Dumper bucket holes

[Matchless?58]

I have a thwaites Orion dumper and it's starting to wear very thin in the bottom of the bucket . It's already got a few holes so I pretty much have to do something before it goes completely . I don't really want to try and patch the holes because of the thinness of the metal I don't think that would work . So the only solution would be to cut out the thin metal at the bottom of the bucket and renew it .
I'm very much a novice welder so I need some advice . What thickness of steel would I need to repair the bucket ? Would it be best to go over the whole base of the bucket with a sheet of steel to reinforce it and leave the old base in situ ?
I have been looking at other dumpers on the internet because I was just going to swap the bucket out for another one save a lot of work but they are all in the same condition as mine .
All advice welcome btw it's mig welder I have .

[essexpete]

The problem with laying over is trapping moisture and then causing the over lay to rust. At least that has been my experience with old steel floored trailers.

[TrevorJ]

If the holes are few and small from rust from sitting, layering works with a mig (thick block of copper under the hole anti splatter coated to hold the weld pool as it spills downwards - for the first initial layer) ... but it has worn thin the better option is replace with a new sheet. The cost of a new sheet might be a stumbling point, but it might be harder to source thin high tensile sheeting ... but maybe in there in the UK the metal market is still fairly varied on product offerings. Also remember that if cutting a bottom out which might aid holding the tray or bucket's shape, it pays to weld a couple of strategic braces in place which will allow the new sheet to go in place.

[Matchless?58]

Thank you both for your advice . It seems that the best way to go would be to remove the bottom of the bucket completely . Good advice re the extra braces to weld to . I just hope this is not beyond my ability as I'm still very much a novice welder . The bucket is on the verge of being unusable anyway so I will probably have a go . Can anyone give me any advice on material thickness and type to use on a dumper bucket ?

[Matchless?58]

Sorry just reread your post and picked up high tensile steel . What thickness and would that be the only material to use ?

[Jeremy Rowland]

Sorry just reread your post and picked up high tensile steel . What thickness and would that be the only material to use ?

Chris, I would cut out a good piece of the material that is left from your dumper body and either measure it using a micrometer or take it with you to your steel supplier for a sample, as for welding the best way is to use a decent arc welder with some good arc rods, again tell your supplier what you are going to weld and they should be very helpful and advise you, use the welder on a high power setting; I am assuming that you have taken the body of the said machine!

Jeremy

[TrevorJ]

Jeremy advice is probably more on point with his familiarity with such equipment and knowing what sort of steel is on offer in the UK. Australia it's more a situation of sol most times, and hope to find some offcuts from those industries that purchase / import their steel sheets.

Being a small bucket / tray (going by pics on the web) you would do ok with mild steel if nothing else was available, opting for a bit thicker to compensate. However I would guess they were manufactured using a higher grade / tensile steel. I have run across a small old UK made truck where I'd assume the tray was original, thin section but strong steel that had also done not too bad in the tropical humid weather of Queensland ... back in the day when we had wet seasons and "one in ten year events" was every month or so.

It's mainly going to be down to what you can source locally and at a good price.

The mig welding should be straight forward, keep in mind duty cycle. I have no idea the quality of migs sold over in the UK but it shouldn't be hard to do an ok job ... I typically weld high range, resulting in a higher voltage, and dialling the wire feed a bit more than that of spray deposition, closer to a rhythmic splutter/ buzz where the wire end constantly almost dipping into the weld pool as it arcs off. From there you can fine tune for what's working for you, the welder and shield gas type being used.

Also remember to work from all sides, tack then work in small runs, one one side, the next move to the opposite and then back offset ... a bit like the pattern to tighten wheel nuts. Four sided objects you might do corners, middles and then move to quarters working around the entire sheet ... ensuring a fool proof way for novices even like myself can't get too wrong. I have seen pros just weld one side in entirety, but they've set it up so contraction pulls the sheet evenly into position to tack the other sides ... way beyond my limited skills.

[Jeremy Rowland]

Jeremy advice is probably more on point with his familiarity with such equipment and knowing what sort of steel is on offer in the UK. Australia it's more a situation of sol most times, and hope to find some offcuts from those industries that purchase / import their steel sheets.

Being a small bucket / tray (going by pics on the web) you would do ok with mild steel if nothing else was available, opting for a bit thicker to compensate. However I would guess they were manufactured using a higher grade / tensile steel. I have run across a small old UK made truck where I'd assume the tray was original, thin section but strong steel that had also done not too bad in the tropical humid weather of Queensland ... back in the day when we had wet seasons and "one in ten year events" was every month or so.

It's mainly going to be down to what you can source locally and at a good price.

The mig welding should be straight forward, keep in mind duty cycle. I have no idea the quality of migs sold over in the UK but it shouldn't be hard to do an ok job ... I typically weld high range, resulting in a higher voltage, and dialling the wire feed a bit more than that of spray deposition, closer to a rhythmic splutter/ buzz where the wire end constantly almost dipping into the weld pool as it arcs off. From there you can fine tune for what's working for you, the welder and shield gas type being used.

Also remember to work from all sides, tack then work in small runs, one one side, the next move to the opposite and then back offset ... a bit like the pattern to tighten wheel nuts. Four sided objects you might do corners, middles and then move to quarters working around the entire sheet ... ensuring a fool proof way for novices even like myself can't get too wrong. I have seen pros just weld one side in entirety, but they've set it up so contraction pulls the sheet evenly into position to tack the other sides ... way beyond my limited skills.

Good points there Trevor I forgot to say that you can also hire welding sets if you don't have a decent set of your own, just another option to consider.

Jeremy

[essexpete]

I am not convinced a small dumper skip was made with any high grade steel and if it was mild steel repair will not be an issue on occasional careful use.

[Matchless?58]

Thank you all for your help and advice . This job is down for the summer months as trying to do it outside when it's blowing a gale is not an option ive got no where undercover to work . I'm going to start sorting out materials now I know what to buy . Thanks for the welding tips very useful as this will be my biggest job yet . Must admit I'm enjoying learning a new skill especially now as I'm coming to the end of my life as a wage slave .
Cheers all