Grapple project last summer

[Daniel]

I thought I'd show a bit of what I do. Sometimes I have to go to the equipment and sometimes they'll bring the pieces to the shop.I love what I do, always something new. I work on anything that's related to logging, minning and farming,all the way down to a little bracket that open a little doors for a bee farmer

[Sonora Iron]

Nice job Daniel!
I’ve built a few grapples over the years for cranes to handle rock in quarries. Somewhat like a clam bucket.

[JSFAB]

Just a comment ..... I assume you were welding on the extra gussets on the grapple claws themselves, I see in the last picture the ground clamp on the part the grapple claws are attached to. I ALWAYS, clamp direct to the part I'm welding to, to insure no arcing thru bearings, bushings, pins, hydraulic cylinders, etc.

[Daniel]

Just a comment ..... I assume you were welding on the extra gussets on the grapple claws themselves, I see in the last picture the ground clamp on the part the grapple claws are attached to. I ALWAYS, clamp direct to the part I'm welding to, to insure no arcing thru bearings, bushings, pins, hydraulic cylinders, etc.

Good point JS. I moved it to the gusset after I had it tacked in place. I should've welded a tab to the arm to tack the gusset in, now that I think of it.
Flat bar and magnetic ground clamp were not a commodity at the time and nothing small enough on the arm for my spring loaded ground clamp to clamp to.

[Daniel]

Nice job Daniel!
I’ve built a few grapples over the years for cranes to handle rock in quarries. Somewhat like a clam bucket.

Thank you Sonora, I love my job. A 12 to 14 hours day goes by like nothing. Come home with the sunset after a good days work, nothing like it.
PS notice that nice little machine behind the cab

[Sonora Iron]

PS notice that nice little machine behind the cab

To far away for these old eyes to tell what it is.

[JSFAB]

Looks like a Vantage 400 or 500???? Kinda hard to tell. I am impressed, by the big fire extinguisher,,,, most guys only think of it AFTER the fire, not before,,,,, by the time you run back and get the fire extinguisher, usually the fire is far beyond your capability to put it out.

That all being said, I would be more than willing to weld the ground to the work, sacrifice a $20 ground clamp, rather than work my way thru, fixing various arc'd bearings and cylinders later.

[Daniel]

The bad a$$ of all, big blue air pak. That's a sweet machine.
You cant see on any of the pictures, but I have one of those tin back pack water tank with the hand pump, you know like the pedal bike air pump, it's actually a old one made out of copper but still work very good, probably fit 5 gallons of water in there. I always make sure to put the equipment in a fire safe area.

[m.k.swelding]

looks good I think it will work another day.

[J hall]

A simple trick... lay your ground clamp on the steel and hold it with your leg until the part is tacked, use a tarp strap to hold it, you get the idea.

Never ever take a chance on arcing through moving parts.

Nice looking gusset