Homemade Tiltrotator - How hard can it be ??

[Will_c]

Class! . Bit of after hours down the uni then?

cheers , I made these parts at home, trying to get as much built before I return back to uni . Unfortunately the university workshop has become more of a paperwork exercise to actually be allowed to do anything

 

[V8Druid]

cheers , I made these parts at home, trying to get as much built before I return back to uni . Unfortunately the university workshop has become more of a paperwork exercise to actually be allowed to do anything

so you have a CNC miller at home??

 

[Will_c]

so you have a CNC miller at home??

Yes — while I was at college a few years ago they were removing an old Bridgeport, so I bought it from the college and later retrofitted it with a new control system.
It’s not perfect and I never quite got around to fully finishing the retrofit, but it’s more than accurate enough for this sort of work and comes in extremely handy for making parts like these.

 

[V8Druid]

Yes — while I was at college a few years ago they were removing an old Bridgeport, so I bought it from the college and later retrofitted it with a new control system.
It’s not perfect and I never quite got around to fully finishing the retrofit, but it’s more than accurate enough for this sort of work and comes in extremely handy for making parts like these.

a series 1 CNC ????? BOSS? or swapped it for summat newer?
that must take some driving
but ......

gotta rely on my DRO on my ajax and some careful driving

 

[Will_c]

a series 1 CNC ????? BOSS? or swapped it for summat newer?
that must take some driving
but ......

gotta rely on my DRO on my ajax and some careful driving

Its a series 1 MK2 ,

I removed the old control system as I couldn’t connect to it easily, and it really needed a proper enclosure to stop swarf being flung all over the floor.

 

[Vinpetrol]

A uni course that is going to throw out a well qualified exceptional engineer that has a useable skillset into the workplace !
Fair play to both the uni and student !!
Loving this thread

 

[bobthebuilder]

Jealous of your skill,mere bodger here,great thread

 

[Will_c]

A uni course that is going to throw out a well qualified exceptional engineer that has a useable skillset into the workplace !
Fair play to both the uni and student !!
Loving this thread

Thank you @Vinpetrol .
I’ve really enjoyed my time at Harper Adams so far and learned a great deal .

I figured it was about time I started sharing some of my projects, so it’s great to see that others are interested in what I’m building.

 

[Rob65]

a series 1 CNC ????? BOSS? or swapped it for summat newer?
that must take some driving
but ......

gotta rely on my DRO on my ajax and some careful driving

DRO?.. - no new fangled gadgets like that here. Nowt wrong with dials and yes they are in imperial units only on my mill.

 

[V8Druid]

those Interacts were the mutt's in their day and can still turn out 'the goods' if they'm not been abused

 

[Will_c]

those Interacts were the mutt's in their day and can still turn out 'the goods' if they'm not been abused

Yes , the machine was in good mechanical condition when I picked it up, only downside is the limed Z travel.

 

[Will_c]

Next parts for the tiltrotator build.
Originally, I was planning to weld bosses into the end plates, but I’m limited by my Myford lathe — it’s not really man enough for larger-diameter parts and struggles with steel, especially as it’s powered by a washing machine motor.
Instead of welded-in bosses, I’ve used thicker plate material from the outset and then machined it down to the desired shape.
one bonus of this is helping to avoid welding distortion
All that’s left to do now is fit some bronze bushes.

 

[Will_c]

And so the build continues…
Next up are the side plates for the top hitch.
I just need to make a set of bosses to be welded in
.

 

[Will_c]

Has anyone here had experience welding a trunnion mount onto a hydraulic cylinder?
I’m planning on sourcing the cylinder itself from Steerforth in kit form and then welding it together. One issue I’ve run into is that the inlet/outlet port on the cylinder barrel is already welded in place which complicates trunnion placement.

To mount the trunnion, I’m currently considering two options:

1. Machine a U-shaped relief in the trunnion to provide clearance for the hydraulic port
2. Manufacture the trunnion in two halves, position it around the cylinder, and then weld the halves together once in place

I’m unsure whether either of these approaches is best practice, or if there’s a better way of doing it without risking distortion
Any advice, alternative ideas, or examples of this would be very welcome.

 

[Lancs Lad]

Will @V8Druid will be along shortly.

I'm sure I remember these guys doing one or at least a repair, their worth watching if you ever bored https://m.youtube.com/@CuttingEdgeEngineering

 

[V8Druid]

Will @V8Druid will be along shortly.

I'm sure I remember these guys doing one or at least a repair, their worth watching if you ever bored https://m.youtube.com/@CuttingEdgeEngineering

Kurtis is a great watch and yes he did some trunnions a while back but had to re-hone the cylinders afterwards as they do shrink in the bore
splitting the trunnion is an idea I've contemplated too ... use the port as a spigot to locate it and make it a 'bare' interference fit ... the load on it at the size you are making, the port boss would cope with the loading IMHDO

 

[CPS]

Put a U shaped slot in the trunion over the port, welding wont do to much harm as the piston will be working further back from the weld area.
A second sacrifical gland with no seals is what I use, weld it up and let it cool, then unscrew it and use the new one as your main part

 

[Will_c]

Put a U shaped slot in the trunion over the port, welding wont do to much harm as the piston will be working further back from the weld area.
A second sacrifical gland with no seals is what I use, weld it up and let it cool, then unscrew it and use the new one as your main part

Thanks for the advice — I think this will be the easiest option, as it avoids having to fabricate a two-piece trunnion mount.
Much appreciated.

 

[Will_c]

A few more parts added to the build.
I still need to finish machining a few features on the blocks that house the rotation pins, along with drilling a 25 mm hole for the hydraulic cylinder mounting unsure how's best to do this ??
Slow but steady progress.

Ideally I need to find a decent second hand lathe at some point as it will make projects like this far easier for making pins and bushings.

 

[Mogman]

A few more parts added to the build.
I still need to finish machining a few features on the blocks that house the rotation pins, along with drilling a 25 mm hole for the hydraulic cylinder mounting unsure how's best to do this ??
Slow but steady progress.

Ideally I need to find a decent second hand lathe at some point as it will make projects like this far easier for making pins and bushings.

View attachment 78727View attachment 78726

Making good progress there
Makes my steering axle trailer conversion look pathetic