Oops Bent Bucket

[rjmack]

i think the main problem with this sort of stuff is that the steel has been stretched. i would imagine the same principles as body work apply.

using heat around the perimeter of the bend and quenching it with a wet rag (while applying hydraulic/mechanical pressure) will help shrink that expansion back out of it. as has been suggested, you may have to stitch the bucket to shrink it back to straight but that's not really a big deal either.

if it were my bucket i wouldn't spend more than the cost of a few minutes worth of oxy/acetyene and/or a few welding rods/wire to fix it.

btw, after straightening it, if you run it into the same tree, at the same speed, you will likely get the same results.:laughing:

 

[ray66v]

i think the main problem with this sort of stuff is that the steel has been stretched. i would imagine the same principles as body work apply.

In this case, it doesn't matter if it is stretched.

When you get the bow out of it, the sides of the bucket will spread, (an unnoticeable amount), and compensate for any additional metal on the bottom.

I would not expect any shrinking would be necessary.

 

[zzvyb6]

Maybe you could make a claim to your insurance company, saying the thing leaped out of park and the brakes (which are certainly defective, poorly designed and unsafe) then just fell off onto the ground or something creative like that. You were lucky it didn't chase after you and maim or kill you and your whole neighborhood. Hey what's the problem ? Seems to be a trend with increasing popularity. I can see that its a very valuable and rare machine and you'l want full replacement value for it.

So what if our shared pool rates go up ! It sure beats taking responsibility for it or admitting that you had a senior moment, eh?

 

[Chilly807]

If it's not perfectly straight when you're done, it IS a bucket after all.

So, with that thought in mind, get a few big pieces of timber, 6x6 should be enough.

Put them under the outside edges of the bucket so the "bow" is facing up, you want the problem area to be about knee to mid-thigh height. So, I'd say you're looking at 5 pieces under each side, more or less. If they are a bit tippy, tack nail them together. Put some down pressure on them with the edges of the bucket, just short of lifting the tractor.

Now, go in the house and get a good night's sleep. Best thing is to get the wife mad at you, how is up to you. What you don't want is her feeling amorous, it's like you're going to be in "the big game" tomorrow, no place for wobbly knees or rubber legs.

First thing in the morning, have a high-energy breakfast, nothing too heavy but you'll want a good head of steam available.

Give the local Kubota dealer a call, and inquire as to the cost of a new bucket for the loader. This should put you in the right frame of mind to fix whatever's wrong with the old one.

After you get your feet under you, you're going to want about a 10 lb sledgehammer, any lighter and it won't have the oomph you'll need, any heavier and it's hard to get enough velocity to bend the cutting edge back down.

I'd recommend earplugs.

Within a dozen blows, you'll know if it's going to work or not. And you'll also know without a doubt that the neighbours within 5 miles are awake . Don't use any heat. You'd need a flamethrower to get that much metal hot enough to bend easily anyway.

If it doesn't work, and I think it will... you may have to bottle-jack it back straight again. Weld a chunk of I-beam (for strength) to the top of the bucket, on enough of an angle to give you a straight push down on the cutting edge. If you don't you're liable to deform the top of the bucket too. Once the bottom is straight again, zip-cut the I-beam off and you're done.

Good luck, and we all reaaally want to know how this job turns out . I'm surprised it didn't bend the curl cylinders. I guess the other option is to curl the bucket down and run it down the hill again into the same tree, but I wouldn't want to bet on the odds of getting the exact results you're looking for.


Sean

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

If it's not perfectly straight when you're done, it IS a bucket after all.

So, with that thought in mind, get a few big pieces of timber, 6x6 should be enough.

Put them under the outside edges of the bucket so the "bow" is facing up, you want the problem area to be about knee to mid-thigh height. So, I'd say you're looking at 5 pieces under each side, more or less. If they are a bit tippy, tack nail them together. Put some down pressure on them with the edges of the bucket, just short of lifting the tractor.

Now, go in the house and get a good night's sleep. Best thing is to get the wife mad at you, how is up to you. What you don't want is her feeling amorous, it's like you're going to be in "the big game" tomorrow, no place for wobbly knees or rubber legs.

First thing in the morning, have a high-energy breakfast, nothing too heavy but you'll want a good head of steam available.

Give the local Kubota dealer a call, and inquire as to the cost of a new bucket for the loader. This should put you in the right frame of mind to fix whatever's wrong with the old one.

After you get your feet under you, you're going to want about a 10 lb sledgehammer, any lighter and it won't have the oomph you'll need, any heavier and it's hard to get enough velocity to bend the cutting edge back down.

I'd recommend earplugs.

Within a dozen blows, you'll know if it's going to work or not. And you'll also know without a doubt that the neighbours within 5 miles are awake . Don't use any heat. You'd need a flamethrower to get that much metal hot enough to bend easily anyway.

