meadowfield

Got a bit more done today.
the lift bar i had to offset to miss the foot rest and i made it adjustable at both ends incase i want more lift or more downwards movement depending what attachments I'm using.
heres some photos that tell the rest

I wonder why not? Would  Have anything to do with?

I'll answer...
 
here's a few pics, and a video.
 
Never really got much chance to use it as it was sold to buy a cub
 
 

I'll answer...
 
here's a few pics, and a video.
 
Never really got much chance to use it as it was sold to buy a cub
 
 

I'll answer...
 
here's a few pics, and a video.
 
Never really got much chance to use it as it was sold to buy a cub
 
 

You know those holes I liked?  Yep these ones... Well I found a good use for them..
 

 
 
A bit of trimming and welding was needed along with this small plate to fill up a hole.
 

 
 
And this is what I have made with the holes..
 

 
 
It fit's on the end of the bench to give it some strength and some style.. OK, I could of come up with a simpler design, but I just couldn't help myself
 

 

 
 
Something was needed to cover the cogs that powers the er.. Auto feed is as good a name as any..
Anyway, a couple of strips of steel welded together and bent in a funky shape.
 

 
 
Dig out a bit of computer case..
 

 
 
Chop and weld to shape.. I need to finish the welding and give the edge a little grind down, but I'm happy with the strange shape and look
 

 

 
 
A finishing shot for the day
 

Mathew , ( stars in their eyes ) Kelly 
 

I thought Joe Strummer at first - but yes hes a dead ringer for the boss! 

Happy birthday mate!

Found my old Spedeworth race license, i think the photo is a bit out of date now. 

Managed to have a good go today at it. First thing was to see if it turns over and it did which was a good result. Next thing was to get a spark and after a quick clean on the points the spark was present. Put it all back together and turned it over, it fired but did not continue to run, must be a fuel problem I thought. After a quick investigation my thoughts were true.

Got that sorted and it runs
 
Quick play around and realized the hydraulics were not working, there was no oil, after a hunt around I managed to find enough and the hydraulics were working once again. This meant it was time for another play, this time with the loader. Overall i am very pleased with it and the hydraulics are strong.
Pumped up all the tyres and found out the tears are fluid filled😀.

Then this happened which stopped progress, the new tyres are on order and should be here this week hopefully 

My, what a sweet find!

Last year I obtained a side discharge deck in need of some T.L.C. Today I got it into the workshop to see what needs to be done to make it usable.

 

 

 
  Though very rusty, it has only a couple of holes showing and the cutter spindle bearings are free and smooth. One of the rear rollers is also missing.  The edges of the belt guard are suffering from tin worm in places and mouse nest and other debris cleaned out when removed.
 
 Belt didn't want to come off, as the tensioner was seized. The tensioner pulley was also right up against the nut holding the spring end. I think the belt was a little short.
 

 
  Deck is now mostly stripped down except for a couple of stubborn bolts and a pulley putting up some resistance.
 
 
 
 
 

Hi Neil, sorry to of broke the news to you while you were still on holiday.. Had I of known I'd of waited a few days..
 
I think the best way forward is for you to send us all the engines you have and we will work out the best one to put in the RJ.. A bit of mix and matching may or may not be needed... Don't worry about the different exhaust fitments, that can be sorted easy enough
 
 

Time to bring this lathe thread back from the dead.... Yes it really has taken me this long to get on with it!!
 
 
It's not turned into anything for a long time Norm!
 
 
 
Thanks mate, you know me... If it's there, use it
 
 
 
Hi Alan, I was thinking about using your kitchen chair belt tension-er idea, but where the lathe is positioned the chair would be sticking through the wall  
 
 
Soooo... Fast forward almost 16 months with this lathe project and this is where were at
 

 
 
The poor Southbend lathe hasn't moved, it just got buried!
 

 
 
The idea is I dig this steel framed bench out from it's hiding place and use this as the basis on the new lathe bench..  To use the new-ish bigger electric motor I need something strong to mount it on.... I just don't trust the workshop walls!!
 

 
 
Speaking of electric motors, here's the old one on the left next to the new one.. You can see the sort of weight I need to safely position now!
Interestingly the new motor is a 1/4 of a hp less than the old one, but it has a huge amount of torque
 

 
 
Looks like a re-wire is needed too... Something has leaked onto the cable while it's been stored under a bench and has turned the plastic into a sticky stretchy mess!
 

 
 
A big thank you to Rob at this point for your help in this huge rearrange of the workshop.. Thanks mate 
 
Lathe, be gone...
 

 
 
As luck would have it the wooden bench and the steel framed bench were both near enough the same length, which made swapping them around easy
 

 
 
This bench and I have a long history, I remember collecting it as a bare frame from a friend's yard on a trailer behind my old WH 312-8.. A pleasant 15mins drive across (well around) fields...
The holes on the right are where I had a 9 inch cutter mounted, all the sparks, dust etc would shoot down the hole, through a funnel thingy made from old computer cases into a collection box..
 

 
 
The said funnel thingy..
 

 
 
Off comes the top, two MDF boards bolted through the frame skinned with stainless which was stuck down with "No more nails" back in the day when it first came out and was dirt cheap!
 

