Backhoe bucket, Tooth removal

[joea99]

I have a spare bucket with "teeth". All but the two end teeth were, sort of, easy to remove, the nuts and bolts being amenable to persuasion. If there is a more appropriate location, please move this.

However, the two outside teeth are welded on for some reason. The bolt holes were either filled in, or, broke off, perhaps attempting to remove them and the PO resorted to welding.

It seems quite a task to remove these. I attempted to salvage them by drilling and grinding, but that was a failure, so resorted to attempting to cut and grind, but the welds are quite a job to grind through without damaging the bucket itself.

I have an oxy setup with a cutting head and a 50 amp plasma cutter, but neither seems, the proper tool, at least with my skills. But it does seem the oxy cutting is more likely to work, sort off.

Suggestions?

 

[Tinhack]

It would be far more helpful to the folks trying to help you if you included a couple of pictures. Include a close-up of the welded area and a shot of the tooth. Knowing what bucket might help too. We don't know if it's a loader bucket, hoe bucket or some kind of drag bucket. Somehow, I didn't think to bring the title down to the text.

Edit: I find the best tool for cutting welds is an angle grinder with a thin cut-off blade. It makes quick work of most metals. Don't push it. Let the blade tell you how fast to go. And you must be able to hold the angle grinder in alignment to the cut.

 

[ning]

Are the teeth different? If so, are the teeth tips pinned on?

 

[joea99]

I have a spare bucket with "teeth". All but the two end teeth were, sort of, easy to remove, the nuts and bolts being amenable to persuasion. If there is a more appropriate location, please move this.

However, the two outside teeth are welded on for some reason. The bolt holes were either filled in, or, broke off, perhaps attempting to remove them and the PO resorted to welding.

It seems quite a task to remove these. I attempted to salvage them by drilling and grinding, but that was a failure, so resorted to attempting to cut and grind, but the welds are quite a job to grind through without damaging the bucket itself.

I have an oxy setup with a cutting head and a 50 amp plasma cutter, but neither seems, the proper tool, at least with my skills. But it does seem the oxy cutting is more likely to work, sort off.

Suggestions?

I thought I had included pictures.

 

[joea99]

It would be far more helpful to the folks trying to help you if you included a couple of pictures. Include a close-up of the welded area and a shot of the tooth. Knowing what bucket might help too. We don't know if it's a loader bucket, hoe bucket or some kind of drag bucket. Somehow, I didn't think to bring the title down to the text.

Edit: I find the best tool for cutting welds is an angle grinder with a thin cut-off blade. It makes quick work of most metals. Don't push it. Let the blade tell you how fast to go. And you must be able to hold the angle grinder in alignment to the cut.

I though I had included pictures. I plead "infirmity of years". Mental, apparently.

I have tried the angle grinder route with limited success. The "angles" are the big problem. Burned up the "entry level" HF grinder and went with a DeWalt 11 amp model.

 

[joea99]

Are the teeth different? If so, are the teeth tips pinned on?

The teeth looked the same to me. They're one piece, solid. I added pictures.

 

[joea99]

Progress being made, slowly. Due to angles and space, cannot cut through all the welds. Even so the "broken bolts" that once held the teeth on are rusted in REAL good. Odd.

So, ending up cutting off the tip close to the bucket edge to grind welds a bit more, then cutting down length of the tooth through the middle of each bolt. Once though most of the tooth metal, using a BFH and an old "pickle fork" tie rod tool between the tooth and the bucket does break it free. But, gotta do it 4 times per tooth.

Takes about three 4 1/2 inch cutting disks per tooth.

Kinda sad to sacrifice those two teeth, but, nothing else for it, I guess.

 

[Sportsman762]

I just cut some teeth from a backhoe bucket as I was narrowing it from 16' to 12". You need to use cut off wheels with a hub like below.
Dewalt High-Performance Cutting Wheels DW8062H | Zoro
I remove the grinders shield and run it flat along the cutting edge to cut the weld penetration away. On the outer edge use a normal cut off wheel and go in 1/8" from the edge of the tooth and cut parallel with the edge of the tooth. This will make the tooth a bit narrower but should let you salvage it.

 

[joea99]

I just cut some teeth from a backhoe bucket as I was narrowing it from 16' to 12". You need to use cut off wheels with a hub like below.
Dewalt High-Performance Cutting Wheels DW8062H | Zoro
I remove the grinders shield and run it flat along the cutting edge to cut the weld penetration away. On the outer edge use a normal cut off wheel and go in 1/8" from the edge of the tooth and cut parallel with the edge of the tooth. This will make the tooth a bit narrower but should let you salvage it.

I did not know they made hubbed cutting wheels. Never saw any offered. That should allow pretty much flush cuts.

Thanks.

Now I see there are "Type 27" cutting disks that seem to have a depressed center to "eat" the locking nut. So many options. Now that I'm done.

 

[Sportsman762]

The 027 depressed wheels are not truly flush on most grinders as the nut and thread stick out a little (or in Metabo's case a whole lot). They help a whole lot, but still are not perfect. The ones with a hub are almost flat with about a 1/16" lip on bottom.