Variable thickness turbine bucket cover and related method

A turbine bucket and cover assembly includes a bucket having a shank portion and an airfoil portion separated by a platform portion; and a bucket cover arranged on a sloped radially outer tip of the airfoil portion, the bucket cover having a radially inner surface matching the sloped edge and a radially outer surface lying in a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis of a rotor on which the bucket is adapted to be mounted. A related method includes the steps of a) providing a bucket cover having substantially parallel radially inner and outer surface; b) removing material from the bucket cover so as to form a new radially outer surface defining an acute angle relative to the radially inner surface; and c) securing the bucket cover on the sloped airfoil tip of the turbine bucket such that the radially outer surface is substantially parallel to the turbine rotor axis.