OldMcDonald
Platinum Member
I have alreadywritten this once and lost the signal immediately I hit the "post" key. Sod's Law they say. So here goes again....
Jethroe did not invent the seed drill, he merely improved on it, and added a lot of gears, pulleys chains, etc., very similar to many drills now in use.
Building a drill is quite straightforward. I too did many Google searches and found virtually nothing. I also post questions to all the forums I know (including this one for a thresher which I really, really need). If you want a drop type then look at the Limestone Spreader construction details from the Ag Experimental Station, Uni of Illinois (no site address because I printed a copy and did not save the info) and modify spacings. The agitator arm can be activated from the rear tractor tyre tread.
I am currently building a 2 row corn drill (50cms double row and 1 metre between double rows) using a scarifier as the basic frame with spider wheels attached to a pipe that fits over a smaller carrying pipe and is bolted to allow removal of the wheels for use on other planned drills for beans, and grass/sorghum/oats. The carrying pipe has a poly pipe fitted over it, again bolted through, and hard poly joining flanges glued to the poly as seed plates (already with cut outs for picking up seeds). This poly has a yet bigger poly used as bushes (short sections) and fixed to the scarifier frame with strips of old galvanised iron roofing sheets - I am using scrap as far as possible. just for the feel good factor. The seed boxes are plastic and cut out to fit the flanges (a frame is needed to support the seed boxes in position). The seed plates deliver into large funnels fitted into pipe welded to the back of the selected scarifier tines. I need to be sowing by the end of the month so it is virtually prepared with only some welding to be done. I have not yet decided on press wheels, probably not necessary as the land is quite heavy. All being well, the 3 metres run of one turn of the spider wheels should be delivering seed at about 17cms (7") spacings in the row for hopefully about 80,000 seeds to the hectare. I do not own a camera so no photos. Old McDonald.
Jethroe did not invent the seed drill, he merely improved on it, and added a lot of gears, pulleys chains, etc., very similar to many drills now in use.
Building a drill is quite straightforward. I too did many Google searches and found virtually nothing. I also post questions to all the forums I know (including this one for a thresher which I really, really need). If you want a drop type then look at the Limestone Spreader construction details from the Ag Experimental Station, Uni of Illinois (no site address because I printed a copy and did not save the info) and modify spacings. The agitator arm can be activated from the rear tractor tyre tread.
I am currently building a 2 row corn drill (50cms double row and 1 metre between double rows) using a scarifier as the basic frame with spider wheels attached to a pipe that fits over a smaller carrying pipe and is bolted to allow removal of the wheels for use on other planned drills for beans, and grass/sorghum/oats. The carrying pipe has a poly pipe fitted over it, again bolted through, and hard poly joining flanges glued to the poly as seed plates (already with cut outs for picking up seeds). This poly has a yet bigger poly used as bushes (short sections) and fixed to the scarifier frame with strips of old galvanised iron roofing sheets - I am using scrap as far as possible. just for the feel good factor. The seed boxes are plastic and cut out to fit the flanges (a frame is needed to support the seed boxes in position). The seed plates deliver into large funnels fitted into pipe welded to the back of the selected scarifier tines. I need to be sowing by the end of the month so it is virtually prepared with only some welding to be done. I have not yet decided on press wheels, probably not necessary as the land is quite heavy. All being well, the 3 metres run of one turn of the spider wheels should be delivering seed at about 17cms (7") spacings in the row for hopefully about 80,000 seeds to the hectare. I do not own a camera so no photos. Old McDonald.