 
 
The bare frame..
 

 
 
And the mess the rest of the workshop is now in
 

 
 
Leg extensions as modeled by Rob..... The bench that is not Rob
 

 
 
A test fit of the catch tray and a bit of a measure..
 

 
 
HHmmm... The results of the measuring..
 

 
 
You might say the bolt hole don't quite line up a lot!
 

 

 
 
The easy way would be to grind the flat plate down so the lathe legs would sit level on the tray, but I'm a bit worried about removing strength from the tray at a stress (bolting down) point..
The other way is to make a couple of rather big shims/plates that would bring the tray base level with the flat bit and bolt the lathe down through that..
It's something to think over..
 
By that point yesterday I was quite tired so I did a little gentle cleaning instead.. It's nice to see what colour the paint is and some shiny bits
 

 

 
 

good upcycling as always!

@?!$#!?  Finally finished the chain drive and tensioners after a few attempts.
however after 10 minutes of playing and getting more articulation the chain still rode up over the flange bending the tensioners and twisting the whole intermediate shaft
 
its so so jammed that it stopped me dead and I can't take the tension off...

As Jonathan, (expeatfarmer) was not going to be able to attend the HVC ploughing match this year, he kindly offer one of his crawlers and a plough, to anyone who wanted to enter. I kindly accepted his offer and volunteered my mate Dunc. Never having driven a Ransome before, though many other agricultural machines, we met at Jonathans last Monday so Dunc could have a drive and see the plough he would use.
 

 

  MG5 imported from the south of France along with the three furrow plough hanging on the back. You'll notice, now I've told you, the plough at the rear is off set by about 2". Why?, you ask. Haven't a clue.
 
 We collected tractor and plough today and took it to Dunc's for a bit of practice. Neither of us having any idea of setting things up. The afternoon was spent freeing things up and with much debate, a couple of trial runs. More will be done tomorrow or Saturday, depending on the weather.
 
 Below are some shots of the plough.

 

 

 

 

That's unlucky...

Thanks mate, were still waiting to drive the RJ as you will see..
 
So what can I say about the RJ... I think AARRGGHHH sums it up quite well!
 
I don't know what the RJ has against us but it's really fighting us at the very last stage!!
 
You would think something as simple as putting the steering wheel on would be easy, but no!
When the RJ arrived the steering wheel was held on with a bent nail.. Now most of the time it's because the original roll pin? has been lost at some point in time..
Not this time.. The holes in the wheel and column didn't actually line up very well so a nail was the only thing that would fit in!
I guess the steering wheel isn't the original!
Anyway, some very careful drilling and the wheel is now held on with a custom made quick release clip thingy 
 

 
 
"Deep breath"... Now onto the engine..
 
The very nice looking Schmacke or is it Schmacko? (It's hard to read on the photo's) has been driving us nuts!
The recoil didn't want to which was eventually sorted, the the "gripping" bits that grip the hexagonal shaft on the engine decided it didn't want to to the gripping bit!
Quite why we just can't work out, nothing is broken and it works 90% of the time when not fitted to the engine..
Fit it to the engine however and it will work for a couple of pulls then stop again!
If I had to count the amount of time the recoil unit has been on and off the engine both Nigel and I would have to remove our boots and socks as we would run out of fingers to count on very quickly!!!!
 
In the end for the sake of our sanity we decided to swap the recoil until over for one that works the more normal way, which in it's self is almost a straight forward swap...
Woo-Hoo we can pull the engine over again.... But why is the engine cover moving around so much???
 
That would be because there should be a bolt where this hole is... The trouble is the backing plate is missing most of the threaded bolt hole as it had been broken off at some point in it's life!
We do have another good backing plate to swap over, but that involves a lot of stripping two engine down to swap parts..
 
Forward one step, back two or is it four?
 

 
 
It's not all bad news though, we have had the engine running.. For a short while anyway..   Once started it would run quite nice for a few mins, then start running rough, then eventually it would stop!
 
Best have a look at the carb again, pulling the pin out that holds the float in place was nerve wracking as the casting one side which holds the pin in place isn't as strong as it should be..
 
Can you spot a problem?
 

 
 
Yep the new O ring doesn't like petrol and has grown somewhat!
 

 
 
No chance what so ever of getting this jet thingy out!!!
 

 
 
It looks like someone has been at the float valve thingy already!
 

 
 
Getting it out was er... Shall we say interesting!
 

 

 
 
The carb has now been put back together and will be going back on the engine once the backing plate has been swapped over (tomorrow hopefully) and the "will it run ok?" sequence can start over again..
 
 

I have thought about water ballast the rears but i'm going to try it first.
I'll keep the thought as a plan "b" 

Bit of progress today. All bolted together and studs fitted to fasten to the wheels.
 

 
And they fit. Gap at the top is because no nuts are fitted at the back.
 

 
  They each weigh about 25lb. Next job is to add more weight.
 

Nice find Chris.... I might know where you can get decals.....

Nice find Chris.... I might know where you can get decals.....

He's already nicked that for his veg plot!