The Rural Voice, 1980-07, Page 29Build safety
into your
equipment
The adage 'necessity is the mother of
invention' certainly holds true for farmers.
Many are just natural born tinkerers and
engineers who regularly manufacture
specialized equipment in their own shops
for their farm operations.
Lack of equipment for certain types of
work often makes on -the -farm equipment
manufacture a necessity. There are a
number of problems associated with
"home -built" equipment that should be
taken into consideration during the design
stage. Safety should be the main concern,
particularly for mechanical equipment.
The manufacturing or building of any
piece of farm equipment should obviously
involve a plan. Drawings or sketches of the
equipment are essential, and often many
problems can be eliminated at this stage.
The materials to be used in the equipment
are important. The stresses and conditions
under which the equipment will be used
are vital considerations in determining
what types of materials to use. If you are
involved in the manufacture of a relatively
expensive piece of farm equipment, a talk
to a consulting engineer or someone
experienced in equipment manufacturing
could save a lot of frustration and money.
Building any piece of farm machinery
requires skill, accuracy and appropriate
equipment. At the planning stage, it may
become evident that you do not have
sufficient skill or the right tools to handle
the job. Equipment building usually re-
quires better than average proficiency in
welding, as well as the handling of other
machine shop tools. It may be possible to
hire someone else to do the critical welding
and/or machining.
Shielding or guarding are the most
essential components in building any piece
of equipment. Major modern farm equip-
ment manufacturers have spent countless
hours and millions of dollars in the design
and building of shields and guards, all for
the purpose of protecting the equipment
operator. Open chains, belts, shafts, and
any other possible pinch or 'pull -in' points
should be shielded. Shielding and
guarding of home-made equipment is often
neglected. This can be extremely
hazardous, particularly in the initial stages
of trying out a new machine, or when the
device is operated by an inexperienced
person.
Building your own farm equipment is a
self -satisfying exercise. As well, it allows
you to be innovative in the operation of
MAILBOX
OF
THE
MONTH
(Located on Morris, Grey Division
line, Huron County)
your farm. Many of the hazards that are
common to home-made equipment can be
eliminated by careful planning and reason-
able precautions in operating the equip-
ment.
Three hidden reasons for
good Shur -Gain heifer care.
LSHUR•GAIN)
Ask us io
There is a Shur -Gain Solution
WALTON
FEED MILL
You can't see them, but inside your bred
heifers are three good reasons to choose
Shur -Gain Heifer Feeding and Management.
Increased MIlk Production Properly fed
heifers will yield a thousand or more pounds
of milk more than those just "roughed"
through. Figure the worth of that at your milk
market prices.
Stronger Calves. Embryonic calves respond to
proper levels of protein minerals and
vitamins. The result at calving time is a strong
vigorous calf well equipped to deal with all the
hazards of early life.
Body Building. A good heifer puts calf and
milk production ahead of her own body's
welfare. Make sure she has the nutrition to
take care of all needs including her own. Give
her the constitution for many productive years
in the milking line.
Increased milk production. Stronger calves.
Better body building. Three vital reasons to
choose Shur -Gain Heifer Growing Programs.
Ask your Shur -Gain representative for the
research proven profit making facts about
heifer care. He's just bustin' to tell you.
Walton, Ont.
Brussels 887-6023
THE RURAL VOICE/JULY 1900 PG. 27