Dipper Stick snapped in half

[5030]

Seriously???? Vee it out and multi-pass????

It is just 1/4" steel at them most. And then you are going to fishplate overtop of that.

And this thing doesnt have to be within .000001 on alighnment either. It's just a freaking BH boom:confused2:

Like I said, If it were mine, 2 hours and I'd be back digging and be stronger than before. It wouldnt break there ever again unless every other part of the hoe was bent and mangled along with it.

Absolutely grind out and multi pass. preferrably with 7018LH reverse polarity if SMAW and 70 series wire with 75-25 gas if it's to be MIG. It's going to be a highly stressed point (the original break line) and it needs to be fish plated on all sides. If I was doing it in the shop for myself, I'd TIG weld the break. However, TIG isn't an economical alternative unless you happen to own a machine. The problem is that the break also encompasses an original fish plate and broke around the end radius.

Frankly, I can't see anyone holding a millionth of an inch on any fabrication...maybe you can..... However, it needs to be welded straight and true because the break is close to the pivot point and any misalignment will magnify itself at the bucket end.

From my perspective, it's a take off, just to inspect the pins and bushings, if anything. I've line bored more than one set of backhoe bushings and lapped in pins on more than one ocassion. Actually, I just did a complete hoe for a local guy. Crowding the boom against an immovable object places serious lateral strain on bushings and pins and tends to wallow them out as evidenced by a friendly 'wagging' backhoe.....

Do it right the first time.

 

[bindian]

I don't see how you would have to weld the bottom out of position on the backhoe. Curl the bucket and sit it on the ground with the boom up. This should almost put the dipper stick almost vertical.

Eddie,
You can always weld on repairs and continue to look for a replacement stick.

I would try to cut the piece still holding it together and try to align the jagged edges up, after moving the dipper stick into a vertical position. This way you can push the boom into the dipperstick and the ground to close the crack gap. It will take some head scratching to get it back to the right spot. Pry bars and sledge hammers come to mind. Like it was said before, it doesn't need to be aligned to a fine tolerance, with the movement from the swivels on the cylinder rod ends. Then get a welder out to it and let him do his magic. Look into getting the areas around the repair heat treated after repairs are finished. Talk to Harvey.

If it was too hard to line up with tractor hydraulics, I would go ahead and remove it for welding in a shop. I would get an old pin or a piece of rod the same ID as the dipper stick pivot pin and grind it into a bullet shape to hammer in before the pin to line up the boom and stick and any bushings or shims you have upon installation. Your think me later for mentioning this "bullet".

One thing to remember that, I think has not been mentioned here.............is with football shaped repair plates, will the repair go around the dipper pivot bushing boss area, or have to go over them? Would that require a longer pin?

I know how you are feeling about this, as my stomach is churning just reading about it. As for your Dad, I agree with Brin. Just count your blessing he is still around.
hugs, Brandi

 

[jimmysisson]

I'd go with the shop repair, since that's what you're most comfortable with. What does your Dad think about how to fix it? He must have broke other stuff over the years, as you let on.
And #2 on getting some new teeth on the bucket - maybe need less pounding to dig with some sharp cutting edges. You guys are pretty dry down there and the ground must be awful hard.
Jim

 

[beppington]

I vote for first trying to weld it yourself while it's on the tractor, since 1) I seem to remember you welding your dozer(?), 2) this isn't as precision a part as others, 3) your welding of it may come out just fine & you're done, & 4) if it doesn't work or you're not happy with it for whatever reason, you can look for a replacement, possibly even while this repaired one is usable.

 

[JB4310]

I don't see how you would have to weld the bottom out of position on the backhoe. Curl the bucket and sit it on the ground with the boom up. This should almost put the dipper stick almost vertical.

That's still out of position for some of us If I can't use 7024 it's out of position.

Maybe you could bring the dipper in tight to the boom and lay the boom down, get the dipper a little flatter, if you could still get a stick in there.

JB

 

[EddieWalker]

I got the dipper stick off pretty easily. Just took a couple of hours, and by noon, I had it dropped off at Lew's. What really suprised me is how much smaller it got once the bucket was off of it!!!!!!!

I'll post pics later.

Eddie

 

[ultrarunner]

I got the dipper stick off pretty easily. Just took a couple of hours, and by noon, I had it dropped off at Lew's. What really suprised me is how much smaller it got once the bucket was off of it!!!!!!!

I'll post pics later.

Eddie

I'm sure it will be stronger than new... if I know Lew's...

 

[bindian]

That's still out of position for some of us If I can't use 7024 it's out of position.

Maybe you could bring the dipper in tight to the boom and lay the boom down, get the dipper a little flatter, if you could still get a stick in there.

JB

I learned to weld in high school ag farm shop. We used Lincoln tombstone, crackerbox welders with 6013 rods welding hay racks made out of rebar. Almost everything was welded out of position. A&P school had us gas welding in all positions also.

Lowering my boom with the stick and bucket in tight will get it over to about 65 degrees. If you dug a hole and shoved the bucket down into it, you could get the stick over to about 25 or so degrees.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

I got the dipper stick off pretty easily. Just took a couple of hours, and by noon, I had it dropped off at Lew's. What really suprised me is how much smaller it got once the bucket was off of it!!!!!!!

I'll post pics later.

Eddie

:thumbsup:
hugs, Brandi

 

[RickB]

I learned to weld in high school ag farm shop. We used Lincoln tombstone, crackerbox welders with 6013 rods welding hay racks made out of rebar. Almost everything was welded out of position. A&P school had us gas welding in all positions also.

Lowering my boom with the stick and bucket in tight will get it over to about 65 degrees. If you dug a hole and shoved the bucket down into it, you could get the stick over to about 25 or so degrees.
hugs, Brandi

If Eddie could dig a hole with his dipperstick broken almost in two, fixing it wouldn't be such a priority, don't you think?

Kudos to Eddie, you got it off and delivered to a shop you have confidence in, so they can do the job the way they want to. This repair can't help but be a success.