The Gaganator Project

[chris davison]

Tube idea is a great idea !! youve solved the oil containment problem and made it stronger and can weld stuff all over it. now you need a circle cutter for your plasma. How will you solve the gearing problem? a suzuki transfer case with low range?

[Stonewall]

Circle cutters are easy to make, I have a homemade one and can post pic if you like. It's basically a piece of pipe that fits around the plasma nozzle with a hole drilled in it and a 1/4" nut welded to it, using a 1/4" bolt like a set screw. This is welded to a piece of small (1/2" or something) square tubing, with a piece over it with a set screw and a nail welded to it to put in a punch hole.

If you weld a tube around your sprockets and differentals, how will you get inside if you need to replace a sprocket or gear, or tighten a chain?

[Beeman]

How will you solve the gearing problem? a suzuki transfer case with low range?

I was just going to reduce the gearing by 1/2 or using a smaller sprocket inside the diffbox. Not sure if that will be enough but that was the plan. Great note for cutting the holes with a guide.

If you weld a tube around your sprockets and differentals, how will you get inside if you need to replace a sprocket or gear, or tighten a chain?

I think I will just cut access holes on the bottom around the diffs (to the tube walls).. I'll make them long enough to gain arm access to get to the next diff over and cover them like you would any other diff with a plate. Post up the pic of the hole jig.. I'd love to see it!

[chris davison]

Ive used a circle burner for my torch for 40 years and when plasmas first came out I made one for it. but I used a shaft collar around the nozzel with about 10 inches of 1/4 rod welded to it then there is a short piece of 3/4 rod 1 1/2 inches long it has a 1/4 nc threaded hole on each end one bolt tightens down on the 1/4 rod the other tightens down on a 1/8 bent rod that is sharpened and you just ajust it and put the sharpened point in the punch mark that is the center of your circle. My torch one Ive blown circles out of 1.5 inch plate. one time my boss told me to drill a 12 foot frame for 1 1/4 bolts using a crane and a radial drill 16 holes that was about a 4 hr job. I just laid it out drilled a pilot hole and burned them with my torch in an hour and fifteen minutes 3/4 I beams. Hey lets see your idea on a chain tentioner in this box

[Stonewall]

Here are those pics of my circle jig you asked for.

[Robinhood02]

eh there Beeman, nice project. I was lookin at your pics and have a question, with only one sproket in the center how does one side turn and the other side stop, for turning ?? I didn't see a clutch of any kind to seperate the sides and give a little for turning

[gearhead1937]

eh there Beeman, nice project. I was lookin at your pics and have a question, with only one sproket in the center how does one side turn and the other side stop, for turning ?? I didn't see a clutch of any kind to seperate the sides and give a little for turning

It looks like each set of axels (left and right pair) has its own differential.

[Beeman]

Here are those pics of my circle jig you asked for.

Thanks - looks like a simple helpful device.

[Beeman]

eh there Beeman, nice project. I was lookin at your pics and have a question, with only one sproket in the center how does one side turn and the other side stop, for turning ?? I didn't see a clutch of any kind to seperate the sides and give a little for turning

It looks like each set of axels (left and right pair) has its own differential.

Yeah, the diffs are the key here.. I will be steering the vehicle by turning the tires with rack&pinion, but will also employ a cutbrake setup for skidsteer.

[chris davison]

are you using the stock disc brakes on all 8 wheels? We understand that the sprocket just takes the place of the ring gear in the diff and the spider gears are the ones that allow turns just like a car. Are you going to turn the tires at different angles like 27 degrees on the first set 25 degrees on the 2nd set and 3rd also, in the opposit direction and 4th set 27 degrees in the opposit?

[Beeman]

are you using the stock disc brakes on all 8 wheels? We understand that the sprocket just takes the place of the ring gear in the diff and the spider gears are the ones that allow turns just like a car. Are you going to turn the tires at different angles like 27 degrees on the first set 25 degrees on the 2nd set and 3rd also, in the opposit direction and 4th set 27 degrees in the opposit?

Yep, that's the plan. The full steering (back for turning in the opposite direction) would only be allowed at low speeds. I'll probably link the two ends with hydraulics so I may introduce the "safety speed" via that system with a bypass valve.

[6X6]

Cool to see this project up again. Hope to see progress pics.

[chris davison]

It would be neat to have a selector valve for steering first position only allows steering of the first two axles second position steers all four the two rear going opposit third position steers all four in the same direction fourth locks all the steering and now skid steer only.

[Beeman]

It would be neat to have a selector valve for steering first position only allows steering of the first two axles second position steers all four the two rear going opposit third position steers all four in the same direction fourth locks all the steering and now skid steer only.

That would be neat, I'll have to think about that one. The main brian teaser for me right now is the rear water propulsion steering.

I've been standing over this sometime, have design changes and just need to work out a good implementation system for those changes. This is all going to come down to the diffbox, and I've been working hard to figure out how I am going to get a good diff bearing holder/seal without having to resort to custom cnc stuff. I think I have the solution and will see what this weekend brings. The sweet outcome, succeed or fail, is that I have an excuse to buy an aluminum welding attachment for the welder!

[Beeman]

I cut out the bearing blocks on an old transmission, I will make a plate to mount to the diffbox and then weld the block to the plate. That'll solve the problem for a bearing holder, spacing and seal...

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