Scale Model Dozer Ride On For My Son

[LCG]

I have to curse so much to describe the awesomeness of this thread, I will just sit here waiting for more.

 

[xtremek]

This thread needs to be moved to the "Thread of Awesome". Thanks for letting us share in your build.

 

[dozerbuilder01]

Just needs a 'machined' cup holder and she'll be ready to send out for the 'Cat Yellow' powder coat job! lol

Really an amazing project to see come together; KUDOS to you.

Haha. Almost. Still have a lot of small things to do.

What ! No the quality of the build does not say cheap.

Mainly just cheap on the hydraulics. But I fixed that problem now. Ended up working better in the end anyways.

WOW...every update has been cool so far, but being able to see 'what it will look like' is that much cooler. You've been an inspiration in my garage to stop being so concerned about buying what I need and just start making what I need. I can't always do that, but I've stopped waiting for the 'perfect' tool to do a job, and just started moving forward with what I've got.

Cool project. Getting very close. Cannot wait to see it completed.

Kev

Thanks Kev. I hope to see some more projects coming out of your shop soon. I know how life can get in the way. But get back out there!

The OP said early in the project that he was modeling the Cat 22 which was either a gas or distillate engine, Engine, so the suggestion of diesel and turbo sounds is a bit far reaching. That said, I have a Kawasaki mule with the diesel engine in it that would probably fit right in there.

lg
no neat sig line

That's interesting. Guess I never thought of that. Not too worried though. The diesel would be different but I guess this project is different enough.

Thank you everyone else for the compliments and suggestions.

I had to take it apart again to fix some welds that annoyed me. And to fix a bracket I welded on upside down (or flipped you could say) that interfered with the motor. So I flipped the frame over to get to it.....and proceeded to cut off the bracket that I actually welded on correctly. Dammit. I haven't had a lot of time lately to work on it so when I do, sometimes I feel the tendency to rush a bit. And I wasn't paying attention. So I cut off the other one and welded them back on the right way this time.

Here is a shot of just the frame.

I'm taking the weekend off. I'll pick back up next week. Getting close to taking it for a spin. Also starting to think more about the blade.

Thanks for looking.

 

[CudaChick1968]

Oh that is just the coolest thing EVER!!! I'd drive it.

 

[dozerbuilder01]

Still been working hard even though time is getting more and more scarce now that it's warm out.

Got the linkage pretty much done and figured out all of the hose routing except for the case drain (after buying too many fittings from surplus center).

Have to get the high pressure hoses crimped this week. And hook up the tank. And put all the pulleys and belts back on. Then I should be able to wire up the engine and start it up to bleed the pumps. If all goes well, I'll bolt on the rest of the undercarriage and take it for a test drive.

The pictures are hard to look at because there is so much clutter. All in all, it turned out alright. I could always do things better the second time of course. If anybody wants to see some close up pictures, let me know.

This is the side I like. Since both pumps are "right hand side" I had to twist the hoses on the other side. They clear and it works. It just looks different. I forgot to take a picture though.

That is all.

 

[dozerbuilder01]

It worked

 

[HOTFR8]

It worked

So what did Owen think ? Looks great.

 

[jay8s]

Pretty stinking cool. You should add a mower deck and let the kiddo mow the lawn.

 

[neonnblack]

DUDE! that is bad ***!!!!

 

[jd_1138]

That dozer will actually be useful in the garden or yard to move earth or gravel around.

 

[tdkkart]

AWESOME!!!

Got to admit that I was a bit concerned about it being a bit short on power, especially turning, but it doesn't sound like the motor is laboring much at all.

 

[machine_punk]

That. Is. Cool!

After all those hours, I'll bet it feels great to actual run it. Isn't it weird, when you reach this point in a project? "Well, I guess there's nothing left but to see if it works!"

Very pleased to see it almost done. As a minor safety issue, it looks like it could use a little weight on the front end (concerned that it might want to flip over).

