Biggest forks ever

[AKwelder]

They had me build these monsters at work for a special application. Sorry about the poor quality pictures.
The picture of the weld is the 90 degree point of the fork. The small circle is a quarter.
The two welds on the forks took 77 pounds of wire, and three 10 hour days. Each fork is 8 foot long 30 inch high and 2 1/2 inches thick.

they ordered the T-1 steel from the east coast, and had it milled so the forks taper the last two feet to 1 inch thick. All the welds were inspected and UTed for safety by a 3rd party company.

They fit a large front end loader, a Volvo 180 or something. I also attached a quick coupler

 

[mjncad]

Good grief! What does the company who ordered these forks intend to lift with them?

 

[Bird]

Each fork is 8 foot long 30 inch high and 2 1/2 inches thick.

Didn't you mean 30 inches wide instead of high? It was over 25 years ago when I was in charge of the police auto pound that I bought a forklift with forks that were 11 feet long, but they weren't extra wide like that.

 

[cmuncy]

OK I just have to ask:
What was the finished weight?

 

[EddieWalker]

Very impressive.

I'm also wondering what they weigh and how you move them around?

Eddie

 

[john_bud]

Good grief! What does the company who ordered these forks intend to lift with them?

My guess, something HEAVY!!

Maybe a mother-in-law mover?

jb

 

[Farmerford]

Nice job! Those things must weigh nearly a ton each.


What size MIG did you use, and what preheat and postheat was required for the T-1?

 

[Renze]

They fit a large front end loader, a Volvo 180 or something. I also attached a quick coupler

Where i work, we build loaders from 10.5 to 17.5 metric ton. A customer that places the beach houses and icecream stores etcetera on the beach during spring, (and takes them away from the beach before storm season) has some of our 17.5 ton models with extra ballast, to take these 10 ton mobile homes off the trailer and lower them on the beach.
The loader is our model WG 45E, which equals a Volvo L120.

The forks you show there, seem a bit over the top for an L180 loader: i guess them to be more like the size for an L 350 loader...

 

[JB4310]

beautiful looking weld, but I thought forks were cast? or some other way of making them 1 piece.

 

[Renze]

beautiful looking weld, but I thought forks were cast? or some other way of making them 1 piece.

most standard forks are cut and bent/forged.

Big forks, made in small quantities, are often welded. Also because the thicker slab of metal has more deformation in the bend, which can cause the bent metal to form hair cracks during bending.