Welding Bucket Hooks!

[WALT]

Interesting post as I am waiting for a lull in the Nor'Easter storm presently snowing/sleeting in CT.

As a side bar to using hooks on your bucket, remember that hooking up a chain to the bucket hook loads only one side of the hook. This could twist your loader frame/arms with a heavy load on the outside bucket hooks. It takes more chain, but the more stable method is to attach your chain to both outside hooks to distribute the load/stress on the bucket/loader arms. The further away from the centerline of the bucket, the more leverage/force generated on your bucket & loader. I have the same hook set up on my L-39 & BX 2200.

I also suggest this idea. After asking a rigger for his opinion concerning lifting loads, and the stresses generated, he suggested that I add a swinging D-ring to the top center inside of my buckets. As it swings, both sides/welds of the ring take a equal load, minimizing the chance of torsional loading ( I think ?) AKA twisting. Also when lifting with the loader, keep the load as low to the ground as possible when moving, with your hand on the loader control to bring it down to the ground quickly if the load becomes unstable.

I attached a couple of pictures to give you a visual idea on the D-ring location.

I took the welding plunge 3 years ago, after having to borrow a welder frequently, and bought a Miller MIG 251at a Miller trailer load sale for $1700.00.
I may not use it daily, but it is a great tool to have in the shop. Tractor projects & add on's can be done when you have the time, rather than when you have access to a welder.
As a long time woodworker, a welder is that proverbial " board stretcher" not available in the wood shop when pieces come up a little short. Just add on another piece to your metal project if needed and grind down the rough spots..........

Happy Tractoring:

WALT

 

[patrick_g]

Right on, Sleepy. My Lincoln AC/DC machine is rated 20% but for my use to be under 20% you'd have to include time when it wasn't even plugged in sometimes. I have abused the devil out of it for 15 years and except for the electrode holder showing wear (but working perfectly) it is like new.

Some of the lesser machines need to be treated differently, as if the 20% was a REAL ISSSUE.

Stick welding typically involves grinding, chipping, clamping etc. so it is not unusual at all to find yourself actually burning rod way less than 100% of the time and 20% is not really unusual. Still, I have often gone through 15-20 rods at full power on DC as fast as I can eject the butt of the expended rod and insert a fresh one.

When the welder was new I used to worry about abusing it on DC, having thoughts of the rectifiers failing. Well, they didn't yet and I have had it over 10years. It is still probably NOT good practice and your mileage may vary but my Lincoln has taken lots of abuse and just keeps on keeping on. It is one solid box. Similarly rated cheap imports may meet their specs but I'd be careful about using then the way Sleepy and I do. I suspect the other major USA made units to be similarly robust. El Cheapo Harbor Freight units realy are not so solid.

I didn't understand the coper core comment because copper is not ferromagnetic and will not act as an electromagnetic core. There are some seriously heavy duty copper conductors in these welders. You can't push power through a transformer unless you have enough core which is heavy. Adequate copper windings are heavy also. The combination of generous core material and HD windings is that the welder is HEAVY.

If you are comparing 60Hz welders, be suspicious of one that has the same ratings but is a lot lighter in weight. High Freq welders (Inverter type) convert the welding current to a much higher freq than 60Hz and that allows for lighter weight inductive elements, such as transformers. It also increases the electronic complexity by quite a margin which is OK when well done and you have self protective limiting circuitry otherwise you may make some expensive smoke and then own a boat anchor instead of a welder.

There is just not enough difference in price in a once in a lifetime purchase to justify buying a cheapy AC/DC welder if you intend it to do much for you. The lesser machines will not take the abuse and even when used properly the arc characteristics, especially striking the arc, are harder to live with on a "skimped on" machine than a REAL WELDER like a Lincoln, Hobart, or Miller. If you wait to learn this through personal experience you will have wasted time and money on the "junk" welder and still need a real one.

I'm sure there are folks here who weld well with "junk" welders but poll the guys who need to get it right first time every time and whose welding is not just a hobby but a requirement to be successful and I doubt you will find many with a cheap import AC-DC buzz boxes. I'd bet the overwhelming majority have top US brands.

Pat

 

[patrick_g]

Walt, I admire the floor drain your picture shows in front of the bucket proudly displaying the tooth bar. I relied on slope and a a sall step going from inside to outside the garage but a drain like that would be just peachy keen and fine when there is much slush and ice melting off of vehicles!

Oh, and by the way, nice teeth.

Pat

 

[Sleepy owl]

Hi I thought I'de mention a little tid bit of advise. When welding on vehicles, machinery, etc. that has a battery it's a good habit to disconnect the battery before you weld. Current sometimes flows to the wrong places and can damage computers big time. Had a friend that had his atv welded on without disconnecting the battery, $800 later in computer and electrical parts. If the area where the welding ground clamp is cleaned good some people say that nothing will happen. I don't like to take the chance. Sleepy owl

 

[rpoage]

Walt, I admire the floor drain your picture shows in front of the bucket proudly displaying the tooth bar. I relied on slope and a a sall step going from inside to outside the garage but a drain like that would be just peachy keen and fine when there is much slush and ice melting off of vehicles! Pat

The reason most garages don't have floor drains is they not to code. My contractor told me when he was going to pour the garage floor and if I installed a drain he would look the other way. There was a sheet of sheeting over the drain until the OC was signed.

