Prancstaman's X1 Scorpion

prancstaman wrote:

Pretty cool setup. The blue nob on the torch handle, does that turn the gas on? I'm assuming the the gas line comes off the torch handle and goes straight to the regulator? The positive lead from torch handle to the welder positive?

Yup, blue nob is gas. There is a plastic case where the cable, and gas hose seperate, I assume there is just a tab under there the cable it attached to.


It would be real simple to build one of these rigs. Before I got this welder, I was looking into putting together a rig like this here.

mr.modified wrote:

Lookin good with the sheet metal

Thanks. I got to watch what I put on now. I think I'm close to my weight limit of 600 lbs. The rest of the covers and hood will be very thin sheet metal, plastic, or fiberglass.

TheBeal wrote:

prancstaman wrote:

Pretty cool setup. The blue nob on the torch handle, does that turn the gas on? I'm assuming the the gas line comes off the torch handle and goes straight to the regulator? The positive lead from torch handle to the welder positive?

Yup, blue nob is gas. There is a plastic case where the cable, and gas hose seperate, I assume there is just a tab under there the cable it attached to.


It would be real simple to build one of these rigs. Before I got this welder, I was looking into putting together a rig like this here.

Cool, simpler then I thought it would be. Thanks for the help. I'll be keeping my eyes open for that setup. I just want it for sheet metal work so I can make an airtight weld for making gas tanks, intakes, and exhaust systems.

You know I got to wondering about making tracks from C channel. It would be a rather time consuming process, but I think it would be pretty slick.

TheBeal wrote:

You know I got to wondering about making tracks from C channel. It would be a rather time consuming process, but I think it would be pretty slick.

That would actually be easier, quicker, and cheaper to do it with C-channel but the draw back or downside would be the weight. The track would be around 3 times heavier then the way I did mine per track pad and whole track. If you could build for the additional weight and not to expect to go fast then that would be the way to go. It took me 11 months, off and on, to do mine with I think 9-10lb spools of mig wire, 900 pieces of hardware, 2 spools of chain, and the actual steel. You don't want to know the cost just for the tracks. I measured the weight and came out to be I think 94 lbs for 16 feet of all steel track and I used less then that per side on this project, I used 3/4 of what I made. I was pretty impressed with the numbers I came up with of the end result of the tracks. I think I passed my goals with the outcome. Now if I could just get the dam thing to turn, LOL.

I would have been too lazy to make each track link from several pieces like you did, so I'll give you some points for that. Seemed to work decent enough when you tested it though, except for the suspension being a bit soft. I mean the tracks stayed in place pretty good.

Thanks , I think I got the guide part right. I figured the guides should be around 1/3 height of the road wheels. The road wheels are 7 inches high and the guides are 2 inches high. Plus or minus an inch doesn't hurt I guess. .

I have 2 long pieces of C channel, I might just look into building something one of these days. Though I may experiment and cut the tread off some tires and see if I can make something work.

Oh yah, I see that alot on the snow cats. To do that you would make the track sprockets first. That would set the spacing for the tracks which is the spacing in between the track pads. Then make the tracks from that.

I did it the opposite way. I made the tracks first and had to figure out how to make the sprockets. This way is the harder way because I just couldn't make a sprocket from a rim or something round that was premade. I actually had to figure out how to make a gear to get my tracks to work.

been watching this build on the tube. Overcoming belt slippage (due to the friction from the tracks, and just plain weight) is gonna give you fits. Great project as a whole brother, and VERY inspiring to watch

WOW,

How have I missed this build so long? That is so cool. Thanks to Lawren for reminding me about the "youtube" links. Watched a couple videos. At the end you mentioned success and fail. I don't see it as fail. Progress is always success, and things that don't go right are lessons learned!

Great job!

mightyraze wrote:

WOW,

At the end you mentioned success and fail.  I don't see it as fail.  Progress is always success, and things that don't go right are lessons learned!

Great job!

I actually prefer to watch the fails.... you learn more from them

I agree 100%, it's only a fail if you don't learn.

