Thread: How would you make this part?

I need to make a pair of these hooks for the grapple I'm building- they are the top quick-attach point on a John Deere loader bucket. Any suggestions on how to go about it? I'm thinking I would need to make a press die but if anyone can suggest a shortcut I'm all ears.
JD bucket top hook.jpg

Would you be able to fabricate it from a suitable diameter pipe and flat bar, or if wall thickness needs to be a particular size bore a piece of suitable OD material to your desired ID.

I'd perhaps try Peter's suggestion of fabricating from pipe and flat.
The other way that I would consider is hot bending some flat around a pipe or piece of barstock (start long, bend then trim to final size)

Michael

I guess you are aware you can buy them ready made for about $80

Two pieces of flat bar and about four minutes of running the oxy.
You could press it if you have sufficient tonnage, need around 8ish or so for that, but you’ll spend longer making the tooling than you would hot bending them around a piece of bar in the vice.

I guess I wasn't seeing the forest for the trees- I'd thought about heat but was complicating it with thoughts of forging over a mandrel. I don't have oxy but I can fire up the foundry furnace and get it hot in the exhaust flame then bend in a vise. I was thinking I'd need to get some HT material but I have some 100x12 m/s flat bar that would work, maybe doubled up over the top. The grapple will possibly do harder duty than this bucket.
The idea of fabricating it hadn't occurred to me but I would have to scrounge a suitable size round section. I'll try the flat bar - heat - vise method.
I saw options of buying these ready made but only found them available ex USA, want to have this thing able to be mounted on the loader sooner than that.

I will ask my mate where his mate sourced his from pretty sure it was off the shelf from some one in Adelaide, I welded them on for him three weeks ago.

Originally Posted by China

I will ask my mate where his mate sourced his from pretty sure it was off the shelf from some one in Adelaide, I welded them on for him three weeks ago.

That would be great, thanks China, if I can get them within a week I'd sooner go that way than stuff around making them.

Is your loader set up as a Euro Hitch? If so, these beasties are your best option. https://www.bareco.com.au/files-general-g9b

Originally Posted by Karl Robbers

Is your loader set up as a Euro Hitch? If so, these beasties are your best option. https://www.bareco.com.au/files-general-g9b

Not a Euro hitch although I plan to convert to that in the future. I've got it set up with the John Deere quick attach as I bought a N.O.S. bucket with that hardware on it, I put a fairly rough-and-ready version of that attachment on the front of the loader and will use it until I get the time to make a Euro setup. I want to get the grapple up and running fairly quickly as the tree removal project is a non-goer once the weather turns.
john deere quick attach.jpg

That's not my tractor, just an image from the web that shows the attachment type.

I was wrong mate apparently obtained them from ebay and had them for a couple of weeks before I fitted them, he said it took about a week and half to arrive, I asked if he had the seller details answer was maybe I will get back to you

Originally Posted by Pete O

Not a Euro hitch although I plan to convert to that in the future. I've got it set up with the John Deere quick attach as I bought a N.O.S. bucket with that hardware on it, I put a fairly rough-and-ready version of that attachment on the front of the loader and will use it until I get the time to make a Euro setup. I want to get the grapple up and running fairly quickly as the tree removal project is a non-goer once the weather turns.

I had half a feeling that it may have been the John Deere hitch. Converting to Euro when time permits will be a definite upgrade.

Originally Posted by China

I was wrong mate apparently obtained them from ebay and had them for a couple of weeks before I fitted them, he said it took about a week and half to arrive, I asked if he had the seller details answer was maybe I will get back to you

Thanks for that China, I had a look on eBay and could only find ex US with delivery mid March (possibly optimistic at present) and I'd like to be able to mount the thing soonish so, of course, impatient as always. A week and a half would be ok so if you are able to get details I'd appreciate it.