Kev

 

[mustanginky]

so awesome. it does look a little light in the front end. are you putting a blade on it? if so, i'd imagine that will bring the nose down a good deal. sweet stuff man. your son looks a little concerned. he'll have the coolest toy on the block.

 

[dozerbuilder01]

So what did Owen think ? Looks great.

He was interested as I was driving it around. When I got closer, he got a little scared. I'm sure it was the noise. I'll have to get him some ear muffs. And he'll be 2 in a few weeks so he' still pretty young.

Pretty stinking cool. You should add a mower deck and let the kiddo mow the lawn.

I'll have to find one of those tow behind decks that were made for the struck dozers.

AWESOME!!!

Got to admit that I was a bit concerned about it being a bit short on power, especially turning, but it doesn't sound like the motor is laboring much at all.

I was too but it did pretty well. I am most likely going to get a bigger engine anyways. Looking at a 15hp Kohler or 21hp Briggs. Needs to be single cylinder to fit. I have time to decide.

That. Is. Cool!

After all those hours, I'll bet it feels great to actual run it. Isn't it weird, when you reach this point in a project? "Well, I guess there's nothing left but to see if it works!"

Very pleased to see it almost done. As a minor safety issue, it looks like it could use a little weight on the front end (concerned that it might want to flip over).

Kev

It does. This was a big step. I strapped on a fuel tank from an old weed eater that was leaking, the oil tank is just sitting there, the step sides aren't bolted down, the throttle is clamped to the step rail, I rigged a start button and kill switch.....but dammit, I just wanted to run it.

And yes, I did feel it while riding it. I am 6'1" 200 lbs so I expected it to be heavy at the back end. But there is also no suspension so I did expected it to lean back going over hills. All of the weight right now is at the back including the pumps, motors, battery, a lot of steel and me. I will be adding a plow to the front. I will make it pretty beefy to help even out the weight.

I was only worried about side to side tipping, I never really thought about the front to back. The CG is about 12 inches off the ground last time I looked. I'll have to see what it is front to back.

I will run it through it's paces before anyone else ever gets to ride it. Luckily, Illinois is very flat. My brothers property is a big grassy field. I'll do my best to try and tip it before my son rides it.

Overall, it ran pretty good. It's fairly bumpy on the concrete which I expected. Smooth on the grass though. Turned real nice. I have to dial in the levers but that can wait. I'll eventually put some foot pegs by the engine so I can stretch my legs a bit. I've been obsessed with this thing for the past few weeks hoping to see it run. Now that it did, I have to take some time off. I have house projects stacking up and I just need a little break. I'll pick it up again soon. I'll probably start working on the plow design. I need to get that figured out.

Thanks for looking.

 

[HOTFR8]

Earmuffs would be essential for that. You have to look after his hearing.

 

[dozerbuilder01]

Earmuffs would be essential for that. You have to look after his hearing.

Definitely. I wear a pair every time I'm in the garage running a machine. I was wearing them when I was bleeding the pumps. Forgot to put them back on when I took the video.

And if he doesn't want to wear them, he's not riding the dozer.

 

[HOTFR8]

Very wise.

 

[Ovalinaz]

damn I just read the whole thread and man! damn you got some serious skills!!!! nice! that thing is so badass!

 

[82_454_shorty]

I've been following this thread from the beginning, and I think I'm as excited as you are to see it running. Absolutely amazing work. When I was about 7, my dad built me a small tractor based on a cement buggy chassis. This has been like reliving a part of my childhood. Your lad will love this thing.

 

[allinon72]

Wow that fact that it functions so well on the first try....awesome.

 

[Jbullfrog]

You may want to fab the oil and fuel tanks in the nose for weight.

 

[allinon72]

Once the blade is installed, weight distribution will not be an issue.

 

[srmofo]

It worked

Like many others in this thread, I too have been following this build from the beginning. many years of joy should come from that toy as well as many years of practical use.

Congratulations on a job well done. I hope to be able to tackle projects like that one day once Im out of college. Right now I barely have time to do the chores

 

[EOC_Jason]

I would still throw the clutch on anyway. Even with the bypass valves the fluid still gets moved. If that fluid ever is cold (think January, pushing snow maybe) it might be needed.

