I love having access to a machine shop

I had a bunch of personal projects laying around for a while, some for well over 2 years and a different shop ago. I stayed a little late evry night or went back after eating supper and worked on them, with basically the whole shop at my disposal because 2nd shift only has 5-6 guys at any given time, vs. all the machines I need to use being occupied during the day when I would have time.

I also have a fairly well stocked tool box so I don't have to go very far either for what I need to use. Makes working on projects go fast, and I still get to shoot the breeze and talk with my normal supervisor and the rest of my crew.

This week I made some new pins for the barn cleaner corner wheels, made new mounts for the *pink* tool box on the side of our 1855 (and I just drove the tractor to the shop because it's close enough), got the worn out hardened bushings out of an ORC pulley for the haybine, and replaced the clutch disk in a clutch pack of a neighbor's JD swather that we used back on '05 for oats. Last week I did a couple other things. My to do list really got shortened up lately...

The clutch pack went out on one neighbors machine, but the other ones had an identical one they had as a parts machine so they let us take it apart and use it to fix the other one. The owner of the one we borrowed ordered a new clutch disk and it's been sitting around since then.

Now when I see their truck at the farm I can bring it over, and ask to borrow their log splitter...

We always fix stuff we borrow and damage in any way, even if it takes a little while some times...

A few years ago we borrowed a disc from the same neighbors who let us steal their clutch pack, and one side of the axel broke. I got some new, thicker channel iron (2 peices welded into a box), cut out the holes on the CNC at school, and welded the new ones back on the axel tube. Brought it back as soon as I had it fixed.

It didn't matter to me that they were both rewelded at some point (poorly) and they didn't hold up, I just fixed it right and didn't complain.

Donovan from Wisconsin

I was taught how to run a wire EDM at school and it was cool. Some guys made gears for really old cars, others made up some other cool stuff. The teachers had one guy make up some new gears for the lathes too, with internal splines.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Tim

I learned on an old SB lathe in High School. The tech had 12 or 14 Clausing lathes (I really like those), all less than 5 yrs. old when I was there. They had a few SB's on the deisel mechanics side and the guys sent there by their work, but they were selling those too and getting newer ones. All the CNC's were 5 years old or newer.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Matthew

I ordered new bushings for the corner wheels from McMaster Carr- heckuva lot cheaper than getting them from the Badger dealer. Pay 3x as much from them guys. I also ordered new hardened bushings, pins, and springs for the ORC as well on the same order. Shipping was less than $5. Woulda cost more in gas to go get everything locally.

Donovan from Wisconsin