I peeled back the middle of my bucket. Anyone fixed something like this? I have tried 6011 rod and used the bucket and the welds rebreak at the weld joint between the weld and the hardened steel. The breaks look like they crystalize the cutting edge. Should I cut the whole cutting edge off and replace as one piece? If so, where would I find one. I have a few patching ideas, but wanted some opionions.
Ouch, what happened?
cutting edge First off 6011 is a mild steel rod you might try 7018 or something like that and also preheat it before welding it may or may not hold the edge is very hard and more so form working. second someone has welded a extra edge on that bucket that was not the factory set up for that bucket
Dirthog, Thanks for the info. I called a cousin who welds for a living and he said the same thing except I need to preheat and post heat the weld. I will probably add a stiffener across just behind the front edge.
I have seen cutting edges welded with some kind of stainless rod and seems to hold up good .
You wont need a stiffener, just V out each part of the break and with a 90 degree angle preheat to about 400 degrees and aweld it up with a Low Hydrogen rod wit ha DC welder. Just make a good root pass you may also need a rod like a 5/32 diameter to weld up that small of a root pass. Ive welded up many of them with no problems.
It looks like you should weld a new one in. The material is just worn to much for heavy work. Otherwise you keep on repairing?
Replace it and reinforce the bucket behind where the new edge will be welded. Check your local equipment supply house for a new one. Otherwise be prepared to keep patching. (probably when you should be working)
It doesn't look like this bucket gets used a lot, so you could try the preheat and use a 7018 rod to reinstall the broken piece. Then be very carefull where you stick that bucket as that section will always be a weak point. Otherwise, if this is an often used or production machine, a new base edge is definitely called for. Again, clean up your cuts with a grinder where you remove the old edge carefully, use 7018 rod, and weld in without overheating any one spot. Look thorough Construction Magazine for ads on GET suppliers or check your local yellow pages for dealers. One additional thought. 745C loader buckets were not the best constructed buckets I ever used or saw. I had a ton of trouble with them in Florida as well as the B models. They seemed lightly built for the size of the machine and we experienced very rapid wear to the bottoms. Good Luck!
Weld failures, such as this, generally occur as a result of insufficient preheat and post weld cooling controls. The "base edges" in most buckets are made from high carbon steels, such as C1060, or from boron additive grades of steel, such as 15B41. In either case, both require sufficient preheat to at least 400 Deg. F, prior to welding, and some form of controlled post weld cooling. (asbestos blankets or sand piles) At a minimum, the typical DIY shop should be equipped with a "rosebud" torch for preheating, "400 Deg. F temple sticks" (available from your local welding supply store) for measuring preheat temperature, and several bags of sand to control the cooling process after welding. The sand is very critical, especially if you are performing the weld in a less than ambient temperature environment. A 7018 electrode or comparable flux core MIG wire is recommended. Your "base edge" has been drilled to accomodate a "bolt-on edge system". Bolt-On Edge Systems were developed to save the owner the pain and agony of having to replace the base edge, a very costly endeavor. If you choose to perform a repair to your existing bucket, I would follow the instructions listed above: chamfer the weld edges, heat the bend area, bend back, repair weld and encapsulate the repair area in a bed of sand. If you want to replace the "base edge", PM me and we can go over the various oprtions avaliable.
We had the same thing happen to our 980. The bucket broke "tree stump" rather than the cutting edge though. We used 110-18 rod and ran it hot. After you V the weld seam, run the rod hot enough that the slag peels back and comes off easy, say 210amps. Make multiple passes with just enough time to grind EVERY BIT OF SLAG OUT OF THE WELD. I would try to make a couple of passes on the bottom, after you have cooled the weld, sand works great, lay a few beads of hard surface over the bottom and tops of the welds.
I agree with deeppit bevel good both sides and top and bottom preheat about 250 and use 110-18 rods multi pass be clean
By looking at your pic i said, cut that blade and weld a new one, it is cheap and and less less labor involved, even if you fix that broken blade all the heat will curve the edge.
I agree with idler, if you figure how long it will take to properly bevel all the weld areas and the time to make the repairs,it would more then likely very close to the cost of replacing the entire edge,the new one will come alreadt beveled all you have to do is prep the bucket side.
And I agree with both of you. I wound up using 110-18 for almost all my welding repairs, especially on cutting edges.
If you install a new cutting edge, make sure the new blade has a small bevel on the back in order get a good welding penetration and use steel bars to brace the blade to the top of the bucket in order to hold all the heat on the blade. P.S***** I installed and welded blades for over 9.5 years