Plastic Liners Keep Buckets Clean

Plastic Liners Keep Buckets Clean TRACTORS Loaders Dave Julian specializes in lining loader buckets with poly so they dump clean whether handling frozen manure or hot asphalt “I’ve done dirt moving for 20 years and always had stuff sticking in the bucket ” says Julian “I tried all kinds of things until I came up with a way to use UHMW poly Nothing sticks to it “ Some formulations of UHMW poly are 15 times more abrasion resistant than steel It’s also highly resistant to corrosive chemicals has low moisture absorption and is very slippery Julian buys poly in sheets and cuts it to fit The trick is how to shape it and bond it to a bucket Rollout buckets with their many adjacent surfaces were a special challenge but even a simple curved bucket with 2 ends has 2 seams to seal “You need a tight connection that seals out moisture and contaminates from getting behind the liner ” explains Julian “Plastic welding is normally a gluey thing If you heat the UHMW enough to melt it it usually burns I came up with a way to get welds that are unheard of in the industry ” Through extensive research as well as trial and error he identified equipment that would let him heat the UHMW enough to shape it to fit a bucket As it cooled the poly fibers hardened into the new shape A second challenge came from creating a single solid surface where the bucket lining requires multiple pieces Julian’s method includes using a custom-made brass tip that liquefies the edges of the UHMW liner pieces and plastic emerging from his welding gun The 3 plastics blend in their liquid state As they cool they produce a hard curved joint Another challenge was how to affix the UHMW to hardened steel buckets Again research and experimentation provided an answer Julian came up with what he views as a trade secret a way to attach special metal fasteners through the plastic to the steel bucket Edges of the plastic require special treatment as well Julian starts by dadoing the edge of the plastic then attaching a strip of double offset steel over the edge of the plastic and spot welding it to the bucket edge “I use high tensile steel 7/16 in thick and 2 1/4 in wide laser cut for plug welds ” explains Julian “I can use 6 lbs of welding wire securing the bottom edge and side edges of a liner on a big bucket On the top edge of a liner I may use a strip of angle iron The majority of the time that edge doesn’t even get dirty ” Julian prices each job individually depending on the type of UHMW and the thickness that he uses Labor is a big part of the cost A simple payloader bucket may require 18 to 20 hrs while a smaller skid steer bucket can take just as much time because of the difficulty of welding in the confined space Julian points out that time savings combined with reduced maintenance and extended bucket and hydraulic cylinder life can more than pay for a liner Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Dave Julian PayLiner ph 605 695-2196; www payliner biz

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