Finally Got Some Motivation Back

After yet another long hiatus, I finally got back to work on the dump truck project. I'll see if that motivation will continue. Read more about what I've done HERE.

The Variable Foot Pedal Control Is Final Done

It took a while to figure out. Mostly because I have been tied up with other projects. And especially two growing boys. But I finally got around to it. And I'm pretty happy with it.

I ended up making the original potentiometer a "speed range" selector. This video will explain the function a little better.

If you previously bought plans, I will send you the latest copy with the new code. Just respond to the email that I sent with the original plans.

Yet Another Long Overdue Update

Haven't posted anything since March. The garage addition was an overwhelming project that wasn't exactly exciting. However, it was necessary to give me more space for future projects. Now that it is mostly behind me, I'm ready to start working on projects again. I hope that my posts become more regular again.

I've received many questions about the weld positioner in regards to the amount of weight it can handle and how it functions when exposed to high frequency noise. I've created the following video to answer some of those questions.

I do plan to get back to the dump truck build. Along with the garage addition, I really wanted to build a cnc plasma table to help manufacture a lot of the pieces for it. The plasma table is almost complete and I will share that build very soon.

I also plan to make a small go kart for my children first. I want a small project to get my motivation back after the addition. I'm making a square tubing bender for it and I'll be using a snowblower engine that I found in the garbage.

All of this will hopefully be shared in the near future.

Ryan

Mini Mining Truck Update

Finally found the donor I've been looking for. Click the picture for more information.

Best part about it? Here's a hint.

First Snow Of The Year

Had two weekends in a row with about 6" of snow each. More snow is expected this coming weekend as well. So it was time to play....

The little snowmobile was a gift from my parents to my brother, sister and I back in 1989. It's an Arctic Cat Kitty Cat. I loved that thing. My Dad kept it all these years and now my kids had a chance to ride it. So we took it to an open field by my house.

Relaxing.....

Long Overdue Update

It's been a long time since my last update. I've spent the summer planning a garage addition and late summer/early fall building it. This ended up meaning new siding for the whole house and fixing issues that were found once the old stuff was removed. Of course. And other than the concrete work, I did everything myself. The outside is finally done but I still have to finish electric, insulation and drywall on the inside before I can get all of my machines back into place. 

The mining truck is still going to happen and this addition was the first step. The second step is to build a plasma table. Something else I've wanted to do for a long time. So I've also been collecting parts for that as well. It will be the first project in the new garage. I ended up going with a Precision Plasma gantry that uses linear rail instead of the typical cold rolled steel. I'd like to run a router on it as well (for wood only) so I wanted something a little more precise. The rail is very heavy duty and looks to be very nice quality.

 

Precision Plasma Gantry Kit and Speed Demon Linear Rail

 

I'm anxious to get back to some projects and having my sons help me out with them. I still have a lot of design work to do on the mining truck. And I still need to determine some of the parts I'm going to use before I can do more. I'm really trying hard to fit a 3 cylinder diesel in it. First, they are very tall and the additional need of water cooling will eat up more space I already don't have. So we'll see what I can come up with. I don't think it would be right if it wasn't a diesel.  

That is all for now. 

Ryan

Update

I finally made some progress on the dump truck build. However, I took a small detour to build a rotary weld positioner. I needed it to recenter the Hummer wheels that I am using. I'll have a more detailed update soon but here's a preview.

Click the picture to see more information.