This is NOT a coffee cup!

[MChalkley]

One other enhancement to THE CUP: Lately I've found that it's so dry and dusty that the top gets loaded with dirt as I work - getting a mouth-full of grit when I'm anticipating a refreshing cool drink isn't exactly what I had in mind.

Then I saw an ad on TV for those new Saran wrap bowl covers with the elastic built in. Eureka! Size medium works fine. Small would be better, but I don't know if they're made in a small size or not. Gives the cup a kind of sunburn-victim-wearing-a-shower-cap look, but it's effective.

Ah, the never-ending pursuit of perfection... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

MarkC

 

[Harv]

Mark -

I know what you mean about the lid getting dirty on the job -- not sure I'm ready to put a shower cap on it yet, though./w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

I would like to pursue the magnet discussion a little, but rather than contribute to the pollution of that other thread I thought I'd try the daring feat of switching it back over to this one. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

The magnet I am using is one of the pair I ripped out of an old disk drive myself. Don't know if you saw that picture. After a little experimentation I wound up doing what I thought was exactly what you did.

On the first pass I simply glued one of the magnets in the circular depression in the bottom of the cup. That worked prettygood, but under heavy vibration (as seems to be common while tractorin'), I noticed the cup would slowly walk around a little bit on the fender. So I then went back and removed the magnet (no small feat) and mounted it again, this time with the addition of a ring of that magnetic sign material around the rest of the base. I took extreme care to be sure that the magnet and the sign material were exactly flush with each other, providing total contact with tractor when set down. This pretty much took care of the "walking" problem.

Now I'm beginning to wonder if all hard disk magnets are created the same. Although I did discover how painful it was to get your fingers caught between two of these magnets, I'm not sure they're as powerful as the one you're using. My cup will stick to the side of the refrigerator and even to the bottom of an old metal TV tray, but only when empty. I seriously doubt it would hold a full cup in either of those positions. Did you once say that yours would?

I suppose I could add the other magnet, but that means removing the one magnet again so I can reposition it to make room for its mate.

I do not consider the Chalkley Cup a frivolous option at this point -- it's a necessity!

What say you, oh wise one?

 

[scruffy]

Harv, Although I am not whom you addressed your question to,
Let me categorically state: No the h/d magnets are NOT created equal! Four of the ones (two sets) were very strong magnets individually, one set (two individual magnets) were at best .5 of the strength of the other two sets. One set was salvaged from a 100mb h/d, and one came from a Quantum 540 mb h/d (strong), and one set (if I remember correctly) came from a 1 gig drive (strong). The two larger drives produced the stronger magnet sets (by at least a factor of 2 if not 3). I cannot state definatively that the larger the drive, the stronger the magnet, although that may be true, I wouldn't state that without thoroughly researching it via stripping many drives down, and keeping a record of the capability of each in picking up a set amount of weight, and the total amount it could lift without loss of magnetic quality.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by scruffy on 10/26/00 04:00 AM.</FONT></P>

 

[Billc]

Really a non-related issue. Because of all the dust there is no way I can use "The Cup" with or without a shower cap.

My question: I need to put in a storage system into the canopy to hold gloves, ear plugs, safty glasses, etc. I think you did something similar this past Spring. Any pictures? I'm going to put in one container that will lock dust and dirt out. Another for the gloves and such...probably some mesh netting.

 

[MChalkley]

Harv -

As Scruffy said, the magnets are quite different. Still, I didn't use the strongest of the magnets that he sent me, and I only used one of the pair, but I did make sure I left room on the bottom for the other one if I needed to "upgrade" the strength of the connection.

I'm surprised yours doesn't hold any better than it does, though. Mine will stick to the side of my truck (or the refrigerator), even when it's full, though this tests strength of the connection to the absolute limit - any vibration at all and it will fall.

My reasoning was this: I wanted magnets strong enough that they would do the job without contact to the fender. This was for ease of picking the cup up. I didn't want to have to break that bond every time. What I did was mount the magnet to the bottom of the cup without removing it from it's mounting plate. This extra thickness, plus the thickness of the Goop I glued it down (or is it up?) with, lets the magnet remain recessed 1/16" or so below the level of the sign material. For reference, the picture I posted is at http://www.tractorbynet.com/forumfiles/5-15619-cupbottom2.jpg.

