BX Snow Cab

[Ping]

Those Darn Doors, Part 1
Just like the window frames, the door frames were built using the cab frame as a template. Hinges spacing their reveal and 1/4" stock spacing the remaining 3 sides. Unlike the windows however, these required them to be built in 2 steps, 1 for each plane. The lower frame section was built first and, the upper section last. By doing it this way, the only compound miter I had to deal with was the front upper post where it intersects with the horizontal member. Everything tacked in place, the 142 clamps removed holding spacers, etc in place and welded up on the bench. I don't have a full blown shop like some of you, only a few hand tools. My welding bench is a piece of cement board layed over a pair of sawhorses. Been working so for, so why switch!
So far, so good. They appear to follow the cab opening and every thing should be good, just need to get the hinges installed. I chose a location for the lower, transferred hole locations and went to drilling and tapping those. Now for the uppers. Because I chose to not build a big box (thanks, Chim) and didn't want to fight the weight of the door trying to open them, I have them swing plumb. The upper hinge pin needs to be out in space, so to speak. This was a bit of a challenge at first and required a couple of head scratching and multi-grain, fat free, protein enriched energy drinks to figure out. Just as I dutchman'd in 1/4" stock for the other hinge locations, I did the same for the upper hinge location on the doors. Only instead of 1/4x1, I used 1/4x3 and left the length long, the excess protruding towards the outside of the cab. Again, the door frames were set into the opening on 1/4" spacers, lower hinge installed and using a length of all thread, I was able to locate the upper hinge positions. Transfer the hole locations, drill and tap a few more holes, cut off the excess 1/4x3, install the stops in corners and we should be good to go!
WRONG!!!

The right hand door fit like a glove. My angle followed the cab almost perfectly. I couldn't ask for anything better. Remember the bling hog finding an acorn??? It applies here! Well, i'm all proud of myself and move to the left hand door, the one I'll likely use the most. Well lets just say i'm less than pleased on how this side turned out. The hinge side lines up well with the cab frame but the front doesn't. I'm off a least a degree or so. I know it doesn't sound like much but, over 30" it adds up pretty quick. My door reveal when viewed from the front started at my planned 1/8" at the intersection of upper to lower but, by the time I got to the top of the door it was like 3/8-1/2", totally unacceptable.
Out come the cut off wheel for my angle grinder and the propane language as I proceed to correct this mess I have created. It took 3 or 4 attempts to finally get this side to a point I thought I could live with. Thank goodness that's done! This had to be the most aggravating part of this build. And, this is the reason I wasn't about to attempt to build flush inset doors in the first place!
Up next: Those Darned Doors, Part 2
Hope you enjoy

 

[Ping]

Phenomenal job! I'm proud to have helped inspire your build but I have to say your's put's mine to shame. Great job man, enjoy it!

Thanks, yours appeared to be well thought out and your documentation was excellent! And, I absolutely loved your 'have welder and below average skills' line! I was going to open with 'I wouldn't make a pimple on a welder's butt' but remembered this is a family channel!
Thanks again.

 

[Ping]

Awesome job, well done!!

Thanks, Bearbait.

 

[SidecarFlip]

While my CJ wasn’t suited to I-81 much...and drove it daily, this was part of my commute many days for SUNY ESF.... I lived in a rural area and this was a town road through our farm ...could make some maple syrup there ....[emoji41] I took the picture 35 years ago...

The right wiper is a wool sock...[emoji15]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looks very similar to the road I live on and I thought only Michigan had bad secondary roads.....lol

 

[Ping]

