Help with cutting edge

[sgtboz]

Hey guys, I have a job coming up next Friday where I really need to stop putting off my bucket cutting edge replacement. I really need some specific advice but unfortunately I can't afford a Piranha bar right now. There's not much cutting edge left on this worn out 66" bucket.

In the pictures, the bucket is lying on its back with the cutting edge pointed to the sky. I just took pics a few minutes ago in the dark.

Whether I get bolt on or weld on, do I have to cut off the current cutting edge? The weld on edges are pretty cheap on Amazon. I'm a decent amateur welder but nothing to brag about. Bolt on seems tougher just from having to drill all those holes in thick steel.

Here are a few pics.

Roughly what the cutting edge used to look like:

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[Tooljunkie]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

I bolted one on.made by same outfit that makes cutting edges for caterpillar up here. Drilling old cutting edge was no big deal, after bolting new edge, i cut excess bolt threads off and welded bolt to nut.
Now the new edge is 5/8" thick below bucket so a little different technique for operating. I just welded a couple plates to vertical sides to bring sides out to cutting edge.
Woked fine.

 

[sgtboz]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

Thanks, junkie. I guess I was getting hung up on having to remove current cutting edge which would take forever. I suppose an extra half inch of steel below the current cutting edge wouldn't be the worst thing ever. The extra 40lbs for the new edge would just be subtracted from overall lift capacity.

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[sgtboz]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

Ugh...can this even be made to work? I can't see a clear way to even get the old cutting edge of there.

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[85Hokie]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

sgtboz,

I have seen this many times - the AG shop next to mine at the high school I teach, has "fixed" several of these bowed edges. I have watched kids with a huge rosebud touch heat the hell out of it, beat the hell out of it - I have seen huge bar clamps that can bend the world in half try to flex the edge back - ALL methods have some success, however the heating part always seems to bother me.

Last FEL bucket they had in there had the exact same problem yours does. The bucket bowed out in the middle, one side was worn further than the other side (almost an 1")

Here is what I suggested and eventually happened - rather than try to get the belly out, and lord they tried - after all the beating, there was still a 3/4 bow in the middle of the center of the bucket. They tried to place the new cutting edge onto the factory edge. It too followed the contour of the old, so you had a new edge that was bellied in the middle still!

What was decided - rather that fit the new edge to the old - placed the new edge back parallel to the original bucket edge - squaring off the sides. SO one edge appeared to be sticking out an 1" even though it did not. AND shimming the under side on each side to match the belly in the middle.

Once tacked into square - the "filler" and shims were placed and tacked into the appropriate spots away from the belly. Then the welds were stitched, front and back, allowing the metal not to get too hot in any one spot. After all was finished, the blade look good, square and worked well once lowered to the floor after placed back on the tractor. Took a while and a hellva lot of patience with a group of good ol boys beatin' and bangin - but all you need is one of them to be on board and take ownership of the project and it comes out looking good! They basically placed a piranha tooth bar on it, making it from scratch and a little deeper, the steel overlapping the rear bucket edge a little more.

I am sure you can bypass all the craziness and fix it right up!!

 

[nickelplated5s]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

I have seen this many times - the AG shop next to mine at the high school I teach, has "fixed" several of these bowed edges.

I'm more impressed that your school still has an AG shop. Really.

 

[85Hokie]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

I'm more impressed that your school still has an AG shop. Really.

It almost went out the door about 5 years ago, since then a former student of mine went to college and got his AG degree and is a great teacher - he has a farm, buys tractors all the time and kids really enjoy him, and he is 25! Another lady does the AG science end, all the plant science and animal stuff. I actually have a rather cute young lady with me, 23 and and is sharp as a tack when it comes to woodworking, engineering fundamentals and what not.

I think we have about 2/5 of the entire student body come through our one building of 4 teachers (AG and TECHED shops).

BUT you are right - the thought that everyone needs to go to college overrides the common sense of everyone needs to have a skill set.......

For the last week, I have been beating my kids over the heads with Dimensional Lumber, explaining why a 2x4 aint TWO x FOUR....and why a 12' treated board is a little longer than 12'!!! AND how to lay off 16" on centers spacing on floor joists.......some get it well, and some look at a tape measure as if it will speak to them!

 

[RCW]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

It almost went out the door about 5 years ago, since then a former student of mine went to college and got his AG degree

In New Yorkistan, we have issues with the requirements to become a qualified/certified Ag teacher.

Don't remember the particular problem, but it discourages prospective Ag teachers from fulfilling the requirements in New York.

Our county is 900 sq. miles with a population of 50,000.

Very rural with a long agricultural heritage.

Chobani Yogurt was founded here, and until they built a plant in Twin Falls, Idaho 3 years ago, ALL Chobani was made here.

At one time, I think Chobani used ~30% of all fluid milk produced in NYS.

Of 14 school districts here - I think there are just 3 or 4 Ag teachers. We only have active FFA's in 2 districts.

