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Thread: Tractor grapple

  1. #16
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    I picked up a strip disc from blackwoods yesterday, they only had one kind- flexovit- and it was about $17. Gave it a quick test on some of the pipe tonight and it looks like being the ducks guts on that job. Thanks again for the tip.
    I've been getting a fair bit of the welding done on the bottom frame the last couple of evenings, picked up some 50mm 4140 round for the hinges and ram pivots as well so I'll be able to make a start on the lid section.

  2. #17
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    Yesterday was spent on the lathe making the barrels and bushes for the hinges.
    hinge barrels and bushes.jpg

    and today I got the lid tacked together
    lid full open tacked.jpglid tacked 2.jpgfull closed tacked.jpg

    Full open is about 980mm between the tips which is more than enough, I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get the rams arranged to get quite this much opening. I'm either going to have to do some machining on the yokes at the top of the rams, or a cut-and-shut on the top SHS, to deal with some negative clearance.
    I really need to do the blacksmithing on those upper mounting hooks so I can use the tractor to hold it. It's very awkward to handle as is.
    end view closed.jpg

  3. #18
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    Coming on great Pete.

    Have to say though - it looks scary. I'm definitely not a "bind it in bubble wrap so I don't break a nail" type of bloke - but wondering whether you could do with some sort of a safety stay to make sure that top jaw can't come down on you while you've got your body in there welding it....

    Steve

  4. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by OxxAndBert View Post
    Coming on great Pete.

    Have to say though - it looks scary. I'm definitely not a "bind it in bubble wrap so I don't break a nail" type of bloke - but wondering whether you could do with some sort of a safety stay to make sure that top jaw can't come down on you while you've got your body in there welding it....

    Steve
    Yeah that would smart! It looks like it's about to eat someone, maybe yours truly.
    Don't worry though Steve. In the photos above, the one with the grapple sitting vertical it is slung from a floor crane by the centre top tine (just out of picture) and the one with the bottom part lying supine, the top frame is sitting back against the ram lugs with quite a bit of weight biased backwards so quite safe there as well. I've been using a stay clamped to the lid when working on it. I'm probably one of the more careful people you could meet when working in the shed, as I get to see the results of carelessness quite often in my line of work (for those unaware, I'm a MICA paramedic with well over 20 years in the job. I've probably seen more serious workplace accidents than most people with a lifetime in industry.).

  5. #20
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    I was pretty sure you would be on top of the safety side Pete given your background, but there was a little voice that said “but what if he’s overlooked it, I don’t say anything, and there was an accident”.
    Glad to hear that’s not going to be the case

    Steve

  6. #21
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    More progress...slowly...I used a makeshift forge and a makeshift anvil and produced quick-attach hooks that look...makeshift, but do actually work to mount the thing on the tractor so I can move it around and work on it a bit more easily at least. I'm planning on converting my loader and implements to a Euro-hitch- this will involve fabricating and machining which is much more in my line than forging- so I'll live with the uglified JD hitch for the time being.

    I had a negative clearance on the ram upper yoke that was solved more easily than anticipated, by milling some material out of one side of the yokes
    milling ram yoke 2.jpg
    I got the greasable pins all machined and tacked the ram lower mounts in place today, apart from getting the hoses made I've pretty much just got a heap of welding to do; most of the bottom frame is welded but the lid section is just tacked and I haven't put any gussets in yet.
    incomplete grapple on tractor.jpgram in place.jpg

    I feel like I'm working with one hand tied behind my back at present; I have another project in the shed with exposed intake components on an engine that means I can't use my belt grinder and any angle grinding has to be done outside. A lot of the tidying up on the grapple might have to wait until the other job is done, so things are looking a little rough around the edges.

  7. #22
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    If its rough around the edges I can't see it in the photos - just looks awesome!!
    Good that you got away with a bit of a yoke trim to get enough clearance too.

