Building a ripper claw for KX41 mini-excavator.

[Sodo]

Painted the claw "Lobster Red"

I need to make an "insert" for the thumb that allows "clamping" so I can grab a bundle of bushes/sticks and pull them out of the ground.

No reason to just LOOK at the dang thang!

 

[k0ua]

Looks good Sodo! :thumbsup:

 

[downsizingnow48]

Turned out fine!

Now that thumb install stands out like a ... sore thumb.

Good thing you have 5 1/2 cans of lobster red paint available.

 

[Sodo]

HA !!! That's too funny. ....and an opportunity for a pun too.
I was trying to list all the Kubota touchup I "ought to do." (now that I have too much orange paint).

The tractor FEL cylinders are faded pink. Thee welded-on bucket hooks, etc were never painted. But keeping with tradition I wanna cut them all off and re-weld anyway (keeping up with the Jameses ) Anyway everything I could think of,,,, nothing came even close to 5 1/2 cans of painting. But "by the case" was like 2 cans free, right? At least I got a deal.

That homebrew thumb on the mini-ex never even crossed my mind, I just don't "see it" anymore. But anyway this "paint" thing is kinda new to me, I can never paint anything I build because it's never finished welding, except the ripper claw is done. And things are different now I'm sitting on 5 1/2 cans of paint. In any case the thumb has to wait until the weather warms up, like May 2017. Pat you may have to remind me.:thumbsup:

 

[zmnypit]

Great work!

 

[slicktierney]

Awesome work, I wish I had seen this before I started mine. I will have to add the angled gussets, and the spine T.

 

[Sodo]

My mini-ex is pretty weak (3900lbs). I doubt its capable of bending the claw. But my claw steel is only 3/8 thick. I can imagine a situation jammed in a tangle of big roots where it could be bent left or right if not for the gusset.

One benefit I see from the spine is that you can roll it back on the flat spine giving more leverage to bust roots or lift on a stump on the near side.

The other benefit is in trenching, the spine opens a wider swath through the dirt, rocks, roots. I would reduce the width about 1/3, angling the gusset a little sharper so it pulls thru dirt easier.

This has been a great tool to have, digging out stumps much quicker. You go around and bust all the roots. Where with a (wider) bucket you cant even get a tooth under the root to bust it. In hard ground I can quickly loosen it and then a bigger bucket goes in and scoops faster. It makes a small machine bigger!

 

[slicktierney]

My mini is supposedly 3693lbs, so close in size. I got a used cutting edge from the town garage 5/8" thick and I had a messed up shank from a tooth bar. Your claw thickness is probably sized closer to what the machine can use than what I started with. I still have a couple of bushing to replace, though I need a couple of warmer days for that.

 

[Sodo]

Planned to dig in lots of roots, so I cut in some teeth to help chew thru roots.
I used an 18v Makita saw to cut the teeth.
The material is 3/8" thick.
It was easy cutting, took just a few minutes.

But the digging turned out easy and I didn't need the claw so I don't know if the teeth are effective.

 

[slicktierney]

That looks great. I saw a ripper on ebay with teeth on the backside from manca thumbs.