# Trying To Restore Honda Bucket



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

First pictures shows a used to be perfect bucket that backed into by a car. I'm not sure it can be pulled put or straightened out . The augers would just tear up the inside if used. Not sure if picture shows but the bucket is tweeked into the impeller part of the housing.

The picture of the other bucket shows a damaged bottom and sides but otherwise the alignment is perfect.

I was thinking of cutting out the bottom 3 or so inches where the scraper bar goes and the sides from the tweeked bucket and weld it to the other bucket.

what do you think or advise? I'm fairly new at welding. I have a Lincoln Electric Mig without gas at this time but could add a regulator and gas bottle if that would be better.

I also have a couple really trashed buckets that I could practice on. I know a couple members here have refurbished buckets and would welcome suggestions from people who have done something like this.Thank You.


----------



## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

Use the shielding gas, you will get a nicer weld, but you might have to change to the Non Flux Cored wire, and sometimes when you do that, you have to change the polarity of the ground and electrode leads.
It will give you some practice.
That housing is a little bit warped.


----------



## 71Dragtruck (Oct 27, 2019)

The gas kit is the way to go vs flux core they will weld thinner metal and do a way nicer job, I converted my 110v flux core to a gas mig and never looked back, you have to add the reg and gas, change the tip and inside core of the wand and line for the smaller wire, and as said swap a couple wires inside for polarity. 

That all being said if you know someone with a tig welder that is honestly the way to go for thin metal and a nice job.


----------



## JnC (Feb 21, 2014)

I picked up a 2011 model HS928 a few years ago that got backed onto by the owner's truck, it was in worse shape than the one you are showing, I brought it to a body shop, paid them a $100 and the guy jigged it up on his frame straightener and brought it back into spec, I'd say 95% back to spec, I was more than happy with the result to say the least. Try the same and see if a local body shop can help. 

I have had good luck with flux core if I am working with anything 1/8" and above, for sheetmetal stuff and working on buckets I use gas shielded mig.


----------



## Honda1132 (Sep 2, 2016)

The body shop is a good suggestion


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Honda1132 said:


> The body shop is a good suggestion


thanks for the gas welding tips guys. I'll run it to a body shop and see what they say and i'll check back.


----------



## SkunkyLawnmowers (Oct 18, 2018)

I reckon you'll do a great job, orangputeh. Look forward to seeing the 'after' pics


----------



## Shaw351 (Nov 15, 2016)

Orangputeh...

Upon studying your bucket for a bit...

If you have a large heavy work table, deck with stairs or possibly the back of a trailer bed at your disposal to use as a work platform... I would attempt that repair myself.

1st I would drill out the spot welds on the ends and separate bucket into three pieces. 
2nd I would clamp down the bucket through the scraper bar holes.
3rd I would see how the bucket reacts when you apply pressure to the tweaked portion, adjust your straightening techniques to get the bucket to conform to your will.
You could " c " clamp a 2 x 4 to the top of tweaked portion and use it for leverage to help straighten the bucket. 

Not a beginners project, but that's how you get experience. I hate to pay others for work I can do, unless time is a factor. Most times I'm not happy with others work as I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my stuff. 
Keep us updated on your progress, post up pixx if you can. Ask if you have any questions, I'll help as much as I can from 3,000 miles away.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Shaw351 said:


> Orangputeh...
> 
> Upon studying your bucket for a bit...
> 
> ...



very interesting idea. that is what I liked about the older 3 piece buckets on the older Honda's. you could take then apart and work on problem areas or paint.

3000 miles is not too far. have a lot of friends and relatives in Mass. grew up in Wakefield and later on Weymouth.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

here is some progress. pretty close by measuring this bucket with a known good bucket. i still have a few tweeks and then install some augers to see if I have to do anymore.
before and after from front then before and after from rear.

I C clamped a 2x4x8 to the top of bucket and viced the bottom and slowly tried bending back into shape. wanted to try this before cutting into 3 pieces. if i can get close this way so that augers and impeller do not hit or close to housing then I will. If I have to eventually separate bucket into 3 pieces to get a better result I will do that.


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Looks like you did a bang up job,  … , pun intended. Most of any light gauge metal like these buckets can be persuaded back into shape. You do usually have to have some type of dead man absorption platform, in your case a 2x8, so you don't waste time with the spring effect.


----------



## notabiker (Dec 14, 2018)

I was going to suggest just backing a vehicle into the other half of the bucket to straighten it.... Or like you did and clamp it up and get some leverage and rotate the thing back into shape.


