Ingredients for a recycled cab for my craftsman II tractor

Keep us updated on your progress! Is that purple primer?:trink39:

Just a heads up on recycled bed frames,,,, they are hardened steel!!!! ... they will destroy drill bits and $60 bandsaw blades... :banghead3

the color of the primer is grey but i am still deciding on the final colors. and i am thinking maybe a metalic grey to try to match the tractor and paint the back outer wall bright red and white stripes and then spray a refletive coating so it reflects when headlights hit it. and i am watching(on ebay) a led mini light bar for the top of the cab. more later tootles for now.:fing32:

nice.:fing32: are you gonna have heat in the cab?

im not sure yet but i do know that there is going to be something in the cab for the sound so i might just insulate the cab and duct some heat in to the cab(but not sure yet). hopefully ill be picking up the windows sometime this week (i hope) and i am thinking of putting a 37 amp delco alternator in for some extra power( maybe i could duct the air comming out of the alternator) and put a deep cycle battery on the cargo deck. tootles for now

That look real nice can't wait to see it finished. It doesn't get that cold for long down here , but thought about makeing one for the JD 212.


BTW: surplus center has small alternators cheep abot 30 amp units.

oh an addition to the recipe ...1 delco 37 amp alternator ($35.00) im not sure if its new or used (the person that has it bought it for a project and didnt use it ). i could use suggestions on how to drive the alternator in a 18 hp briggs& stratton horizontal shaft( tractor model 917.255914) i look forward to the help and suggestions. tootles for now

4 1/2 grinder with cutoff wheel destroys bed frame rails. they are great for making stuff out of unless you need to drill.

Use a carbide tip masonary bit,it'll drill thru bed frame easily..you might need to sharpen it on a grinder first..I use a metal cutoof wheel in a circular saw to cut it,or a torch..it'll fry a sawsall blade bald in a matter of seconds!..

I've built a lot of stuff out of bed frames,but beware it will crack or snap if you put heavy loads or shock on it..best not to use it for structural purposes..though I have a neighbor who has an old "space" metal building that has angle iron just like bed frame as the structure ,the trusses and side braces are made of it..has about a million slot head 1/4" bolts like license plates use holding it all together!--and we have used the trusses to pull engines out of his chevy truck multiple times with no issues!..

UPDATE::: Hello all i have been busy gathering up supplies and accesories . the alternator is here and it is a "1wire" so it will be easy to wire up and i am looking at a switch panel to control lights, led strobe bar and to turn on-off alternator and i am specing out for door handles and in a few weeks i will be able to get the windows.i just need to get some steel to make the front supports and the door frames. Also i have a L.E.D. mini light bar comming soon for the roof (4.2amps)and that should be in in 7-12 bussiness days i will post pics when it comes in. this is a mfg. pic tootles for now.:fing32:

Hello All, well i did get some work done over the last few days, i have made the supports for the front of the cab(recycled gas grill frame) and dry fit the cab , i need to work on the front supports (needs more bracing) and also around the back of the seat(seat hits back wall). Also i found out that my light bar should be here in a few days and the switch panel should also be here in a few days so here is a few pics of the dry fit of the cab mounted to the tractor. tootles for now.

That is starting to look pretty good.
I like you're "recycled" aspect on building something.
There are a lot of things that can be put to use on a project like this.
Just like the gas grill frame providing the steel tube that is already bent to fit nicely on for the front supports.

hello the steel is thin but will do for the moment and maybe next year will rebuild supports.The switch panel arrived yesterday now i need to wait for the beginning of the month so i can get more supplies(eg nuts and bolts, wire, metal for the frame of doors and order the door latches(used off ebay). and the light bar i hope will be in on monday or tuesday . tootles for now K.C.

UPDATE:the LED light bar came in the other day and it looks nice on top of the cab but i found out that i need to shorten the cab now by maybe 2inches(so the light bar clears the garage door.....Oops) pics to follow (waiting for the rain to stop). tootles for now.

Nice job! I am working on the same cab for our 446. I really like the added space kicking the front supports forward :trink39:

Just a thought on the light bar.......how about making it flip down ( mount the light on hinged on angle iron) instead of cutting the cab down??

Dan

For a cab that is not made for the tractor, man that fits very nice!

Hello All, yesterday i was able to work on the cab interior a bit.I mounted the switch panel (upper right corner at the edge of the window strip) now i need to wait for some more money to get wire ,order door handles and get the steel for the door frames and pick up the door windows.and i finished the plexi(really marklon) around the front(i will try to get a few pics tomorrow). Also i want to thank everyone for the ideas and encouragement(keeps me motivated) and thank you to the people that have already done what i am doing now.and excelagator i had added a small steel panel around the cab which i can cut down with ease its only going to be about 1 1/2 -2 in. maybe shorter . keep watching and please be patient (being disabled is a pain in the neck and back)tootles for now K.C.

New UPDATE: well i finally was able to work on the cab and electrics got the switch panel mounted and wired installed the fuse block and i had to change my original plan for running an alternator off the tractor motor would be too much money and harder to fit onto the tractor.so for power instead of running off the tractor motor i am in the process of building a 12 volt generator with a 4hp vertical tecumseh(recycled from my father-in-laws lawnboy push mower(deck was shot)).the (apu----auxiliary power unit)will sit on my cargo deck on the back and will also provide heat to the cab after i funnel it from the alternator.here are a few pics i took today of the cab and tractor so far. enjoy!! P.S. sorry for the blurry left side pic

Very nice !!