toothbar adjustment

[5030tinkerer]

I am looking to build a toothbar for my Kubota L3830. The ones from Markham Welding, etc are interesting, but I noted that my local Bobcat dealer ones have an adjustment bolt setup that allows you to place the bar in the bucket, attach the bar up against the cutting edge using the side attaching bolts, and then crank down on some grade 8 5/8" or 3/4" bolts that (if I remember right) press against the attaching bolt heads and result in the toothbar frame being drawn in, causing the teeth to be actively pressed tightly up against the cutting edge.

Is this extra tightening adjustment necessary? Am I making sense?

 

[AntrimMan]

No, it's not necessary and yes, you make sense.
The most teeth that can be pulled up tight is two. How does that help?
Once the teeth are ground engaged they will be plenty tight against the cutting edge don't you think?.
Don't backblade with the toothbar. That's all.

If you build your own let us know what shanks and teeth you use. Hensley are real nice but big bucks and Fabco doesn't have a match for flush mount Hensley's, at least when I called about a year ago.

All the best,
Martin

 

[Highbeam]

Don't backblade with it? Yikes. I spend mucho time back raking with mine. It is very useful in that way to rake the surface without digging in to China as it would if you were going forward.

The adjustment bolts are not needed. Worst case with the standard bolt through hole installation is that you would have to drill a new hole through both the toothbar and the bucket if something wore out enough to allow slop.

 

[5030tinkerer]

Thanks, guys! I'll move forward with building the bar without the adjustment bolts. I've seen others weld a 1/4" or thicker plate to the side of the bucket where the side hole would go to strengthen things up. Is this worthwhile?

 

[Highbeam]

I think so. The bucket wall is very thin and maybe not up to the loads of the toothbar. The fatigue and cracking of the bucket wall would not be a good thing. Plus it is cheap insurance.

 

[5030tinkerer]

I'll move forward with welding on the reinforcement plate, then. Thanks! What have others done to prep their fresh weld work in preparation for a topcoat of (supposedly) matching paint?

 

[Highbeam]

Grind it so it looks like a fillet and wait for it to cool before shooting it with spray paint. Grinding it pretty is of course optional. You really only need to let it cool enough not to burn off the paint.

Oh I forgot, chip the slag off before painting.

 

[3RRL]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Oh I forgot, chip the slag off before painting.)</font>
Highbeam,
I left mine on to hide some of the bird poop! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
That old Forney I have is probably older than you! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Highbeam]

Ack, are you welding downhill? Why didn't you roll the bucket so that you had a plain horizontal weld? On my verticals I always start at the bottom to keep the puddle from rolling away, maybe I'm doing it wrong.

My Lincoln AC225 is older than me too. One of those dead distant relative specials. Not a lot to go wrong on these stick welders.

 

[3RRL]

Highbeam,
Well, maybe I'm doing wrong?
...On my TIG it makes no difference at all. On this weld, if you swirl (circular motion) the rod a bit it gives the puddle a millisecond to harden up and keeps from dripping into your socks. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif It also drags the parent material into the fillet. You need to be pretty good to do this so pay close attention here. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Anyway, maybe I should take some arcwelding classes, but the weld turned out pretty good.
I bought a new Lincoln AC225 and am going up to weld something...anything for that matter to try it out. Practice makes perfect you know.