Bent bucket . . . fixable?

robotek · Mar 31, 2020

I have managed to bend the lower jaw on my LA240 4 in one bucket fitted to a BX25d . Lesson learned here whilst pulling some strainer posts out of the ground.

The lower jaw of the bucket is bent outwards in the middle by about 30mm.

Any experience out there with fixing this sort of willful damage?

North Idaho Wolfman · Mar 31, 2020

robotek said:
I have managed to bend the lower jaw on my LA240 4 in one bucket fitted to a BX25d . Lesson learned here whilst pulling some strainer posts out of the ground.

The lower jaw of the bucket is bent outwards in the middle by about 30mm.

Any experience out there with fixing this sort of willful damage?

Get a big hammer!

You can straighten them out with a careful use of a big timber, chain and a hydraulic jack.
Timber on top of bucket, chain around the bow and over top hydraulic jack that's sitting on top of timber.

Dave_eng · Mar 31, 2020

NIW's advice is very practical.

I offer this alternative only for education for those who have not heard of the technique called Flame Straightening.

The metal of the lower bucket edge is stretched and this technique is one of shrinking metal to eliminate the stretching.

Flame straightening

Flame straightening is an efficient and long- established method of correcting the distorted parts. Flame straightening is based on the physical principle that metals expand when heated and contract when cooled. ... In practice, an oxy-acetylene flame is used to rapidly heat a well- defined section of the workpiece. The cooling of the defined area causes shrinkage which leads to straightening..

The following link, starting on page 9, gives you a good idea of how the process works.

https://www.boconline.co.uk/en/images/Fundamentals-of-Flame-Straightening_tcm410-113398.pdf

Dave

34by151 · Apr 1, 2020

I had a bent 4in1 bucket BX23S.
In due to the amount of landscaping im doing with it it slowly bends over time.

It always bows outwards forming the so called 4in1 smile.

To straighten I have a piece of I beam.
I cut the beam to be the same width as the bucket
I just open the bucket and rotate down.
Make the lower jaw (clam) parallel with the ground
Attach/hang the beam to the bucket with chains
Put a 20+ ton bottle jack between the beam and bucket.

A bit a patience will put it back in shape.
Never needed any heat but if you do heat a wide area otherwise you will not gate straight edge but a curvy one

Lil Foot · Apr 1, 2020

When I got my B7100, the bottom edge of the bucket was straight, but the top edge was bent down from over zealous tightening of load binders that held the forks in place. I used a 5x5 timber on the bottom edge and a hydraulic jack & blocks to bend the top edge straight. After it was straight, I welded on a piece of heavy angle iron to reinforce it. Now with a PTB, I don't think my bucket will ever bend again.

Dave_eng · Apr 1, 2020

For those who doubt the bending or straightening of steel using heat please look at minute 2:33 of this video which shows a craftsman bending heavy steel plate using both a torch and water to clad the bulbous nose of the largest ships made today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqxobSnlCNU

This is not a process where you heat the steel to soften it and then use mechanical force to get it into position.

Dave

mbu · Apr 1, 2020

...or cut the steel at the bend; clamp to a straight edge and reweld.

robotek · Apr 2, 2020

Thanks for the advice all those that posted. Its about $650 for a new lower part of the bucket, so I am buying a cheapo 20t jack off ebay, and will attempt the jack and chain to an beam(in this case one of the strainer posts I originally bent it on).

Thanks for the youtube link... I have just spent the last 2 hours watching ship building videos

GeoHorn · Apr 2, 2020

Find a friend or a body-shop with a Porta-Power or a shop hyd press.

Yooper · Apr 3, 2020

20 ton jack will get the job done. When I straighten with a jack I cover it with a heavy carpet or something equivalent just in case it pops out. I am always a bit nervous when I do this.

Bruce Melde · Apr 3, 2020

I have 40 years of metal working experience. Almost anything is repairable. I would try the jack method first but go slow. You may have to do some rigging to accomplish the desired result in terms of using jacks and chains but it can be done. Once you have it back in its original position you will want to go just a bit further and then let off the stress and see if the material returns to the desired position. If not, go a little further and repeat. It can be done with heat as well if you are experienced in using heat straightening methods. I can't tell you how many times I've had to repair something that someone got torch happy with. In either case, go slow. Good Luck!

Bark · Apr 4, 2020

robotek said:
Thanks for the youtube link... I have just spent the last 2 hours watching ship building videos

Than I got sidetracked by a video of Dolphins jumping over a ships bulbous bow, than somehow got a bunch of images of people with bulbous noses. Internet can sure waste time if I am not careful.

fruitcakesa · Apr 4, 2020

Bark said:
Than I got sidetracked by a video of Dolphins jumping over a ships bulbous bow, than somehow got a bunch of images of people with bulbous noses. Internet can sure waste time if I am not careful.

Shat else you got to do

Bark · Apr 8, 2020

fruitcakesa said:
Shat else you got to do

Well, thanks to a cousin, right now I am looking at cats doing stupid things.

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