Farm Fireworks: Grinder Sparks.

It's hay season here on Wild Rose Farm. Naturally this means the sickle bar mower, which cuts the hay, is broken. We attempted to weld it, but to no end; we had to replace the entire bar. Of course, the rock guards are attached to the destroyed bar by way of heavy steel rivets, installed by machinery when the mower was manufactured. In order to assemble the sickle bar mower with its new parts required the following:

1. Remove the rock guards from the broken bar.
2. Attach aforementioned rock guards to the new bar.

Easy, right?

Well, the process is simple, but the effort is extreme.

Removing the rock guards is a two-step process: Grind the rivet down then pound it out of its sleeve.

The tools for this:

A grinder.

Grinder

Hammer and set to create a dimple in the rivet.

Standard hammer and nail set.

And a pneumatic hammer.

Connected to the air compressor.

And, of course, safety gear!

Eyes and ears!

This went surprisingly well- 50 rivets in about 3 hours.

Here are the fireworks:

It's prudent of me to mention that Scamp, my border collie, is quite enthralled with the flying shreds of metal produced by the grinding; she is afraid of the vacuum cleaner.

Once the rock guards were out, I had to rivet them onto the new bar. Again, simple. Just a ball-pine hammer and rivets. 

Pound the rivets into the sleeves... by hand... all 50 of them.

Done!

A successful Independence Day. Cutting hay tomorrow!

Happy Fourth of July!