Homemade Grapple

[Skeptic]

When I got my tractor one the projects that I knew I needed to work on was clearing all the blackberry brambles and other types of hard to pick up brush and debris.
I saw a really nifty grapple. But it was a bit higher priced than I was willing to spend.
So a bit of planning, plotting and computer time later here is the on going project.
I designed the claws for the grapple with a drawing program and then exported the files as dxf files. I took the files down and had them plasma cut at a shop about 20 minutes from my house.
I decided on 5/16" - T1 for the teeth for the strength.
With all the parts cut I then tacked them with my wirefeed then used a dual shield process for welding the pieces together.
I am having my hinge pieces cut this week, the hydraulic rams were delivered this last week. So everything is coming together /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I have a picture of the bottom part somewhere here, I will put it a little later.
In the mean time here are 3 shots.

 

[Skeptic]

Picture of Tacked Claw

 

[Skeptic]

This is in the welding booth in the welding class I am taking.

 

[Mark_in_NH]

Shari,
Very nice !!!!! that certainly looks like it will be rugged enough. Please keep the pictures coming as you progess.
I think that a grapple attchment is one of those items many of us yearn to own.

 

[MossRoad]

Wow! Very nice project.

 

[Eric_Whitney]

Looks good so far, you will have to take some close up pictures of the welds. What style welding are you going to schools for? I would love to take some TIG classes.

 

[GaryM]

Looks really nice. I'd love to have one, but then I'd have to add more hydraulics onto the tractor.

 

[PineRidge]

Shari that looks like a right mean looking claw to me. Nice project, please keep the pictures flowing.

 

[enbloc]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What style welding are you going to schools for? I would love to take some TIG classes. )</font>

Depending on your local community college - welding and other vocational classes often tend to be quite flexible (sometimes to the point of being unstructured) - especially if the instructor knows you're only taking a few classes and not seeking any kind of degree or certification. I'm actually signed up for Tig Plate and Pipe III or something like that. I spent the previous portion of the semester learning stick, and decided to get some oxy/acetylene in before the end of the semester. Right now I'm doing the "Wax On, Wax off" thing - but it really is what you make it. If you want to use the class to build something (within reason) you can do that, if you want to take the class to get help with your upside down backflip left handed backhand welding - you can do that, or you can use it to get some experience with different types of welding before you go sink a bunch of money into your equipment.

The machining class I took had one fellow who was a fairly skilled machinist who had a southbend 9x36" lathe at home. He took the class because he didn't have a mill the size of the ones at school. Most night vocational school programs are hurting for students. Go ahead, they're probably more than happy to help you out. The local community college ends up costing about $100 for residents for one class for a semester. I bet I've burned up $100 worth of rods, electricity and scrap this fall - and it doesn't sit in a huge pile rusting behind my garage.

 

[Skeptic]

Here is a not too good picture of one of the welds on the one inch square tubing.
The evening classes at the Technical college let you work at your own pace.
I did oxy-fuel and stick welding (6010 and 7018 in all positions). This quarter I have spent most of my time on MIG welding. Solid wire, self shielded and dual shield.
I decided that dual shield was the best process to use here. I wanted good penetration and I could get a good weld with a single pass. The T-1 is 5/16 and the tubing is 1/4 wall on the 2 inch and .062 on the 1 inch.
I did this with the dual shield with .052 wire, I believe. I preheated the welding surface to 150 F before welding.
I have really enjoyed the welding classes. Since I have all the welders available at home (I swear my father collects tools like some people collect baseball cards) I wanted to know how to run all of the welders enough to do anything around the farm or auto work.
The classes are self paced and the instructors that I have both work in industry, one in the shipyards and one is a structural welder.
I will hopefully get some more pictures taken when I get ready to put the hinges together.
More pictures in a day or so.