Lawren Wimberly wrote:

been watching this build on the tube. Overcoming belt slippage (due to the friction from the tracks, and just plain weight) is gonna give you fits. Great project as a whole brother, and VERY inspiring to watch

Thanks Lawren. Yah, it is just a minor set back for the belts slipping. That's how I look at it. Designing the track system is definitely a new area for me. All the other parts of the build I been doing for as long as I can remember. Glad you like the videos. I think I'm getting better at them. As for this project, look forward to many upgrades to it. Plus I am already planning my next tracked project with a little different driveline in it, even though it will be a couple years from now.

mightyraze wrote:

WOW,

How have I missed this build so long?  That is so cool.  Thanks to Lawren for reminding me about the "youtube" links.  Watched a couple videos.  At the end you mentioned success and fail.  I don't see it as fail.  Progress is always success, and things that don't go right are lessons learned!

Great job!

Thank you. Spring is just around the corner and I am trying to clear my schedule so I can see if my new driveline setup will work. Just needs the controls now. Plus some other mods I want to do before I set it back on the ground. And Yes, Progress is always success and things that don't go right are lessons learned.

Hay People,
Been busy all summer long sorry to say. Don't even know when to expect to get back to this project. Sorry People.........
Anyways,
I had a scary thought about this project a few days ago, so I did some digging. The wrong people are watching this project from afar. IT'S GOOGLE!!! They are taking recon aireol photos of the tank factory (my backyard) with there satellite. Luckily this project was under cover when they took the photo, didn't see a thing. There sniffing around though.

SEE!! The proof is in the puddin.....This photo was taken from a Google satellite spying on my project. It's a recon photo from one of their web sites. I had a feeling I was being watched!!!  The red writing and arrow I put in showing what they missed..


Never fear!! Action is being taken this very minute!!

Preparations have been made to guarantee security and secrecy. The aluminum foil radar and microwave blocking hats have been made and passed out to all personal to be worn from now on (took some doing for the wife to wear  hers). All short range communications have been stopped (wife got pissed about this one) but it got done....
Every knot hole in the fence line has been covered up......


Camouflage has been put up over the entire tank factory


My video surveillance of whole compound is up, running, and recording....


Laser banks are fully charged, tested, lock and loaded......


I'M READY!!!! BRING IT ON GOOGLE!!!!!!

Best thing I have read all evening! Awesome job!

Hahahaha, nice going giving your address out.

Nice laser ya got there, set off any fire suppression systems with it yet?

Thanks, LOL.

RichieRichOverdrive wrote:

Hahahaha, nice going giving your address out.

Nice laser ya got there, set off any fire suppression systems with it yet?

Not a regular laser that you buy from amazon, been hopped up a little. I know a guy, LOL. And no I haven't

Hay people,
Did a little work on this thing. Been sitting on the table at the end of my driveway for forever. Just kept it covered. I got some work done early after work today so I decided to work on this. Planned out what I wanted to do ahead of time and had all the parts waiting and just had to throw them on. Just a couple bolts, eyelets and nuts.



Plan is to connect the rear bogie to the track tensioner up front. The rear suspension wants to compress more then the front suspension wants to extend, so I'll take advantage of this.

First step is to make a connecting point on the bogie which will be the bolt that holds the bogie onto the A-frame.



Pull the bolt, got washers inside to space the bogie in the right spot.



A little test fitting.


Put them back together.




The whole thing took about a half hour. Don't know when I'll be doing work on this next, but still working on it from time to time. Later.

Hey hey, nice to see an update on the Scorpion! Keep up the good work!

I was actually just thinking about this machine the other day. Do you have a target time to have it done by?

@AllisKidD21 Thanks, but is going slow. Either rain or time is usually keeping me from working on it, today is rain. Get something going and then something else breaks, or someone needs help. Can't believe it's been going on around 1 year since I touched this thing.

