You should not be able to tell it has been welded. Now,, this is no place to practice, this is a lifting device. Last edited by Sberry ; , PM. Comment Post Cancel. For the forks I would suggest , fresh out of a new can or round tin. I second the warning; this is no place to be practicing your welding skills, if need be find an experienced welder to do this repair!
Can't help you as far as welding on the mast, but as far as the forks are concerned do not compromise Sure, maybe they can be welded good enough to handle general low height moving of items, but they should never be trusted for overhead lifting.
I used to operate a pound Yale electric forklift at General Motors. During one of the forklift inspections it was found that one of the forks had developed a crack in the web of the "L". The forklift repair guy red tagged my lift truck and stated that I would get it back the next day after they put a new set of forks on it.
I asked why they couldn't just weld the cracked one. He cited federal regulations about not allowing welding of any sort to be done on the fork tines. I don't recall if the regulations were Osha or some other work related issue. I do remember him telling me that the forks were made of heat treated spring steel which can not be welded properly at the bend, and retain the original strength. He said over time the weld will crack. Sorry to discount what Sberry27 stated.
Maybe Sberry27 is correct and the repair guy was wrong, but I thought you may want to hear another point of view since this appears to be a safety related issue. And no I am aware of the osha regulations and I have been welding for yrs. I just wasn't sure of the material the forks was made of, it looked funny to me,Like some kind of cast, hard to decribe. Again thanks for your input and there is some good information on this site with lots of skilled persons here.
I personally count on this rod even in critical usage where cracking is an issue Don't haul much weight at all, just for moving parts and skids around nothing lifted over 6' tall. As far as I can see he made referrence to the fact that the metal can warp. Sberry27 has helped quite a few people on this forum with problems ranging from the minute to the very complex Most of the people joined this forum to gain wisdom and insight, as well as provide the same.
Anyone can be sarcastic, but any wisdom you might possess would be more appreciated presented in a more civil manner. Pat How you doing Pat? All beads were peened immediately after laying.
When finished being welded the entire fork was packed into a custom made container full of a insulation material and left to slowly cool over the weekend. The post-weld test was to install the fork on the machine, stab the fork under part of a building and raise the ass end of the machine without having the fork break or bend.
It passed the test. All this drama was on a 20K Cat machine. This is a bit more than you asked about, but I have seen small pieces of angle and gussets welded into the crotch of the fork. The fork are obviously a medium carbon steel and specific temper, so any welding would require a preheat, a high strength filler material followed by a peen job and a post heat.
I'll bet that Bubba has slammed on a piece of plate, hit it a quick lick with the MIG and had total success, but there is a proper way to do it and that's how I approached the problem. This was probably much more info than you needed. The forks are forged and welding will change that.
Welding on a fork? That's major weld, OSHA, and tort territory. I think I'm a pretty good welder but I'd never touch a forklift fork. Heat treated highly stressed material? Parts subject to frequent abuse and extreme overload? Material handing equipment? Suspended loads? Workplace safety? So far as I know, forklift forks are a safety item: when they are shot, replace them. You probably already looked but here is a Google search for welding forks: weld forklift forks - Google Search Regardless, don't doctor up a forklift fork without competent technical advice.
Most of us here mean well but how do you, a poster seeking answers to a question having job safety implications, sort out the glib BS from sound advice? I don't think there's a cheap way out of your situation but before you bail or do anything rash, check with several major fork suppliers. You can't be the only guy with oddball forks. I wouldn't be opposed to welding as long as you take the proper steps for the materials. Check your local scrap yards.
Both near me have at least a dozen forks laying out front for purchase. They know what to keep. I've also seen where farmers have broke forks and spears for lifting haybail rolls. Everyone of them has welding and gusseting near the mount. Would bet not one ever done the correct way. Monarchist liked this post. Well, all forks are welded in the sense that the mounting hardware is welded to them. However, that's a whole lot different than welding right at the highest stress area. I declined to buy an 18K lift that had a welded fork.
Letting loads down too fast or too forcefully can cause cracks in the forklift Bringing a load down too fast can also cause damage to the floor. Using only one — even for light loads — can put too much pressure on it. This can easily result in bending or cracking. Always log any incident involving forklift fork damage.
Safety procedures should include a daily pre-start inspection of the forklift forks and the forklift itself. If you notice any of these signs, the forklift forks should be pulled from use and either repaired or replaced:. Any of these conditions can make the forklift unsafe to use. When forklift fork repairs need to be done, the first step is to get approval from the manufacturer. Also, you are not allowed to use replacement forklift parts that are different from the original parts.
All new parts must be provided and all repairs approved by the manufacturer before you can begin. This may seem like a burden to companies needing a quick repair to their forklift forks.
However, forklift accidents can cause severe harm to workers, including death. OSHA guidelines are designed to prevent accidents through improper repairs or the use of incorrect parts. If you try to take a shortcut and an accident happens, OSHA will fine your company… even little mistakes can cost dearly! Forklift forks should not be repaired in these situations:.
Our three training programs include:. The number one way workers can stay safe and avoid forklift fork damage is through operator training. Forklift training teaches workers how to safely operate forklifts.
It teaches how to perform equipment inspections.
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