Grading bucket repairs

[rory1]

After reading through F.Js posts on his bucket refurbs I thought id share a few photos of a grading bucket repair that I did last week,

a firm asked me to look at a grading bucket from a 21t excavator that had a Bolt on cutting edge fitted a few months ago but it kept coming loose,when I took a look it appeared that the bolt holes in the bucket edge had been flame cut way too big for the 20mm bolts. The bolts were slack in the holes and would keep coming loose.





I decided to replace the weld in edge and reuse the bolt on edge. I burned and ground the old edge out and mig'd the new edge in on site with a genset and wire feeder. About 8 hours work on site. Nearly did me in lifting all those wear parts into place on my own!

Here's a few pics of work in progress , I didn't get a finished photo with It all bolted together as it was dark!

 

[Welderpaul]

The bucket looks in very good nick before you repaired it, when we see them for repair they are worn like a banana.

Stop/starts in the last picture are in the worst ever place they could be. Those runs should be done in one, round the corner, along the side and further onto the existing bit of bucket.

Just a tip.

 

[blenkie1]

Looks a nice job. Local plant hire firm sometimes drops off buckets for me to repair, nothing that size mind. Wire feeder was one of the best things I brought. Did you use countersunk bolts when bolting back together?

 

[rory1]

Thanks for the advice Paul,

I did use countersunk bolts as the existing bolt on edge was counter bored for them. I'd prefer to use square shanked plough bolts to be honest

 

[dannyp]

that bucket is in very good condition to be repairing, must be nice and straight forward to overhaul when there still straight

 

[rory1]

It only had the new cutting edge because someone had flame cut massive holes in the old one to fit a bolt on edge and they were constantly snapping bolts.

I also fitted a new cutting edge to a pair of soil stabilisation buckets. Didn't get many pictures of those tho

 

[snowcat]

Good idea to get some pre heat into the hardox especially at the moment, an easy way to drop the toe on is to put the Bucket on its back weld two dogs on as a shoulder then get the new edge dropped on with a machine, it's easy to tack in both sides in the 3G position then flip it both ways to get the full weld, I used to aim to get about 30mm across the toes on the corner, single pass on the inside and 3 runs on the underside fillet, if I wasn't happy I'd run metal cored on the toes.

Jobs like that make me shudder now I leave that to the young lads......

 

[rory1]

It was bitter cold that morning so I did run the propane rosebud over it before I started welding.

Like you say snowcat, I used a plate dog at each end to sit the new edge into when the bucket was sat on its back but I had to handball it all as the machine was working in a 6m hole. Back breaking.

 

[snowcat]

IIRC hadox 400 is around 80C so hand warm without the temple's!!! Hats on you lifting that on, think I might of walked and waited till Monday when there was some bods around....

 

[Kent]

Thanks for the advice Paul,

I did use countersunk bolts as the existing bolt on edge was counter bored for them. I'd prefer to use square shanked plough bolts to be honest

counter bored? that is square like you do for socket head just take care if your ordering stuff if you ask for counter bored for M10 say that is what you will get a square bottom

 

[rory1]

Ok, it's a deep countersink. Not a counterbore for a cap head.

 

[Kent]

Ok, it's a deep countersink. Not a counterbore for a cap head.

yeah I got what you meant, just saying it could cost you one day

 

[F.J.]

What wire feeder are you running and how do you rate the genset pal? I have a lincoln ranger but am looking to get a second set up. As said though mate, best run the welds further onto the bucket beyond the blade a bit more. Hats off for doing that outside though and your balls are clearly bigger than mine for lifting the blade up on your own, how big was it? I have a 9ft ditching bucket to put a bottom in, new blade and wear strips. Luckily i have a forktruck to offer the blade up with

 

[rory1]

On that job I was using a hired in cc/cv Miller big blue 500 with a Miller 12vs wirefeeder. It performed we'll and the dial on the set is duel graduated with both amps for stick/tig and volts for the feeder.

The feeder itself gives you a digital view of volts and the m/min of wirefeed. It wasthe easiest setup of all wirefeeders ive used.

It's much better than my own arcgen with a Hobart hefty feeder that decided not to want to work that week! And it's made me realise that I need to upgrade to a cc/cv set.

The weld on cutting edge was 2200 x 200x 25. Fairly heavy!!

 

[F.J.]

On that job I was using a hired in cc/cv Miller big blue 500 with a Miller 12vs wirefeeder. It performed we'll and the dial on the set is duel graduated with both amps for stick/tig and volts for the feeder.

The feeder itself gives you a digital view of volts and the m/min of wirefeed. It wasthe easiest setup of all wirefeeders ive used.

It's much better than my own arcgen with a Hobart hefty feeder that decided not to want to work that week! And it's made me realise that I need to upgrade to a cc/cv set.

The weld on cutting edge was 2200 x 200x 25. Fairly heavy!!

So it is, I thought it was a Genset when I was looking on my phone, I'm on the iPad now. I'm going to look into asset finance next week and if it's worth it I'm may look into getting either a new ranger or may try the Miller. I'd prefer to buy a second hand one but I want to see my money grow now. All I've done since setting up is buy stuff every time I get a event amount of cash in. Think I'm busy enough to get into a little bit of debt now.
I also notice your from Macclesfield, do you work for yourself too?

 

[rory1]

The Miller was a belter of a set but if I were to be buying a new set I think the price of a brand new Miller might upset me a little.

I do work for myself, mostly plant and machinery repairs.

 

[F.J.]

The Miller was a belter of a set but if I were to be buying a new set I think the price of a brand new Miller might upset me a little.

I do work for myself, mostly plant and machinery repairs.

Snap, nice to hear of someone close by doing the same stuff as me. I like the fact your using a defender to get about in as i keep trying to justify to myself that getting one would be useful. I just cant justify the price of one yet

 

[rory1]

The defender is great for some jobs like when a machine has thrown a track in the middle of a field. I just drive out to it and get it sorted, however, on the above job it's a pain as there's not a great deal of space in the back once your loaded up with gear and it's quite high to be lifting heavy lumps into.

I'm in the process of sorting myself out a van

 

[Bill Edwards]

As far as I know just about all serious mobile repairers use a van...
Probably something to do with reliability, low floor for loading and of course having space to be able to accommodate a lot of kit, and properly (i.e not digging through a pile of stuff for the item you need only to find it's got damaged from being crushed in the heap).
I do odd jobs out the back of an Estate car and it isn't really worthwhile. I spend more time loading and unloading the bits I need for a particular job, then to mess about trying to dig them out when I want them and often to discover that I need or want something else as well. It's just hard work.

 

[rory1]

I agree with what you say bill, but somedays when it's howling with rain and wind, being able to draw up right next to a machine in some mucky field or quarry yard is worth its wieght in gold. The defender has done me well for working out of for the last three years but I need a van with more space aswell