Restoring Old Equipment with Sand Blasting

While I played around with the farm market, Chris had other things to do.

He had traded for a very old, 1957 model, Oliver rake and an Oliver hay baler, almost as old. These were partial payment on a land clearing job he had done. Since Chris is not a person to just leave equipment in the yard as ornaments, he proceeded to take them apart and get them back into good working condition so that he can make hay for local farmers.

 That meant sand blasting in our back field where the clay soil needs the sand anyway. He is very cautious about safety. You shouldn't breathe the dust from the sand. It stays in the lungs like asbestos. Besides the silica, the old paint could be lead-based.

Chris had built this sand blaster several years ago out of an old sand pot, box tube, lawnmower wheels, steel pipe, and a heavy duty air hose.

(He also sand blasted something for me, but that's another post.)

Here are some pieces sand blasted and primered.

[Meanwhile, I sold out of just about everything I had, and I had started with a huge tableful! No more bread, cinnamon rolls, pies, cakes, blackberry jam and strawberry jam! Gone was the 16-hour day of baking! By the time I needed to put things away, there was very little to do. Just a few cookies and a little black walnut fudge. I had my weekly drawing and...(drum roll)...

the winner was Joy Carter!!! 

She's going to pick up her winning prize next Saturday! I've promised her some jam.]

 Chris has his parts protected from the  elements ...

and ready to put back together before the final painting.