What I did on tuesday

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I have had a very rough week.  My mentor Rick Costopoulos owner of R and B steel in Rockville, MD pass away on Monday.  He had been fighting cancer for many months.  Today was his funeral.  I worked for Rick and his twin brother Billy during the winter installing snowplows.  He taught me a lot about the fabrication and snow plow sales business. He finally convinced me one day to sell my landscape business, which I have had for 10 years.  To start my own fabrication business, and hopefully my own western snow plow dealership at some point. So slowly but surely I have been building up my fabrication company.  Well I finally bought an engine drive rig last week.  Well I took it to its first job this week and paid for it on the first job.  So here is the job.  It’s a Hitachi 200 LX excavator that belongs to a good friend/customer.  He just got it and it needed a new thumb installed.  He has two other machines, which I have repaired the thumbs on constantly. (Note to self, don't hire union guys to run machines used for demo work)  It’s a geith auto lock thumb, which weights 1200lbs.  Was a lot of fun installing.   Had 10.5 hours in it and travel time.  So $850 was the bill.  Not a bad job. Attached ImagesLincoln 300 Vantage 2008300 Commander 1999SA250 1999SA200 1968Miller Syncrowave 200XMT350MPA/S-52E/xr-15Xtreme 12vs Millermatic 251 w/30A  Millermatic 251 Dialarc 250 Hypertherm 1250 GEKA & Bantom Ironwokers
Reply:2.5 hours just to grind it offThen another 2 hours to get it up there and set in the right place.  (note to self, check with buddy to see if his forks for his skid loader are at job site, before leaving shop where your own set of skid loader forks are sitting) Attached ImagesLincoln 300 Vantage 2008300 Commander 1999SA250 1999SA200 1968Miller Syncrowave 200XMT350MPA/S-52E/xr-15Xtreme 12vs Millermatic 251 w/30A  Millermatic 251 Dialarc 250 Hypertherm 1250 GEKA & Bantom Ironwokers
Reply:All finished and painted.  Triple passed with 7018.  I wanted to make sure it was never coming off like thier other thumb did on their other 200LX. Here is the whole machine.  Its a big boy.  Weights 30 tons and is 10' wide.  The bucket is 4' wide.  I got pictures of their other 4' bucket when they broke the teeth off and I welded on some new ones.  Attached ImagesLincoln 300 Vantage 2008300 Commander 1999SA250 1999SA200 1968Miller Syncrowave 200XMT350MPA/S-52E/xr-15Xtreme 12vs Millermatic 251 w/30A  Millermatic 251 Dialarc 250 Hypertherm 1250 GEKA & Bantom Ironwokers
Reply:Sorry about losing your friend and mentor. Nice job on the fix on the earthmover. That is a big piece of equipment!!!And thanks for the good write up. Any close-ups of the weld areas, how it is attached to the arm??And then, after so much work...... you have it in your hand, and you look over to your side...... and the runner has run off. Leaving you holding the prize, wondering when the runner will return.
Reply:So sorry to hear about your friend.  It's tough to have to wear the shoes you wore this week.Does that slide lock in place manually?Nice looking engine drive rig btw.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:So it has four positions plus tucked up?  Looks like almost as much bucket as cab in the one pic.Neat work.
Reply:Sorry to hear about your buddy... Its tough to lose someone that has had that much influence on your life----On the removal of the old part, dont you have a torch or an air arc? 2.5 hrs of grinding is insane!! Never, ever do that again. Grinders are for cleaning up the slag that you make with a gas ax, and thats it.....and even then, its just the stuff you couldnt knock off with a hammer.....
Reply:I really like it. Best respects and wishes.
Reply:Sorry for your lossCongrats on your new unit. weld it like you own it
Reply:Originally Posted by Rojodiablo. Any close-ups of the weld areas, how it is attached to the arm??
Reply:Spring the $$ for the air-arc...you can remove as much or as little as you need. On the job you show the pics of you could of just cut the weld out and knocked the part off with a hammer and chisel. CAC-A really is a time and sweat saver !!Anything worth doing is worth doing RIGHT
Reply:And some practice with a scarf tip would do you good. 1/4 is nothing to sweat. I've put a few of those on, and cut some plate in my time. You can take just the weld off and be pretty precise. Been there, done it many times.....
Reply:Ditto on the scarfing tip. You can do about as good a job with the scarfing tip as with an arc air. It's just so much easier and faster with the arc air rig.
Reply:Sorry about your mentor.I do a lot of this kind of stuff myself and the scarfing tip or arc air are the way to go. With practice you can get to where all you take off is the weld, clean the beam and weld the new one on. Clean the cut on the old one and it's ready to weld on another machine. Either is very handy if you need to reuse parts.The difference between art and craft is the quality of the workmanship. I am an artist.