Those Darned Doors, Part 2
When our story last left off, we had the door frames completed and hinges installed. Next up was to figure out was the door latches. I knew I wanted some form of stops on the latch side to help prevent the doors from closing too far and bending the 1 1/4" sheet metal overhanging the frame. And, because, I was leaving an 1/8" gap for weather stripping, I was able to find 1/8" push in stops at the hardware store. Now how to incorporate some form of latch & handle that won't look like an afterthought. I had originally planned to use truck toolbox latches. They were readily available, I could modify them for inside release and wouldn't catch anything if I got toooooo close with the tractor. Only problem with this idea was, I had no real estate left inside along that corner to act as a catch. That got used for a wire chase. Up until now, I had been using a stash of neodymium magnets to temporarily hold things in place during this build. Slap a magnet on the frame and it made a convenient place to hang a scribe, drill bit, tap, etc. The thought of using these as door latches hadn't occurred to me. It was the wife who suggested using a magnetic latch on one of her 'lets see if he's still alive' trips to the garage. Wow, what a great idea, honey. Why didn't I think of that? I didn't have to worry about an inside release. Just fab up some brackets to stick the magnets on and we're ready for door skins! Since the magnets attractive force varies with the square of the distance, I added a piece of electrical tape to the door frame, increasing the distance on that side reducing the attractive force on the door side. So far this has worked great. The doors close against the rubber bumpers/stops as the magnets pull the door closed. The magnets stay put on the bracket side and with a little tug from the outside or bump from the inside the doors pop open. The only downside is there are no locks on the doors. This is probably a good thing as I've lost my short term memory and would end up losing the key anyway! I'm at that age where my Rememberer is getting worse and my Forgetter is getting better. To eliminate the bending moment placed on the hinges when the doors are closed, I incorporated wear plates on the frame and door. If I find the doors wanting to pop open on their own during operation, I can add a ball nose plunger thru the lower wear plate later to increase the retention force.
The door skins were rough cut to size and bent to match the angle of the door frames. I temporarily attached each skin to its frame with a couple machine screws. This allowed me to install each door in its opening and mark the final exterior size and window openings. Each door skin was drilled for plug welds, welded then reinstalled. I confirmed window openings were correct before I was brave enough to poke the openings in.
Up next: Bracket Time
Hope you enjoy!
Pictures attached

 

[Ping]

Bracket Time
Time to figure out how to hold the front and rear windows open and closed. Latches and gas shocks would have been nice but, I'm a tight wad and wasn't going to spend a bunch of $ just to hold things closed. I ended up cobbling the front and rear brackets together with materials on hand. I had to purchase the knobs which add a nice finished touch to the interior. Both front and rear window brackets are bolted to the frame in case I need to remove them later. Like the doors, I wanted some form of stop to prevent things from traveling too far when closed. The threaded adjustable portion from interior door stops provided the solution. The slotted sliding portion is cut from some 1/8 x 1 stock. Holes drilled at each end and opened up with a cut off wheel as I don't own a mill. Same as before, hole locations transferred from the brackets to the frame and mounting holes drilled and tapped. The brackets on the windows are just 1x1x1/8" angle, locations established after the frame brackets were bolted in place.
As usual, pictures below
Next Up: Last of the Sheetmetal
Hope you enjoy

 

[Ping]

Last of the Sheetmetal
All that remained was the lower front portion around the hood/cowl and the roof. I seen where a number of people went to great lengths to install glass by the loader arm mounts in an effort to gain forward visibility. On my BX, if I scooted forward a little in the seat, I can easily see the front tires. So, I skipped the glass and just filled this in with sheet metal. The scalloped area above the dash though tedious, wasn't really difficult. I installed the cab, layed out 1/4" increments off center of the opening, then measured down to the dash cover and subtracted a 1/2" for the weather stripping. You can see the red rosin paper template in one of the pictures.
For the roof, I put a crowbar in my wallet. I had a local sheet metal shop cut and brake the form for me. I supplied them with my CAD model and some green stuff and they supplied me with my roof all bent up ready to be welded together. I thought it was a nice trade. I incorporated a rain groove along each side and left the front and rear portions of the roof extend past the cab to provide some protection for 18w LED flood lights in each corner. Nothing exciting happened during this portion of the build.
As usual, pictures attached.
Up next: Buttoning things up
Hope you enjoy

 

[NoJacketRequired]

This cab build is looking terrific!

A couple of comments... For those wishing to follow in Ping's footsteps...

The lower windows in the front of the cab are critical. I have one cab from Curtis and its windows are placed such that I can't see the front tires at all. Totally useless. In building up the cab for my other B7510 I opted to go with a Lexan sheet across the lower portion of the front of the cab. I can't believe how much better the operator's situational awareness is with the extra visibility afforded by being able to see through the lower portion of the front of the cab.