Haha... I can picture a snow-blower attachment on the front of that puppy... You could rent it to all the kids on the block to move snow!!!! LOL... Time to add a PTO in the front!


I'm also curious, have you done any calculations as to how FAST this thing is going to move? I mean, a stock ZTR goes like around 15 MPH I realize though it is a smaller motor and the drive wheels will be smaller... But still that thing will probably haul...

 

[82_454_shorty]

What's going on with that dozer?

 

[Coyote Red]

So Awesome!


Muffler Stack?

 

[steve308]

Say goodbye to your lawn when you install the blade !

 

[bdkw1]

Awesome!

 

[Solid Lifters]

Absolutely amazing! Wow!

 

[dozerbuilder01]

Wow that fact that it functions so well on the first try....awesome.

I was surprised too. I wasn't sure what was going to happen the first time out.

You may want to fab the oil and fuel tanks in the nose for weight.

Actually, I looked at the model again, and the CG is just about dead center. The problem is my fat *** sitting pretty much over the drive sprockets. When my son rides it and the plow is on, it will be better.

Like many others in this thread, I too have been following this build from the beginning. many years of joy should come from that toy as well as many years of practical use.

Congratulations on a job well done. I hope to be able to tackle projects like that one day once Im out of college. Right now I barely have time to do the chores

Thank you. I remember building a jet engine out of a turbocharger in college. It was built out of junk but it ran (barely) and it was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, you'll never have time even after you get out of school but you'll have money to do crazy projects and buy more tools.

I'm also curious, have you done any calculations as to how FAST this thing is going to move? I mean, a stock ZTR goes like around 15 MPH I realize though it is a smaller motor and the drive wheels will be smaller... But still that thing will probably haul...

I have thanks to parker spec sheets. Gotta love the internet. I underdrive the pump pulleys a little bit and the drive sprockets are a little smaller in diameter than a typical ZTR tire. Doing the math, it worked out to about 6.5 mph at full engine throttle. I was shooting for powerwheel speeds in idle and full speed (2.5 and 5 mph respectively).
So it's still a little too fast (you'll see in another youtube video I posted). So I'm either going to change the engine pulley or limit the pump control handles when my son rides it. I'm still deciding.

Muffler Stack?

Of course.

Say goodbye to your lawn when you install the blade !

Say goodbye when he learns to push one handle and pull the other.

So a little update. I haven't given up on it but I have taken a break from building. Spent some time showing it off to family and riding it around a bit because it's so much fun.

Here is another video.

Now I've been working on the blade design. There were a fair amount of pieces that I didn't model in CAD and I just kind of built it as I went (hose routing, control handles etc). It worked out but I wasn't exactly happy with a few things even though I'm going to live with it. I'm running out of room fast, so I'm going to model every last piece before I resume building. I found parker fitting stp files online and I learned and easy way to draw hoses so it hasn't been too bad. Been a good learning experience actually.

As for the blade, I've decided to do hydraulic up and down with a da valve and hydraulic swivel with a electro-hydraulic valve (because of space). It will be a 42" wide blade (the dozer is 35" wide), will raise 9.5" off the ground and swivel a total of 50 degrees. I'll make some type of skid and/or plastic edge when plowing snow. It will not be spring loaded. I know that when the blade is raised it won't be flat but I just don't have the room or need for a 6 way blade. In all honesty this won't do much more work than just plowing snow. I have a small yard. I don't really know what I'm doing so it's the best I could think of considering the type of work it will actually be doing.

Here are a few pictures of where I'm at in the model.

I gotta say, it's been tough making everything fit. But it's a lot easier to change in the model than it is in real life. If I spend the time in the model now, the actual build should go real easy.

Thanks for looking.

 

[AndyA]

That dozer will actually be useful in the garden or yard to move earth or gravel around.

