redneckrigger

Extremely nice work! Keep the updates coming.

Operator’s platform made up and the removable floorplate sections all made so they have locating pins to keep them in place. The screed operator’s platform is installed and the side sheet metal and their mounting supports are in place. Got hopper hydraulic cylinders made and installed. Now working on a set of engine side covers.

Enough for today........gas tank, hydraulic tank, battery box and operator’s platform deck supports and side sheet metal framework installed. One day of building and work bench looks like it had a bomb dropped on it! Next step is make and install the hopper hydraulic cylinders and make the decking, engine side covers, screed decking, hopper shields, tamper drive guards, feed and discharge gates, feeder drag bars, seats, controls, etc., etc., etc.!

Working on the engine enclosure, the engine, and the belt drive to the main gearbox and hydraulic pump. Added the flywheel and drive pulley to the engine and got the radiator and hood made up. Made the driven belt pulley and still have to mount it all. Just got back to the bench, one of my Labs had a spinal stroke a week ago and that took a lot of my time but she is recovering. They are family and family always comes first! But the build is on track again one step at a time!

The hinges get covered by a slanted shield with a rubber flap that also covers the chain and exposes only the drag bars. That is still to be added. Thanks Gator.....those shields would have already been done but I was stymied by what to use for the rubber flaps until today. Think I’m going to try electrical tape stuck face to face to make rubber flaps and see how it works. Of course that is all subject to how it looks. One step at a time!

And, as always, the options and just how far to go with details always overwhelm me. And, also as always, one of the main things that get me all wound up is how to paint my builds. I am NOT an experienced weatherer, and have only just started to do a very TINY bit of weathering on my builds. I tend to make my stuff look like it just came out of the paint shop, which is understandable, as I used to own a paint shop where we painted just about everything from cars to equipment to airplanes! Since this is such a complex build, it will be painted in many parts, then assembled. But the subject of weathering will most likely make me lose a bunch of sleep before I arrive at the inevitable decision of making it look new!!! And, I KNOW what they look like when they get used and dirty, as I used to run most of this stuff.................but I just lack the skill to make my builds look that way!

Ha! Sure, probably could, but I’d have to kick my own tail if I broke it! Don't really know why I’m putting so much detail into it, but it’s kinda got a life of it’s own and is getting out of hand!

Made and installed the track tensioners tonight. These are actually operable with a tiny screw to get the track to the proper tension. Also made up the push roller assembly and installed it. Put the tracks on for the first time......looks passable! I keep looking at the details to add and it is simply daunting. WAY more details than any of my previous scratch builds.

Finished installing the eccentric drive for the tamper along with the hydraulic motor snd shaft mounted gearbox. Also made up the screed heater blower, burner and ductwork. Also installed the crown control adjustment screws, leveling control screws, and started installation of the leveling arms.

Assembled the main structure of the screed along with the heater box and the tamper and it’s eccentric drive assembly. Made up the leveling arms. The tamper shaft will be driven by a hydraulic motor. This is becoming a pretty sizable piece, being just over 10 feet wide in transport mode. Still have to attach the tamper to the eccentric connecting rods and install the camber adjustments to the screed. It seems the farther I get the more I realize it needs!

Started the feed hopper apron tonight..... inching along!

Added the feed conveyor hopper floor and conveyor chain supports. Made up and installed the countershaft for the conveyor drive. (The transmission is supposed to be offset to one side.) Made and installed the two hydraulic motors for the auger drives. Installed all sprockets and chains. Still have to make up the drag chain cross bars and attach to the conveyor chains. So......the entire power train is made up and installed with the exception of the belt drive that powers the whole thing from the engine to the main transmission. And.......everything works! Lots more to go!!!

Very realistic, as always, and incredibly skillful build Charlie. Keep the progress photos coming. The inspiration gained from your builds is priceless!

Extremely nice work right there!

Got some time at the bench today so got a bunch done. I added the bolts to the crawler drive shaft extension supports, added the feed conveyor front shaft and sprockets as well as the driven end with sprockets. Added the augers and the support structures and sprockets and shafts as well. All of the shafts, sprockets, crawlers, augers and conveyors will be operable with their own chain drives. A little bit of progress with lots of tiny parts and lots of work and engineering. Now have to add the countershaft that transfers the power from the main transmission to the conveyor and augers, as well as the support structure for the feed conveyors. Gotta say, I'm learning about how a paver works!!!

Yeah, there are a bunch of repurposed OD and Sand Yellow parts on this build. Whatever works!

Made up the main transmission with the electric clutches and the crawler drive dropdown gearboxes and the drive sprockets for the countershaft drive. Installed the main drive system. Installed the crawler drive frames as well as the crawler drive hub supports and the driver and driven sprockets. Still have to add a whole bunch of detail nuts and bolts. This is a pretty complex drive system. The engine drives a belt driving the transmission that is connected to the main gearbox, which is offset to one side, which powers a cross shaft. On the cross shaft there are two electric clutches that run the countershaft sprockets. Outboard of the clutches and sprockets are two gearboxes for the crawler drives which drive shafts that go through the main frame and are supported by outboard bearings that have a sprocket drive dropping down to the crawlers. It’s finally taking shape!

Guess maybe it was a bit optimistic to try a BRBO build while I'm working on another large build, the paver. Can't find enough time or energy to work on the paver build let alone this one, so maybe next year!

Thank you! It also has me tearing my hair out trying to figure out how to pack five pounds of chain and sprockets into a three pound paver! Making all sorts of diagrams trying to figure where to route everything!

Good one............................nice job "linking" to the thread!!!! LOL! They are by MicroMark. Find them here, and the sprockets are also available on that site. https://www.micromark.com/Miniature-Drive-Chain-Price-Per-Foot

Charlie, now I don’t feel so bad, seeing as even the best has the same issues!! Of course, PART of my reversal was due to finding out about the MUCH more in-scale chains from Micro-Mark from you! Can’t wait to see that old ‘ Binder in person!

Actually, I'm not sure how I am dealing with it! One step forward, two back.......!

Well, those of you who have seen my “on the workbench” projects before, know that I very often take about two steps back for each step forward until I get well along in the build. So, not to disappoint, I just took a BUNCH of steps backwards! I was simply not happy with the drag bar feed conveyor as it was sorely out of scale. So, I took a step back and decided to use chain that will be more in scale, that Charlie Rowley told me about. It will be a real chore to attach the drag bars but it will look SO much better. Then, when I made THAT adjustment, I made the main frame more to the proper scale as well. Then to just add a bit of excitement to the mix, I rebuilt the crawler frames to use miniature pillow blocks just like the real deal, instead of simple shafts stuck to the side plates. So...... here is the updated main frame, and the new crawler frames. Also shown is the power train diagram with all of the gearboxes, clutches, shafts and countershafts, sprockets and chains and the feed conveyor, augers, crawlers etc. Needless to say, a pretty complex build.

Frame roughed in with crawler frames installed......

Decided to go with the drag bar type conveyor. Got it all made up and made up the side frames. Slow but sure!