CCF

Cheers lads, glad you enjoyed my journals this year! 

I have something planned for tommorow...keep your eyes peeled! 

Is that the Franklin Mint 1/12 F-20 Rick? 

Recovering from yesterday's snowblowing activities. Large walk behind snowblowers seem to cramp up my arms after operation for an extended time period. 

Nice additions richie, those hedges and fencing look ace! 

Looks great Brian, the gravel really improves the look of the display. 

Nice work there as usual, the warning stickers make a nice touch to the model. 

Superb Tim... some really cracking pics there as always mate... I really appreciate the effort you must have gone to to get these pics for your journal... whilst I'm sat here in the warm... and you are out on your hands and knees in the snow 

Well done John as well... nice effect you have achieved in the pics... very realistic... Can I pinch one for my desktop please Tim 

Of course mate...be my guest. 

FARM JOURNAL #25

Today, a snowstorm passed through the farm, and left us with 2 inches of snow. Normally we would have left the snow to melt, but, seeing that the pigs needed cleaning and feeding, we got out the snowblower and skidsteer to clean a path up to the pig barn.

Cleaning the road from the equipment shed to the barn:

In order to get firewood for customers, the path out to the woodpile was cleared:

Turning around and heading back to the barn:

Now that the pathway is clear, a couple farm employees are riding up to the pig barn in the Gator:

Meanwhile, another farm employee is plowing the snow off of the roads with the skid steer. Becuase we have grass and delicate plants on each sides of the road, we use the skid steer to plow the snow into a pile rather than throwing the snow on top on the plants:

Dumping the snow into a pile:

Plowing the rest of the road:

Here is this week's background image:

Hate to say it, but that's all for this week folks!

I would like to thank John Cranston (jdc) for adding the snowblower effect to the photos

This concludes the 2006 Cider Hill Farms Farm Journals. Depending on the weather, the 2007 Farm Jorunals will start anywhere from early to late March.

Good stuff GGG, who makes the trees? 

Nice work as usual Gavin, looks just like the real thing. 

Got about 2 inches of snow last night...too bad the BEETie mobile isn't working!  :D

Nice night shots there Mark, the barn interior looks impressive all light up! 

Happy birthday Marky...as a present you are excused from driving the John Deere this week.  :D

Nath's webcam...I feel sick all over again.  > :D

Good old Gav 

Feeling better now Tim?

Yeah much...thanks mate. 

Some amazing work as per usual Graeme, looks the part that! 

Staying home recovering from a cold and talking to Gavin on MSN. Hopefully will be better to go back out tommorow. 

:o - Thanks for posting Beetie... that is simply superb mate... what a difference it makes as well... I reckon I will habve to have a go at one of those sometime...

I am staggered at the level of detail on that machine now.. I bet that is some piece as well... the combine is 1:24 scale... so it's big and heavy 

* *

Draper pickup headers seem to be very popular over there in the 70's and 80's... are they still used today Beetie... Pops... anyone 

I believe they still are used out west still Marky. 

Nice progress to the farm mate, like the shot with the Renault and the hedge cutter. 

Another good story line and set of pictures...nice job mate. 

Dan (Twotoots2) of Toy Tractor Times just finished this conversion from an Ertl Massey Ferguson 760 combine. Dan said didn't mind me sharing it, so I thought you all might like to see it.

Yess!!!  The Massey is unofficially done.  There is a small bit of touch up painting' date=' detailing and cleanup, and the combine will be complete.  This is about as good as it gets for the time being with the beat up camera.

This weekend, I painted the cab, decaled the combine, added lights, pickup teeth for the header, mounted the platform auger and installed glass in the cab.  The combine looks complete at this point.  Here are some pics of the finished project which I started on Nov 18th.

[img']http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL25/910966/14994609/226311883.jpg

Here is a photo of the real thing to show you how the model stacks up....

Its been a long haul, lots of scrathbuilt mods.  I've lost track of the hours invested, but probably close to 60 hours.

I added a ladder over the hood compartment after seeing a 760 fixed up that way.  The screen on the right hand side of the hood compartment is a "dealer" installed cutout to increase air flow through the engine bay.  You will occasionally see one of these combines with a gaping hole in the right side. Mine is screened over!  Also compare the two elevators at the bottom of the body.  The original toy at the bottom just had one elevator...and flattened detail.  I made new ones.

Top view of the rig, notice the grain bin.  I built a cross auger for the bin which represents the real thing.

Believe it or not, there are no belts or pulleys on this combine.  I didn't count the separate parts on this build, but I imagine there are over 500 new parts....easily!  So that detail kind of precludes the need for belts and pulleys.  You really don't miss them.

The header pickup teeth were made out of wire strands bend on a wire winding jig.  That gets the little curly springs added.  I spent only an hour winding and gluing 30 teeth to the "canvas".  The canvas is made out of a rubber bicycle tube stretched around a tube frame.  There are 11 lights on the rig too.  I may replace the ones on the cab.  I don't like them as they make the machine look "buggy".  I may just mount them to the sides of the cab, where they should be.

The rear axle was completely hand fabbed and widened to give the combine a little more brawn.  The axle doesn't steer, but pivots.  I cut the old axle out to make the new assy work.

THE BEFORE PICTURE!!!!

Interesting piece of work there Thomas, always interesting to see what you are building next! 

Tidy piece of work there, nice job mate! 

My Geometry exam grade 

An Angry Gamer movie I saw on google video. If anyone wants it, PM me. It has a bit of foul language to say the least!  :D