Bucket metal thickness?

[kuby]

Does anyone know what thickness of metal for makeing a loader bucket in the 25-35 hp range??

 

[Taylortractornut]

Ive built a few for folks with loaders and the thickest Ive used was 1/4 and 5/16. I made for an old 8N Ford had 1/8th sheet metal for the shell and 1.5 by 3/16 flats for the bottom ribs. I also used the 1.5x3/16ths to make the cutting edge later I used to for a support for when I added a bucket extension to it. The very last bucket I made was 3/16ths sheet I ordered sheared to the exact bucket width. I took it over to my cousins fab shop and used his homemade Brake to form the bucket shell then I made the side plates, brackets, and ribs.

 

[jimgerken]

Homemade Brake for 3/16" steel? We need photos. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Taylortractornut]

Ive seen it bend 6 foot sections of 3/8th plate but the plate had to be slotted on the bendlines. Its 2 inches shy of 8 feet because they got into production of T1 steel demo bodies for dump trucks at on time and warped it. I had some a tree spade bucket bent today their. He gets 15 bucks an hour for its use I cant go wrong there. I can get up to 5/16ths bent at the steel supply Tigrett Steel for free with any order ad long as its not super complex. But I like to do it myself somtimes with my cousins machine and his help when needed. Hes the one that made the homebuilt TLB I posted sometimes back all the tapered arms are bent on the same brake. Hopefully next week Ill have to take a couple dumpster off another lot near his shop and Ill drop by for a minute.

 

[kuby]

I am thinking 3/16 is what I am going to use. That should be plenty heavy enough but hopefully not to heavy for my tractor.

 

[have_blue]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I am thinking 3/16 is what I am going to use. That should be plenty heavy enough but hopefully not to heavy for my tractor. )</font>

That'll work. Use 1/4" doublers and you wind up with 7/16 at all the stress points.