Clearly, though, if yours won't hold up a full cup stuck sideways, you need more power (boy, isn't that a recurring theme?). Instead of attempting to remove the magnet you've already attached, couldn't you remove some from their mounting plates and glue them around it? Or maybe even break them into pieces and glue them in? You could nestle the whole/broken magnets (one at a time) into the Goop, taking care to keep them just below the surface level of the sign material. I don't know how much trouble the tendency of the magnets to want to stick to themselves would give you, though.

I've had a great deal of fun with my cup. It's amazing how many people notice it. It's distracting their interest from the rest of the tractor. Most folks won't ask, but they clearly wonder how it stays on. Being a ham, if I notice someone watching who doesn't ask, I usually eventually find some oportunity to stick it to the side of something (like the loader arm), so they can figure it out for themselves. It really gets their attention for a second, though.

Let me know how you make out with yours.

MarkC

 

[MChalkley]

Billc - Why couldn't you use the shower cap for the dust? I know why you wouldn't want to, of course (the appearance), but why did you say you can't?

I think I'm going to look around for a sturdy plastic container that I could cut a cover from that would rest on top of the cup to protect it from most of the dust. If it fit fairly well diameter-wise, it should be just as effective as the shower cap and a lot easier to use, not to mention the appearance.

MarkC

 

[MChalkley]

Harv - A footnote to my previous message:

I just remembered another reason I took care to recess the magnet a little. The sign material is slightly compressible, so if the magnet isn't recessed, you aren't getting maximum benefit from the slip resisting and vibration dampening qualities of it. It also may allow the cup to more easily be forced to tip slightly, which would break the bond and allow it to be knocked off. You could try glueing another layer of the material around the edge before you add additional magnets. Just a thought.

Remember: Perfection is the goal - accept nothing less! (There's probably a "TractorByNut" web site somewhere on the web where they grab current examples of our antics for their own amusement. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif)

MarkC

 

[Harv]

Okay, I'm convinced I could use more/stronger magnets.

Scruffy - the drive I liberated my magnets from was a Quantum Q250, which is a 5" drive. Maybe bigger isn't always better. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Actually, on that same point, Mark -- even with the mounting brackets removed my magnets are a tad thicker than the depression on the bottom of the cup. I first used some rubber floor matting material to build up the rest of the cup bottom and I made sure the magnet was raised a hair from making actual surface contact, as you had indicated in your earlier post. The holding power in that configuration was pitiful, so switched to the magnetic sign material and a perfectly flush mount.

Dang! I have the extra magnet here at home, but my Chalkley cup is 120 miles away up at the tractor property. I never know what to bring home and what to leave there. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

If I can find better magnets, maybe I'll just go buy another cup. I was thinking about doing that anyway just to have a spare. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I love projects like this, and I'm certainly not going to give up before I achieve total perfection. To do less would be to dishonor the good name of the Chalkley cup. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[bpence]

I am in absolute total awe here!!! No, seriously. I am in total awe.

For years I've been bouncing around with travel cups, screw top pop bottles (soda for the folks out east), and various other liquid refreshment containers and maybe it's just me but I've ended up wearing just about every type of drink imaginable, and so has my tractor. I haven't found a cup holder or travel cup/mug (and I own a bushel basket full) that would work.

Chalkley Cups. H/D magnets. You have no idea how this discussion has solved one of the greatest engineering dilemas known to man in modern society.

Now, unfortunately there isn't room for a real Chalkley Cup on a B7100 HST, although a smaller Baby Chalkley Cup (a mere 32 oz size, but with the official 7-ll badging and made by Alladin) has been enlisted and properly modified through the use of H/D magnets, etc. to sit quite nicely on the cover between the operator's legs (the bigger cup would not have allowed the operator to even get on and off the machine without "jumping" over the cup, thus creating a safety issue). And the use of a food container size shower cap to cover the top......pure genius. I can't remember the last time I had a drink of coffee or soda or gator aide that didn't have dust or grass or something in it while working the tractor.

