Thought I'd share my current project...

My nursery supplier for strawberry plants DROPPED sales of my most
important strawberry variety. It is BY FAR the best tasting strawberry
ever. Customers rave and come for miles to get some. So, I thought I
had no choice but to get into the raise your own plants business. Not
a huge deal, you just grow select plants, let them runner and then dig
them up and sort for nice ones. But doing it by hand just isn't
practical if you need 3000 a year.

So this is my strawberry plant digger. It is made ENTIRELY from scrap
parts found around the farm. I did use new bolts and new welding rod.
I almost used a new bearing and pillow block on the gear box. But then
I thought it needs to be ENTIRELY SALVAGE. So, I searched out an old
one. I've used an entire can of Kroil this week getting the parts off
the original use. I think I deserve some sort of Junk Yard Wars
challenge award.


Here's three views of the 2/3 finished project:

http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/plant_digger_left.jpg
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/plant_digger_rear.jpg
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/Pla...ight_front.jpg

Work to do:
http://www.mwdropbox.com/dropbox/Pla...ront_parts.jpg

The large shaft needs the two rattle chain gears and the two pillow
blocks installed. Then fabricate a mounting to the back of the digger.
The plate in front is the cutter. it needs to be mounted to the bottom
front of the digger.

After its painted, a conveyor type shaker chain is installed in the
bottom of the digger.

I LOST the large drive gear for the rear shaft. Must be under the snow
someplace. So, I won't finish for a while. I may need to buy a new
master link for the drive chain. But I'll try hard to salvage an old
one. Its a matter of pride at this point.

Karl