bucket modification.

[wedge40]

I had a thought while the BH was straining to break some roots. The edges of my bucket are slightly curved, what if I was to get some 1/4" or 3/8" steel, 3 or 4 inches wide and put a curve to match the bucket, then put and edge on the curve? The nice thing about his is I could keep putting a new edge on ad needed. If I'm digging dirt then I can always remove the "blades".

Wedge

 

[RedDirt]

I have considered doing the same thing but taking it a step farther. Before I cut the curve I'd drill a series on holes centered on the curve layout line. When the curve was cut the drilled holes would be "half-moons". Now when the blade was sharpened the half moons would create a sort of serrated edge. If a straight pull across the root did not cut it then dragging the serrated edge across the root would aid with a sawing action.

The best size of hole is up for speculation but I was thinking of using a one inch hole saw and spacing the holes so there was maybe a half inch flat between them.

Keep us posted if you decide to put a sharpened edge on the bucket and if it aids root removal. I am particularly interested as I am about to embark on some ditch work through the trees. Who knows I may even beat you to it; my trenching project starts tomorrow.

PS...my trench path is through a line of fallen trees. Around trees I plan to keep I'll stay as far out to the drip line as possible.

 

[RedDirt]

I started my trenching today with the 7" trenching "banana" bucket I built last weekend. It has a sharpened cutting edge (mild steel). Along the way I decided to remove a couple of stumps and decided to try the trenching bucket instead of switching tho the root tooth. The sharpened edge was able to cut through roots I'd normally have to break. If I happened to be in line with a root I could bear down and take a few "slices" (like with and axe but in slow motion) and after a few "scrapes" the root was cut through. I am convinced now add-on bucket sharpened side plates would be a benefit for digging around roots.

BTW - I don't have enough hours with either implement to make a positive prediction yet but I think I like digging "bigger" roots with the banana blade better than digging them with the root tooth. Many of my pondersoa pine stumps have a long vertical tap root and I must dig some depth (2'-4' for 8"-12" stumps) to get down where the tap splits to smaller roots. Doing this with the root tooth is time consuming because you can't get much of a "load" of dirt balanced on top of the tooth and you end up digging blind with the tooth burried out of sight. The trenching bucket allows easier earth removal but not taking our near as much dirt as a 12" bucket. The cutting edge is an advantage AND, the configuration of the banana bucket is such that I can get the dipper behind the stump, dig down behind the root and eventually dig UNDERNEATH the root "from behind" because the bucket has no sides. I also think the banana bucket will be the ticket to dig around the 24"-40" stumps that I'll not take out but cut off below grade.

Before you ask "Why such a wierd looking bucket?" If you followed my ejector bucket thread or some of the "narrow bucket" threads, a common problem with a narrow bucket in clay soil is clogging. The banana bucket design was contributed by our friend Renze in Holland where they have a terribly sticky clay, "was a sea bed 100 years ago". So far the bucket has not clogged. A few times the clay stuck the the bottom but since the lower lip is only an inch or so high it did not impeded the next scoop.

I did not get specific (root) "work" pics but here are a few general pics of the bucket and roots. See in the stump out photo the relatively small hole size. I've done this with a toothed 12" and the holes were much larger.

The design I copied:

View attachment Banana bucket -orig.bmp

Mine - I eyballed the profile and modified the mount to configure w/ the BX

 

[Reg]

NICE !
How would you like to build one for me ?
It would need to fit an Amerequip 8600 hoe.
I'd guess there could be a market for them, since this is the OEM hoe for several "factory" hoes (in various colors).
Get the pin hole size and spacing right and I think you would have it.

I could be your test market and manufacturer's rep in New England (-:

 

[rcowan]

RedDirt---------

Nice

 

[RedDirt]

Thanks for the compliments.

Update: Now that it is later in the year and the clay has dried out to the depth of my 18" deep irrigation trenches I find the soil is too loose and I can't get a good scoop full out of the trench with the banana bucket. Working in a single bucket width trench is not too bad since the sidewalls of the trench contain the dirt. But when moving the dirt out of the trench to the to the spoil pile I need to keep the bottom level and balance the load on the "shelf" of the bucket and the bucket is not as full as it would be if it had sides. Good dexterity tool though, learning to hold the shelf flat through boom and dipper motions .

A winter mod is in order. Removable side plates for mid and late summer work and then take them off when the clay gets sticky again. I may even sharpen a pair of them for root cutting as the OP suggested.