If it doesn't work, and I think it will... you may have to bottle-jack it back straight again. Weld a chunk of I-beam (for strength) to the top of the bucket, on enough of an angle to give you a straight push down on the cutting edge. If you don't you're liable to deform the top of the bucket too. Once the bottom is straight again, zip-cut the I-beam off and you're done.

Good luck, and we all reaaally want to know how this job turns out . I'm surprised it didn't bend the curl cylinders. I guess the other option is to curl the bucket down and run it down the hill again into the same tree, but I wouldn't want to bet on the odds of getting the exact results you're looking for.


Sean

Now I know I'm either going to:
1) Buy a new bucket or
2) Take it to a shop and let a professional do the job.

I was with you until you said "what you don't want is her feeling amorous." Hey I may be old but I'm not dead. I don't have many amorous evenings, so I'm not going to let an old bent bucket ruin anything. To each his own, but for me I take wobbly knees anytime.

 

[Wacky]

Maybe you could make a claim to your insurance company, saying the thing leaped out of park and the brakes (which are certainly defective, poorly designed and unsafe) then just fell off onto the ground or something creative like that. You were lucky it didn't chase after you and maim or kill you and your whole neighborhood. Hey what's the problem ? Seems to be a trend with increasing popularity. I can see that its a very valuable and rare machine and you'l want full replacement value for it.

So what if our shared pool rates go up ! It sure beats taking responsibility for it or admitting that you had a senior moment, eh?

:laughing::laughing::laughing::thumbsup:

 

[SPYDERLK]

You have the right idea.

In my body shop, I would put a piece of plate steel inside the bucket, and using a large hook, I would chain the center down, pulling down on top of the plate. Put a jack under each end of the bucket, and presto. :thumbsup:

If it's not perfectly straight when you're done, it IS a bucket after all.

After you get your feet under you, you're going to want about a 10 lb sledgehammer, any lighter and it won't have the oomph you'll need, any heavier and it's hard to get enough velocity to bend the cutting edge back down.

I'd recommend earplugs.

Within a dozen blows, you'll know if it's going to work or not. And you'll also know without a doubt that the neighbours within 5 miles are awake . Don't use any heat. You'd need a flamethrower to get that much metal hot enough to bend easily anyway.

If it doesn't work, and I think it will... you may have to bottle-jack it back straight again. Weld a chunk of I-beam (for strength) to the top of the bucket, on enough of an angle to give you a straight push down on the cutting edge. If you don't you're liable to deform the top of the bucket too. Once the bottom is straight again, zip-cut the I-beam off and you're done.

Good luck, and we all reaaally want to know how this job turns out . I'm surprised it didn't bend the curl cylinders. I guess the other option is to curl the bucket down and run it down the hill again into the same tree, but I wouldn't want to bet on the odds of getting the exact results you're looking for.
Sean

In my shop I would do that too. ... But before I had one I used a stump and heat. Find or make a sturdy stump that you can encounter going down hill. Turn your bucket lip straight down and put the bend right against the stump and push hard and park with force applied. Use a weedburner blo torch [propane] to heat the back side of the bucket lip and bucket metal localized directly opposite the stump. When the metal begins to blue, stop, get on the tractor and push more and [maybe] reapply a little heat. Let it cool a little with force applied and then relax it and take a look. You may have to repeat. That blue color is around 6-700 degrees and wont hurt the metallurgy. Dont worry about the stump - just remember not to leave it smouldering. Definitely use heat and absolutely dont be hitting the bucket with a sledge. The metal is too springy and it will be ineffective for straightening, but will surely stretch the metal at the point of intense impact and repeted blows may even crack the edge. ... A 100# wooden mallet would work real good if you could swing it.
larry

 

[montyhp]

That can be bent back. I don't think I would use the hydraulics to try and straighten it out. If you can get a good sized bottle jack wedged in between the top lip and the bottom edge. Maybe use a good strong piece of steel to fill the gap between the jack ram and the bucket edge. Just watch so that the jack doesn't pop out at you.
Hey at least you are alright. Getting caught between the bucket and tree would have left a real impression on you...:confused2:

I bent my bucket like that. I used a 20 ton bottle jack (Harbor Freight) and some 2x6s as cribbing to bend it back. It is very straight now. I have the top of the bucket reinforced with a piece of angle iron welded on, so pushing on the top of the bucket was no problem.

Montyhp

 

[two_bit_score]

Maybe you could make a claim to your insurance company, saying the thing leaped out of park and the brakes (which are certainly defective, poorly designed and unsafe) then just fell off onto the ground or something creative like that. You were lucky it didn't chase after you and maim or kill you and your whole neighborhood. Hey what's the problem ? Seems to be a trend with increasing popularity. I can see that its a very valuable and rare machine and you'l want full replacement value for it.

So what if our shared pool rates go up ! It sure beats taking responsibility for it or admitting that you had a senior moment, eh?

Maybe it's really a toyota and he can claim 'accidental acceleration'

 

[Wacky]

:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::thumbsup: