It's time; either get started or....

[NormL]

I didn't see anything else, but I heard some swearing. .

Nah, that wasn't what you heard;:laughing: That was just an exclamation of surprise spoken in my mother tongue. It would be printable if it were translatable. I sure am glad my foot was out of the way when that tack weld let go!

I started welding the components of the pivot today. The first two show the placement of steel pieces around the stub of the axle. In the first photo you can also see the piece of DOM I'm using to replace the cast iron that I had machined away. I had to leave some though because it is integral to the function of the seal under the inner bearing of the hub. The third photo (ugly, ugly:ashamed shows the whole thing surrounded with short bits of flat welded together to hold the whole business in place. I went for strong, not pretty. I'm hoping it's pretty strong! That one is not finished yet as I need to support it some more from underneath. I will caution anyone trying this kind of pivot to be VERY particular about testing the swing of the boom box after every tack weld till you are certain it will swing freely. Expect to grind off some of your tack welds a few times before everything is up to snuff.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I'm really enjoying watching this boom pivot come together. That's going to make the end result very smooth and very sturdy. Again, great thinking!

 

[NormL]

There!! That's done for now. The swivel action on the pivot is complete and now it will be on to putting the rest of the mounting steel for the boom and it's cylinder. Once I have all that put together I'll be filling in the welds and taxing the capabilities of the welder - again!

The first two photos show the pivot platform removed from the tractor and on my bench, getting the axle stubs welded on and the pivot box bolted on. Third one shows the assembly back on the tractor. I'm here to tell you that it is getting right heavy.:shocked: It's going to have to come off a few more times and when I do that I'm going to take the pieces off one at a time. Chad, I'm remembering what you said about how your back was aching from the many times you had to disassemble and reassemble yours! And your back is probably some 45 years younger than mine.:laughing::laughing:

 

[chad22]

Chad, I'm remembering what you said about how your back was aching from the many times you had to disassemble and reassemble yours! And your back is probably some 45 years younger than mine.:laughing::laughing:

Oh yes. Glad you remembered. I'm 23 years old. My back is in reality 23 years old. But it felt so much older when performing the disassemble and assembly all those times. :laughing:

For some reason ever since my brother picked me up that one time "I was 9 or 10" My back hasn't been performing like it should.

I don't remember exactly where he picked me up. But when he did about 4 minutes after. I couldn't move. If I wanted to move though. I had to crawl. I was like that for around a week.

Ever since that incident. I can't bend over for very long 10 minutes and I have to get up or I'll be stuck in that position. :laughing:

Chad

 

[NormL]

Oh yes. Glad you remembered. I'm 23 years old. My back is in reality 23 years old. But it felt so much older when performing the disassemble and assembly all those times. :laughing:

For some reason ever since my brother picked me up that one time "I was 9 or 10" My back hasn't been performing like it should.

I don't remember exactly where he picked me up. But when he did about 4 minutes after. I couldn't move. If I wanted to move though. I had to crawl. I was like that for around a week.

Ever since that incident. I can't bend over for very long 10 minutes and I have to get up or I'll be stuck in that position. :laughing:

Chad

Hmm... I'm no doctor; but that's something I hope you did not neglect to see one about. What I do know is that stuff like that comes back to bite you over and over the older you get. I can't throw a ball overhand with either hand any more. Arthritis has set into old injuries that I neglected to get treated appropriately.:ashamed: I wish you all the best dealing with that.:thumbsup:

 

[Short Game]

Geez, I have blown rotator cuffs and an exploded 5th lumbar disc. These things stay with you and the cures can be worse than the problems. My back is cooked tonight from just such antics as you are describing. Most likely, a doctor will bill you for telling you that your back is messed up.

On edit:

Actually, that reminds me of a story: A guy went to doctor after doctor to try to learn what was wrong with his back. Eventually, all of these doctors got together and discussed his problem. They unanimously determined his diagnosis and treatment. His back, they said, was hurting because his wallet was too thick. They knew just what to do about that.

 

[NormL]

These things stay with you and the cures can be worse than the problems. .

I know what you're saying! I went for physio because our group plan covered it but by the time I did that the "window of effectiveness" had closed up and it proved to be a waste of time. Now I just work with the discomfort till it gets a little much and then it's "Lazy-boy" time. That's why ordinary tasks can take me multi times longer than they should. But hey!, eventually I do get' em done!:thumbsup:

 

[mjncad]

I can sympathize with everyone who has back pain. Last year I was assembling a project, and I was taking it easy as I could feel my back wanted to go out. In spite of being careful, one little move blew it out. I could barely move and all I could do was stand there for 30-minutes. I called everyone I could short of 911 to help me get inside so I could get to the industrial strength pain killers. Just my luck, no one was home.

I finally managed to sit down in a lawn chair and my neighbors got my message I left them. They helped me inside, got me some pain pills and locked up the place for me. I was out of commission for about 10-days.

The docs have said I have mild scoliosis and the beginnings of arthritis coupled with muscles that tend to cramp now and then. Not much can be done, and like others have said, I hear the cure can be worse than the ailment. I just live with it and it gets worse with age. Getting old sucks.

 

[Short Game]

Getting old sucks.

But you have to consider the alternative.

I blew out my back about thirty years ago. Drunk and stupid, I tried to lift something I could not. My fifth lumbar disc sounded like a starting pistol when it popped. I overdid it yesterday working on getting my shop reorganized and starting on building my log forks. I'm in bad shape today. Not as bad as it gets, but bad enough. Yet, I'm drawn to the shop. Can I trust myself not to make it worse? My mom is 95 and thinking the alternative is looking better. I'm 64 and figure I'll get over this setback.

It's time; either get started or ....

...or take the day off?

 

[chad22]

Hmm... I'm no doctor; but that's something I hope you did not neglect to see one about. What I do know is that stuff like that comes back to bite you over and over the older you get. I can't throw a ball overhand with either hand any more. Arthritis has set into old injuries that I neglected to get treated appropriately.:ashamed: I wish you all the best dealing with that.:thumbsup:

Thanks

I didn't go to the doctor when that happened. I was stubborn then and you piratically had to drag me to the doctors. I hated going to them. :laughing:

Well I still do hate going and haven't been to one since I was 16.

My mom did call the doctor the day it happened and he said if I'm still unable to get around within a week to bring me to the hospital to get checked out.

He did try talking to me on the phone and trying to get me to come in. But I refused. lol

He said he wanted to take an xray. But then I would assume he would have just prescribed me some pain killers after the xray was done.

I'd go to the doctor but I assume there's not much they could do so I figure I'll just take pain killers and live with it.

Chad