Bucket too big???

[Jam]

Hows it going again... I find weldingweb.com really good if you have a bit of patients to look around nearly everything is covered there. Stick up a pic of the ditching bucket if you get a chance.....If you need a new base and hitch all youl be keeping is sides nd edge

 

[watglen]

So far so good..

This is where we are at so far.

Spent a couple hours this morning post heating the welds on the round pin. It is 4140 tool steel (so i'm told) and welding it is a bit tricky. Seemed like it went ok, but the test is when its in the dirt.

Next step is cut and install the top deck plate (1/2") and close in the beam area.

 

[Deeretime]

I have done the same thing as you, three years ago i took a 36" diging bucket from our 992elc and re luged the ears to fit our 230clc and it works amazing for trenching i don't find any problems with breakout force or with tipping when it's heaped, they also make the machine look alot meaner. Make sure u atleast use fluxcore mig wire, or 7018 for the structural stuff !
have fun

 

[watglen]

Here is the bucket completed. It still needs paint. I had it on and it looks good. It is 30", about a foot narrower than the thumb. Never thought of that, but it'll have to do.

Final cost is around $1400 plus a pile of .045 wire!

The ditching bucket is next in line. I have half a mind to rig it with a tilting arrangement, but i am running out of time for fabrication season.

One thing i noticed is the sliding wedge on the excavator is really reluctant to move. At one point i had to give it a shove, and it started to slowly move. Not sure why that is.

I had a ton of fun building this bucket.

 

[watglen]

Finally after a lot of effort and fun, the machine is ready to start work with new buckets.

I got the rock guard this winter too. All painted up nice and shiny.

 

[tootalltimmy]

Looking Good!

 

[diggerdave1958]

Nice job, Watglen u ever think about making bucket for a living ???