My guess is that it won't be as usable as you think. Dad had a D2 and a D6. The D6 was a real workhorse. The D2 was still a "real" bulldozer, but it was wasn't much more than a toy. You couldn't really get any work done with it. It worked better as a tractor pulling plows than doing blade work.

 

[Turbo1Ton]

I don't really want to tell a fella his business but I'm going to throw out my $0.02. This is based off of my own experiences using a plow on a garden tractor to plow a driveway. You really want a breakaway spring on the blade if you are going to be using this blade to push snow on a hard surface. Reason being is that you can't see what you are pushing underneath the snow and if you catch the blade on something, curb, crack in the concrete, manhole cover, etc., it will most likely bend something if not come to an abrupt stop and possibly injure the operator.

I would just hate to see any one or thing get injured/damaged.

Ok. Now let me tell you how incredibly awesome this thing is!! You and your boy are gonna have a blast on this thing!

Jeff

 

[Todd.Brock]

So, anything that could look like an update???

 

[dozerbuilder01]

I don't really want to tell a fella his business but I'm going to throw out my $0.02. This is based off of my own experiences using a plow on a garden tractor to plow a driveway. You really want a breakaway spring on the blade if you are going to be using this blade to push snow on a hard surface. Reason being is that you can't see what you are pushing underneath the snow and if you catch the blade on something, curb, crack in the concrete, manhole cover, etc., it will most likely bend something if not come to an abrupt stop and possibly injure the operator.

I would just hate to see any one or thing get injured/damaged.

Ok. Now let me tell you how incredibly awesome this thing is!! You and your boy are gonna have a blast on this thing!

Jeff

I had thought about it before. I thought about doing two different plows. Now I think I'll have it spring loaded for the winter and lock it for the summer when my son is pushing around dirt at my brothers house. I appreciate the input.

So, anything that could look like an update???

Sorry it's been so long since the last update. I've been doing some things around the house. And I'm still working on the plow design. Still struggling to make things fit but it's getting better. The hoses have been the hardest part actually. I sit in front of the computer almost every night lately after we put our son to bed.

I'm still not done but here is where I'm at as well as a few stats.

48" wide blade (dozer is 35" wide).
50 degrees of total swivel.
8.5" of blade lift.
Spring loaded for plowing snow in the winter but will lock for the summer.
Hydraulic lift and swivel.

There have been multiple changes but I think this is what I'm going to stick with. I've struggled to figure out what this thing is supposed to be. It started off in my head as a much smaller, lighter, possibly battery powered dozer. Just a toy. It's gone way overboard. Obviously. But it still isn't because I need it. I still don't own any property and if I really did need to do actual work, my brother has more powerful equipment. The only useful work this thing will actually do is plow snow. Other than that, it will be for fun letting my son push around loose piles of dirt at my brothers house and taking it to shows. I've had a lot of fun designing it and building it. If I made it easy, it just wouldn't be any fun.

So here it is.

I have and will continue to see things that I don't like anymore (fixed tracked tensioner, length/width of track) or want to change but there is going to come a point real soon where I'm going to have to live with the design and move forward. I hope to wrap up the design by end of next month. The majority of what I already built was designed and went together fairly well. It was only the linkage and hoses that I struggled with. So I want this thing 100% before I move forward. I hate cutting off welds and remachining parts. I don't have time for that.

Thanks for looking.[/QUOTE]

 

[Todd.Brock]

Your work is amazing, I hope you are able to stand back and admire it rather than notice things that need work!!

 

[Milton Shaw]

You might see if you can find a snow blade off of a Gravely L model. They are 48" blades that have the curve you need to roll snow. And will handle gravel and loose dirt. Great work on "toy" tractor for kid, he has to be one of the most blessed kids in the world with a dad that devoted to making things for him.

 

[Mike007]

I just wish the OP would hurry up and finish it so he can start on the scale model track hoe!

 

[lorne]

And then the dump truck...

 

[skippy24]

I just want him to finish so he can invite all of us over to go for test rides! Talk about a fun time.

 

[fireman164]

Sir you rock !!!