Project for 2017

[bushmechanic]

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Progress to date on a C4B Tree Farmer forwarder I plan to do this year. Started with just a frame and I'm trying to do this on a small budget (use only what I can source and lying around).

[Stephen Alford]

Man o Man Mr. Bushmechanic you shure   give the phrase  "start at the beginning"  meaning.  Good on ya ...thanks for bringing us along... :D

[coxy]

good thing you said what it was I thought it was a pettibone  you guys have a lot calmer nerves than I do I like ripping them apart but putting them back together is a different story  :D  thanks for the pics and good luck with it

[lopet]

Wow, that looks like some serious work.  Doing it right and it will outlast you. ;D

[GRANITEstateMP]

Bushmachanic, what is the tin
box on the backside of the rollcage?

[Ljohnsaw]

Bushmachanic, what is the tin
box on the backside of the rollcage?

Isn't that where you install the A/C wall unit? :D

Wow, what a project!

[coxy]

if it was a pettibone id say its where you put the spare axles cause there always braking

[lopet]

Hydraulic tank ?   I know my C5 has it behind the seat but lower. Having said that, it also could be a additional fuel tank while the original one is placed under the winch.

[tantoy]

 

[thecfarm]

Keep the posts coming!!

[bushmechanic]

The box on the roll cage was for your chainsaw, gas, chain oil, axe and supplies. A/C unit... hmmmmm! Thought I had a Hiab crane to make a loader out of but someone else beat me too it. :( This could be a long project like kiko's dozer but as I get something accomplished I will certainly post it. Weather will be a factor here now.   

[47sawdust]

The talent on this forum is only out done by the "can do" attitude.How old is the TJ that's keeping you company?

[tantoy]

The talent on this forum is only out done by the "can do" attitude.How old is the TJ that's keeping you company?

No kidding, I love the look of that well used TJ with fresh rubber n chains sitting near.

[bushmechanic]

47sawdust that is a 1963 Timberjack 201B and I believe the C4 is a 1964 but not quite sure, don't matter cause there will be that many different parts on it I will have to re-year it when it's done :D. For the axles I thought I could use the 201 Timberjack's as I had two sets of them...ahh no, the C4's axles were 7 inches wider so I had to source two more axle housing's the right length. I had some C4 axle's in the corner of the garage for about twenty years, used those, after some cleaning with the wire wheel. All the other part's belong to the 201. The ratio is different on the diff's but it won't matter much for getting firewood. There are more pic's in my gallery, I didn't want to bombard everyone :D.

[47sawdust]

Well I just took a tour of your gallery with my morning coffee.You are a handy guy to have around.I wish we were neighbors.
You remind me of the old ones who lived around here.They didn't go to town for parts,just went out back and "sourced" a part to make it work.Adds a very personal touch to whatever your building.
Great looking family.

[Puffergas]

We all need neighbors like Bushmechanic..!

[drobert2]

I have a Pettibone skidder that I'm trying to find a manual for, don't suppose anyone has one ?
It has Model No.  MT 10 P stamped on it and serial No. 10 22. I can't get the steering to work or the winch, otherwise, all good. It has a Detroit diesel 4055 C engine in it.

[bushmechanic]

I've never even seen one much less work on one. I'm sure that if you made a post there's guy's on here that can help you with the steering and winch.

[horselogger50]

I wish I was that talented to start a project like that.

[kensfarm]

Wow that engine/trans sure looks pretty all painted up.. awesome job!

[Logger RK]

It's looking good. I have a machine that looks very similar,with a 20 inch directional head. Very handy machine.

[bushmechanic]

Well got another bit of time at the project the past couple of days. Managed to weld up the two frame rails for the forwarder chassis. I had some 1/2 by 6 angle iron that I made into a box, I got it eleven feet long ( ten for the rack and one to weld to inside the skidder frame). Also got at the transfer case for a bit, all new bearings and seals. I was at the old TJ too, stripped out the winch and cleaned up the discs, welded some of the adjuster ears as they were broke off. Forgot to take pic's of the TJ work :

  

  

  

    

[sandersen]

Wow great stuff  bushmechanic!!  But forgetting to take pictures of the Jack???!!!  That's cruel and unusual punishment for us TJ guys. 

