winter projects

[jeanniecogan]

im starting a new topic for my wagon. Not real happy with it on second look.

 

[Renolizzie]

Uh oh...I'll be looking to see the photos and hear about your wagon.

 

[chandab]

Our winter project has nothing to do with horses... We are reroofing and siding our house and putting in some new windows. Its so much fun when its zero out and the wind is howling. [Ok, so we don't work on the roof when the wind is howling.] We have half the roof stripped of old shingles, new plywood sheeting laid down and tar paper in place, so its about ready for the new tin roofing. We'll get started on the half soon, and when that's done, we'll move on to the siding and windows. Can't wait for the new windows, as these old windows really leak air.

 

[jeanniecogan]

That is some project for this time of the year. wish you luck getting it finished. you have a lot of courage.

 

[jeanniecogan]

can't seem to put pics on this particular subject, but i started a new thread and it has a picture.

 

[paintponylvr]

Wow, Chandab, I agree - what a project for this time of year! I remember - the wind and the cold. We are experiencing both down here right now with winter storm Leon - only NC doesn't have the means to "care for us" with this and our state is virtually "crippled" right now. Will be warm enough to melt soon, thank goodness! It went from 3* to 33* in just a few hours and supposed to go up to 50* today. I would laugh, but I'd gotten used to NOT dealing with this type of weather! And the folks down here just "don't know" how to operate in this (so many frozen pipes, loss of power and wrecked vehicles right now)...

Projects here - just to stay warm and maintain the critters! My job is shut down while this is happening (spay/neuter not necessary, LOL).

We need piccies of the house!!

 

[jeanniecogan]

well that sounds like quite a project also. here in ky we are getting a break tomorrow 50 . then back to freezing. my son lives in sc and we are thinking of moving down there.

 

[paintponylvr]

I would love to know what is going on again... LB locked me out when I couldn't load pictures and I lost a rather detailed post about "our new" project (while in IE. Switched to Firefox browser and pics loaded fine).

Looks like Vicki and her hubby, James, and I are going to be working on this Stalk Cutter. Ended up being able to go and get it today (roads had mostly cleared - several will be iced up again here shortly)...

James thinks we will be able to do some easy updates that will make it run better - we will have to make sure it will still be considered an antique if we do. Some to start with - replacing the single blade that is completely missing - bolts & blade both. New grease fittings. The spring on the long lever that raises/lowers the "spinning blades".

Then we'll need to address the tongue - it doesn't have any way to actually attach the double tree (pair) or a 4 horse evener (4-abreast). It may have had one - and that might be the broken bolt on the top of the tongue. Not sure. Really need to shorten the tongue for the ponies. When Vicki and I first looked at it (fall of 2012), we were picking up the tongue and holding it at the length it would need to be for the ponies. It seemed to balance better that way to both of us - so I'm thinking that it was originally built for smaller animals (maybe not shetlands tho?)... The front of the tongue needs a safer way to attach a neck yoke - what it has ... not safe enough for me! We discussed breaking the bolts and welding in a tubular case that we could then slide a wooden tongue into and pin - the same type of tongue like we have on our forecarts. Will need to do some checking to find out if that would work.

For the price I paid, even with any updating, maintenance and refurbishing, James feels I got an awesome deal! I'm not sure exactly how much of the restoring I'll be doing vs he and Vicki will do at this time... So far, we haven't found a manufacturers name or dates - but have found some part numbers. I will be sending these and other pics in to Rural Heritage and see if any of the "front porchers" can tell us about this particular Stalk Cutter.

Here's what it's supposed to be used for -

We will have to make sure the ponies are ready for this and have plenty of extra, updated desensitizing. Because sometimes the stalks come with you!

 

[Renolizzie]

Too fun. There isn't much antique farm gear in Nevada. It's a desert, you'll find out when you finally come see my part of the world. It doesn't get much drier than this. I may have to move to somewhere with real agriculture so I can make my little horseys work.

 

[diamond c]

Thats a cool find. Ive been keeping my eye out for some smaller stuff like thatfor my boys, but so far everything I see is painted and displayed in some ones yard.Id love to have a cycle mower and a small disc to start with, and mabe a three reel mower for the yard.

 

[jeanniecogan]

oh, too cool. been showing my husband the pics and he is oooing and awing, we may be trading , to do some of this stuff also.

 

[paintponylvr]

OK, so here are the pics from when I picked it up the other day ... last Friday(1/31).

Here it is w/ the tongue and bolts removed.

