Case/Davis trencher backhoe

[RoamingGnome]

That's awesome @Eugen What a cool piece of machinery you are going to have when it's all done
I'm always impressed with you guys that have your own metal lathes, what a handy tool to have when you are fixing old stuff...

[Eugen]

God sometimes sends you a curved ball. Other times curved cylinder rods. But with that also a 12 tonnes hydraulic bottle jack. ...

[DavidBarkey]

Can't tell from the pic. . Did it work ?

[Eugen]

Can't tell from the pic. . Did it work ?

Working on it. Has quite a lots of spring. Have to go at it again and again. Definitely got better. One of them had about 3/16" gap between a straight edge and it's middle. Now less than 1/64. Any words of advice? It's the first time I'm doing this.

[Spike188]

I have straightened rods in the feild. While applying pressure to the rod, place a block of wood near the pressure point and strike the wood with a sledge. The shock relaxes stress in the rod and stops spring back.
The trick is not hitting it to hard and causing over bending.

[Eugen]

Thank you @Spike188 , that was good advice!

With the rods straight it's time for assembly. Something I haven't mentioned yet is that the gland needs to enter the cylinder easily, and go in about an inch below the top, so the locking ring can be installed. For this I cleaned the inner cylinder sleeve of rust and dents with an abrasive tip in the cordless drill (after inserting a cloth plug in to keep the debris at the entrance for easy cleanup).

One cylinder assembled. Oh, it's important not to forget to put the gland nut on when the gland goes on the rod. It cannot go on the rod after assembly! Don't ask how I know.

This is another milestone for me, a symbolic one.

[Spike188]

Oh Eugen, how may hands would I need to count the times of 1 step forward, 2 steps backward, 2.5 steps forward.

[Eugen]

Oh Eugen, how may hands would I need to count the times of 1 step forward, 2 steps backward, 2.5 steps forward.

Like you read my mind. When I assembled the first cylinder, things just didn't seem right, only to realize the rod was bent pretty badly. How I didn't think to check the rods is beyond me. How I handled the rods and didn't notice the curved rod is double beyond me. Last night I needed a moment to regroup.

I got a lead on chrome rod stock in Toronto. I'm considering re-chroming the two backhoe rods that have a little pitting here and there, if it's not too expensive.

[JSinMO]

That’s an impressive repair @Eugen. I would have been pretty nervous trying to straighten that rod!

[DavidBarkey]

Can't tell from the pic. . Did it work ?

Working on it. Has quite a lots of spring. Have to go at it again and again. Definitely got better. One of them had about 3/16" gap between a straight edge and it's middle. Now less than 1/64. Any words of advice? It's the first time I'm doing this.

Just the way you are doing it .A little at a time . Biggest thing is to protect the shaft from marks in the travel zone . Worst thing you can do is mark the shaft or go way to far . I always mark the top of the bow with a marker the length in case it rates when straightening . Just easier to keep track of .