Here's an update. I've completed the blade mount and traction frame. This initial implementation will have a manually adjusted blade angle. I'm working as well on a gear driven blade circle, which I will retrofit at a later date.
I've been fabricating the hydraulic cylinder attachment points. Each point needs to have two degrees of freedom--pivot in two different axes. The third axis for each point is actually the piston rod which can twist inside the cylinder. So each point has, in effect, three degrees of freedom.
The reason for this (and it complicates the build somewhat) is because the traction frame moves up and down and left and right in an arc, so the cylinders and attachment points need to pivot to permit this without binding.
I've ordered the thrust bearings from McMaster, so once they show up and I've finished turning the rotation bushings for the cylinder brackets, I'll post some pictures to show how all this will work.
The last picture has only one blade lift cylinder--of course there will be a pair, plus a third cylinder which controls the blade skew right and left. Some of the attachment points are shown in another picture.
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