Reply:I have the scarfing tips for my torches.  An air arc would be nice to have.  But when your getting paid by the hour, who the heck cares if you can do it faster.  The grinder worked just find and the customer didn't bitch. BTW thank you for the comments regarding my mentor.  He will be missed.  Its going to take myself, his brothers and a lot of his customers some time to get over the fact that he is gone.Lincoln 300 Vantage 2008300 Commander 1999SA250 1999SA200 1968Miller Syncrowave 200XMT350MPA/S-52E/xr-15Xtreme 12vs Millermatic 251 w/30A  Millermatic 251 Dialarc 250 Hypertherm 1250 GEKA & Bantom Ironwokers
Reply:Enjoyed the pics. I not post any I wouldas cause I wasn't there and not armchair work on your project. Thanks for the pics again and wish you the best.
Reply:Originally Posted by itsgottobegreen  But when your getting paid by the hour, who the heck cares if you can do it faster.
Reply:Uh dat be da Boss who pays me. He doesn't pay us to breathe.
Reply:Originally Posted by TEKWhy so many little mad guys?----because they wouldnt let me put anymore!
Reply:He ground it, He did it, it was his call not yours. Thanks for the pics again.
Reply:Originally Posted by DDA52Easy there big guy. Some people believe that is how it is supposed to be done.
Reply:My condolences to you and your friends over the passing of your mentor. I looked at your pics ... good job!Since you are in the heavy construction equipment repair business, be carefull There are some equipment out there (such as cranes) that require special welding materials to make repairs to the booms. Usually the manufaturer will supply the welding consumables such as special electrodes to match the boom's metal composition and instructions on how to make the repairs in order to keep the equipment's warrenty in effect, safe and to minimumize liability on your part should the weld repair fail. This was told to me by a Crane Manuf. rep. I met at a trade show several years back. Just passing on some info.
Reply:Well thank you for the info.   But there is no way in hell I will ever repair any cranes.  I have a buddy who worked for grove cranes for many years.  He said its not worth attemping unless you have a crane stamp on your card.  Because off all the crane accidents nowadays.  He did mostly the rebuilds for grove when someone flipped one. Now I wouldn't go and say I am in the heavy construction equipment repair business.   But I sure seem to do a lot of repair on them.  I got a lot of friends who plow snow for me that own heavy equipment and I always get suckered into doing the repair work over the last couple of years.   But I have come to find out in the last 2 months of being in business.  Not alot of people want to do this kind of welding work.   But the more and more I seem to work on this stuff.  The more and more I need a hydraulic hose maker.   Because I also have come to realize there is only 2 companies that have 24 emerency hose making service in maryland.  Both are at least an hour from here.   So thats on my to buy list in the next 6 months.  My local guy who makes hoses, even wanted to back me, because he gets request all the time but doesn't have the man power to provide 24 hour.  Lincoln 300 Vantage 2008300 Commander 1999SA250 1999SA200 1968Miller Syncrowave 200XMT350MPA/S-52E/xr-15Xtreme 12vs Millermatic 251 w/30A  Millermatic 251 Dialarc 250 Hypertherm 1250 GEKA & Bantom Ironwokers
Reply:Looks like your business is expanding ... I wish I had the opprotunity (funds) and the contacts necessary to do your type of work. Just let your business keep on growing. If you do, it won't be long when you will be eating steak instead of ham sandwiches!
Reply:Carrying on the legacy of your mentor that is a great honor.  Quit the landscape business... At this point that might be a good idea.  Nice job.  Looks like you are well on your way.Rest in peace Rick.May his love and good deeds live on forever.------------- Originally Posted by itsgottobegreen  He just got it and it needed a new thumb installed.  He has two other machines, which I have repaired the thumbs on constantly. (Note to self, don't hire union guys to run machines used for demo work)...
Reply:Please watch the hose making part, Lotsa liability with that, as long as you are comfortable with it then OK, just remember hyd. hoses are a means of conveying energy. Lawyers love that term.Good luck.Tim Beeker.
Reply:Originally Posted by denrepItsgottobegreen,What you were hired to install is a thumb designed for occasional light utility work, such as material handling. Designed mainly for holding a load after it is crowded to the bucket. It's fine for it's intended purpose, but is really clumsy and always in the wrong place for demolition work, where ripping and prying is going on.To put a stop to the constant thumb repairs, your friend should consider hiring you to build or install a heavy duty demolition thumb. Make it pivot on the same center as the bucket, much more versatile, and gets the working loads back where they belong.Of course we want the pictures.Thanks for the current batch!Good Luck
Reply:A demo thumb, almost has to be, hydraulic, with a separate bypass set low enough, that the bucket can push it back, without ripping anything off.  A fixed thumb, needs to be used much more carefully.As far as the hoses, normally, you get everything from one manufacturer, Hose, ends, and crimping machine.   It's almost idiotproof today, almost no judgement required by the operator, other than make sure the ends are pushed in completely, and the correct dies are in the machine.  The problem comes,,,,    a guy has a relatively new hose, brand "A", wore a hole in the middle, or broke it, or something, you have brand "B", he asks, "can't you just cut it and put a splice in it??????"   Ends and hoses from different manufacturers are NOT necessarily compatible.   An air arc would be nice to have. But when your getting paid by the hour, who the heck cares if you can do it faster. The grinder worked just find and the customer didn't bitch.
Reply:Originally Posted by itsgottobegreen My local guy who makes hoses, even wanted to back me, because he gets request all the time but doesn't have the man power to provide 24 hour.