FEL Custom built end caps

Wildfire

Active member

Equipment
Kubota L5740 HSTC3 and a Kubota ZG222Z, 2013 BX25D,Custom Toyota fork lift.
OK. Here's another project I've done with thew little beast. when you all start getting bored with this I'll stop. Promise!

Everything starts with an idea and this little machining job was no different. My head is full of ideas and the wife says I'm nuts and she's probably right.
Anyway my Kubota Grand 4240 had this tube on the loader attachment like all the loaders have. I said to myself that seemed to be a terrible waist of space and seeing I needed a place to put a tow sling I decided to use that space for it.

I had to have some way of capping the ends of the tube so this is what I did. It was all made out of scrap aluminum. I machined and then Tiged and machined the caps again. I wasn't to particular about the appearance of the weld because I knew I wanted to machine it anyway. The O rings were used to keep the caps in place but the grooves had to be machined just right or they would be either to tight or to loose plus this system would be waterproof as well. After that was done the parts were etched primed and painted. I actually ended up doing the rear FEL pipes as well.

I try and do all the changes to the tractor so they will look like they were always there. I have asked folks who visit our shop to look at the tractor and tell me what I've added and they can never tell me what don't belong. I keep a small number of tools in one of the pipes. I keep a First Aid kit in another pipe and the large one I keep my tow sling.





















 

Mr. K

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 14, 2009
522
138
43
www.orangetractortalks.com
Wow. A true fabricator! Your work looks good! We could seriously use you around the shop. How comfortable are you with welding aluminum and steel? A few times we've had a waterpump housing that need a bit of.... patching. I know next to nothing about welding but I've heard that aluminum is a bit different to work with, no?
 

Wildfire

Active member

Equipment
Kubota L5740 HSTC3 and a Kubota ZG222Z, 2013 BX25D,Custom Toyota fork lift.
Well I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed viewing it. Welding,machining and fabricating is my specialty. I do a lot of Tig and Mig aluminum and steel welding here. We started out as a specialty automotive repair shop but ended up involved in the fabrication, design and the welding aspect of shop work. Your right. aluminum is a different beast. I do a lot of it here. There are tricks to do to make it better to weld but it is tougher than the rest of the metals but my favorite to weld.

Below is a link to two items I did this time last year. This should show how serious I am about welding. The links will direct you to a welding site where I post frequently.


http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=19204&highlight=crazy+cart

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=21329&highlight=trailblazer+trailer
 
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Mr. K

Administrator
Staff member
Feb 14, 2009
522
138
43
www.orangetractortalks.com
If you are fixing equipment long enough, you are eventually going to need something fabricated. Sooner or later, you are going to have in your hand a bunch of broken pieces of some expensive looking part that you dug out of the back of the tractor after ripping everything apart. Right Vic? Wasn't that just like last Tuesday or the Thursday before that? :D

Around here, our welder and fabrication guy is on speed-dial. If you need something invented, he's your guy. He does great work and it looks like you do too. I was looking at some of your work on that cart and trailer. Very very impressive! Color-matched to your truck! Pride in your work is evident.

I guess the lesson here for others would be to get to know a fabrication guy in your area. That would bring the tally to: a doctor, a dentist, and a.... fabricator! :D
 

Wildfire

Active member

Equipment
Kubota L5740 HSTC3 and a Kubota ZG222Z, 2013 BX25D,Custom Toyota fork lift.
Mr.K it's true what you say about welding and fabricating. I do a lot of work for a poultry farm. They have a new egg grading station now and I've been involved in it since day one. When the plant goes down I end up machining new parts for it to get it up and running. Every now and then they'll also send down a few tractors for repair, rollers off conveyor belts to be rebuilt. A few weeks ago they put forks through an aluminum oil pan on a tractor so I had to weld that back in place. I have two of there tractors out by the door now as I type this so I better get going and work on them :D