[bushmechanic]

Got some more time at the old project this past weekend!

  

  

  

  

  

 

[Peter Drouin]

Nice job,   

[woodmaker]

I am so jealous ;I wish i had the time to do this kind of a project.On the other hand,if it is true that you don't die  until your projects are done,I'm good until I'm 130 years old.

great project,keep the pictures coming!

[bushmechanic]

Ha ha woodmaker I don't really have the time either but it's on my bucket list to make a small forwarder!

[sandersen]

Looks fabulous B-Mechanic!!  Very exciting...I wish my TJ project was progressing as fast...right now it's  money holding me back.  Keep the pics coming on your progress...we're all watching.

[Frozendozer]

Thanks for the pics, very educational for me.  I am anticipating a similar project with my new, for me, machine.

[bushmechanic]

Well I guess I should brand this project for 2018 now lol. Got at it again this week for a while. Made up some drive shafts, fixed up a radiator, got a fan installed. Then I fabed up a custom water pipe for the lower connection. From there it was on to the fuel pedal modifications. Now I'm at the plate for the hydraulic pump... someone hacked the old one to bits I even got some time to machine out some new clutch and brake pedal pins, really just trying my lathe : All in all it's starting to look like something again!

[coxy]

looking good don't for get to run the lines for the heated cab  :D

[Resonator]

Nice work! Paint color reminds me of the old "Top Banana" yellow Mopar used on their muscle cars!

[mike_belben]

Love it

[lopet]

There is always next year.  :D
Do you have a loader for it yet ? And are you gonna run a bigger pump ?

[bushmechanic]

Nope no loader for it yet Lopet, been watching for something to pop up. I'm going to try the original pump setup as it has a flow diverter valve that is adjustable. I'll put a PTO cable to the dash for the control and switch it back and fourth as needed, this is not a production machine just something to make life easier to get my firewood as I'm not getting any younger Coxy I think I may need a cab first :D then it may be an option! The paint I'm using is Komat'su yellow from Napa and some spray bombs of school bus yellow. Well got to run I have to change a starter on a TJ 208 this morning for a friend.

[sandersen]

Outstanding project, Bushmechanic!  Great work.  Very exciting to bring that little skidder back to life.  Thanks for the pics too.

[bushmechanic]

Some tin work today and then some fresh paint for the old frankenforwarder!

[lopet]

Aren't you getting a little too fussy. :D  Kidding

[bushmechanic]

Lopet it seems I might have a small bit of OCD but not when it comes to keeping my shop clean. :D My grandfather always said "any job worth doing is worth doing right" I kinda live by that one ;)

[lopet]

I admire people with a clean shop.

[GRANITEstateMP]

"Do it right, do it once" someone told me that once, good words to live by, I try...

[teakwood]

I like my shop clean! Maybe not clean clean but organized, i hate when i have to search for a tool. everything has it's place

[thecfarm]

I went and got my truck inspected at a garage. One guy was doing the inspection,it's a set fee.thank God.  The other one was working on a car. He asks the guy doing the inspection on my truck,seen the breaker bar? So he goes off looking for it. Two guys are looking now. While the hour rate is clicking along on the other car.  :    It was found after a while.    Not a place that I would want to have work done.
Nice thread and nice job you are doing.

[tantoy]

Nice work bush!

[bushmechanic]

 

 

 Well thanks to this covid-19 I seem to have some unexpected time on my hands. Started back at the old forwarder project today. I guess there's no turning back now lol.

[krusty]

awesome! I am glad I am not the only person who likes a 3 year project 

[bushmechanic]

 

 

 

 Another bit of progress yesterday!

[nativewolf]

Komatsu better watch out, you'll be making more units than they are.

[bushmechanic]

Got back to C4 this afternoon, people figured out I'm home and now I got to rebuild a 353. While I'm waiting on parts it's back to fabricating! Test fit the rear axle...looking good lol!

