quick attach frame to hold forks. what size material should I use?

[sniper695]

I just pick up a set of forks off craiglist, I want to make a frame for them that will work with my tractors quick attach system on the FEL. my question is what size and thickness of metal do I need, I was planning on making a rectangular frame witha lip on the top and bottom to hold the forks. what size tubing or c channel should I use? for the frame, how wide should the "lip material be? I plan on making it as thick as possible but still fit in the fork lift notch. would 2-3 inches be enough? I am going to weld it to the frame the whole distance. something like this picture

 

[M5farms]

when I built mine I used 3X3 tubing 3/8??? I think. I welded a 1/2" square rod on the outside edge on the top and used 3/8" channel on the bottom. I have had no issues and have extreme pressure and loads on it

 

[sniper695]

I hadn't thought of using channel that way, would it work for top and bottom to use channel and have the forks groove run into the channel? or would channel not be strong enough?

 

[M5farms]

if its thick enough it will be fine. I will take a pic of an actual forklift frame in a few minutes and post it.

 

[M5farms]

 

[M5farms]

Here is mine.
.

 

[sniper695]

thank you, that is almost exactly what I am thinking of building, looks pretty easy. is there anyway to figure out if channel on the top would work? seems like that would make it very simple, channel top and bottom, tube or more channel for the sides.

 

[M5farms]

look at your channel and measure the height of the lip. then measure the depth of the "hook" on the forks. you want the fork to rest in the channel. You may have to cut the height down and might have to add some flat bar inside the lip to achieve the correct thickness

 

[sniper695]

thats what I was thinking, I have not bought the metal yet, I was going to call the metal place and see what they have. I f I go with the channel I will either trim the front down or add metal in the valley to support the lip.

 

[ishiboo]

If you have to buy the metal anyway, I would use >=3/8 flat bar over the tube for the lips. You can easily notch it out just as the professionals do it. Sufficient channel otherwise for the load is going to be very thin at the top.

 

[countrybumpkin]

Here is a set I built a couple yeas back, they have held up with no issues.

The square tube is 2-1/2" 3/16" thick, the side plates and center support are 3" wide 3/8" thick and the rails are 2" wide 1/2" thick. The saftey rack is 2" wide 1/4" thick.

 

[mwb]

Here is a drawing of the one I built. Works well and easy to build. There are some details missing - QA brackets need gussets obviously but this should give you a good start.
I notched the top hanger such that the forks could be locked side by side; awesome for slinging, poking at rocks...

 

[sniper695]

how exactly are the notches used? my forks don't seem to have anything in them that catches, do you use something in the notch to hold the fork?

 

[ishiboo]

how exactly are the notches used? my forks don't seem to have anything in them that catches, do you use something in the notch to hold the fork?

All of the forks I've owned have a small spring-loaded pin at the top, when it's not "open" the fork is locked into the notch so it can't move.

 

[sniper695]

okay, thanks I will have to see if mine have that, I haven;t looked that closely

 

[Xfaxman]

There have been many threads here in the past about building fork frames like you want to do. If you have to buy the metal, you might want to check the cost of a fork frame from some of the site advertisers.

Call Travis and see what the frame only, would cost. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...g-attachments-manufacturing-pallet-forks.html

Here is one of the threads: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/331277-building-set-forks-need-some.html

 

[Leejohn]

You can blow this picture up and see how I did mine. The metal that hold the forks is 1/2" flat stock and the frame is 2 X 2 X 1/4", The 1/4" wall is a little heavy, could of been 3/16", it's what I had.

 

[metalcaster]

When I built a set a few years ago I didn't want to machine the notches in the top for the catch pins. Instead I cut off the top of the forks and welded some extra heavy wall pipe to the top and then used a 1-3/16" D bar on the top so that the forks would be infinitely adjustable. Used some 1/2" x 4" on the bottom to catch the lower lip of the fork. The top was 2" x 3" x 1/8" wall and they were connected with some 2" x 6" x 1/4" tube. It all held up very well for the 8 years I had it.