The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-10-22
Care Of Farm Machinery.

The rainy season is so nearly here,
that farmers should at once examine the
reapers, mowers, threshers, headers, en-
gines and other farm machines, which
are now to be put under cover for the
winter. If this is not done until next
summer. the blacksmiths and carpenters
of the vicinity will then be too busy to
pay proper attention to details. Unsea-
soned timber may be used, and annoy
ing delays may occur. The whole sub
iect should be cared for now, and dupll-
Gates of those parts which are most
likely to be worn or suddenly broken,
should be obtained. Farmers will know
that reapers, in particular, must be In
early repair, as in some seasons the rust
may strike wheat field so quickly that
only immediate cutting saves it for hay.
In the care of mowers and reapers,
and indeed of all field machinery, the
use of too much oil on the cog-wheels
and toothed bearings works q great in
jury. Even though the gearing is care
fully boxed, or encased, and as much as
possible protected from dust, still some
dust will enter, and settle upon the oil,
making it thick, hard, and worthless.
After while this surplus oil becomes so
gritty and hard that it lifts the cogs
apart, wearing the journals, increasing
the. draft, and rendering the jar and ten.
dency to break much greater. The
proper plan is to wipe the cogs with an
oiled rag once day, or if using an oil
can, to pour on but little. The gritty
conglomerate in the bottoms of the cogs
and pinions should frequently be re.
moved.
Sometimes tooth of o cog or pinion
will be found to cut. Examine and see
whether or not the shaft is sprung. If
the tooth has been cast rough, mix black
lead and tallow as a lubricant to cause it
to wear smooth. About the most impor-
tant part of a;reaper or mower is the cut
ting apparatus. Examine all its parts
each day, before beginning work. Look
at the guard, the fingers, the knife-bar
and the sections. Straighten bent pats,
and replace whatever is broken. A bent
knife-bar must be Strengthened care
fully. Put the bar, bent uppermost, on
a wooden block, put piece of wood on
the bar, and strike this with a wooden
mallet. A guard bar can be Strengthened
by the use of lever, but must be taken
from the machine first. When engaged
in the actual work of the field do not
stop and start up when the knife is full.
Back step, and let the matter gain
headway first.
The sections of a new moving machine
knife are square cut at the point. Some
farmers grind these to sharp point.
This is a mistake The machine has less
draft, and does better work when the
square cut is left at the tip. This is also
true with headers and with reapers.
Some farmers use file for sharpening
their reaper and mower knives. This
heats the steel and takes out its temper.
It is as bad as to file razor, or a prun-
knife. Use grindstone and plenty
of water Let the stone have square
face and fine grain. Hold the knife on
the top of the stone, in diagonal
direction; grind alternate sections on the
same side. Then reverse the knife and
grind the other side of the untouched
sections When, while at work in the
field, section is broken, or notched by
striking stone, remoye it by taking the
the rivets out, and put on a new one.
Fit the rivets well, for if loose in the
knife-back, the section might be source
of danger to the driver, by flying off or
dropping in the guards. Use riveting
hammer to form head on the top of the
section. Keep the nuts and bolts tight,
examining them every day.
One of the most necessary points in
field work, is that the driver should
never, even for moment, stand in front
of the knives of mower or reaper to
which team is harnessed. This should
be fundamental rule on every farm.
No matter how safe team may have
been, the records of farm life show that
frightful accidents have occurred from
this cause. If team is startled and
runs, there is almost no escape for a,man
and he is thrown down and killed, or
frightfully mangled, Several such acci-
dents occurred on this coast this year.