Excavator Bucket Shanks

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Hey guys, I was working on one of my excavator buckets today and decided I was going to replace the shanks.  After looking at it for a while I figured I would take the torch and wash out the old welds with a gouging tip.  Here is where it got tricky, the welds are so warn down its almost impossible to see where some of them are and when I figured an outline and started to wash out i basically got under the old shank and it seemed to just be fusing everything together long story short no shanks are off and I'm stuck with what to do… Is it just easier if i pull the teeth off, build all the shanks back up and put new teeth on the rebuilt shanks or is there a better way to do this? Any info would be great. Thanks
Reply:I've done only one bucket, mine a Hensley. Hensley makes a cutting edge with shanks on it. They are staggeringly expensive. On the advice of my friend, I bought a BIG cutting tip, and burned across the upper and lower plane of the cutter. It left things sort of rough. I had to use torch to burn off a bunch of left overs, then grind. New shanks went on OK with MIG. I'm not sold on the notion that I need high tensile filler. 70 series is more ductile, and strong enough. I've never had a weld fail unless it was either poorly designed or executed.Because of weld penetration, my friend says the welded on shanks have to be cut off this way. A torch tip rated for 4" is needed. Sacrifice he old shank instead of the cutter. In the end you want the cutter edge to be smooth before you install new shanks.
Reply:Thanks for the quick response, I was afraid I was going to hear cut it off from top and bottom of the cutting edge. Think it would make more sense to just build the shanks back up?
Reply:I have done plenty of shanks. I use 3/8" or 1/2" air carbon arc rods and blow the welds away. Quick touch up with the grinder and weld on the new shanks. I can do a set of 5 shanks in about 3 1/2 to 4 hrs. Gouge off and weld on new ones.Miller trailblazer302Millerxmt304millermatic 200lincoln squarwavelincoln SA250lincoln SAE400Climax BB5000
Reply:What does the base edge of the bucket look like ? Like the others have said the carbon arc is the quickest, and most cost effective way to remove weld if you have the amperage to run a decent sized carbon. Depending on what the rest of the bucket looks like it might be money ahead to replace the lip assembly
Reply:Originally Posted by ttweld05I have done plenty of shanks. I use 3/8" or 1/2" air carbon arc rods and blow the welds away. Quick touch up with the grinder and weld on the new shanks. I can do a set of 5 shanks in about 3 1/2 to 4 hrs. Gouge off and weld on new ones.
Reply:So I should go out and buy an air arc electrode holder to do it the fastest and cleanest way lol What do you think about the harris cut rods? Ive seen them used before and from what i understand you don't need a compressor or anything with them. also the cutting edge isn't bad the shanks are just warn down.
Reply:When the new shanks are installed don't be afraid of putting hardrod, like Stoody 31 electrodes, on them. Money and time well spent. Works best to run the hardrod beads at a right angle to material flow.                                            MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:The instructions that came with my 1974? Twentieth Century 295 amp 100% duty cycle machine called for arc gouging with 6011 5/32 rods soaked in water. at half way throw them back in the water. At 295 amp you'll consume 6011 pretty quickly without water.
Reply:Originally Posted by ClutchNJSo I should go out and buy an air arc electrode holder to do it the fastest and cleanest way lol What do you think about the harris cut rods? Ive seen them used before and from what i understand you don't need a compressor or anything with them. also the cutting edge isn't bad the shanks are just warn down.
Reply:Okay, I went to the supplier this morning a picked up an  arcair k4000... Gunna try her out this afternoon so I'll be back on here later with my opinion on how it works out lol... Thanks for all the advise
Reply:Originally Posted by ClutchNJOkay, I went to the supplier this morning a picked up an  arcair k4000... Gunna try her out this afternoon so I'll be back on here later with my opinion on how it works out lol... Thanks for all the advise
Reply:If price is an issue and not time I would rebuild them. If the other hack em off and git er dun. K4000 is a god torch. Beware of the knock offs.Arcon Workhorse 300MSPowcon 400SMTPowcon SM400 x 2Powcon SM3001968 SA200 Redface1978 SA250 DieselMiller Super 32P FeederPre 1927 American 14" High Duty LatheK&T Milwaukee 2H Horizontal MillBryan
Reply:Originally Posted by ClutchNJOkay, I went to the supplier this morning a picked up an  arcair k4000... Gunna try her out this afternoon so I'll be back on here later with my opinion on how it works out lol... Thanks for all the advise
Reply:Carbon Arc is definately first choice, followed by scarfing tip, then regular torch tip.  After you've done several, it's really no big deal to use regular torch tip.  As long as it's big enough you can get plenty of oxygen thru it.  Worst ones i've ever done are  the ones on a Hensley V bottom bucket.  Not bad after you've done one, or if you have the new shank so you can see what it's supposed to look like.  First one of those I did was when I was about 15.  Didn't even know what a Carbon arc was then.  Knew what a scarfing tip was, but didn't have one, so used regular tip.-------------------------Chemetron AC/DC 300 HFSnap-On MM300L Lincoln SP140 Lincoln AC/DC 225g Lincoln SA200 Lincoln SA200 Miller Bobcat 225GVictor torchesH&M and Mathey beveling machinesMcElroy Plastic pipe fusion
Reply:Originally Posted by ttweld05I have done plenty of shanks. I use 3/8" or 1/2" air carbon arc rods and blow the welds away. Quick touch up with the grinder and weld on the new shanks. I can do a set of 5 shanks in about 3 1/2 to 4 hrs. Gouge off and weld on new ones.
Reply:Yes PC200/220 buckets 4 hrs. On A PC400 bucket it takes a little longer to gouge off and reweld on new shanks I use 1/16" and 3/32" dual shield wire what do you use?Miller trailblazer302Millerxmt304millermatic 200lincoln squarwavelincoln SA250lincoln SAE400Climax BB5000
Reply:Originally Posted by ttweld05yes pc200/220 buckets 4 hrs. On a pc400 bucket it takes a little longer to gouge off and reweld on new shanks i use 1/16" and 3/32" dual shield wire what do you use?