Paul99
Member
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- 606
This has been one of them ongoing projects that was started getting on for months ago but just never got finished. I've lost count of the jobs it would have come in handy but there was always something else to finish first.
I started out back then not wanting to weld anything to the dipper so set out copying bolt on versions you can find on the net TBH if I was starting now I'd go with a hydraulic weld on version but it will do for now...
As is normal it's made with nearly 100% scrap. The top link is off an old Dexta that's long gone sadly - it's a bit too long - which accounts for the the overshot thumb - I should have spent more time working things out when I cut the side plates all that time ago...
Incidentally the side plates are Cast Iron - I was given two 3' x 2' x 10mm or so "steel" plates by a customer who wanted shot of it - I didn't think no more about it and set about attacking it with the plasma cutter was a bit odd to cut but I hadn't done a lot of plasma cutting at that point - it wasn't until I drilled it I realised it was CI
. That's why the bloke said it was funny stuff to weld then he didn't even know what it was even after welding a trailer hitch with part of it 
. Assuming it would probably snap in use I put them in a corner and gave up until I could source some steel instead. It occurred to me last week that it would be a good idea to try them if / when they fail I can replace them if it's worth it. It needs a good testing to make sure it's worth fixing these few mistakes the initial test was promising though...
I started out back then not wanting to weld anything to the dipper so set out copying bolt on versions you can find on the net TBH if I was starting now I'd go with a hydraulic weld on version but it will do for now...
As is normal it's made with nearly 100% scrap. The top link is off an old Dexta that's long gone sadly - it's a bit too long - which accounts for the the overshot thumb - I should have spent more time working things out when I cut the side plates all that time ago...
Incidentally the side plates are Cast Iron - I was given two 3' x 2' x 10mm or so "steel" plates by a customer who wanted shot of it - I didn't think no more about it and set about attacking it with the plasma cutter was a bit odd to cut but I hadn't done a lot of plasma cutting at that point - it wasn't until I drilled it I realised it was CI
. That's why the bloke said it was funny stuff to weld then he didn't even know what it was even after welding a trailer hitch with part of it . Assuming it would probably snap in use I put them in a corner and gave up until I could source some steel instead. It occurred to me last week that it would be a good idea to try them if / when they fail I can replace them if it's worth it. It needs a good testing to make sure it's worth fixing these few mistakes the initial test was promising though...
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I may not get a real testing for a few weeks as I got a lot of other things on for a while but I'll take a video of it in use.