I was out last night doing a bit of bush hoggin just to try out this new tractor cup arrangement. Ok, I wanted to play on the tractor, too. No spills on me, no dust in the top of the cup, and the cup was where it was supposed to be every time I reached for it.

Ahhh, the simple things in life. A good tractor, some field to cut, and a cup of coffee to take with you....and not have to wear.

Thanks, guys.



Bob Pence

 

[MChalkley]

Harv - Maybe your tractor fender is made of less ferrous metal than mine. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Seriously, though, it must be the strength of the magnet. I just happened to be very fortunate in that the ones Scruffy sent me were perfect. But, as I say, I made sure I mounted it off to one side so I could add another, if necessary.

When I found out how great this solution really was in practice, I went out and bought, not one, but two spares. Then I found out that the lid in my original had a slight crack in the flexible lip that makes the seal, which caused it to leak on me when I drank from it, apparently from one of the times it landed upside down during the development stage (R&D is expensive, you know), so I now have the lid from one of the spares on my original cup.

All this talk of errant limbs has me thinking: I'm getting ready to do some major clearing in the woods around my house, so maybe I'll go install that second magnet...

MarkC

 

[MChalkley]

Bob - Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? As you say, sometimes it's the simple things that are the most fun, too.

Thanks for the kind words. I've been thrilled with this project, which although it's definitely had its lighter moments, and has been a hoot to implement, started out with the utmost seriousness and gravity (no pun intended). And as I've said several times, the reactions of onlookers would've made it worth building even if I hadn't needed it for health reasons. But, in this case truly, necessity was the mother of invention.

Um, one thing has me a little worried, though: You say you mounted your cup between your legs. You mean down on the floor between your feet, right? I've just been thinking: They make therapy magnets for your back, feet, knees, etc. Supposedly they increase energy and blood flow. Now, putting one between your legs - um, what would that do? Bound to have some sort of impact on what your wife thinks of the tractor, though...

MarkC

 

[MChalkley]

As is not uncommon, I've cracked myself up with this cup-between-the-legs mental image. (I'm easily amused.) I can just hear it now: Please, no tractoring today, dear - I have a headache.

MarkC

 

[bpence]

The "between the legs" reference to where I set the cup probably isn't as exciting as it may sound. On my B7100 (remember this is a baby Kubota) there's a flat cover that shields the hydraulic filter, strainer, and other stuff that kind of creates the same type of hump a rear wheel drive car has. Like most of the older B series, the B7100 doesn't have a flat operator's deck. You have to step over this hump when getting on the machine.

I will remind my wife, though, that every time I do some tractor time the magnetic potential for improvement in blood flow does exist!! Heck, she'll probably want me to spent even more time doing stuff with the Kubota.

Bob Pence

 

[Harv]

Mark -

Just got back from my morning trek to the gym -- stopped on the way home and picked up Chalkley Cup #2, or Chalkley Spare #1, depending on how you look at it.

I now have here at home a cup, extra magnetic sign material and one of the hard disk magnet twins. I think 2 of these would do the trick, but mathmatically speaking I'm, let's see, 2 minus 1, carry the 7... one short. My quest is now to find a new mate or whole 'nuther pair. I won't see my tractor again for another 9 days /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif, so I might as well use the time to perfect this implementation of the already perfect idea.

As long as we're getting into it -- I wish there was a way to better compare data on these things. Although I can't stick a full cup on a vertical surface, it is definitely not tippable or bounceable (tractor talk). When I was ripping along the ungraded surface of my tractor path in 7th gear, I experienced bouncing severe enough to bounce me out of my seat were it not for my seat belt. The Chalkley Cup, however, was immune to that sort of jarring and stayed right where it belonged. Likewise, when I inadvertently climbed a rear wheel up on a boulder, taking my tractor from 0 to 15 degrees in a heartbeat (at least it would have been a heartbeat had my heart continued to beat at that moment), the Chalkley Cup was still unimpressed.

