Smooth bucket attachment

We had a need for a smooth bucket for our Takeuchi TB135 mini excavator. A smooth buck cost around $1100. I built this attachment for $80. I purchased a piece of 1/4" plate from my local steel supplier. The plate measured 12 inches by 72 inches. First, I cut two pieces with a torch, for the top and bottom of the bucket. I tack welded the two pieces together. Then, I cut four more pieces to close in the sides. I welded all of the pieces together with the arc welder. After everything was welded, I drilled a 3/8" hole through the plate and the bucket. When drilling holes in metal I always start with a small bit and work up to the final size. In this case I started with a 1/8" bit. I usually step up in 16th inch increments. This helps reduce the wear on the drill bits. Another mistake I see is using a cordless drill at full speed while drilling through metal. This will also shorten the life of your drill bits. Think about it like this, drill presses turn at a low RPM for a reason. I drilled holes on both sides of the bucket and attached the plate with grade 8, 3/8" bolts for easy installation and removal. The project can easily be completed in a day, it took me around four hours.

Here's the finished product

Side view

Top view

Bottom view