Grapple material question

[rickdavis81]

Going to start building a grapple bucket for my Case 1840 once I get caught up on honeydo's around the house. Would 3/8" x 3" a36 be strong enough for the tines? I'll probably gusset them at the ends. Kinda worried about weight. Prefer not to have an 800lb grapple.

 

[Sysop]

Welcome to TBN!

Most are cut from plates of steel, not made from 3" bar stock. I'd look at what has been built and go from there. There are several grapple build threads on here, and youtube has a few builds on there.

Pictures and plans will get you lots of input to help put together the best grapple you can, so keep up updated on progress...

Good Luck!

 

[rickdavis81]

I've read a lot of the build threads but hadn't seen what metal specifically they were using. Hadn't thought about using plate. I'll look into it. Thanks

 

[DuckSlayer1017]

A36, 1080 would be fine, 4140 would be great but $$.

 

[rickdavis81]

A36, 1080 would be fine, 4140 would be great but $$.

I was wondering how a36 would wear. I seen a lot of store bought ones were a36. I doubt it'll see enough use to wear it down but if it does I wonder if I can weld the edges with hardface rod to help out?

 

[DuckSlayer1017]

I don't see any reason you couldn't hard face it if you need to but I doubt you will have that much wear. I can't see a grapple having a huge amount of wear compared to something like a backhoe bucket.

 

[CincyFlyer]

If you are gonna brush grub, the A36 should be fine. Gonna grub rocks or roots? You'll need to go up a grade or two on your steel, or go with heavier stuff. I'd more worry about bending something than wear (and good hardfacing rod, plus the time to weld it on, ain't a cheap thing. I've got about 10 pounds of old Stellite I use here and there, today that would cost a grand.)

 

[LD1]

Look at ones that are made and how they are gusseted.

How do you plan on cutting the tines?

Can you justify the cost/time/hastle vs just buying one?

What's the 1840's lift capacity?

 

[Jeepnford]

I built a brush grapple a few years ago and used 1/2" A36 plate for the tines. I used 1/4 inch wall tube for the horizontal tubes. For my Case DX35 it was a little overkill with 1/2 tines, it was heavy. I also welded box blade rippers on the end of the bottom tines. I might build another with 3/8 tines, or use one or two fewer. You'll definitely want to have a cross tube with gussets near the tip of the tines. I never took any pictures and have since sold it.

 

[CincyFlyer]

I've actually been tempted to build a small brush grapple (not for rooting, only for actually grabbing brush!) out of 6061 aluminum. I have a bit of experience fabricating (cutting, machining, and welding) that stuff from my younger days (drag race cars and motorcycles). I'd even try one of the tougher aluminum alloys, but they tend not to be weldable [by me!] I'd start with a number, say, 100 kilograms of 6061 material, and a width, perhaps 1.5 meters (just kidding, 220 lbs, 60"!) and work backwards to see what I could do. It would require a fair bit of welding, but at one point I was welding flanges onto aluminum drag racing wheels for motorcycles to make them wider (which was nearly five meters, er, twenty feet of weld per wheel, two flanges, inside and outside welds) so that doesn't bother me.
As long as only I used it, it would likely last until I did a stupid with it. It would probably be a bit large to have anodized in gold, however!
Otherwise, given the price of steel, the cost of laser or waterjet cutting (I only have plasma), I'd not bother to make my own out of steel when I can get something for around a grand.