The only thing that seems to affect the cup (ill-tempered branches aside) is the vibration of the fender itself, even when the tractor is at idle. I'm wondering if this is attributable to the relative flimsiness of my baby 'L' compared to your heavier model. Do you notice your fenders vibrating noticeably from just the throbbing of the diesel engine?

Now where can I find more magnets in a hurry...

 

[MChalkley]

Harv - I don't know if there's any difference in the thickness of the fenders between the two models or not. I haven't noticed too much vibration when the tractor is idling, but there's significant vibration at certain speeds, due to the cleats of the tires, I think. This does not seem to affect my cup at all, though. I haven't noticed it creeping on the fender, for example. Maybe something like thin inner-tube rubber, would be better than vinyl magnetic-sign material for the outer ring.

MarkC

 

[scruffy]

Harv, just a suggestion (one everyone may be able to use) it may be as simple as calling your local computer store to ask if they have any dead non-warrenty h/d's laying around that they would care to get rid of. Any shop that does computer repair will occassionally replace a dead drive in a computer. What do they do with the old drives out of warrenty? Most likely use them for dumpster fill.

 

[Harv]

Scruffy -

Great minds think alike -- and so do ours.

At this very moment I'm waiting for a call-back -- hold on -- make that I just got a call-back from a local computer repair shop. They have a number of defunct drives, but they do charge $10 a pop 'cuz thats what their scrap dealer pays for them. I was hoping for free, but I might just anti up 10 or 20 bucks for the cause. The cup itself was only $3.99 filled, but it's the magnets that transform this ordinary drinking vessel into a bonafide Chalkley Cup, for which I would gladly pay $19.95 for if it were available from a retail store. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Hey, Mark -- maybe you should be working on trademarks and patents yourself.

 

[gordon]

If you want the magnets quick than thats the way to go but if you can wait a couple of days than this is the way to go.http://www.wondermagnet.com/dev/main.shtmlI got a few magnets from them awhile back for a buck a piece. Great deal and also so strong that you have to twist them apart you cant pry them apart.

Harv, you arent going to paste a picture of Marks tractor on the side of your cup are you? Because your tractor might not like that---just food for thought./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by gordon on 10/26/00 07:36 PM.</FONT></P>

 

[Harv]

Gordon -

Now that's the price I'm looking for!

I combed the internet and didn't see this page. Just shows to go ya how big this internet is. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

At a glance, item #41 looks like the right choice, but I'll study 'em closer in a bit.

How's the delivery time? Shipping costs? Maybe if I fill out an actual order form these questions will be answered.

Does this mean I will not pick up a dead drive or two tomorrow? Well... there is that bird-in-the-hand perspective, but then, that's quite a price difference (unless shipping cost is high), and then again...

I hate making decisions. /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif

As for putting Mark's tractor on the side of the cup -- I do have the wherewithal to do that. Hmmmmmm....

Mark -- better throw in a copyright, too. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Billc]

"Can't" was the wrong word, "won't" is the correct word.

Liked the looks of your set up. Really liked the part where the guys were taking bets as to when the cup would tip over. I went a different direction. At first I had a cup holder mounted to the cross bar for the loader. My cup kept getting dirty or sloshing. Finally welded two wire bottle holders to either ROPs vertical arm. The holder is exactly like what you see on bikes. Anyway, when working, I carry two large water bottles with snap shut tops. I don't worry about the dirt. It doesn't get in the bottle, there is no sloshing, and a little dirt on the nipple...I won't EVEN go there.

One other thing. I'm left handed. Don't know if you have this problem. Anyway, I usually have my left hand on the steering wheel. I've mounted a swivel ball on the wheel that works great! As I was going over rough terrain, which happens regularly, I was trying to hold onto the tractor with my right hand...unfortunately there is no handle like there is on the left fender...so I had my hand gripping the edge of the wheel well. Some debris came up with the wheel and snapped into my fingers. The next day I had a handle mounted on the right fender. The handle is mounted about where you put your cup.