This large a machine was rare. The larger machine had to be specially ordered and manufactured. We had spent many hours taking the machine apart. Since I was the smallest Thiessen at work on the machine it became my job to crawl into the machine to help take out the parts, and then to install them again. This often resulted in becoming infested with mites.
Mites are parasitic pests, much like lice, which infest sparrows.
Sparrows live in the machine when it is not in use, so from the sparrows we become victims of their discomfort. A good hot bath usually solves the problem. That summer, with Pop s help and guidance we built new wooden parts for the machine. Then he poured new babbet bearings. Babbet is a lead like material, which can be melted with a blowtorch, and then poured into the bearing mold.