In this one, sorry it's blurred, the tongue has been removed. The spring that works with the operation of the "lift lever" for the blades is overstretched but hasn't been removed yet. If you run your finger up the picture from the letters Feb, you will see a straight support bar that is shaped/twisted. It was broken not at the "twist" but just above it at the bolt connection. It has now been removed, taken to the shop and already picked back up - replaced. The bolt hasn't been broken loose yet, so it hasn't gone back on yet. The seat still needs to be removed - it's badly rusted and split at the single bolt that attaches it to the bar - I haven't even had a chance to look at prices to replace it. Instead of trying to find one that is used, I will probably just order a new one from Pioneer Manufacturing. Will also talk to the guys in the NCWHMA - someone may have one I can purchase to use... Not sure if we are also going to try sandblasting this piece of equipment and then repainting it or not.

The wood tongue idea doesn't work. Our pony tongues don't fit it right now, but when Vicki was telling me about it, I didn't completely understand where it didn't fit. SO, we'll check that again. If it's just a matter of matching bolt holes, I can order a tongue w/o pre-drilled holes and we can do them. The tongue and seat would come down with the "guys" from OH to the Dixie Draft Horse sale in March rather than Vicki and I making the trip up there this spring (we'd love to but not fitting in the schedule - time or cost wise right now).

 

[chandab]

project update... Roof almost complete, just the soffet and facia left; but we've started in on the windows and 3 of 7 are done, then onto the door, and hopefully we'll have time to do some siding before calving takes up all our time, but its not looking good for siding. A couple more days of working on windows, then Shayne has a couple shop projects that have to get done before calving; like rebuilding the back door to the calving barn, a couple cows wiped it out last spring.

 

[paintponylvr]

Chanda -

Do you have pictures to share? Windows, too??? AWESOME.

Wow, wish we could do all that! Did you know that here in NC you have to have a permit to replace a window? Gosh, that can get ugly!!

Hope you all get these projects done. Like I stated above that is awesome that you are able to do that work yourselves.

 

[chandab]

I'll see about getting house pictures, but don't know when I'll remember to take the camera out. Perhaps we do need permits to do windows, but we never get visitors out here, so who's going to tell on us?

Shayne went to construction school after high school, but he was probably pretty handy before that.
Here's a picture from inside of one of the new windows, well part of it, I was actually taking a picture of Blue.

The old windows were all wood framed and starting to leak air. We'll get the sheet rock and trim finished up eventually.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Love seeing the windrower and combine in the landscape.

 

[paintponylvr]

me too, me too, too too....

I have another winter project. OR rather I just "passed it on" to Vicki and her family (I'm so mean!!). Once it's put together, she'll see if just a pair of ponies can pull it (I don't think so, but you never know and it can be adjusted as to height).

I had purchased in Oct 2012, a Pioneer spring tooth harrow (1 section only - 3' wide) with the harrow cart. We (me, myself & I or me & Vicki) hadn't gotten it put together yet or in use last spring (when we'd planned on doing it). It was still setting in the barn - protected except that with all the wet both last summer and this winter, the barn floor has had water regularly channeling/flooding thru it up to 3" deep... I told Vicki I needed to move the "parts" of the "project" and she said "let's just load it in your truck and I'll work on it at my place after you drop "us" off.... Of course, that means I get to "play with it" first ... IF THAT'S OK???"... It went over there to her place (about 6 miles down the road).

Not sure if she's started on it yet - haven't reeally talked with her this week - been crazy w/ appointments and late nite work and just plain being tired. Went to bed "early" at 9 pm the one night right after getting in from doing chores and passed out...

This is sort of what it looks like but it only has one section not 2 and we may or may not put the crumbler on it (which I also have).

http://pioneerfarmequipment.com/HOMESTEADER,%20BUCKBOARD,%20CRUMBLER,%20GANG%20MOWER.htm

hopefully that works. IF NOT - just go to Pioneerfarmequipment.com and then go down the page to the harrows. It's the 3' section, single, no "rakes" attached and will have the harrow cart centered on it... Both Vicki and I need to use it this spring on our pastures...

We haven't really worked the ponies in a 4 abreast hitch lately, so not sure how this will go. They will def get tired and lose their silliness in a hurry. I'll show pics of the "project" when it's put together and then when we have ponies hitched to it and working...

 

[paintponylvr]

OK here's two pics that I cropped from the catalog...

The first one - this is the size of it but ours doesn't have the "raker bars" on the back. This one also doesn't show the harrow cart.



And this is what it looks like with the harrow cart, and crumbler attachments with draft horses. This one shows 3 sections hooked together and I believe it's the 4' section or even the 5 but not sure.

Again, ours is the smallest 3' section and only 1. We'll see if we can use just 2 ponies or will need a 4 abreast hitch to pull it...

 

[diamond c]

now that winter has broke to spring I hope to have my golf cart ( wagon sort of ) done in the next week or so. Its been hard to get time to work on it as I have to do all the work out side so the weather holds me back.

 

[jeanniecogan]

diamond C, can'twait to see it.