So I broke my new bucket truck already...

SkwerI

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central Florida
Nothing major, but two days ago I finally broke off the stupid cover on the material handler. On my big truck the material handler is in between the bucket and the boom so it's relatively protected. This one hangs outside on the opposite side of the boom. And this truck was designed for telephone/cable work, not tree work, so compactness and line of sight aren't big concerns.

So today I went online and ordered two large cutting boards measuring 18"x24". https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DI5VCA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The high density polyethylene will hold up well to abuse. This is also handy for rebuilding saw scabbards instead of paying the outrageous prices from the arbor supply houses. I also went by Steel Plus and picked up 12' of 1.5" angle iron.

My plan is to build a frame with angle iron and bolt the polyethylene to the outside. It will be a lot more compact than the original but still protect the critical components. I will remove the inner molding to get it out of the way and allow me to see between the boom and material handler so I can watch for obstacles instead of having a massive blind spot.
 

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Good idea re the cutting board. I use a piece of orange plastic on the wear areas of the saw scabbard, I found it on the beach and it is a material similar to cutting boards. The scabbard dates to 1994 and sees use almost daily.
 
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  • #4
The shrouds are only designed to insulate the truck from power lines. They were never designed to be shoved into trees. I'm putting the cutting board on the outside in order to help maintain some level of insulation. I refuse to use those stupid plastic bolts though.
 
I love repurposing stuff, tanaka drills comes to mind. There should be a college course for it so some of these idiots getting out could have some use in life.

Stuffs gotta be tough for tree work
 
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  • #7
And any extra cutting board, you can make stacking plates for wedging.

Rebuild saw scabbards. In fact I may buy a couple more since they are so cheap. Got some places I can use them on the big truck as well.

I'll take more pics as I put it together. Wanted to show the 'before' so that the 'after' makes sense.
 
Yeah, I get what you are using them for. Slide the bar in on the side of the bucket. I am thinking I might make something in the back of the support truck to slide them into. Damn plastic ones aint worth a cats ass. I has an idea.
 
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This morning I worked on it a little. Wish I could weld, would be so much easier. But the bolts will also hold the polyethylene in place and the frame will be hidden underneath. I tried to show just how huge the old cover is versus how much actually needs protection.
 

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I will look and consider that closely. The boom is still insulated so I'm thinking if power can't get to ground then I should be ok. My bucket and hand control are plastic/insulated so I can operate the bucket without touching metal. I'm thinking it might not pass muster with an official inspection but I believe I will be fine with it. I do very little work around power lines and when I do I'm very cautious. I'm not burned out on it like the guys doing line clearance every day 40 hours per week.
 
If you want to weld just buy a welder and practice. Taking a class is good but plenty of books out on the subject. You're a smart guy, you might find metallurgy to be an interesting subject.
 
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  • #17
Was busy working today and had dinner plans so I wasn't able to work on the truck. I did get the cutting boards sized and bolted on last night. Still need one more piece for the back but I need to put it on the truck first to get the measurements.
 

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Just caught up with this Brian, good thinking on the poly board. Those covers are junk, I was forever hanging them on something. Bucket liners work great for that kind of stuff, I've used them for all kinds of projects. That material handler is the cat's meow. What make of truck and boom is it?
 
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  • #20
Altec TA37M. It looks a lot like the AT37G but it's substantially beefier. The truck is a 2008 Chevy C5500 with the Duramax diesel and Allison auto.
 
Very nice! The extendable upper boom and small chassis lets you get in some tight places and still gives some reach. Worked Altecs a lot, pretty sweet. For taking out stuff with no rigging point like live oaks over roofs, that material handler can't be beat.
 
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  • #23
Finally got my new guard plate installed. This is the final result.
 

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