Caterpillar Finger Repair

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I call it the grapple machine, I'am probably referring to a different machine. Anyway, I come across a job were I need some professional guidance. So far all of you guys and gals on this fourm have been nothing but a help to me, so I do appreciate everything.  Ok so this customer is a typical cheapo. I advised him to buy the material that catperillar recommends for the fingers. Pretty sure the material locally is called Abasalloy. Runs 1800.00 for a 4by8 sheet of half inch. Now my question is, if I were to use say .250" thick mild steel, wouldn't the fingers just collapse under the pressure of the bucket? Attached Images
Reply:On a excavator that's called a thumb attachment And i'm lost as to what your talking about ...i work around dirt machines not much around demo stuffI see broken teeth on the bucket i guess that is what your referring to as fingers for the thumb kind of extended teethThose are hollow i take itBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:Sorry to confuse you. My question, what material would you use? Would mild steel suffice? Additionally, your correct, they are hollow inside.
Reply:HMMMMSeems to me that an awful lot of pressure would be brought to bare on those and the fact your still using them as teeth and banging them on hard stuff like concrete and steel then putting a lot of pressure with the thumb on a load of god knows what ...pointed or sharp edged objects...would be like a press break and collapse them ..on that your correctI would have to say no to .250 mild plate if your making copy's of those to much pressure is being brought to bare on those from all directions ..given there length and the fact there hollow the stress factors would be to much for that ...they would bend or break in my opinionMaybe somebody with more knowledge of this will chime inBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:yeah this customer doesn't stop when something is broken. just keeps using it and using it. In the picture that is all dirt that is packed into the hollow section of the thumb. And you are correct about the use of this thumb. He uses it to pick out demolition debris from a transportation station. It's all loose debris but I've seen him loading trucks before with the machine and he packs the trailer with the thumb attachment. He uses the machine like a hammer to pack as much weight as he can into a semi.
Reply:Yeah i kinda figured that when i seen the dirt as far as the way he does that it's just the way it's done when packing trucks or big dumpsters ...i have packed dumpsters so tight that the truck's winch would not pull the dumpster on to the truck and had to go off load some of the stuff so they could haul it off to dump itNobody likes down time or paying for repairs but that's life and i will work something that has a minor problem until i shut down for the day as long as i don't do further damage or further complicate the repair That's just being an owner / operator / mechanic / welderBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:I have been down this road..Buy the recommended material.Tell him to man up and spend the coin!! This machine is always in a nasty enviroment and will be used way beyond its expectations seen it done many times!! Now with my piece said if it comes down to you losing the job then do it!!  but explaine to them it pry wont last so be ready to do it again and for more down time and expense. Just saying I have done this the cheap way and would not recommend it unless they are digging in a flower bed
Reply:lololol digging in a flower bed! ahah made my day. Thank you for the advice. Really appreciate it! There's an expression for guys like these, "Penny wise and dollar stupid".
Reply:Power is absolutely right If he wants it done like that tell them you don't recommend it and won't take any responsibility for it when it fails if you do it that wayThen do it there way and when it fails and it will...... you will hopefully get the job to do it rightJob Security ...Getting paid to do the same job twice ..priceless Backed my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck