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Old 10-16-2018, 09:23 PM
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Ken07AOVette Ken07AOVette is offline
 
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Exclamation Question for guys with heavy equipment experience

My new to me loader bucket has a bit of a frown, which will make it pretty much useless for snow plowing, my intented use. Right now I am digging dirt and gravel so it does not matter, but when I pull the rock teeth and go to mount the snow bit it is going to cause a problem. What have you done to correct a bucket frown? A smile is easier chain in the middle and lack underneath, not sure that works in this circumstance.

For guys that have no idea what I am talking about, a smiling bucket () means the middle is bent up, so a frowning bucket () means the smile is upside down.

I am thinking the bent part will have to be cut out and a new one welded in, but yargh I do not want to have to do that.
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Old 10-16-2018, 09:53 PM
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Cutting edge on it?
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Old 10-16-2018, 09:55 PM
Geraldsh Geraldsh is offline
 
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Jack in the middle and chain over it to the edges. Proceed carefully...
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Old 10-16-2018, 09:58 PM
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Never done a bucket, but I have changed the shape of many a steel things with just a rosebud on an oxy-acetylene torch. Is your bucket just ordinary mild steel? I know you are/were a fabricator. I have pulled many steel things several inches with nothing but heat, placed properly. You probably already know this, but maybe I can help... I agree cutting the bucket would be my last resort, and I am (was) a welder.

Last edited by bloopbloob; 10-16-2018 at 10:07 PM.
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Old 10-16-2018, 10:46 PM
Ronan_357 Ronan_357 is offline
 
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Heating it and jacking/bending it out should work to straighten it out some what. Next time rent a post pounder...
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Old 10-16-2018, 10:52 PM
dmcbride dmcbride is offline
 
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Know anyone with a big crane and a heavy outrigger?
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Old 10-16-2018, 11:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronan_357 View Post
Heating it and jacking/bending it out should work to straighten it out some what. Next time rent a post pounder...

Heating takes the temper out of the steel. Think half the current strength.
I didnt use it to pound posts.
I didnt bend it.
I bought it 3 days ago with a bent bucket.

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Originally Posted by Twisted Canuck
I wasn't thinking far enough ahead for an outcome, I was ranting. By definition, a rant doesn't imply much forethought.....

Last edited by Ken07AOVette; 10-17-2018 at 12:05 AM.
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Old 10-17-2018, 12:44 AM
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KegRiver KegRiver is offline
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I own a backhoe.

In my experience with a variety of tracked and rubber tired hoes I'm thinking it would take some serious pressure to bend a bucket that way and as much or more to correct it.

If it were my hoe, I'd use the Rosebud and a jack. As far as I know, the bucket body is not heat treated so no worries about taking out temper.
I've seen a lot of welding done on buckets so if heating was an issue one would think welding would also ruin temper but I have seen no issues arise from welding heat affecting front buckets.

I've never welded on one myself though. Both the buckets on my hoe are fine.
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Old 10-17-2018, 06:20 AM
Ronan_357 Ronan_357 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette View Post
Heating takes the temper out of the steel. Think half the current strength.
I didnt use it to pound posts.
I didnt bend it.
I bought it 3 days ago with a bent bucket.

I Remember reading your post about your new toy.

You were considering cutting out a piece and welding it back together, I do believe that’s more heat concentrated on a both proposed pieces then I suggested. Seeing as my company likes to use such things until it’s paper thin then weld new mild steel plate in and it still lasts years, we do this to skid steer buckets.
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Old 10-17-2018, 06:49 AM
lannie lannie is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette View Post
My new to me loader bucket has a bit of a frown, which will make it pretty much useless for snow plowing, my intented use. Right now I am digging dirt and gravel so it does not matter, but when I pull the rock teeth and go to mount the snow bit it is going to cause a problem. What have you done to correct a bucket frown? A smile is easier chain in the middle and lack underneath, not sure that works in this circumstance.

For guys that have no idea what I am talking about, a smiling bucket () means the middle is bent up, so a frowning bucket () means the smile is upside down.

I am thinking the bent part will have to be cut out and a new one welded in, but yargh I do not want to have to do that.
I always thought a smiling bucket had the middle bent down. As in the middle of the cutting edge is lower than the corners.
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Old 10-17-2018, 07:20 AM
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how big is the frown. Could you weld metal on the bottom with hardened rod on the sides to make a flat edge for snow?
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Old 10-17-2018, 07:27 AM
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I have seen buckets on construction stites both heated and jacked to straighten them and re- cut either-pads welded into them .
I’ll ask my heavy duty mechanic buddy and see what he says .
Cat
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Old 10-17-2018, 07:39 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken07AOVette View Post
Heating takes the temper out of the steel. Think half the current strength.
I didnt use it to pound posts.
I didnt bend it.
I bought it 3 days ago with a bent bucket.

Worked for a Komatsu dealer for over 10 years. heating and shaping buckets and dozer blades out Syncrude and Suncor was a daily thing.
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Old 10-17-2018, 08:12 AM
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Ken, if that were my bucket, I would weld a chain to the outside edges so that it had a 6" belly. Get a couple of pieces of 3/16" steel about 8 or 10 inches wide and as long as your bucket is wide. Clamp one piece to the bottom of the bucket, put a hydraulic jack in there and jack until the bucket edge comes straight or maybe even a little more. A rose bud would probably help. Put your other piece of steel across the top and tack it down. Weld both pieces of steel to the bucket, should stay straight.

The bucket bent because the hydraulics were stronger than the steel. Straightening the bucket without re-enforcing wouldn't last.
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Old 10-17-2018, 09:24 AM
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Kim473 Kim473 is offline
 
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Talk to a good welder or fitter, If it's not to bad some heat in the correct places and cold water in the correct places would do wonders for str8ning. A jack would help also. I used to work as a machinist in a attachment manufacturing company and this is what we did when a base edge warped after welding. You will need a rose bud for heating as lots of heat very quickly is needed to heat it and get it hot.
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Old 10-17-2018, 09:38 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 1899b View Post
Worked for a Komatsu dealer for over 10 years. heating and shaping buckets and dozer blades out Syncrude and Suncor was a daily thing.
I worked for a Komatsu dealer aswell and in our shop they did it all the time. Was impressive what the welders could fix by heating ad bemding some days
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Old 10-17-2018, 10:26 AM
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Had a millwright/welder come over and do exactly what you are describing to our loader a few years back. I didn't watch him closely but he used a jack, a straight piece of steel clamped to the "frown" and a torch.

To me it looked like he cut a relief cut on (at least) one side at the bottom, heated the deformed piece, moved the jack as he could, then clamped the straight edge on and re-welded the relief cut. Then he loosened the clamp, dropped the straight edge and the frown was reduced to a tiny sad face compared to the scowl she had before.

Wasn't perfect but we could resume snow plowing the parking lot again without leaving too much of a streak in the center as opposed to the bucket being useless.

Not sure if this is the right or wrong way to do it but it worked.
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  #18  
Old 10-17-2018, 11:05 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by troutbug View Post
I worked for a Komatsu dealer aswell and in our shop they did it all the time. Was impressive what the welders could fix by heating ad bemding some days
yup some of those guys are skilled to no end...
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