    I don't know what you've got in mind for paint etc, but once its welded if you grab a 1L can of Penetrol from the big green shed and just brush that on it will seal it up nicely until you get around to painting it. Just needs a quick wipe with solvent to remove any oil etc first, but any light surface rust just leave it there and it will get sealed up. Then when it comes to painting you can just paint over the top of it, or if its been a long time even throw another coat on as a primer before paint.
    I'm also a big fan of the Rust Guard epoxy enamels for painting - particularly if its going to be used outside. They seem to hold up really well to UV, are hardwearing, and easy to apply and touch up with brush or roller.

    Can't wait to see it in action!!

    Steve

  8. #23
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    Hi Pete, Guys,

    A good job its not alive, it looks bloody hungry .

    It does look rather awesome though, a really nice job !
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

  9. #24
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    Thanks for the tip on the Penetrol Steve. You can see above that my rebuilt FEL is unpainted but that is going to get sandblasted; I decided to use it for a while before doing that to see if anything needed major changes prior to blasting and painting. It will get the same blue ag enamel as the tractor. The grapple on the other hand won't be getting sandblasted and will be subject to paint damage in normal use so needs something that wears reasonably hard but can be touched up quickly from time to time to maintain protection. I was thinking a black hammer finish but maybe something that can be touched up with a brush would be more practical.

  10. #25
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    Hi Pete,
    You can get the hammered finish in the Rust Guard epoxy enamel too. I used a light blue for my T&C grinder.
    The Charcoal colour I used on some landie wheels almost 10yrs ago is still holding up well, despite plenty of mud/sand/gravel etc and being outdoors most of that time.
    On a bigger flat area you'd be able to see a touchup easier on the hammered than a flat paint, but I reckon you wouldn't even notice it on the grapple.

    Edit: you can get the same hammered in rattle cans too for the occasional touch up, and they seem to have a pretty long usable life. I've definitely had more that 12months out of them after first use - unlike the Supercheap cans of fish oil spray that if you don't use it all in one hit it will be half full but useless next month.

    Steve

  11. #26
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    Looks great and it looks like it's ready to eat something. It will look even better with a coat of paint.
    All The Best steran50 Stewart

    The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at once.

  12. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by BaronJ View Post
    Hi Pete, Guys,

    A good job its not alive, it looks bloody hungry .

    It does look rather awesome though, a really nice job !

    It would have to be named ‘JAWS’ wouldn’t it.

    Ross

  13. #28
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    Well done, you should be well pleased with that result! Now to add up the time and materials cost to see if you could market them.

  14. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mk1_Oz View Post
    Well done, you should be well pleased with that result! Now to add up the time and materials cost to see if you could market them.
    Thanks, but I wish! I've got a LOT of welding to do yet before I can think about how much time I've put into it. More than I expected though, everything takes longer than I expect it to!
    I've also got to fit it up with hydraulic hoses; I think I'll post a question about that in the general forum.

  15. #30
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    I had a major interruption to this project, had my car in the shed with the motor out and supercharger in bits on the bench and I don't have room to be cutting / grinding etc without risking damage there. I got back to the grapple on Saturday and again this afternoon and got all the welding on the lid section finished.
    I found a big frustration with my welding; I used to pride myself on being able to do a pretty decent job for an untrained amateur, but I was putting down some really ugly welds on this project. I figured it was a matter of being so out of practice, but I had a lightbulb moment today and put my reading glasses on under my welding helmet. The difference is just ridiculous and I can't believe I had not thought of this earlier. One of the really sucky things about ageing is the loss of eyesight but I hadn't twigged to it being a big part of my crap welding.
    Anyway, progress pics:
    lid welded 2.jpglid welded 1.jpg

    tractor hose connections.jpgram hose fittings insitu.jpg

    Have to remove the hoses and do a heap more welding on the bottom section, including laminations to the tines. Hoping to make a more presentable job of it now I've figured out I need to not weld blind.

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