 

 

 

[bushmechanic]

I guess this shunt has come to an end, too many other jobs coming in the door now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sandersen]

Nice fishplating!  And great all around beads.  7018?  DS Flux core?  Very impressive welding Bushmechanic.  

[bushmechanic]

Thanks Sanderson, comes from years of repairs in the woods lol. It was stick welding with 7018 Hobart rods and some 7018 Esab.

[sandersen]

7018.  And you can't even really see any of your restarts.  To those who may not appreciate the skill involved, or who have never burned any rod, that is superb stick work.  

[thecfarm]

Betcha got a few hours time in welding on the 2017 project.  ;D

[Autocar]

Times two on your welding excellent job !

[Ed_K]

 X 3 that's excellent welding.

[woodmaker]

x4 on the welding. That would be really nice welding with a mig, but is wicked impressive with a stick

[teakwood]

X5, that is some impressive stick welding!

[bushmechanic]

Thanks guys for the morale boost on the welding! I managed to get another day at it, fabed up the rear driveline before I put her back out of the garage again. Wish I had a large enough garage to leave it in until it was finished! Next job arrived around four this afternoon, a rebuild on a F6L-912 Deutz out of a C6 Tree Farmer. Stay safe everyone!

 

 

 

[Crusarius]

Was the back half of the frame rotten or are you converting it into a log bed?

Looks awesome either way. I was wondering what you used to weld that. Funny story. My buddy bought a stick welder and wanted to weld a thumb on his mini X asked me to show him how to weld. Man am I spoiled with my mig. My stick welding skills have gone to poo. One day I will pull my old stick back out and fine tune my skills again.

[bushmechanic]

Crusarius there wasn't anything wrong with the frame, I just always wanted to do this with a skidder. I have two other skidder's but I like forwarder's better, keeps the wood cleaner. I'm doing this as cheap as I can, for example the driveline is a lot of Timberjack yokes, steady bearing from a 201 and the longer drive shaft belonged to a 1940's deuce and a half that was cut to fit. All stuff that's kicking around my place. Last fall I picked up a Hiab loader for it and that will probably be modified to suit my needs. I hear ya on the mig welder, I was using a 250 amp one belonging to a guy that I do work for some easy to use. I picked up a 60 amp plasma cutter and 250 amp mig welder last summer, only Chinese knockoff's but I used the plasma cutter on this job and I am very impressed with it. I couldn't use the mig as I had no gas for it and needed a new contract to get it from the local gas suppliers.      

[Crusarius]

Definitely a sweet project. After seeing a forwarder parked next to a pile of logs with a load of logs that would really be my choice to. 

Right now I just need to drive one of each  One day someone will let me drag logs for them.

I keep telling everyone my resume is my avatar

[kiko]

Bushmechanic, at least you were able to get some time in on your project. My Case is still in the same spot. My son and I have been working on the cj7 , we got it down to the frame and have started going back. I had planned to retire from the customer  mechanic work at the first of the year; has not worked out for me yet.  Just to jump ahead a bit, what is your plan for the hydraulics for the crane? Do you plan to use a diverted set up or a dual pump.  A dual pump set would seem the to the way to.  It has been many moons for me and the Detroit engine, are there not two accessory drives on the back of the engine?

[bushmechanic]

Well kiko that's too bad about your planned retirement, but it's good that your doing a project with your son! I'm going to run a single pump with most likely power beyond in the valves, should be only two valves... the steering and the boom. I'll run the blade off of an extra section of the boom valve. The original hydraulics had some sort of a diverter vale that you could manually adjust for the flow to the steering or blade as needed, not quite sure but it may not go back. Yes you are correct on the aux drives on the back of the engine, but no room to mount another pump with the dash plate in the way. Maybe I might have to go with a tandem pump... oh the ideas you have put in my head now! 

[kiko]

So if you use a section of the boom valve for the blade, a single pump feeding a priority valve would be about as simple and efficient you could get.