Today I tackle a nice little bitesized project: extending my excavator's thumb. When I bought this thing it was way too long and I knew I had to cut it back, but I didn't know how far. I'd never used a thumb before so I wasn't sure if it should have an overbite or an underbite, so to speak.

Well, now I've got some thumbtime under my belt and I have decided that I want something a little longer. Luckily I own a welder so adding a few inches is no big deal.

As with most welding projects, most of this one is prep. I cut back the thumb to match the old tip I kept, then clean, strip, and bevel both halves. Welding goes quick after that. Then some steel primer and a cheap, clearancerack midnightblue spraypaint job and it's ready for action.