yet more bucket forks

[Rowdius]

Well, as I said in another thread, I went to the scrap yard and bought 300lbs of metal for $80 and my brother and I built a pair of forks the other day:

They are about 200 lbs I think, and I have enough metal to make my bale spear and a good start on the brush rake.

First I used some 1/2 inch plate to reinforce the top of the bucket. I really should have cut the hooks off and did the entire length of the bucket, just not with 1/2 inch You can also see the receiver hitches I welded on the bucket. I debated putting them closer to the ends of the bucket for more strength, but then I would have had to add a third one in the middle I think.

The tines are 2x3 tube, 1/4 inch wall, the backs are 2x4 tube. Also welded some angle iron to fit over the cutting edge to take some of the strain off the top of the bucket. I was also going to weld a gusset here, and still may do it, but I think the metal/weld is stronger than my loader.

How well do they work?

 

[bx24]

Very nice - slick welds

 

[wowbw7]

excellent job. beautiful welds. watcha got for a welder?

 

[Rowdius]

excellent job. beautiful welds. watcha got for a welder?

Thanks, though the best looking welds are my brother's, not mine. Of course, he does it for a living and I don't, so it doesn't bother me that he does a better job!

Sadly, I do not have a real welder (well, I have a little 120v mig set up, but it is a joke.) I have to haul my stuff over to my brother's place for any real welding (like above.) He has an older snap-on MIG that he bought at an auction a few years ago. I think it is a YA212. I do know it is 230A.


I still have some cleaning up to do on them, and then a coat of paint.

 

[rbutterfield]

Nice work and I agree with the rest, very nice welds. I'm impressed.
My only suggestion would be this, be carefull how far you roll back when you have a round bale up there, they are not much fun when sitting in your lap!

 

[Gizmo2]

Welds look great, if it looks good chances are it will be strong. Could use some practice with the torch.

 

[Rowdius]

Nice work and I agree with the rest, very nice welds. I'm impressed.
My only suggestion would be this, be carefull how far you roll back when you have a round bale up there, they are not much fun when sitting in your lap!

No doubt! I can't think of a single reason I'd ever lift a bale that high, other than for stupid photos for the internet anyway. It was a little light on the back, but it amazed me how well it handled, considering I only had the phd on the back at the time.

 

[Rowdius]

Could use some practice with the torch.

Yeah, that is one of the few things I'm not happy about on this project. My brother gave me a strange look when he saw how those came out, but it had been over a year since I'd used a torch, so oh well. Besides, something like that will keep him from claiming that the project was all his!
I'm going to take the grinder to it and clean it up and try to square that up a bit before I paint it.

 

[rbutterfield]

I'm going to take the grinder to it and clean it up

I can identify with that. I use the 3 step method of cutting with a torch

1. cut with torch
2. break away with my 2lb hammer
3. grind for hours

There are those who only use the first step (because they know what they're doing) however they miss out on all the frustration

 

[Gizmo2]

I can identify with that. I use the 3 step method of cutting with a torch

1. cut with torch
2. break away with my 2lb hammer
3. grind for hours

There are those who only use the first step (because they know what they're doing) however they miss out on all the frustration

I would guess if we all did welding for a living we would be better at it, but what fun would that be....

 

[Rowdius]

I would guess if we all did welding for a living we would be better at it, but what fun would that be....

Well, that and sales of grinding disks would fall through the floor!

 

[Gizmo2]

Funny how that is, I can grind better than I can use a cutting torch!

 

[Gizmo2]

The big difference between a nice welding/cutting torch project and a bad one is how well one can use a grinder and paint. I'm really good, just ask me!

 

[joes_427_vette]

The drill press hasn't arrived yet. Be sure to get the morse taper bits for it.

 

[Rowdius]

The drill press hasn't arrived yet. Be sure to get the morse taper bits for it.

lol, it is still on "the list." Got a welding machine today, so I can't say I'm not crossing things off the list, but it will be a while yet.

 

[JB4310]

The forks look very effective, if you did need to raise the bales up high you could easily make some removable extension to insert into the open top of those box tubes.

Nothing wrong with burning holes for metal fabbing.
IMO the O/A torch is the most important metal working tool there is, if I could only have one tool for steel work it would be the torch, even before a welder. You could always burn holes and bolt pcs. together, along with cutting and bending.

I'm not that steady with the torch, but I know a few guys that'll burn holes and cut with incredible results and stay within tight tolerances, it's amazing what a torch is capable of in the right hands, not my hands, I'm in the grind the day away camp!
JB.

 

[R W]

A great idea and a well constructed job.
The only things I'd differ on are the ends of the RHS, would plate them and also
reinforce the area where the holes have been cut (in RHS) using 1/4 or 5/16 flat bar.

 

[rbutterfield]

IMO the O/A torch is the most important metal working tool there is, if I could only have one tool for steel work it would be the torch, even before a welder.
JB.

I agree with JB on his assesment of the value of torch. I have a Victor O/A setup, Miller 225 Stick, Hobart 175 Mig, a 180 Tig, 160 Stick and 50A Plasma cutter combo. If I could only have one of these I would choose my Victor O/A Torches and tips.
Rick