The Rural Voice, 1999-08, Page 26AROUND AGAIN
Normanby Township farmer turns old machinery
into miniature ferris wheels
Summer is here, and Russell Grein has been busy with
his farm machinery taking in the hay and working on the
harvest. But the wheels that turn on his Normanby
Township farm aren't necessarily always the type that
you'd expect to see on a farming operation such as his. He
likes to get as much use out of old machinery as he can,
and he has projects on his farm to prove his point. Over the
past winter he has completed his second ferris wheel, made
almost entirely from recycled machinery parts.
When Grein sold the dairy herd and went into cow/calf
10 years ago he found that he had a bit more spare time on
his hands than he was used to. He started making
Bx Mary Lou Weiser -Hamilton
woodworking projects in his well-equipped woodworking
shop. His pine folding tables and storage tables are still in
demand but that wasn't enough to keep him busy. In
addition to extra time, he had extra machinery parts lying
around. A couple of years ago he made a bale winch to
drag 4 x 5 round hay bales across the barn floor and down a
hole to the feeders directly below. The cable (off the
unused silo unloader) can pull the bales at least 30 feet. It is
especially handy during blizzard winter weather when
Grein would rather not have to fill the outside feeders with
the loader tractor. The winch and
1 1/2 h.p. motor, also from the silo unloader, are heavy
duty and more than sufficient to handle the bales.
Last year's project, a three -seater ferris wheel was made
from recycled machinery parts too. The base was once a
truck frame and the worm gear came from an International
530 manure spreader with the box rotted out of it. He
picked that one up cheap from a neighbour, but the dump
rake wheels used to mount the seats onto were harder to
find. After finally locating a pair, he spent a day, (and two
cans of penetrating oil) getting the wheels off the axles. He
spent a lot of time on the project, assembling and
reassembling it at least three times, but the effort was
worthwhile. His grandchildren loved riding it, and it turned
a lot of heads when he put it in Christmas parades last
year.
This year's project, a five -seat, 11 foot high ferris wheel
is a hit with adults as well as children. Grein used two steel
drill wheels and channel iron welded to them to support the
chairs. He pulls it behind his pickup
and powers it with a generator.
With the help of his nephew,
Larry Grein who did the welding,
and his wife, Marjorie who did the
painting, Grein has built two
.Ittractive, functional amusement
rides that have brought a great deal
of pleasure to family, friends and
neighbours when'they ride them.
And he is putting old machinery to
use at the same time.
His next project, a revolving
flower planter, will be made from a
hay loader that's waiting out in the
yard.0
22 THE RURAL VOICE
Top, Russell Grein gives rides at a
picnic. Left, Russell and his wife
Marjorie collaborated on the two
ferris wheels.