Reason I was told is that drains in garage allow pooling of flammable's and can lead to contamination or worse.

 

[Etch]

I just got a welder for Christmas. it's a Lincoln 3200HD Wire Feed. I've never welded before so I know I'll need lots of practice. How good are the wire fed welders? Will it be up to the task for welding things like hooks on the bucket? I've been wanting to put hooks on the bucket since I bought the tractor. I'm always using the loader to pull posts out of the ground, lifting heaving objects and pulling my post digger out of the ground when the shear bolt snaps.

 

[patrick_g]

I just got a welder for Christmas. it's a Lincoln 3200HD Wire Feed. I've never welded before so I know I'll need lots of practice. How good are the wire fed welders? Will it be up to the task for welding things like hooks on the bucket? I've been wanting to put hooks on the bucket since I bought the tractor. I'm always using the loader to pull posts out of the ground, lifting heaving objects and pulling my post digger out of the ground when the shear bolt snaps.

Wire feed (MIG) are fine. I have a Lincoln "Lunchbox" 120VAC MIG unit(Weld Pak 100) as well as a Lincoln AC/DC stick welder (Tombstone) When the MIG hasn't got the punch I use the stick. I Have had mine for at least 10 years and abuse the heck out of it. It takes a licking and keeps on ticking. I push the duty cycle unmercifully and the unit will go into self protection and shut off welding current till the fan cools it down... B U T... it has never faied to come back on and work perfectly. Mine came with the ability to control shielding gas flow but I just use flux cored wire in the 11 pound (I think) rolls.

It will handle up to about 1/4 inch material with multi-pass techniques. I find that its power is right at the margin between OK and too puny. It has done a lot of good welding for me, I like it, it works fine B U T if I had it to do over again I'd go with a 240VAC machine so I coiulid bet more power and or better duty cycle and it wouldn't have cost all that much more.

When you start welding heavy chunks of metal like good solid hooks you might be hard pressed to get the penetration you need for a good weld. I assure you that a single pass would NOT be enough with my wire feed.

I recommend you read and or watch videos about welding technique and also practice safety. Safety is important. Arc rays are dangerous. You can do permanent eye damage, get a bad "sun burn", start fires, blind children, pets, and stock which don't know to not look and may actually be attracted to look at the arc. Breathing the fumes is not a good idea no matter how many of the members of the peanut gallery will claim they have done it for decades with no ill effect.

Best of luck to you with your welding. It is a bit like playing a musical instrument. Nearly everyone can learn to play a little tune on some instrument or the other and there is no limit to the challenge in improving your performance under varying conditions.

Pat

 

[xlr82v2]

Etch,

I think that your welder will be able to weld your bucket hooks, although you will be right on the ragged edge of your 120V machine's capability.

Since you haven't welded before, I certainly wouldn't make the bucket hooks one of your first projects. If you need them attached soon, I'd highly recommend that you get an experienced weldor to do the job for you. You don't want a hook to come off and possibly hurt someone or something because of an inadequate weld... which, is one of the MIG's little "gotcha"'s... It's very easy (until you get some experience and know what to look for while welding) to make a very nice, pretty weld on something like a bucket hook that won't even hold a potted plant. And, the larger the material that you're welding (like your bucket hooks), the easier it is to have this happen. The best thing you could do is to take a welding class at the local community college or at least get some instruction from a knowledgeable weldor. That is the biggest favor that you could do for yourself with your welder. And, practice. Get some good instruction, and practice what you're taught.

And don't let the fumes scare you, it isn't necessary to dress up in astronaut suits or to have a hood with forced air respirators and all that stuff like some members here believe . Just use your common sense. Don't weld in an enclosed area. Be sure there is good ventilation. The one exception is when welding galvanized steel. Zinc fume poisioning is very real. I haven't ever heard of anyone dying from it, but if you ever get the "fever" from welding galvanized, you will wish you were dead. Avoid welding galvanized if you can. If you do ever have to weld it, set up fans to blow the fumes away from your work area, and do it completely outdoors if possible, not in the shop.

Try to clean any paint off of the material you're welding before you strike an arc. With your MIG, that is a REQUIREMENT... CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN is the name of the game with MIG... they do not like dirty metal at all. They are not like a Stick machine, where you can weld right through rust and paint and whatnot and get a good weld... with MIG, it has to be clean before you start.

Good luck with your little Lincoln, and welcome to the welding world.

 

[Etch]

Thanks for the tips and suggestions guys. I'm thrilled to have a welder and I was thinking of taking a class to get the basics down. I know it will take practice. I do play musical instruments, so I can relate to what you all are saying. I know I won't be making great welds in the beginning.

Too bad you guys aren't in San Antonio. I'd hire you to weld my hooks on.

 

[green yanmar]

Brian,

Let me start by saying those are mighty fine welds! Your video is great too!
As a beginner welder (purchased 1st welder 2 weeks ago) I have a silly question. Why did you elect to use 7018's over 6011's? After I learn how to strike an arc without having it stick to the metal,

Thanks for reading,
Mud

thats why they call it stick welding silly