine for as much demo work and moving heavy junk than I have for doing earth work. This truck bed was too rotten for anyone to want to buy so its getting converted into an ATV trail bridge on my property.

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Steve300xcw said:
Bullshit. You wont get better by going and getting the tractor. Get yer ass back on the mini and clean it up. There is no replacement for seat time
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I’m sure that’s true. We did so much work down at the property, but my friend did most of the minix work. (I was on the tractor) If I had done it, it would have takin 4 times as long. I would have except he was there and it was nice to see stuff get done fast. I did learn some stuff.

V30crewcab said:
need at least 2-300 hrs to get used to it.
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That’s funny, that’s what they say you need to become adequate in an airplane/helicopter.

I will be bringing it back down there and building a sea wall eventually. Right now I’m going through permitting hassles for my dock. Making me think about buying a Komatsu dozer.
 
So I been working on the mini.

The grease nipple on this pin would not take grease. It would pump grease through it if I removed it, but it would just go around the ball when installed. I worked on this pin for hours and never got it to budge. Even had a small area cherry red. I ended up changing the nipple and it took grease. Not sure what to think, but I’m leaving it for now.

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Didn’t like the design of my thumb pin. It will just rust in the middle.

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So I made this bushing to keep grease in.

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Painted to match the mini gives it more gripping power. To install this proper, I should weld it to the ears of the cylinder and put a grease nipple in the middle. I was worried about welding to cast, so it’s just on there.

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While making the bushing, the tail stock taper kept slipping. Anybody know how you stop that from happening?

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Made another bushing to keep one of the bucket pins from turning in the ears instead of the long center bushing.

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Shitty weld job, but should keep it from turning.

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I’d like to do something similar on the other pin, but then it would turn when the thumb moves. Any ideas?

One other thing I’d like Irate opinion on. Is this sprocket wore out? (Or nearly so)

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Here’s the other for comparison.

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WaterH said:
So I been working on the mini.

The grease nipple on this pin would not take grease. It would pump grease through it if I removed it, but it would just go around the ball when installed. I worked on this pin for hours and never got it to budge. Even had a small area cherry red. I ended up changing the nipple and it took grease. Not sure what to think, but I’m leaving it for now.

IMG_1339.jpeg


Didn’t like the design of my thumb pin. It will just rust in the middle.

IMG_1338.jpeg


So I made this bushing to keep grease in.

IMG_1340.jpeg


Painted to match the mini gives it more gripping power. To install this proper, I should weld it to the ears of the cylinder and put a grease nipple in the middle. I was worried about welding to cast, so it’s just on there.

IMG_1341.jpeg


While making the bushing, the tail stock taper kept slipping. Anybody know how you stop that from happening?

IMG_1345.jpeg


Made another bushing to keep one of the bucket pins from turning in the ears instead of the long center bushing.

IMG_1346.jpeg


Shitty weld job, but should keep it from turning.

IMG_1347.jpeg


I’d like to do something similar on the other pin, but then it would turn when the thumb moves. Any ideas?

One other thing I’d like Irate opinion on. Is this sprocket wore out? (Or nearly so)

IMG_1342.jpeg


Here’s the other for comparison.

IMG_1343.jpeg
Click to expand...

It shows some definite wear.... but im not sure id replace it if there isnt a problem. Are the tracks is good shape overall? Id probably push it till you swap tracks and replace it then
 
2big bronco said:
It shows some definite wear.... but im not sure id replace it if there isnt a problem. Are the tracks is good shape overall? Id probably push it till you swap tracks and replace it then
Click to expand...

From what I know, they are in good shape. That one was making noise and appeared to be too tight. I back it off some and it runs quieter now.

Edit, you notice there’s a bolt sheared off and another was backed out a bit. (Not loose)
 
WaterH said:
From what I know, they are in good shape. That one was making noise and appeared to be too tight. I back it off some and it runs quieter now.

Edit, you notice there’s a bolt sheared off and another was backed out a bit. (Not loose)
Click to expand...

How many hours are on that? Weird the wear is so uneven. I wonder if there is a problem with that tensioner working its way tight?
 
WaterH said:
While making the bushing, the tail stock taper kept slipping. Anybody know how you stop that from happening?

IMG_1345.jpeg
Click to expand...

either the taper on the drill is bad, or the female taper in the tail stock is bad.

clean both with scotch Brite pad and try again.
if not, you can replace the drill chuck adaptor easily.
to clean up the tail stock you, you can buy a cheap taper reamer to clean up the surface.
 
regarding MT stuff not holding
this is why they got a drive tang on them, the taper holds reasonable when in good shape, but...

if there's room between the chuck and the ram, I've drilled a lot of holes with a vise grip acting as a torque reaction bar, with the handle riding against the carriage to keep it off the ways

you can also clonk the vise grip on the drill shank, or the chuck's nose
 
[486] said:
regarding MT stuff not holding
this is why they got a drive tang on them, the taper holds reasonable when in good shape, but...

if there's room between the chuck and the ram, I've drilled a lot of holes with a vise grip acting as a torque reaction bar, with the handle riding against the carriage to keep it off the ways

you can also clonk the vise grip on the drill shank, or the chuck's nose
Click to expand...
Could you describe this better or maybe pics?
 
2big bronco said:
How many hours are on that? Weird the wear is so uneven. I wonder if there is a problem with that tensioner working its way tight?
Click to expand...
As I recall, about 1300 hours. When I got it, both tracks were very loose. I tightened them to what I thought was perfect. When my friend was running it, he said that track was tight when dirt/sand got in there. He probably ran the machine about 15 hours like that. Would it do that in a short time?
 
WaterH said:
Could you describe this better or maybe pics?
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He's talking about the flat part on the end of most MT tooling. Most drill press spindles will have slots that these tangs fit in to and prevent slipping but a lot of lathe tailstock quills do not have them. If you can still rotate the drill when it's in the quill and just before it's seated then you don't have them.
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How hard are you shoving it in to seat it? On my smaller lathe, I leave them about an inch out and slam them in by hand and rarely get any slip. You can also use a lead block or lead hammer to give them a good smack to make sure they seat.

As someone else said, make sure the quill is clean and you might even try blueing one of your cleaner bits or adapters and sticking it in and see what kind of contact pattern you get. You can always try lapping it if it's a little off and just needs to be cleaned up a bit.
 
WaterH said:
As I recall, about 1300 hours. When I got it, both tracks were very loose. I tightened them to what I thought was perfect. When my friend was running it, he said that track was tight when dirt/sand got in there. He probably ran the machine about 15 hours like that. Would it do that in a short time?
Click to expand...

No but that sprocket shouldnt look like that till 3000hrs. Maybe it got swapped with a parts machine. Id either throw a new pair on or one that apears equal wear to the other..... or ignore it and do tracks and sprockets in another 700hrs
 
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