Work on the baby HEMTT grinds to a start.

[Seatyger]

Hi Leonard,
I hope all is well with you and yours, have you any new updates or photos on the Baby HEMTT?
Looking forward to your response.

Jim

 

[Stalwart]

Yes Leonard, we all want to know!

 

[srodocker]

man showed my gf this and she said WOW as do I. your work is amazing. any recent updates?

 

[Jones]

Work is always slow when winter hits. No garage, working out on the driveway and running in between the rain drops... especially tricky with power tools.
Been inside making up wiring harnesses. I'm using all black, mil. spec. wire with metal circuit number tags. Everything outside the cab and throughout the chassis ends with the weather-tight packard connectors and /or cannon plugs. It's slow going but it'll be right when it's done.

Little detail fixes are next, like; How to attach the engine doghouse side panels so they are easy to handle and "look right". Hold open struts for the doghouse covers so I can latch them open while doing pre-drive checks. A carrier for wheel chocks. Grab-irons and hand-holds for the places I've found could sure use them as I climb around and over the baby HEMTT. Cleaning up brackets to attach the throttle, shift and t-case Morse cables to their respective points. Everything should look "factory" or it'll keep me awake at night-- even though no one else may evey notice.
Making weather-tight boxes for outside electrical components like crane controls, fast idle switch for crane ops. Weather-proofing the boxes that house the NATO plugs on either side of the baby HEMTT (these may just get drain holes since they're shielded behind the front fenders and tucked under the walkways).

All problems mechanical are worked out and done; now I just have to be able to control things from the cab without a spider-web of electrical jumpers and coat-hanger pull wires.

It's close enough that I'm thinking about paint schemes.

 

[Stalwart]

Leonard,

We were thinking about bringing your shocks to Tower Park, do you need one before then or measurements?

S.

 

[FoxGirl]

Hi Leonard,

Looking forward to seeing you again this April and the kids are really excited to meet Ruff & Cross Can't wait to see the baby HEMTT again too!

Jane.

 

[Jones]

Stuart,
Tower Park is soon enough. See you there.
Leonard
Jane,
See you in a month or so.
Ruff and Cross

 

[cjtroutt]

Out standing workman ship Mr Jones.
The fab work is so AAAA++++++++ keep up the good work.
for words.

 

[JDToumanian]

Alright! I look forward to finally meeting you at Tower Park this year Leonard, and seeing your masterpiece!

Jon

 

[Stalwart]

Actually Jon, we were both planning to bring our HEMTTs to Tower Park but we've both decided to put it off for a year. His won't be ready, and mine isn't ready for a 1650 mile drive.

Leonard does live very close, we were able to see the "baby" on our way home to Seattle last year.

 

[Jones]

Jon,
Driving or not, baby HEMTT guided tours are available.
Heck, we may even drag you through my excuse for a work shed. Stuart and FoxGirl have been there and say I have the best collection of busted claw hammers, dull screwdrivers and worn out hacksaw blades they've ever seen.
And my collection of hand-crafted, almost-the-way-I-wanted-it-to-turn-out custom parts is second to none.

 

[spicergear]

Wow Jones, just WOW! Great work, awesome attention to detail! You're going to really like that M977 crane. I mounted mine behind the cab and that thing...I can't believe all the shenanigans I used to go through to move something that now I can just snatch and go. Oh, one other thing- I saw one deck mounted on a ship one time that was for sale and the capacities were DOUBLED for that crane. Yeah, doubled. Seems to me the what they're mounted on is the weak point. The safety overload items were gone or damaged on mine so I didn't put them in the final build. The heaviest thing I've picked was the entire front half of a dump truck frame that was cut off in front of the tandems. It still had radiator, 8V92, RR RTO12513 trans, front axle with tires & wheels etc. I was beginning to sink the outrigger pad in the ground but the crane lifted it so I could get the axle out.

Again, AWESOME project! WOW!

 

[Jones]

I may have to end up doing the same thing. All the limit switches are; 24 volt only, specific just to the HEMTT Material Handling Crane, not listed in any Grove parts breakdown.
Seems Grove built them on contract for the military and just to fit the HEMTTs.

I don't like running anything without the safetys 'cause they're what's going to keep me out of trouble. That crane is strong but I bet it won't lift the baby HEMTT back up on it's wheels from a fetal position.

 

[spicergear]

I tell ya what...don't be so sure of that- them cranes have some moxy!!!

 

[jstier]

I am always amazied by the work of a great fabricator.
My hat goes off to you and your skills.

 

[hwcurtice]

Seeing the little fab pictures are neat, but how does it sit as a whole, at the moment?

 

[rwbrown72]

Bump for some updated pics

 

[gijoe]

I would like to see more pics, please.

 

[Metternacht]

Awesome Build, Any new progress?

 

[one eye]

we need more pics man