With flux core you run DCEN (dc electrode negative, thus ground would be the positive) and you get better penetration BUT straight flux core spatters quite a bit. There's flux core that is meant to be ran with gas and when I used it, the machine was set up DCEP (same as you'd run solid with gas), it spattered a little less than using straight flux core and it would get HOT and DIG/PENETRATE very very well. Used more in a structural situation on thick metal though. Solid wire and gas is the way to go but you should grind the paint/rust off the metal before welding and for the thinner stuff I'd use a thin wire like .025" or maybe .030" would work too. Just keep a few extra tips. Mig with solid wire can be used in any position (flat, horizontal, vertical and overhead) though it takes a little practice on anything other than flat.


I've added more flat stock to skid shoes and welded another flat bar onto the scrapper to extend it's life, otherwise I haven't really needed to weld anything significant on a snowblower yet. I've either used my Miller 211 or an old 1980's Miller AC stick welder as none of those things were on tin.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Shaw351 said:


> Orangputeh...
> 
> Upon studying your bucket for a bit...
> 
> ...


 @Shaw351

I think this is going to work . see my last update with pictures. I need to do a little bit more before installing augers to see how well they fit.

Thanks everyone for tips on changing my welder to gas and to Shaw351 for this idea. When I come out to Mass I'll bring over a sixer........for starters......


----------



## Shaw351 (Nov 15, 2016)

orangputeh said:


> @Shaw351
> 
> I think this is going to work . see my last update with pictures. I need to do a little bit more before installing augers to see how well they fit.
> 
> Thanks everyone for tips on changing my welder to gas and to Shaw351 for this idea. When I come out to Mass I'll bring over a sixer........for starters......


Great !!!

I love it when I can help others, and I know they enjoy doing the work themselves. There is an indescribable feeling of accomplishment when you complete a task that you didn't even know that you could yourself. Just a little guidance, plant an idea, and then we move forward. 

Then the really nice part happens..

Unknowingly the person that was helped will pass along and teach the newly acquired information to a third person, and hopefully the process is repeated. Hence perpetuating the hands on crafts we all do here !!! :goodjob: :goodjob:


----------



## Shaw351 (Nov 15, 2016)

This was a project I recently completed for a member here.
It was a trailer receiver hitch mounted leaf vacuum, that I took apart and made into a tow behind portable unit for a garden tractor. I came up with a few ideas, cut apart the unit and fabricated the necessary items to make it what I believed it should be. Had to make those custom offset wheels from a zero-turn mower, used 1" square tubing with Ariens bronze axle bushings and added zerk fittings so they are greasable.
After building it... turned out it was 95% perfect with the exception that the motor side was too heavy and it kept wanting to flip over. So I ended up extending my cross beam a little bit as you can see from the pictures and it made the balance point perfect.
I have never built a portable leaf vacuum, but I was confident that it could be done. !!!


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

orangputeh said:


> here is some progress. pretty close by measuring this bucket with a known good bucket. i still have a few tweeks and then install some augers to see if I have to do anymore.
> before and after from front then before and after from rear.
> 
> I C clamped a 2x4x8 to the top of bucket and viced the bottom and slowly tried bending back into shape. wanted to try this before cutting into 3 pieces. if i can get close this way so that augers and impeller do not hit or close to housing then I will. If I have to eventually separate bucket into 3 pieces to get a better result I will do that.


sorry had to find this and bump it up. got a free bucket yesterday with almost the same damage. practically perfect otherwise. owned by a snow removal business and looks like someone backed into bucket straight on and it main bucket is pushed in to the middle part. on both side this time compared to one side on the one in picture. never thought it could be straightened out but looking at "after" pics it came out pretty well. 

I couldnt remember how i fixed this one.... thanks to @Shaw351 but now I'll see if I can fix this the same way. if not , there is an auto body shop a couple miles away. these buckets for a Honda are just too valuable to give up on.


----------



## Oxi Dado (Feb 18, 2020)

Did u put it all back together? Would love to see pics of the finished project.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Oxi Dado said:


> Did u put it all back together? Would love to see pics of the finished project.


yes i did. i think this is it. it was quite awhile ago. and have worked on so many since.


----------



## Oxi Dado (Feb 18, 2020)

That looks like all your others - brand new! Did u sell it or still have it? If the latter, l'd like to look at (and admire) it when I come over next. My HS80 needs some repair to the bucket's sheet metal.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Oxi Dado said:


> That looks like all your others - brand new! Did u sell it or still have it? If the latter, l'd like to look at (and admire) it when I come over next. My HS80 needs some repair to the bucket's sheet metal.


unless you can work on that bucket yourself , you would have to remove and take to a welder. the cost would probably be high. 

i spent hours on this bucket. a new bucket is about $700 and good used buckets are practically non existent . a good used one is about $250-300.


----------