Sad.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled program and my apologies to SGTBOZ for the highjack.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

If your new cutting edge is strait, then either heat and beat the edge flat.
Or just fill the gap with weld.

 

[Tooljunkie]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

This is one reason i chose a thicker bolt on edge. Drilled and bolted. But i did build a jig and chained corners to it then jacked the middle back into place.

 

[sgtboz]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

Thanks dudes! (and I enjoyed the AG interlude) The cutting edge on my bucket is perfectly straight long ways, thankfully. Unfortunately it looks like the previous owner drove from Dallas to Oklahoma City with the cutting edge laid tight against the asphalt. It's really rounded off. What remains of the old cutting edge makes the new cutting edge sit way off the bucket. It would be workable but not ideal if I have a better option. I really think I'm going to have to plasma cut off the old cutting edge and just weld on the new one. It's so worn, it's hard to tell where the bucket ends and the old cutting edge begins. Anyone have any advice at all on wracking off the old edge?

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[Tooljunkie]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

Plasma would be the quickest and cleanest. Usually difficult metalworking problems i consult my machinist buddy,i help him fix my stuff, pay him fairly and learn stuff to boot.

Approach it this way, you cant wreck cutting edge any worse. No fear.

I helped a guy strip the steel bracing and frame from a corvette once. Was amazing to watch this guy.
Frame was rusted through all over the place. It was junk otherwise.

 

[D2Cat]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

Sgtboz, I'd do as North Idaho Wolfman suggested.

You mentioned it looks like it was dragged across the state wearing the bottom edge.

Clamp your new piece on leaving it extend an inch or so past the rounded edge. Tack it so you get it square to your liking. Be sure to weld the side that will be nearest to the tractor in stitches so it doesn't want to warp up when you weld the cutting edge, also in stitches.

Once you get it welded good enough to use, go back to the cutting edge and fill it in, welding a couple of inches and skipping a few inches, then back until you get it filled.

If you have a wire welder, that wouldn't take long!

 

[sgtboz]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

Plasma would be the quickest and cleanest. Usually difficult metalworking problems i consult my machinist buddy,i help him fix my stuff, pay him fairly and learn stuff to boot.

Approach it this way, you cant wreck cutting edge any worse. No fear.

I helped a guy strip the steel bracing and frame from a corvette once. Was amazing to watch this guy.
Frame was rusted through all over the place. It was junk otherwise.

Well, the plasma cutting worked...until it didn't. My 220 plug was different than my buddy's plasma 3 pronger. He had a 110v converter but it kept throwing my breaker.

He invited me to his house tomorrow after church but after he left I couldn't stand to wait. So I pulled out the reciprocating saw and went to work. It went incredibly fast with some lube and a good blade.

The sides were a nightmare though at about 3/4in thick. I went thru 4 blades by this point in the evening.

Out came the ol' angle grinder.

The whole length of the cutting edge took only about 30 minutes and my cut was...reasonably straight. The edges took almost as long just to cut through the few inches.

With some patience, I got 'er done.

It's bedtime now and I'm about 10% in to getting the new cutting edge welded on. Slow going but having a good time.

Should finish up tomorrow.


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[D2Cat]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

Nothing like getting motivated! Do you keep a camera crew on standby?

 

[sgtboz]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

Nothing like getting motivated! Do you keep a camera crew on standby?

I know, right, D2?! A little progress is addictive and it's hard to stop once you get a taste of progress. I already had to re-schedule a barn 'pad prep' job I was supposed to do last Friday and re-scheduled it for this Tuesday.

I'm not feeling real good about the amount of some gaps between back of cutting edge and the mating bucket edge. I didn't exactly cut a straight line with my saw. I knocked out the highest spots but my impatience got the better of me. I think I'm going to have to weld some supports that tie the cutting edge to the inside bottom of the bucket.

Any recommendations to help support the cutting edge that way? It might be something like this:

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[Tooljunkie]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

Just a couple passes with the welder and fill it in. Both sides.

 

[Yooper]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

I know I'm too late with this but maybe it will help the next person.

I buy these cut off wheels at my local Fleet Farm and they are inexpensive, which is good because you go through them pretty fast. But the speed at which they cut is amazing. And when I'm cutting through steel, the faster the better!

 

[85Hokie]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

Just a couple passes with the welder and fill it in. Both sides.

Unless the gap is huge - TJ has it covered.
Stitch it - hit an inch , mover over, hit an inch, move.....come back and fill those spots after it cools.

You look to have this covered this repair very nicely. I think when you finish, you'll forget what it looked like due to the work that you have performed!

 

[sgtboz]

Re: Need help w cutting edge

Well, I think I got it all sewn up. This is great longest cumulative bead of welding I've ever done. I guess looks font matter near so much as how it performs. I feel good about it in dirt but have my doubts about it the first time I try to take out a tree with the bucket or lip up a big rock.

Here's the parting shot unless there is further advice. I've really appreciated the input so far. It helps so much to have the help of others, virtual or otherwise.

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