FEL carrie all, and work platform

[NewLight]

That is a sobering thread. Thanks for shearing, all the more proof we need to take safety seriously. I certainly do and will put cylinder locks higher on my list. Nice setup with those forks by the way.

 

[ishiboo]

I think it's a good idea and much safer than a lot of options. But there are two important changes I would make:

1. If you are to be standing on this, the low sides and bucket back are a huge hazard. They provide an easy way if anything happens for you to flip over "head first" towards the ground. I would raise those up to railing height, plus they're really easy to trip over.

2. I would use plywood on the 2x4 sides to reinforce them. It doesn't see like racking would be a big deal with the ratchet straps, but it will stiffen them up a ton and prevent any issues from developing.

 

[NewLight]

A couple of good cylinder safety lock ideas here. I think I like the second one the best.
Patent US4529215 - Hydraulic cylinder safety lock - Google Patents
Cylinder Locks

 

[NewLight]

I think it's a good idea and much safer than a lot of options. But there are two important changes I would make:

1. If you are to be standing on this, the low sides and bucket back are a huge hazard. They provide an easy way if anything happens for you to flip over "head first" towards the ground. I would raise those up to railing height, plus they're really easy to trip over.

2. I would use plywood on the 2x4 sides to reinforce them. It doesn't see like racking would be a big deal with the ratchet straps, but it will stiffen them up a ton and prevent any issues from developing.

The low sides have been mentioned, and I will likely make some removable extensions that I can lock in place when I need them for safety sake. This is already what I'm going to do with the back panel (by the bucket).

The plywood idea is good. I don't think they need the extra stiffness, but it wouldn't hurt. My main challenges with this build is trying to keep it lite enough for one person to be able to get it in and out of the bucket (it is a REALLY tight fit). And being able to still see while transporting it or stuff with it, thus my intention to make all of the other parts removable.

 

[jim44]

It wouldn't do much for the bucket roll cylinders, but locking the loader lift cylinders is pretty simple. Just get a piece of angle iron, maybe like 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 and cut it to whatever length it needs to be to hold the loader at the chosen height. Just lay it on the cylinder rod and lower the loader till it is held there by the cylinder. This assumes of course that you're dealing with a set height for the loader, or perhaps cut a couple different lengths of angle and use whatever is needed.

 

[drajj5]

I was thinking that if you want to create some simple cheap locks to inhibit a disaster if hydraulic failure occurs. I would find some schedule 80 PVC that could be cut to 'snap' around the 'cylinder ram' at the desired height. measure for length, cut vertically to perfectly semi-encapsulate the rams- and voila' !!

Note: this is just thinking-out-loud; I have no idea if this is feasible or not. Thought's? I do- think that they would support the combined weight of the loader and it's human cargo though.

 

[NewLight]

It wouldn't do much for the bucket roll cylinders, but locking the loader lift cylinders is pretty simple. Just get a piece of angle iron, maybe like 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 and cut it to whatever length it needs to be to hold the loader at the chosen height. Just lay it on the cylinder rod and lower the loader till it is held there by the cylinder. This assumes of course that you're dealing with a set height for the loader, or perhaps cut a couple different lengths of angle and use whatever is needed.

That is were the idea for the support legs mounted to the bottom of the platform would come in. The trick is what to make them out of and how to make them adjustable.

 

[jeff9366]

Get a removable lift platform for your pickup truck where you can work SAFELY and efficiently.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sWWtZIPEqM


Lipstick on a pig does not change the pig.

 

[NewLight]

I was thinking that if you want to create some simple cheap locks to inhibit a disaster if hydraulic failure occurs. I would find some schedule 80 PVC that could be cut to 'snap' around the 'cylinder ram' at the desired height. measure for length, cut vertically to perfectly semi-encapsulate the rams- and voila' !!

Note: this is just thinking-out-loud; I have no idea if this is feasible or not. Thought's? I do- think that they would support the combined weight of the loader and it's human cargo though.

I like this idea. Cheap, widely available, light, it would be easy to make and store many sets of different lengths for various working heights. Good thinking. The question is would the PVC support the weight.

 

[NewLight]

Get a removable lift platform for your pickup truck where you can work SAFELY and efficiently.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sWWtZIPEqM


Lipstick on a pig does not change the pig.

Thanks for the link, that is just flat out awesome. If I had a truck and the extra money lying that is a tool I would diffidently have. However, I have neither. This project is only coasting me time and four boxes of screws so far.

 

[drajj5]

I like this idea. Cheap, widely available, light, it would be easy to make and store many sets of different lengths for various working heights. Good thinking. The question is would the PVC support the weight.

I have done this before and it certainly should.... I also owned an old Boat, that has the "inboard/outboard motor". Engine resides inside the hull and the outdrive (foot) is on the outside. It has two hydraulic rams that raise and lower the foot for transport and are used to adjust the trim when underway. This was an older boat and the rams leaked down and prevented transporting on the trailer safely. So, I used the PVC to support the rams when trailered. in the fashion I described. These (rams) were a lot smaller diameter than the rams on your loader and were only sch40. I have stepped on the foot which was supported by the small pvc numerous times to gain entry when trailered and it never failed.

The sch80 is much thicker and the larger diameter pipe would support a much greater weight. I wouldn't be surprised if you used two of them on your loader it would support it without issue. However; I am not an engineer and could not tell you what the rating would be before it failed.

I guess you could test the strength using a automotive press that has a gauge on it- after fabbing your "pvc brace" up. pvc is stronger when sleeved and it worked great on those leaky rams.

I sure do miss that old boat......

 

[NewLight]

That's for the testimony, it's certainly something I can safely test in a number of ways that don't require me being ten feet in the air. I'm going to try this I think and see. I'll let you how it goes.

 

[NewLight]

Finally work and weather have permitted me to make some progress.

I had just enough screws yesterday to get this far.

 

[NewLight]

Today I picked up more screws and did this...

I have a what I think is a pretty simple and easy way to lock it in place when I need the back and pull it out easily when I don't.

 

[NewLight]

 

[NewLight]

I will likely build at least one of the side extensions first to see how I will lock it in place and make sure my current idea will work.

 

[NewLight]

I made a little progress the other day. I finally decided on a method to anchor the back panel and it's working really well.

Both of these two methods work great to keep it locked down. Certainly the bolt and nut combo leaves no wiggle room, but I haven't had any wiggle either way.

No movement here either. It locks in quickly and comes out quickly.

 

[NewLight]

This isn't the first time I've used it, just the first picture. It's been very handy moving a number of loads of scrap(metal), trash, as well as loads of wood, and brush to the burn pile. I have also used it to reach a sliding barn door track that was falling apart. This door was locked, blocked, and unassailable from inside the barn and had been for a decade or two at least.

 

[NewLight]

Thread from the dead here. It's crazy to think almost a year has gone by sense this build and the last time I was even on the forum. This platform served me well, but i beat it up pretty bad last winter and decided to rebuild it, which turned into building a completely different one that corrected a number of issues i had with the with this one. I don't have any pictures of it, guess I should remedy that at some point.

 

[PhysAssist]

Thread from the dead here. It's crazy to think almost a year has gone by sense this build and the last time I was even on the forum. This platform served me well, but i beat it up pretty bad last winter and decided to rebuild it, which turned into building a completely different one that corrected a number of issues i had with the with this one. I don't have any pictures of it, guess I should remedy that at some point.

Ready and waiting for your updated pictures and thoughts about what modifications you made and why you made them.

Thanks for sharing
Thomas