RIPPED MY HOE BUCKET OPEN LIKE A BEER CAN TAB!!

[escavader]

HEY GUYS ,
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY.
I spent 4 days off on my atv,with several hundred miles under my belt.Tommorow nite i start repairing my hoe.Ineed to focus on a bullet proof repair,now.Ill beef it up ,like it should have been in the first place imho .I got my steel ready,lots of rods for the arc welder,two full tanks of gas for the torches.Quit tryin to pic apart the welds ,more than enough fun will be had makin fun of mine[but they always hold...at least with my stick]Try to take pics and post .This bad boy will be digging out rocks ,and installing water bars for my atv club by the week end.Igot 10 to install ,and the boys got the waterbar bridges all built and waiting.SO ill use a few of my skills ,and get her patched up.Stand by ,i might ask for advice along the way.Interestig to see someone come forward with another screwed up bucket.Iguess we all dont use our tractors in wifeys flower bed ,digging a hole for the pansysnuff said time for action.see ya til later.
ALAN

 

[escavader]

ITS ALL FIXED .Heres what i did .First i cut out all the old damaged steel.

 

[escavader]

Then i stuck the solid shaft in the outside holes[for reference].Irepaired the back with 1/4 thick stock,welding and bending as i went ,wasnt easy but came out good.

 

[escavader]

AFTER that was all welded i attached the rod,and the original braces.Iwelded the shaft to the back and sides,i added 3 more 5/16 by 4 inch plates to the back between the bracing ,this makes it over 1/2 thick where it counts.not 1/16 like before.Iwelded it all up inside and out[note the mirror trick]approx 50 rods were used

 

[escavader]

heres finished pics .didnt have black paintNo paint on it any way used it hard today for 5 hours in some very rocky mountain soil.ALSO MOVED SOME MONSTER ROCKS WITH THE THUMB.ALL IS WELL!!
ALAN

 

[radioman]

Nice work! how did you managed to bend that thick of a metal plate to fit the contour of yourr bucket while still attached ? Also, you a bigger man then me to cut your bucket like that and add a thicker plate.

 

[greenmule]

Well gotta say it, can't tell from picture but hope your mirror welds don't look a lot worse than the one right down below it where you didn't need a mirror

 

[escavader]

Well gotta say it, can't tell from picture but hope your mirror welds don't look a lot worse than the one right down below it where you didn't need a mirror

...and im not surprised someone did[as i forwarned of this earlier.Iagree my ac stick doesnt look impressive like my mig,but i have never had a weld fail,on my thumb,log splitter,trailers,or any thing in fact,and ive done a bit.My mig is a different story,Ive had pretty welds fail.When i want it to hold i opt for stick pretty or not.Nuff said

 

[escavader]

Nice work! how did you managed to bend that thick of a metal plate to fit the contour of yourr bucket while still attached ? Also, you a bigger man then me to cut your bucket like that and add a thicker plate.

Thanks RADIO MAN,
I welded about an inch both sides ,heated best i could with torch ,pounded with a sledge,welded another inch heated ....etc etc.wasnt easy.
Did i mention my welds never failed pounding it with all my might with the sledge Iused 6011 not the strongest rods.Imight die because of it and los the tractor off a cliff when they failSERIOUSLY i worked the s... out of it yesterday ,washed it and inspected closely,i dont think it will ever bother again,if it does ill man up and admit it.
ALAN

 

[greenmule]

Bet it will not break again,but like I said,had to say it. I never was much of a mirror welder my self,not much call for that where I welded,but,have been inspecting on several jobs in power plants where back side had to be welded with a mirror,and than x-rayed and pressure tested,pipe,tig root,stick out,multiple passes with both. ,will say this,some mirror welders ain't mirror welders either,but I've seen a couple or so,that could make back side look like front.