Another thought... I wish I had a picture of it to show here but don't have... For the rear window in my B7510 cab project the solution was a little simpler than that chosen by Ping. Each "control arm" is cut in the shape of a long triangle. This allows for an L-shaped slot to be cut in the control arm. The length of the foot of the L is governed by the distance between the pivot bolt on the opening portion of the window and the fixed pivot bolt on the fixed portion of the cab. Like Ping, a fancy knob threads onto the fixed pivot bolt to provide tension on the control arms to allow the rear window to be locked closed, open or partially closed. The L cutout in the control arm allows the arm to be pivoted upward (around its hinge bolt on the moving portion of the window frame) to lock the window in the closed position. Works very well, and is very simple.

 

[Ping]

NoJacket,
Thanks for the kind words and the heads up on the front lower windows. This is the first 'cab' tractor for me. Growing up, we were lucky to have an AM radio bolted on the fender***128526; On mY BX the loader mounts block most front visibility but I will definitely pay attention to this as I get some use this winter. I do have about 26' of TrimLok gasket left I was planning on unloading on flea bay to recoup some cost. I'll hang onto it now and if needed add glass after I pull the cab in the spring.
If you get a chance, I'd like to see your window control arms. The only part I have welded are the small angle iron brackets on the window frame.
Regards

 

[Vidiot]

Ping, a great design and beautiful outcome!

I had to say hi as well... I was born in Piqua and don't see that or Troy mentioned very often. Cheers!

 

[JrExplorer]

I have a question. With the reverse flow for the BX cooling system how are you going to keep the engine from steeling all your warm air in the cab?

 

[Ping]

JeExplorer,
EXCELLENT question!
Tune in tomorrow, I'll show you how I put my own spin on the intake cover.
Hope you enjoy

 

[NoJacketRequired]

NoJacket,
If you get a chance, I'd like to see your window control arms. The only part I have welded are the small angle iron brackets on the window frame.
Regards

Ping - the tractor is up at my Dad's now so will take some photos the next time I'm there. His 85th birthday is next week so I expect I'll get up to see him next weekend.

Agree completely on the amount of downward/forward visibility that's lost behind the loader frame. Just one of those things we have to give up in order to get all the benefits of having a loader.

 

[Ping]

Buttoning Things Up
To deal with the reverse airflow of the BX models, instead of covering the intake screen with a fabric material like the Curtis Cabs, I cobbled together a cover out of OSB & 1/8" HDPE. After all, I had been ignoring the wife's honey do list and really didn't want to dig myself in any deeper! The OSB frames are sealed in fiberglass resin and space the HDPE out about an inch away from the screen, providing an space for fresh air intake. The sides of the cab next to the engine cover are also spaced in an appropriate amount to create this air passage. Since I'm not blowing snow, I'm not too worried about this getting plugged up but, will keep an eye on it this winter.
Power was run off the battery thru a 25amp circuit breaker. An Anderson PowerPole connector lives near the right hand side loader mount to allow easy removal in the spring. #6AWG primary wire supplies the Blue Sea 8 circuit distribution panel. #14 wire supplies the wiper motor and #16 to the remaining lights and fan. Switches are 10amp SPST I found on Amazon. 18w flood lights reside in each corner and should provide plenty of light for night time plowing. At this point, I have a fan but no heater. I ran out of time and will give it a go this year and see how things go.
In an attempt to seal up as many large gaps as I could, the HDPE was used in the rear of the cab and closed cell foam along the doors and front.
Afterthoughts.
The hazard lights, mirrors and backup camera weren't originally planned for. The more I looked at the hazard lights mounted in their original position behind the glass portholes, the less I liked that location. After I had the cab in self etching primer, I noticed the size of the factory lights would fit nicely where I located them. They help to give the cab a factory look and provide better visibility. I extended their wire leads and utilized the factory harness locations behind the tail lights. The mirrors are cheapo Amazon golf cart mirrors, mounted directly to the door frame and up high so as to not reduce visibility. So far they are working out and haven't vibrated out of adjustment. Since I plow in reverse for larger snows, I thought I could afford to splurge on a back up camera and save my neck. Mounting location for the camera is up high between the rear work lights tucked up underneath the roof overhang. Monitor is located front and center next to the electrical panel. I can bounce back and forth between the mirrors and camera without moving my head.
Now you're all caught up.
Hope you've enjoyed this. I plan to update this in the spring when I pull the cab. If anyone has questions, feel free to ask.

