Canopy BX25 Cab Build

[BCNorth]

Well, I stared working at my cab build project for my BX25 last weekend.

Plan is to have a single door on the left side as well as a removable rear window to allow for use of the backhoe with the cab on. I will also mount a heater in the cab, running off the coolant lines.

So far I am just working on the frame, here are some photos of the project to date.

 

[massey driver]

Starting to look good. I built mine pretty similair to the way your doing yours.Only I don't have a backhoe so mine is a lot lower then what yours is. I have 2 doors and the front and rear window open for ventilation or they can be removed. The doors also just lift on and off. Takes a lot of work and thinking to make a cab.I'll keep watching your progress and see how you make yours.

 

[BCNorth]

That looks great Massey Driver! I finally got back to work at it today after most of the last 2 weeks travelling for work. Made a bit of progress on my door. I am home all week this week, so hopefully I will find some time in the evenings to pick away at it.

 

[BCNorth]

Finally got a chance to pick away a bit at the cab build today. Good thing I'm not in a hurry. Work has been busy, so it seems I can only get to the project on Sundays. Started to add sheet metal to the frame today, doesn't look like a ton of progress, but it was good to get moving on the project.

 

[dragoneggs]

Subscribed! Looking forward to watching your progress.

 

[BCNorth]

Thanks dragoneggs, hope to make a bit of progress this weekend. A welder, I am not, but I picked up an air powered punch this week so that I can do plug welds to attach more of the skin. We'll see how that goes and I'll post photos.

 

[dragoneggs]

Thanks dragoneggs, hope to make a bit of progress this weekend. A welder, I am not, but I picked up an air powered punch this week so that I can do plug welds to attach more of the skin. We'll see how that goes and I'll post photos.

Yes that would be interesting. I have never used an air powered punch. So far I haven't been too successful not making a mess with thin gauge using my MIG. What is the thickness of the skin?

 

[BCNorth]

I've gone easy on myself and am using relatively thick metal for the skin... 16ga. So far I've not had great luck with the plug welds. The holes are too small my buddy who is a body man tells me. So, back to the drawing board to a degree at least. I forgot to take some photos today, I'll try to remember tomorrow.

 

[dragoneggs]

What is the diameter of your plug holes?

 

[JLwoodworks]

You can easily enlarge the holes with a step drill

 

[BCNorth]

What is the diameter of your plug holes?

dragoneggs, they are 3/16"...

 

[BCNorth]

You can easily enlarge the holes with a step drill

That's a good idea JLwoodworks, for some reason I wasn't even thinking of using a step drill. I guess there's some drilling in my day today.

 

[BCNorth]

Turns out the bigger holes make things a lot easier. Here's the progress I made so far this morning.



While I'm at it, I'll throw in a plug for PPE... despite wearing a full face shield, I almost got a good shard of metal in the eye when I was cutting some sheet metal. It hit me right in the corner of the eye, hard enough to leave my eye watering for the next few minutes. Can't imagine not wearing eye protection.

 

[BCNorth]

Well, this is where I stopped for the day. It's a good thing I have a grinder. Slow going, but steady progress.

 

[dragoneggs]

Looking good... some day soon I need to get up to Prince George. Do you know EB Horsman Company?

 

[BCNorth]

Looking good... some day soon I need to get up to Prince George. Do you know EB Horsman Company?

Yep, I'm familiar with the company. Do you work for them?

 

[BCNorth]

Well, I managed to find some time to work at the cab this afternoon. Because I'm going with regular safety glass in the windshield, and the rubber moulding can't make 90 degree corners well, I installed a 4 inch radius curve around the main windshield. A bit fussy, but good fun still. That wraps up the sheet metal work on the front... on to the closed side tomorrow.

 

[dragoneggs]

Okay BC... you changed it up a bit. So you just pieced in four inside radius curves? Well done!

 

[BCNorth]

Thanks dragoneggs... today, I started in the right side sheet metal. I've put a solid panel alongside where the fuel filler is. My intention is to access the fuel cap from the rear door. If I had my way, I would have a fuel cap on the outside of the cab on the right side, but I haven't come up with a practical way to do that yet. Once I finish the sheet metal on the lower right quadrant of the right side, I'll be moving on to the left door. I have the basic frame built, but need to install framing for a latch as well as a structural cross brace. More to come. For now, here are a couple of photos from today.

 

[BCNorth]

So, I finished up the right side sheet metal today and mounted the door frame back in the left side. I had forgotten, though, that I didn't fully weld the door frame before. All of the joints were just tacked. So, instead of working on a latch plan, or starting sheet metal on the door, I spent the rest of the afternoon doing complete welds on the joints in the door frame. Here are a couple of photos from today, doesn't look like a ton of progress, but every little bit counts.