Thumb additions

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Decided to straighten the thumb on the 331 Bobcat. Crazy guys can bend break shatter anything. This 1/4 diamond plate is all i had will do some good i hope. I did preheat the thumb from bending i must say it did seem to penetrate very well at the temps. I have to weld a tooth shank in the bucket this week and will take pics of it too. Millermatic DVIMillermatic 251Older buzz box Cheap 120 welder
Reply:You never know for sure what to do about some of those things. Lots of times you need to have a weak point somewhere. It's stronger than it was back to a point there. See what they break next.
Reply:Nice fix.Too bad you didn't have a little thicker patch on hand.If it were my repair, I might cut a hole or two in the 1/4" patch, and then plug-weld the holes to the grapple.Large unrestrained sections of thin plate aren't a particularly strong reinforcement, because they buckle easily. Tying the 1/4" flat to the grapple with several plug-welds would break-up  the reinforcement into several smaller and more difficult to buckle sections.But then again... as Sandy wonders: What breaks next?Thanks for posting it.Good LuckLast edited by denrep; 12-27-2009 at 01:35 AM.
Reply:Never thought about plug welds good idea. Ya i wished i would have had some 1/2" plate to stick on there. The weak point on all this is the cylinder for sure. Blown seals and the whole cylinder several times. The owner was happy and it was good practice as i haven't welded much lately. I would have to say these were some of my best welds i thought. I think i will put some more plate on the inside of the thumbs when i get some more plate in. Thanks for the ideasMillermatic DVIMillermatic 251Older buzz box Cheap 120 welder
Reply:Did you plate over the pin holes? Attached Images.No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
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Reply:The finger bent (I'm assuming here) from lateral force.  Some force from the side bent the plate like a pretzel.  And looking at the finger, it's understandable.  Nothing to resisit lateral movement but some plate on edge.  The web is designed to provide resistance against clamping force in the vertical plane, not force in the horizontal plane.I know it's probably unfeasable, but could you add a web by boxing in the inside of the thumb to some degree, or add strongbacks to the outside of the thumb.  You'd probably increase resistance to lateral load many times more than just stacking plate on top of plate that already has a tendancy to bend under these kinds of loads.It's just a thoughtWe at Uranus Inc. sometimes tend to pull ideas out of our............... Attached Images"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:I was thinking the same thing about lateral forces Samm. I've seen those with heavy plate over the top to help with that. My thought was heavy angle added to the outside like this  to help resist the force. My only thought was that this also increased the surface area vertically adding more force when clamping..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWDid you plate over the pin holes?