 

[bearbait]

Hell of a job my friend, you can be very proud of the job you've done!!

 

[Ping]

To all that's posted such kind remarks regarding my cab build, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you. Without those before that took the time to document their builds and provide ideas and inspiration, thank you. I can only hope in the future this thread will inspire someone to undertake a similar build.
Other than a couple welders and chop saw, this build was completed with hand tools most of us probably already have. What I'm trying to say is, you don't need a large shop full of expensive tools to complete a project like this. Would it have made this build go faster or easier? Sure, it would, but not necessary. I remember a Paul Short comment in one of his 'mod' videos, "Excellence is an attitude". With that attitude, a vision and a lot of patience and perserverance, good things will result.
Hopefully, before next year, I will be able to add a heater. I plan to update this thread in the spring documenting the removal process for anyone who may be interested.
Regards.

 

[NoJacketRequired]

Ping - you clearly put a lot of work into the cab, but, more importantly, you put a lot of thought into it. Well done.

So often I see good projects documented here - great metal work, good paint etc. Then when it comes to wiring it looks like a rat's nest. I wired my cab like I wire my airplanes - to the same standard of workmanship. Wiring done right will last forever and give very few troubles over the years. So nice to see you've kept the wiring neat as a result of executing well following a good design.

 

[Ping]

Thanks.
I was brought up to do things right or not at all. You're correct, wiring is really easy to get lax on and end up with a sloppy mess. And, you're right about the amount of thought and planning that went into this build, wire loom size, routing, weather stripping, sheet metal, glass, etc. Now that its complete to this stage, it's all kind of a blur. Since I don't do this kind of work every day or at all for that matter, I spent many an evening working thru the details in my head before I started cutting materials. Is this cab perfect, not my any stretch of the imagination. Yes, I've made mistakes but, I'm not going to point them out to you. And, if you notice any, I'll likely just hand you another beer.
Regards

 

[DanR]

First off, AWESOME build and I will absolutely be using your experience when I build my own! You say it's far from perfect, but it's a hell of a lot closer than most any other DIY cab builds I've seen!

I'm curious, have you run this in cold weather yet? And if so how is the fogging/icing of the glass? I assume I'll need a heater and ducting to the glass when I build mine... but maybe not?

I'll be snowplowing in anything from 0C to -20C so the least bit of moisture will fog/ice up windows in a heartbeat.

Also, did you mention cost? If you don't want to, that's fine. I'm mostly curious about the glass since I'm assuming that was the most expensive part.

 

[NoJacketRequired]

Dan - If I may be so bold as to provide a response before Ping does... In our climate a heater is a necessity. You have two options if you have a cab. Either leave the door open or install heat. I've run my tractor without the heat and fan running. The windshield fogged up from my breath in less than two minutes. I did this simply as an experiment. My standard operating procedure is to start the tractor after preheating with the block heater, then I turn on the heater, the fan that blows on the windshield, and I bump the RPM up to about 1400. The machine is ready to go in a couple of minutes without risk of the glass fogging up.

The second option, leaving the door open, means you'll freeze your buns off, but your warm, moist breath won't be trapped in the cab. However (comma) if you have temps near freezing with lots of moisture in the air, you won't be able to get the moisture off the glass. This winter, with its yo-yo temperatures and humidity levels, has been a real challenge. There's no way I could have kept my snow removal operations going without heat in the cab. (Last night I darned near froze while removing snow at the airport on my open-station B2410; even though the temperature was only -2C, the wind was blowing at 20 knots plus. I would LOVE to have a cab on that tractor, but it will remain open-station as having a cab would mean I would have to move the tractor every time I want to move the airplane since the wing won't go over the cab.