Craftsman GT3000 "MUTT" Part I

Finally got a start on a go pro mount. Have all the pieces cut out, just gotta zap em together. Using a piece of 3/4" EMT for the main arm. Stripped the galvanize about 6" from both ends, hopefully I won't get zinc poisoning lol.

Meh I weld galvanised all the time, just keep your head out of the smoke plume and have good air flow.

Definite on the air flow. I agree with the cleaning back, I always got better penetration.

Yeah the zinc coating makes it difficult to weld, so I always grind it away as well. I work outside too so I haven't really been affected by the fumes or anything. I mean, I'm not getting any crazier, haha.

Just welded it up and the only headache I have is from the spray paint lol.




'Pologies to the people on pc, it's gonna come up as a thumbnail lol. Just click on it to see full size.

OOOooo nice! You going to make mine too?

Looks nice Rich. So where on the tractor is it gonna bolt on?

Bolts on top of the hitch plate bolt on thingy i made. I'll get a pic later when the paint cures and I bolt it on.

Also it seem I've lost track of my waterproof gopro case. Gotta find that lol

So this is how it ended up at first.


Bolted on where the hitch plate originally bolted to the snapper frame.


Ended up being too shaky, so I added a support that bolted to the other side of the hitch plate. Still kinda wobbles around a bit, but it's not too bad. I'm getting better at fabbing stuff with tubing lol.


Gonna put a few of the test vids up on youtube. The echo through the frame from the trans is pretty brutal. I'll put some of my test vids up.

Practice makes perfect when it comes to welding and fabrication. I'm looking forward to seeing the footage.

Crazy_Carl wrote:

I'm looking forward to seeing the footage.

Your ears aren't lol

Video will be up in about an hour and a half.

I had cut a slot in the side of this piece for whatever reason, I had it already cut and whatever but I can't remember what I was using it for. Anyways I'm gonna fill it in(or at least add a bridge at the top), should add some rigidity. Can't believe I didn't think to do that before lol.

Vid up.

Looks like a good first successful test.

Aside from the mount bouncing up and down all the time, and the whine from the trans amplified through the frame and camera mount, yeah it was alright lol.

This morning it occurred to me that I still have some of the the 3M tape stick on mounts, I think this would be a perfect opportunity to use one of those. Should act as a sort of sonic dampener too.

Not a bad idea. I could also mail you a couple of the old isolation mounts for Ol Red. You could use those to rubber shock mount the camera. I wonder if that would help with the noise too.

I have a few rubber shock mounts, they're like 60 years old, but pretty much new(got em out of the old trade school, they were there when that school was built). Thought about using one of those, but the hole in the center isn't standard thread, it's somewhere around 5/16", but doesn't seem to be UNF or UNC. Could retap it to whatever, but I don't think the extra weight at the end of the pole would be worth it.

You've got a point there. The extra weight might make it move more or maybe it will dampen vibration. If the the threads are close to 5/16, it's probably M8.

Thats the loudest tranny i have ever heard lol. how long is your camera mount bar?

Dunno, like 3 and a half or 4 feet. Didn't take any measurements in the making of the thing, just did it pretty much from sharpie marks and a lot of checking and fitting, lol.

I don't know why both of my 820s have been so loud. Might be because I only put used 15w-40 in em? I know my input bearings aren't the greatest, but I'm not sure they'd be the problem. Maybe when I get some money I'll pick up a new bearing and some Lucas oil stabilizer or something.

Just run some fresh gear oil or ATF when you put a new bearing in. My 801 makes a bunch of noise too

Used oil? well it was designed for grease so i would think any oil would be a bonus but the thicker the better so the oil can get carried up the clusters to the imput shaft bearings , that might be why they are so loud.

I was thinking it might be too thin for it. Maybe I'll shove some grease in there too next time I fill it lol

Also put some Lucas Oil Transmission Fix in it, the stuff is awesome. Renews old oil and quiets the trans. It actually does renew the oil, too. I've put it in oil that looked like peanut butter, stirred it around, it changed colors and freed it up.

I'll have to look into that.

Hit the top of the mount with some emery cloth and stuck the mount on. Tape seems skookum enough. Took a little bit of that whine out of the video I think. Not much though.

However the mount still vibrates way too much, even after I filled in the top of that crack with the MIG(I have more experience than I'd like to admit to with filling holes with a welder). Gave myself permission to another piece of EMT. This better be the mount to end all mounts when I'm done.

Yeah it's r was lly hard to get no vibs. Still figuring that on my videos