Forks Toothbar & Bucket Forks

Ed_Indiana · Jun 3, 2009

I have been with this forum for 4 years and log in everyday. I have not posted many times, but would like to share a toothbar & bucket forks that I recently made with the help of a machinest friend of mine. The toothbar will flip back into the bucket and allow me to attach the forks. Also the toothbar is almost flush with the bucket bottom to allow for smooth back dragging. The forks attach with spring loaded ratchets with the bolt attached and allen screws on the bucket floor. They are heavy duty.

Knight · Jun 3, 2009

Great job at making the tooth bar the way you need it to be.
I like it!

Secret Squirrel · Jun 3, 2009

Ed_Indiana said:
I have been with this forum for 4 years and log in everyday. I have not posted many times, but would like to share a toothbar & bucket forks that I recently made with the help of a machinest friend of mine. The toothbar will flip back into the bucket and allow me to attach the forks. Also the toothbar is almost flush with the bucket bottom to allow for smooth back dragging. The forks attach with spring loaded ratchets with the bolt attached and allen screws on the bucket floor. They are heavy duty.

Congratulations on a picture perfect set of mods! We should all have machinist friends like you have!

Rusty

two_bit_score · Jun 3, 2009

Ed_Indiana said:
I have been with this forum for 4 years and log in everyday. I have not posted many times, but would like to share a toothbar & bucket forks that I recently made with the help of a machinest friend of mine. The toothbar will flip back into the bucket and allow me to attach the forks. Also the toothbar is almost flush with the bucket bottom to allow for smooth back dragging. The forks attach with spring loaded ratchets with the bolt attached and allen screws on the bucket floor. They are heavy duty.

Obviously high quality work.

Jrrcorp · Jun 5, 2009

That is a really imaginative design! Great job! Sure beats having to take the tooth bar on and off all the time.

foggy1111 · Jun 6, 2009

Very nicely done. What is the material that is used for the forks?

And.....if high strength material (as it appears) how did you bend the 90 degree? I like the way the forks attach.

Edit....On closer inspection, it appears the forks are welded at the 90 degree I had inquired about.

Ed_Indiana · Jun 6, 2009

Yes, the forks are welded at the bend. Will get back to you on metal specifics, but I do know the bucket would bend before the forks would. I have of course scooped up many a large brush pile, also railroad ties, telephone poles ( which I later cut up intp 8' fence brace post) and I lifted good size trees for chainsawing into firewood.

newbury · Jun 7, 2009

Ok -
Enough!
Are you going to sell them?
Love the design.

TGD · Jun 7, 2009

Hmm, the tooth bar looks like it is patterned after one (the FTB style) from WR Long, though yours flips into the bucket further than the WR Long one does.

duckhunt · Jun 7, 2009

Looks Great! I like that way it protects your cutting edge when really working is hard material. Hope to build one myself this summer.

foggy1111 · Jun 7, 2009

Was just looking at this design.....again...and really like it. Before buying my clamp on forks and tooth bar (Markham) I considered having my friend at the welding shop do something similar. HOWEVER.....I was contemplating how to "hook" the forks onto some bucket hooks that would be bolted (or welded) to the top of my material bucket. I thought I could come up with "quick tatch" forks this way.....but I am not certain it would pan out. FWIW....would be a slick set up if someone would make 'em.

Ed_Indiana · Jun 7, 2009

I should have taken a picture of the underside of the bucket with the forks mounted and you would see the deep slot in the forks that slide (sandwich) onto the bucket. The ratchet attachment that secures the top of the forks to the bucket were the invention and design of the machinest.

Ed_Indiana · Jun 8, 2009

Foggy 1111, The material for both the Forks & Toothbar are "1045 Hot Rolled Steel".

gordyy · Jun 8, 2009

Every body needs a machinist friend like yours ed very nice design and very good work

jnjpream · Oct 31, 2009

Ed_Indiana,

Did you guys build the teeth too? And how is the 1045 holding up? Is it wearing worse or better than the normal bucket edge?

I'm always looking for another winter project..

Thanks.

Ed_Indiana · Nov 1, 2009

Have pryed up some stumps & rocks and of course many scoops of dirt. The biggest test was a was a buckeye tree with deeper roots. Picked the rear end of the B7800 off the ground. I thought for sure I had bent the toothbar, but all is well. I have learned there are limits to what can be done.

Ed_Indiana · Nov 1, 2009

Yes, we made the teeth. And so far no wear or damage to the teeth or any part of the toothbar or bucket edge.

jnjpream · Nov 1, 2009

Curious how you made the teeth.. Did you use square tubing and just cut it diagonally?

Thanks.

Ed_Indiana · Nov 4, 2009

One quarter inch wall two inch square tubing. Very heavy wall for that size tubing. Then I used 1 and one half X One and one half inch sq stock milled the correct angle on one end. I made the tooth from 1045 hr steel and milled the same angle on one end, then welded the tooth to the 1 and one half sq under the angle of the sq stock. I predrilled the sq tubing and the sq stock to except a 5/16th roll pin. This is what mounts the tooth to the bar. Then I welded the assembly to the bar itself. All welds ground smooth so the soil would flow over it easy and not get sbagged.