Turner Hay Press

Hey guys I picked up a complete Turner Hay Press a couple of weeks ago. I got questions on how to build the wood hay bale separator blocks that go in between the hay bales. Like what kind do you use like plywood or 2x8s and how tall to make them and the chute still have compression on the bales and not on the wood blocks them selves. I know it needs to be 16" wide

Its been a looong time since I had any dealings with a hand fed hay baler. I don't think you will have any trouble with some of the problems you mentioned,they are simple machines. AIRC you need two blocks. I don't recall them being made from 2 inch thick lumber, I suspect 3/4 or i inch rough lumber will do, they will be made in layers any way. The important thing is to leave 2 gaps in the blocks for the wire to go through. Method of operation AIRC: the baler should have a hinged holder on top of the baler to set one wood block in. Insert block in the holder, with baler running and carefully flip up the holder, which drops the block into the bale case. Flip holder back up, start pitching hay into the top of the bale case. The baler has a plunger arm which goes up and down to pack the hay from the top and spreads the hay evenly in the bale chamber. Be sure and don't get your self or your pitchfork in the way of the plunger arm. There should be framing on the bale case which will serve as a guide to set the bale length. I assume you have had enough dealings with modern square balers to know about adjusting the springs on the back of the bale case to adjust bale tightness. When the compressed hay reaches the proper bale length, insert another wood block in the hinged holder and drop it into the bale chamber. The gaps in both blocks should both be lined up horizontally so that you can insert the wire through the gaps to the other side. Your helper on the other side of the baler will take the wire put it back through the gaps to you. Baling wire has a loop in one end. Run the other end of the wire through the loops, pull it tight with your pliers, and wrap the wire enough to hold it. I have no idea where you get baling wire today. Put more hay in the baler until the bale comes out of the end of the case enough to free one of the blocks(you will have placed the wire against the hay, not the block.) There will, of course , still be one block in the baler. Take the other block and insert it in the holder, repeating the whole proce

Have fun.

KEH

KEH. When the old hardware store closed down in Seneca many years ago, I was told that one of the warehouses had stacks of baling wire in it.
Richard in NW SC

fwdstuck,
We have an old Case hay press and a couple of the bale separators are still with it. I also found a couple of them at my grandparents place that probably went to an old John Deere hay press they used to have. Next weekend I can get some photos/dimensions if at that time you are still needing the information.

Curtis

It was useful for making temporary fence and other repairs. Rusted fast, though.

KEH

Thanks so much Cutis

It's complete with the hinged wood block holder. I'll try and post some pics when I get a chance.

And holding on Model T fenders or making Model T spark plug wires.
Richard

In response to fwdstuck, pictured are a couple of examples of bale separator blocks. The newer looking one is simpler and looks homemade judging from the rough saw cuts. It goes with a Case hay press from my dad's side of the family. The older one belonged to my grandparents on my mother's side, and it looks factory-made since it has a milled in finger grip??, sheet metal reinforcement, and a few carriage bolts. I don't know what type of hay press this older one was used on, but I'm told that at one time they did have a John Deere press.

Both are constructed of three layers with 1x4 slats with 1/2 inch gaps on the outside layers. The inner layers are at 90 degrees to the outer layers and have no gaps between boards and are composed of apparently whatever was available - 1x8, 1x6, 1x4, and some ripped down smaller widths like 1x2, 1x3, etc. to fill in the spaces.

Dimensions are similar. The newer one is 13 and 3/4 inches running with the slats and 16 inches across the slats. The older one is 13 and 1/4 inches running with the slats and 16 and 1/4 inches across the slats. The newer looking one has a thickness of 2 and 1/8 inches while the older one has a thickness of 2 and 1/2 inches. The older one is a little too thick to slide through the guide chute on the Case.

Hope that helps.

Curtis

WOW!!! Thank You Curtis!!!!

That gives me some great ideas on how to build a couple.

I built one out of 5/8 plywood 4 pieces thick to make 2 1/2 thick for the guide chute. But didn't like it cause it was to big and bulky and the plywood chipped going thought the chute.

The metal on the original one is a great idea and may do that when I build mine. Cause of the 4 springed fingers (or whatever you call them)that keeps the hay compressed would wear down the wood on the separators as they pass them coming down from the chute guide. For those pics i'll probably build them out of 1x8s 3 pieces thick.

(quoted from post at 20:48:46 04/10/16) WOW!!! Thank You Curtis!!!!


For those pics i'll probably build them out of 1x8s 3 pieces thick.

Click to expand...

The reason they used smaller width boards on the outside layers was to provide those 1/2 inch slots for inserting the wires. With four 1x4's you have three evenly spaced slots across the ends of the bales for inserting the wires. If 1x8's are on the outside you won't have all those slots. or maybe I just mis-interpreted what you're planning to do.

Curtis