Loader Bucket Repair Question

[mongobird]

A front end loader bucket on a compact tractor (770A loader on Ford 1510) has the hard edge separating from the bucket in three areas: the right side, the left side and the middle, which in general corresponds to where I end up prying things and digging out rocks, etc.

Inspection reveals that the weld is intact to the bucket but the hard edge has separated from the bucket for 4 to 9 inches in each of these areas, and the resulting gap is about 2mm. Dirt is packed into the gap, and pressure washing the edge, along with probing with a small screwdriver gets about 3/4" of depth. A piece of MIG wire goes a little deeper, but not much.

I am thinking that I can c-clamp the hard edge to the bucket when making a repair, and that I should probably grind some of the existing weld on the bucket off. But beyond that I am at a loss. Not much experience. Since the original weld did not appear to penetrate the hard edge, I assume that getting penetration may be a challenge.

I am open to suggestions, and I am looking for scraps of similar materials from a neighbor farmer, so that I can do a little practice.

Anyone up to commenting with some direction on this, and how they might go about a similar repair? I am a noob to electric welding, but have done gas welding, brazing and hard soldering for years with OA. I have a Multimatic 200, and have done some MIG practice, but have not practiced much with stick yet.

Thanks.

[lakedrum03]

Clean out of the dirt if key. So is prepping the the surfaces completely.

Clean it, grind both pieces, clamp the f- out of it, preheat with a torch until it is red, then do a root pass with some 6010/11 rod and a few topping passes with 7018.

That would be how I would do it, but who am I?

[ryanjones2150]

Loader Bucket Repair Question

I have no idea who you are.

[lakedrum03]

I have no idea who you are.

Well, at least we can agree on one thing.

[mongobird]

Why use the 6010/11 first? Because of a different flux action?

[Aeronca41]

6010/11 has outstanding penetration and will also help blast out any crud you may have missed in the cleaning process.

[old jupiter]

Why heat it to red before welding? Which of the particular steels used for bucket edges calls for that much pre-heat? And which of those steels calls for anything other than dry low-hydrogen rod (or equivalent wire)?

[lakedrum03]

Why heat it to red before welding? Which of the particular steels used for bucket edges calls for that much pre-heat? And which of those steels calls for anything other than dry low-hydrogen rod (or equivalent wire)?

With that hardened steel for the cutting edge, some extra heat will almost guarantee deep penetration with some 60xx. It probably does not need to be red, but should be plenty hot.

[mongobird]

With that hardened steel for the cutting edge, some extra heat will almost guarantee deep penetration with some 60xx. It probably does not need to be red, but should be plenty hot.

Will heating the cutting edge adversely impact the hardness and wear durability?

[Old Skool]

clean out of the dirt if key. So is prepping the the surfaces completely.

Clean it, grind both pieces, clamp the f- out of it, preheat with a torch until it is red, then do a root pass with some 6010/11 rod and a few topping passes with 7018.

That would be how i would do it, but who am i?

false / bad information. Keep blasting away with the pressure washer, if there's any gap it will have to eventually blow it all out. 7018 stringer beads from the root on out. Slight preheat / slow cool, never cherry red.

[old jupiter]

Yup.

Except I'll add that in some situations 9018 or better might be appropriate.

[ryanjones2150]

Loader Bucket Repair Question

7018 has been used for eons on these types of repairs. Not sure why you'd need to over engineer this weldment. It's not a piano. Clean it, weld it, be good for another however many years until you tear it up pulling stumps or something. I don't see how preheat is necessary. The wear plates may be some sort of hardened steel or low alloy something or other...but like I said, it's not a piano. Weld it properly and you'll be fine. If I was making this repair, I would most likely use either 7018 or spray transfer on the mig, just to make sure I burn it in good.

[mongobird]

I don't have spray transfer capability.

I do have stick capability, but have never done stick. So I have to learn and practice but it looks like a fairly simple joint to do.

Also I agree that pressure washing is the best way to clean out the gap, and I can clamp everything together nicely prior to rejoining the two pieces at the front of the bucket.

This is slightly off topic, but at the same time I would like to put some new where resistant finish on the cutting edge. 30 years ago I used the product provided by the welding shop at work, which I applied with oxy acetylene, because I did not have TIG capability then. Satellite is what they called the rod. I have one piece left and I would love to find more, because applying it with oxy acetylene was very easy and very smooth, and it has lasted about 30 years. I am concerned if I don't apply something the hard edge is wearing faster now than it used to.

So I will get a package of 7018, and I will get some scraps, and I will practice with 7018 until I think I can do this job. Given my schedule I will probably tackle it in late October, but there is little work that I will be doing with the bucket between now and then.

I'm still open to ideas, but I want to thank everyone who has chimed in thus far.

[MMW]

Clean it out best you can, grind off the old weld so you have a clean surface, clamp tight then weld with 7018. It's a bucket, don't over think it.

Pre heat to cherry red is bad info. If it is cold & damp when you get around to it then slight pre heat to remove moisture, you'll see the moisture leave, doesn't take much. Even that is probably overkill though.

[ryanjones2150]

Loader Bucket Repair Question

That satellite or whatever sounds like just some sort of hardfacing rod. There are tons of different brands. I've only used stick rod for hardfacing, but it comes is all forms. Pretty much any sort of hardfacing would probably work fine. Your wear plates might not be much more than mild steel after all. I know hardfacing rod does not have much for penetration, but that's by design. It's supposed to have low dilution with the base metal to keep it's "hardness" properties...I'm sure there is a technical term for it more suitable, but I'm sure you get what I mean.