@CraftsmanQuad19 No set date to have it done by, never worked, LOL. That was what the buildoff was for. But I do want this thing going by the time I get the 4x4 mower I am building done. Shouldn't take too much to get it ready for a 2nd test drive. The new drive system is in. Just have to find everything stored to put back on, LOL. I got stuff all over the place. Plus 1 or 2 mods too, like I'm doing here.

My plan is to get this driving, working strong, even if it means ripping out this new drive system to put in a different drive system. So the wife will be driving the 4x4 mower that I am building while I will be driving this for some trail riding. She wants to go camping but I don't like fishing, so we can go camping out on the trails. That sounds fun. Maybe in a year or so, join you people at Haspin or go to Redzz02 tractor challenge with the 4x4 mower. Redzz02 is like 1 hour 1/2 away from me. We shall see, I got a million things to do and I'm on like #5.

Hay People,
Had a few to work on this, spare of the moment thing. While I'm doing other things, and I finish early, I work on this. Seems only thing doable. So, thought I would need the track tensioners off next. Could use some of the parts too.

Had an all thread holding the spring on and wouldn't you know it, the bolt was screwed all the way in, ok most of the way, alright looks like half way in the pic. But it looked like all the way at the time of doing it.


After turning the nut for a few, got the idea that there should be a better way. Went to my basement to look at the pile of wrenches (didn't hang my wrench hanger yet, LOL).Got a bunch of those wrench ratchets. Need a 9/16. Dug through the pile. nope! 5/8 and 11/16 on all of them, that sucks!! See my luck. Found some gimmicky wrench that fits everything. Looks like it will suck big time, but better then a regular wrench though.


Twist it, then turn, then twist, then unturn. YUP!! Sucks!! Unscrewed it though, still not a regular wrench too, LOL.


Off!!


So I got the parts off. Next, I pulled the front track tensioner wheels and axle assembly off for a quick grease up. And wouldn't you know it, it bit me. The cotter pin/bent coat hanger, stabbed me in the finger. Ouch!!. Put it, let me rephrase that, threw it on the table and greased it up.


Man, I got no game today, LOL.

I put it back on, kinda sticking in spots, probably from dirt and rust, so I slide it back and forth to get it working. I then push it all the way in.


Total time took about a half hour or so at the end of the day. Call it quits till tomorrow. And what I took off.


Next day. I needed to get the weedwacker cutting up stuff and figure if I finish early I can do some more work on this. Half way through cutting, the weedwacker stops running. Get frustrated with it and take a break from it to clear my head.
So I do the other side.



That's it for now.

Hay People,
Had some time today, and knew what needed to be done. Knocked it out in a couple hours. I was just going to relax when I got home, nah. Made the next parts which was the swingarms for the track tensioners.

Dug around for some metal, found some square tubing, should work OK but is thin walled. Found some spacers to weld to the bottom for a pivot point. Measured the length. Cut the tubing and welded the spacers on.


Measured and center punched for the adjusting holes for the linkage.


Drilled out the adjusting holes on swing arms. Then drilled out first the mounts for the swing arms (easier to hold) before cutting out the pieces.


Everything drilled out, cut up, and matched up. I number everything because everything was made by hand and only goes together one way to work. What needed trimmed was trimmed with a hand grinder. And the hardware, 3/8" bolts and nylock nuts.


The 2 assemblies before I put them in.


The sun was going down, the bugs were out, but I managed to weld them in, both of them. I only got a pic of the one side, the bugs were buggin and I just wanted to go in for the night, LOL.


A view from the ground wheels where the linkage will be run, from the wheel area up to the swing arm. I noticed that it's not a straight shot from the attachment point on the lower A-frame up to the swing arm. Will have to notch the A-frame up top there or put a bend in the linkage. We shall see.


That's it for today. Next is the linkage rod from the lower A-frame up to the swing arm. Will just be a 3/8" rod with bolts welded to it for the clevis's to attach to. The issue that was mentioned will be dealt with when I make the linkage. I just wanted to get away from the bugs tonight.

Later.