Laser Receiver Mount Help

[RDrancher]

I'm going to weld up a removable laser receiver mast for my CTL similar to this. Mine will differ slightly since I will be welding the bracket to the back of the bucket.

There's a complete description of what's needed here SKID STEER BUCKET MOUNTING. Basically it's a 1.5" square tube for the mast and a 2" tube for the welded on bracket.

I'll also be making a setup for my box blade, except it will be a straight mast above the blade. What I can't wrap my head around is how to make it adjustable if I'm cutting a v-shaped drainage swale with the box blade angled (tilted.) I can setup the laser to detect the desired slope of the swale, but the receiver needs to be (somewhat) plumb. I'd like it to be infinitely adjustable for plumb, but a vertical and two off-vertical settings would be fine. Keep in mind that I always cut swales with the right side of the box blade lower than the left.

Any ideas?

 

[Xfaxman]

How about just having the receiver mount plate pivot? Leave the mast fixed.

Put a Lev-O-Gauge on the plate, while parked level, set the angle needed, tighten the plate then tilt the blade until it reads zero.
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[RDrancher]

Xfax, your plate idea is right on track. Hadn't even thought to make adjustments from the other end of the mast. Nice and simple.

The receiver clamps directly to 1.5" square or round tubing, but it should be easy enough to bolt a swivel plate onto the tubing that has it's own piece of tubing welded onto it. I could then adjust plumb as I move lower into the cut. I'm sure it will take some experimentation to get things just the way I want them.

 

[RDrancher]

I'm pretty sure this is the receiver I'll be going with Apache Bullseye 5+ Machine Control Laser Receiver with Alkaline Batteries. It has a built-in plumb indicator.

 

[Rustyiron]

John, ya ever seen a rotating beacon mounted on the cab shield of a dump truck? It's mounted so that as the bed raises, the light stays level (by gravity). Just thinking'. I'm guessing that you'll only need to "plumb" your receiver on the left/right axis - side slope and not both?

 

[ozob2k]

How about a lockable gimble like the top of a camera tripod. It would be adjustable for most angles and fairly easy to fabricate.

 

[RDrancher]

More great ideas to check out guys. And yes, side slope plumb only.

 

[jmc]

John, that laser system looks like a lot of fun to use.

I may be missing something, but from a geometry standpoint, I don't think the receiver still needs to be plumb after you tilt the blade. Yeah, the laser line will intersect the receiver axis at the angle of blade tilt but the only point of interest is when the laser line passes thru the target point on receiver- where the two arrows touch. You'd still be able to distinguish that.

And if you blade tilt is 20 degrees, you will still have 94% of vertical adjustment showing on the receiver as compared to the receiver being plumb. (Cosine of the tilt angle)

And just to stick my neck out a little farther, I don't think that receiver position on the REAR needs to be right over the cutting edge if that would make mounting it easier. The blade height won't change much over the small top link adjustment available.

 

[RDrancher]

That's good to know. I'm new to the machine mounting setup and just trying to make sure I get it right. Just can't seem to get my brain wrapped around where the receiver needs to be mounted. Maybe I'm just getting old. :laughing: It'd be easier on my terminal tractor neck if the mast where mounted on the right side of the blade instead of the center...if it works the same.

I understand the need for the mast setup on the ctl. It clears the door when its open and the cab when the bucket is rolled back.

 

[RDrancher]

I'm also going with the clamp-on receiver instead of a less expensive magnetic mount (1/2 the price) for the larger display. I've read that the magnetic mounts tend to move too.

Since I work alone 99.9% of the time, I'm sure that the machine mount will save time getting on and off the machine checking grade. I'll be moving the receiver from ctl to box blade, land plane and excavator stick. Just trying to cover all of the bases.

 

[Xfaxman]

John, that laser system looks like a lot of fun to use.

