Cedar Creek Gravel Company

[VonRyan]

Hydraulics are in progress. Made the cylinder from three stages of brass tubing with a single stage of styrene tubing in the center. The piston is a piece of aluminum tubing which will be cut to length later on.

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The back of the cylinder had a notch cut into it in which a piece of small brass tubing was soldered. Then I made a bracket out of a piece of brass U channel which I drilled holes for the corresponding “pin” to pass through. The pin will be a piece of small brass tubing which directly telescopes with the tubing on the back of the cylinder.

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[VonRyan]

Hydraulics are installed and are fully “functional”.

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[peteski]

If I didn't know better, I would say that this looks like DKS' handiwork.  Nice job Cody!

[narrowminded]

NICE, Cody!

[VonRyan]

Here’s a short little video showing the hydraulics in action:

https://youtu.be/j2_uZK8phUo

The cylinder and piston are in perfect alignment, so one doesn’t even feel it when the bed is tilted by hand.

[DKS]

If I didn't know better, I would say that this looks like DKS' handiwork.  Nice job Cody!

Oh, it's all Cody. Me, I was just, well, let's say an "occasional consultant" in the process.

Cody: "What would you make this out of?"

Me: "Take your pick. Brass, styrene, either one would work."

Cody: "I keep gluing the moving parts, and it binds up."

Me: "Then crimp it instead of glue it."

Etc.

[peteski]

Oh, it's all Cody. Me, I was just, well, let's say an "occasional consultant" in the process.

Cody: "What would you make this out of?"

Me: "Take your pick. Brass, styrene, either one would work."

Cody: "I keep gluing the moving parts, and it binds up."

Me: "Then crimp it instead of glue it."

Etc.

Oh I know it was Cody's work - but he has a good mentor, and his modeling clearly shows that.

[VonRyan]

Oh I know it was Cody's work - but he has a good mentor, and his modeling clearly shows that.

Yea, like DKS said, he was just there to answer my inane questions and to laugh when the occasional piece of scale hardware went onto the floor (all of which I was able to find).

He also was there to dissuade me from attempting to make the hydraulics actually functional. For a brief moment I considered modifying an insulin syringe to be the cylinder/piston.

[peteski]

Yea, like DKS said, he was just there to answer my inane questions and to laugh when the occasional piece of scale hardware went onto the floor (all of which I was able to find).

He also was there to dissuade me from attempting to make the hydraulics actually functional. For a brief moment I considered modifying an insulin syringe to be the cylinder/piston.

DKS' advice - priceless!

[VonRyan]

DKS' advice - priceless!

Without a doubt.

The fact that he has a stock of every shape/size of Evergreen Styrene certainly helps too.

His whole inventory of raw materials is truly a big help. I honesty would have been at a major disadvantage going in to this project without the ability to compare all the different sizes, shapes, and thicknesses of the different materials all at once. Sure I could do the same thing at the racks in the hobby shop, but it’s a lot different when I’m sitting at the breakfast bar trying to come up with the right pieces of telescoping tubing to make the hydraulic cylinder from.

Heck, the bracket that holds the cylinder is just a random piece of brass channel that was in a little drawer of similar brass pieces.

For me, the tools and materials have always been as much of a mental hurdle as the scratchbuilding itself.
Having all the options at my fingertips made it so that my hands and brain could actually get on the same page for once.

Having DKS right there is what has kept me moving forward. In large part because I can just bounce ideas off him when I’m stuck.

[wm3798]

It's also apparent that you relish that unparalleled opportunity.  You are drinking from a very deep well.

Enjoy.  We stand envious of you.
Lee