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Implement Alley Discussion Forum

type of wood for pittman arm?

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redneckmatt

03-05-2006 17:57:35




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Can any one tell me the best kind of wood to make my own pittman arms? I was thinking hickory second thought was white oak.




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James Howell

03-08-2006 11:13:35




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 Re: type of wood for pittman arm? in reply to redneckmatt, 03-05-2006 17:57:35  
My horse drawn McCormick Deering #7 has an aluminum pitman. As tight as the blade moves, a wooden pitman would not last long. Save yourself some work and buy a universal pitman from Tractor Supply for less than $10.00.

If you have Bois de Arc (pronounced BOW DARK in NE Texas)trees, use it to make a pitman arm. This wood is as close to hardened steel as you can get. We use these posts to build life-time fences.

Hickory would be my second choice. Check with your local BBQ restaurant and ask who supplies the wood for their smokers.

Persimmon would also be a good choice. If golf clubs were still made from persimmon wood, I would be a millionaire.

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coup

03-06-2006 15:59:15




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 Re: type of wood for pittman arm? in reply to redneckmatt, 03-05-2006 17:57:35  
used whatever had,handle from the wheel barrow a few times when in a hurry...i have seen many made from 1.5 metal pipe,seemed to work for them....



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HAS

03-06-2006 15:48:04




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 Re: type of wood for pittman arm? in reply to redneckmatt, 03-05-2006 17:57:35  
FOr less than $10 at TSC I'm not making one.



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Dave H (MI)

03-06-2006 12:56:31




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 Re: type of wood for pittman arm? in reply to redneckmatt, 03-05-2006 17:57:35  
Hickory, but check with TSC as many are still made today and are cheap to buy.



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John (MO)

03-06-2006 08:58:32




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 Re: type of wood for pittman arm? in reply to redneckmatt, 03-05-2006 17:57:35  
Hickory



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unioncreek

03-06-2006 08:12:07




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 Re: type of wood for pittman arm? in reply to redneckmatt, 03-05-2006 17:57:35  
I just made mine out of oak, I cut out four just in case I broke one. It has been on the mower for over three years now.

Bobg



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Hank (MO)

03-06-2006 05:24:33




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 Re: type of wood for pittman arm? in reply to redneckmatt, 03-05-2006 17:57:35  
I've got a Case T7 sickle with a pitman. When refurbishing I took the wood down to look at the grain. Looked like maple to me, and other woodworkers agreed.

I looked at what was currently available in stoors. The wooden ones for sale look like pine and birch, both of which flex a little before they break. They are also closed grain woods.

Oak is an open grain, and tends to fail catostrophically... i.e. it shatters all at once. I don't suggest oak.

If I ever have to make a new one, I'm gonna go to the lumber store and find the nicest piece of straight grain, kiln dried, hickory that they have. Then I will cut the piece from the board with a jig saw so that the grain is parallel to the pitman (i.e. not necessarily parallel to the board).

Hickory is an open grain wood, and should be painted, or some coating put on the surface before it is put outside. It will help prevent rot.

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Harold Hubbard

03-06-2006 04:30:22




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 Re: type of wood for pittman arm? in reply to redneckmatt, 03-05-2006 17:57:35  
I have always used white ash, mostly because it is easily available here and hickory isn't. If you are cutting your own, try to find a piece that has the grain perpendicular to the face of the board, and make the first cut freehand as close to parallel with the grain as you can get. Sticks cut this way stand it a lot better than ones where the grain runs out half way down the lenghth. It should be obvious not to have big knots, rot, spots, or woodpecker holes.

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JD9295

03-06-2006 01:47:14




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 Re: type of wood for pittman arm? in reply to redneckmatt, 03-05-2006 17:57:35  
Something I found to help, wrap it in fiberglass electrical tape. Its at most hardware stores and if wrapped right it will give the old wood alot more flexibility and keep it from breaking



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02

03-05-2006 23:48:43




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 Re: type of wood for pittman arm? in reply to redneckmatt, 03-05-2006 17:57:35  
I badly cracked my pitman by backing into a tree.Being in a hurry,I wrapped it in duct tape from end to end and it lasted all year.



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J.C.H.

03-05-2006 19:55:25




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 Re: type of wood for pittman arm? in reply to redneckmatt, 03-05-2006 17:57:35  
When I Farmed I had one Mower at first that used a Wooden Pittman Arm and it was a IHC. The Arms used for replacement were Made from Ash Trees.



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Stray Gator

03-05-2006 19:43:21




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 Re: type of wood for pittman arm? in reply to redneckmatt, 03-05-2006 17:57:35  
White oak will probably splinter and crack too easily. As old said, elm is likely very good, but ash or hickory are probably good too. I'd use whatever is locally available. For things like that I always cut the wood myself from the tree. This way you can avoid knots, and make your pitman are of strait grain wood. Make it out of a strait limb, or split it from a log and its sure to have nice staraight grain.

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old

03-05-2006 19:32:21




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 Re: type of wood for pittman arm? in reply to redneckmatt, 03-05-2006 17:57:35  
Back years ago when I used pitman type mowers I would find an elm tress that was about the right size cut it down and use them. They will not brake easy but bend instead of brakeing. Have you ever tried to split an elm tree it doesn't split it sort of goes around and round but doesn't brake.



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MN Scott

03-05-2006 18:32:02




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 Re: type of wood for pittman arm? in reply to redneckmatt, 03-05-2006 17:57:35  
I think most are hickory as it is strong but can flex some to with out cracking. Most wood ax and maul handles are made from hickory. When you use a wood handled maul you don't get near the shock as you do with a fiberglass handle. White oak is strong but will not flex, so it will crack or split out with the grain easier.



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Rich Iowa

03-05-2006 18:16:05




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 Re: type of wood for pittman arm? in reply to redneckmatt, 03-05-2006 17:57:35  
All the pitman arms I"ve seen have been made out of hickory or ash. I"ve heard of people tring to use pine (2x4s trimmed to size), but think they"d be to weak.



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