I may be missing something, but from a geometry standpoint, I don't think the receiver still needs to be plumb after you tilt the blade. Yeah, the laser line will intersect the receiver axis at the angle of blade tilt but the only point of interest is when the laser line passes thru the target point on receiver- where the two arrows touch. You'd still be able to distinguish that.

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I don't have any experience with this, but from what I read on the Website, I think it needs to be plumb after the blade is tilted to the desired angle, then it will show "level" and "on grade", keeping the blade at the desired angle and on grade. But I have been wrong before.

The receiver shows on grade and tilt:

Product Information and Details

The Apache Bullseye 5+ Machine Control Laser Receiver has built-in blade tilt indication which helps the operator keep the blade level for increased production and accuracy.

Can be programmed to match an existing or known grade for slope matching operations.

Center On-grade provides an equal amount of grade information above and below on-grade. Use on dozers, graders, scrapers, and box blades.

Plumb indication built in for quick and accurate grade checking.

Offset On-grade provides more information above grade utilizing the entire receiver for productive excavation.

Three selectable accuracies for each on-grade location.

Up to six channels of grade information plus directional out of beam indicators.


Maybe someone that has used it will chime in.

 

[RDrancher]

Xfax - Here is the Bullseye 6 link http://www.engineersupply.com/Manuals-and-Help-Docs/Apache-Bullseye-6-Laser-Receiver-Manual.pdf. This one has "ACE" or angle compensation. It's $500 or so more than the 5+. From what I read I believe that it can be programmed to make up for off-plumb. I'm pretty sure that your swing plate idea will work just as well and be just a bit less expensive. :thumbsup:

After thinking about it a while I'm pretty sure that having the mast centered will aid in averaging the grade over the width of the blade.Offsetting the mast to the right for my tractor neck will only read that side of the blade. That's probably fine for swales, but not for flatwork, taking into account the slop in the 3-point linkage.

 

[Garrett2006]

Do you have or can you make a video of you using the skid steer and the receiver the way you have it mounted. Looking to do the same. Hoping you might have a how to Video of set up and running it. Thanks

 

[RDrancher]

Do you have or can you make a video of you using the skid steer and the receiver the way you have it mounted. Looking to do the same. Hoping you might have a how to Video of set up and running it. Thanks

Thankfully I don't have that machine anymore and never did take the time to build a setup for our SVL90 bucket or the tractor. We are going to cut apart our landplane at some point and probably (maybe) add a laser attachment. I'll put it on here if we do.

 

[Garrett2006]

Thanks, I just got a svl95-2 and looking to set something up on the bucket or land plane for grading using a rotary level. The automatic grading attachments with receivers are way to expensive although prob do a great job and make there money back of in that business. For now I値l have to stick with trying to figure out how to make it work manually adjusting the bucket or land plane to what the receiver is reading.

 

[RDrancher]

Congrats on the '95! On the landplane you just need a pole mount and then use a receiver like the Apache linked in this thread. This type of receiver is much more forgiving to use when manually adjusting by joystick than the hand held. Just watch the arrows. Without getting too fancy, you could make a mount out of a simple galvanized floor flange and threaded pipe.

 

[Garrett2006]

You wouldn稚 be able to tilt the bucket or land plane though for adjustments though correct? You would only want to raise and lower the arms. Also in assume any machine mount receiver would work? Thanks for the help

 

[RDrancher]

You wouldn稚 be able to tilt the bucket or land plane though for adjustments though correct? You would only want to raise and lower the arms. Also in assume any machine mount receiver would work? Thanks for the help

As long as the bucket is down on the stops or real close, I wouldn't worry about slight tilt adjustments for the cutting edge. Without machine controls that cut isn't ever going to be spot on anyway. For sand or lighter materials you could just leave it a smidge high and then backdrag slowly while watching the laser to hit the mark. A landplane works best for this method with the cutting edges set flat with the skids. I prefer not having rear facing blades on a landplane, rather using the back edge of the cutting edge for smoothing. In heavy soils like our nasty black Texas clay, I would treat it just like we always have. Over cut, spread loose material back over, then cut to grade.