Forks question

[Rio_Grande]

I have done alot of searching and reading on this site about homemade pallet fork designs. It has left me with alot to think about, 1 rail 2 rail, actual fork or fabricate one, quick attach or not, lots to think about.

I am leaning towards a free set of forks. I however am concerned about the slots that are cut in the top rail to give the fork a place to lock into. I have a band saw, welder, grinder and cutting torch and I don't see any of them making nice square notches like what I see on manufactured equiptment. I have been jonseing for a plasma cutter. If I go cheap I can get an inverter style that will cut a nice quare shoulder in the cross piece but then I am concerned about making the area brittle due to flame hardening.

Any ideas or direction would be appriciated..

Jeff

 

[MrJimi]

Welcome and if your talking about the notches on top, with weight on forks they will not move
Jim

 

[Wayne County Hose]

I was a forklift mechanic for 22 years before opening my shop so I'll do my best with your fork question.

You can not make a fork that is anything close to what is on a forklift. I have seen these things made at the factory. I have drilled thru them, heated the tips to straighten, welded on them, etc. I don't know exactly what kind of steel they are made out of, but I have never seen steel that will bend like they do, return to shape, and be so difficult to drill or cut.

Get yourself a set of forks, even a carriage from a forklift for a good place to mount them, and do it to it. FYI, to remove a carriage from the mast, most carriages come out the bottom of the mast. Just cut the lift chains and any hoses or wiring, and jack up the inner mast rail until the carriage falls out. Some masts have bolt-in stops and the carriage comes out the top, but they are very uncommon.

 

[teg]

Wayne County Hose, thanks for that info!!! I have access to a set but could not figure how to remove the carriage from the mast.

Rio_Grande, How much weight are you going to be dealing with or are you just trying to make a "general" set of forks to do "lite" moving. If you are planning to move heavy stuff, get the real forks. I made a set for light brush, it works for pallets and I have used it as a platform 6 feet in the air but I would not put more than 300 pounds on mine.

The set of "real" forks that I'm going to get will be used on a bale spear frame.

 

[keeney]

... I however am concerned about the slots that are cut in the top rail to give the fork a place to lock into. I have a band saw, welder, grinder and cutting torch and I don't see any of them making nice square notches like what I see on manufactured equiptment.

I just used a 4-1/2" grinder with a new disk in it that still had fairly square corners and free-handed the notches. They may not look like a precision stamped part, but they do the job on my crude home-made for frame. You could always clean up the cuts with a good sharp file (God forbid somebody fabricate metal with hand-operated tools).

Without the notches engaged, the forks don't slide around when loaded (except once in a while when you have some really expensive Lista toolboxes on there you don't want to drop).

I do agree to get actual forklift forks - they are nearly indestructable in my light duty use. I found some 36" ones off a mini fork truck that are perfect for my little JD 4100. The carriage would have added too much weight using up the lift capacity of my smaller loader.

Picture here:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...-fork-lift-attachment-768956-img_1479_web.jpg

 

[kennyd]

The die grinder will make good enough notches just as Keeny said. It is not a critical dimension.

 

[Rio_Grande]

Thanks for the replies fellas. I am planning to use real forks. The fork shouldn't need to lift more than 2000 lbs. The tractor is a 57hp model and the loader is run from tractor hydraulics so it will be lucky to make that amount of lift.

The will however be beat up. This tractor was purchased to be the skid steer I couldn't afford. I have a small scrap metal business and need the lift.

Thanks. I had thought about both a die grinder and a thin grinding wheel.

I am thinking I need a bigger welder my wire feed is for 1/4 " max in one pass.

Maybee buy an arc welder, I usually make everything out of 1/4 inch steel.