Rebuilding harragator "spike harrow" project

[bcp]

I don't see the frog anywhere in the "finished" photos. I wanted to see where it fit on the harrow.

Frog

Bruce

 

[sixdogs]

Why couldn't you buy the better paint? No local paint & body supply stores? I've bought several times online. No problems.


The effort to paint is the same with high quality materials as with low...

Well, yes, absolutely if it were a better piece of equipment with a better intended purpose. You are very right and guys should not scrimp on cheap paint for good implements. I usually buy the best but price was the issue with me on this. It just didn't seem prudent to have a paint shop mix acrylic enamel at $60 a quart when I bought a gallon of alkyd enamel for $23 and used 3 quarts. Remember this is a farm item that gets dragged through the dirt, was pretty rusty and may likely be sold in a while. I'll only buy acrylic enamel for farm stuff if it's price subsidized by the factory. They price the good stuff cheap to encourage people to take better care of their equipment which gives pride of ownership, encourages brand loyalty and keeps equipment values higher than otherwise. That's an upside of playing with farm equipment is good paint for low $$.

My wheels, for example, were IH white from the factory and I can get a quart of that IH acrylic enamel from the dealer for only $17. A paint shop would want $65 and I'd have to drive 25 miles one way to deal with guys with an attitude. Plus I'd have to buy their high $$ thinner (reducer) rather than $16 a gallon acetone.
I have other equipment that came with IH white wheels so I can paint those too plus some IH cultivator shanks shown in one of the photos and have enough for my wife's wicker planter.

 

[sixdogs]

I don't see the frog anywhere in the "finished" photos. I wanted to see where it fit on the harrow.

Frog

Bruce

It's the hood ornament )wink) and actually there were two frogs. Photo later.
Wow you guys are sharp.

 

[sixdogs]

Frogs--Oliver Green.

 

[sixdogs]

Added Unverferth decals.

 

[sixdogs]

Correctly painted wheels and shown in up (transport) position and down position.
Works great and is dirty already.
Hope all this helped someone.

Oh, the side wings are all finished and in the barn for some future project.

 

[North West Farmer]

Sixdogs,
I was scanning your harrow rebuild project and just, a thought. When I need to heat a very large area and only have one acetylene. big bud torch, I use inexpensive propane torches to heat the overall area and keep the temperature of the project even and cover a larger area. The propane torches I am speaking of are sometimes referred to a weed burners with a three or four inch diameter burner head. They don't get as hot as an acetylene. torch, but they will turn the metal a bright orange. eventually. The main advantage is having the ability to apply a lot of heat over a large area and then heat specific areas with the acetylene. bud torch to fine tune your bends.

I have all kinds of heavy duty farm equipment that I never would have bent in my shop, by myself without the propane torches providing overall heat back up. With the wand handle on the propane torch it is easy to clamp them to a fixed object or stand to free your hands to do other things.

This may by something you have already done and are well aware of the assistance the propane torches can be and best of all, they are very inexpensive and only need a hose connection to a standard propane bottle.

Good job on the harrow, I am impressed. With handy people like you around there would be a significantly reduced market for new machinery.

Keep up the good work,

Nick,
North West Farmer

 

[sixdogs]

NorthWestFarmer-A big thank you on that. Wow, despite being involved with this stuff for decades, it never occurred to me to use that as a backup heat source. Duh--I feel dumb as a box of rocks because I use that propane wand for everything else. Almost feel like I want to go out and bend something now so I can straighten it with the new method.

Yeah, that harrow came out great and I didn't look it over very well before I bought it. It was used on a dairy farm to bust cow pies with a 100 HP tractor and a teenager looking to go fast. Looks like new now.

Thanks again.

 

[jenkinsph]

Correctly painted wheels and shown in up (transport) position and down position.
Works great and is dirty already.
Hope all this helped someone.

Oh, the side wings are all finished and in the barn for some future project.

Looks really good:thumbsup:
I'm sure your dogs will be real impressed with you.

 

[sixdogs]

Yeah, right. Dogs watched the entire project laying flat on the ground with their eyes closed and making some kind of "zzzz" sound.

:dog: