Heating a JD needle to straighten

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
I have a 14 T needle that's bent badly. Not sure why it did not break. I figure if I try to straighten it cold its bound to break. Not sure if they are cast , steel, or iron. Would it be best to heat it up and then bury it in a bucket of ashes to let it cool slowly , like maybe to anneal it or release the stress and then bend it back into shape cold. Or can I beat it up like dull cherry red in the forge and bend it. Thanks
 
best luck I have had is to do it cold no kinks then put in press and not take all the way do it in a press and leave there giveing a little over couple of days
 
David, check the plunger and the plunger pin. The pin could be trying to walk out. Have seen it happen on a lot of JD balers.
 
They are cast steel or nodular iron, or whatever, but NOT cast iron. Heat 'em up, and straighten, and NO need for slow cooling.
 
The needles on our 14T were made of maleable iron, designed to be straightened cold in a press. That was their primary means to adjust the needles for the required clearances.

We used a new needle for a pattern and straightened used needles to follow the same contour - no need to heat them.
 
(quoted from post at 03:19:56 11/12/13) designed to be straightened cold in a press. That was their primary means to adjust the needles for the required clearances.

Dick2
When ever I repair a sq baler that has needle adjustment problems I use the 2 bots and slots in needle frame to change needle to knotter relationship. I've never read in baler manual where it stated bend needles to align with knotters.
 
The slots provided where the needles bolted could only accomplish certain adjustments.

My Dad was an old binder man so he recognized that the needles were made with maleable iron the same as on the old binders. Bending the needles accomplished the job of "fine tuning" where the needles had to travel to get the twine to the right place on the knotters (which are also basically the same as on a binder).
 

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