Drill Project Phase II

The weather has been warmer than normal this past week, which makes for spring fever!  Time to start making a list of things that "must be done" before spring work starts, and top of that list is getting the drills put back together.

Today we worked on taking all the packer wheels off the shafts.  Some we will keep and put back on the drill frames that we stripped before Christmas.  Some we will turn in to a welding shop, to be rebuilt, before they can be put back on to the drill frames.

We have a long way to go, before this project is complete.....a long long way, but we're still hopeful that we can get humpty dumpty put back together again!  When I look at all the pieces, that's what it feels like!

So we need to get all these packer wheels off the shaft where they currently live.

Here's a closer look.  You can see that there is a bunch of stuff between the wheels, which also has to come off that shaft.

Reynald getting ready to strip one of the ten shafts that we need  take apart.

In a perfect world, all this just "slips" off the shaft!  And, I have to say, about half of our world was perfect today.  The other half, not so much!

This shows the spacing pieces and a sprocket that is used for the drive chain,.  

Sliding the sprocket and spacing pieces off the shaft.

This is the pile of packer wheels that need repair.  I think it looks like a bunch of coins laying on the floor.

Another view of the wheels in need of repair.  It's quite a pile!

K, many years ago, I found these coveralls.  They used to belong to Reynald, he thinks when he was in early high school.  They fit me perfectly!  Plus, I'm kind of in to vintage clothing!

This is the pile that doesn't need repair/  The next step is to figure out precise measurements for replacing the wheels on to the shaft.  It's all going to be different than it was.  It will require a lot of math, something I have no intention of being involved with!

Also in the shop is little Colt.  Reynald is putting a new style radio for communication purposes in.  He has my little fellow all torn to pieces.  (More tearing apart and putting back together!)  Once he is finished with the install, I will spring clean little Colt like I did the other two tractors.

Here's Colt, patiently waiting for a new antenna and communication radio.

I try so hard not to panic when I see what Reynald has done to my little Colt!

He assures me that it's not as bad as it looks!  All I can see is a bunch of stuff torn apart, and wires sticking out where they aren't supposed to be sticking out etc!  Glad I don't have to put it all back in order.