SSQA frame repair

[Shield Arc]

The problem with 1/8 rod is having to carry that much iron around a small diameter pipe. 3/32 is less iron to carry. I'm not good enough to carry 1/8 around a 2-inch pipe, 2 1/2 sch 80 or 3-inch I can handle it.

Here is a 2-inch sch 80 pipe welded with 3/32-inch 7018.

 

[jcliburn]

That's what mine looked like, but I ground that mess off and started over.

Not.

Fine job, as always, Shield.

 

[k0ua]

Darn he makes pretty welds don't he.

 

[Shield Arc]

Darn he makes pretty welds don't he.

You don't think I'd post the ugly ones do you? :laughing::laughing:

 

[easygo]

Good job on the repair. Did you actually work the grapple while it was half disconnected (certainly without you noticing) or it was bent by the weight of the grapple alone?

Ps: Shield Arc must be a machine. I can't squirt mustard on a sandwich in such a straight line let alone weld around a pipe.

 

[k0ua]

You don't think I'd post the ugly ones do you? :laughing::laughing:

Well,... I was starting to wonder...:laughing::laughing:

 

[Ductape]

The repair looks good enough to me. I'da just cut both ends off and found a piece of tube to fit inside either end and welded it. That cross tube doesn't need to be real stout....... its just to keep the ends aligned when you are switching between buckets. I give you a C+ to a B- ....... that'll look just fine with some orange touch up paint. :thumbsup:

 

[magicheater]

What are you going to do to keep it from happening again? What brand Q/A is that? Would adding a horizontal member on the top perhaps help that from re-occurring? Nice repair job in any event.:thumbsup:

 

[jcliburn]

Good job on the repair. Did you actually work the grapple while it was half disconnected (certainly without you noticing) or it was bent by the weight of the grapple alone?

When working the grapple, my eyes are almost always on the grapple itself, so I'm pretty sure I noticed it right away, although it was buried in brush at the time. The jaw was open and I was running slowly forward with the tines in the ground, uprooting privet scrub next to a large pine stump. I made contact with an underground root of the pine, which has happened before, so I backed up, raised the tines a bit and pushed forward again.

I cleared the root, but I sensed something wasn't right, so I raised the grapple a foot or so and backed up to clear the wad of brush I was collecting. It was then when I noticed the detachment. I immediately shut down and went to check out the situation.

The QA plates were permanently offset, and no amount of fiddling would allow me to reconnect to the grapple, so I'm pretty sure the damage was already done. I was a mile from home, so I curled it up and headed that way -- slooooowly. The last thing I wanted was to have the thing come completely off on the road, and curling it seemed to be the best way to prevent that.

So the answer to your question is I think the damage occurred while operating. It was VERY noticeable to the eye, so I'm reasonably sure I didn't operate that way for long. But certainly the drive home with it attached to only one side didn't help matters either. However, at that point I was really, really happy just to get back home without leaving a grapple on its side or upside down in the roadway.

Jay

 

[jcliburn]

What are you going to do to keep it from happening again? What brand Q/A is that? Would adding a horizontal member on the top perhaps help that from re-occurring? Nice repair job in any event.:thumbsup:

Thanks.

It's a 60-inch light duty Gator Attachments grapple. The QA is Kubota.

Lots more discussion, along with my (hopefully) final solution can be found in this thread.

I'd appreciate any additional suggestions. Turns out I'm not the only one this has happened to.

Jay