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My Rotary Hoe - Howard Terrier
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Author:  Burnsy [ Mon Apr 29, 2013 11:17 pm ]
Post subject:  My Rotary Hoe - Howard Terrier
As promised in the other thread here is a rebuild thread for my new toy. I got put onto this Howard while looking for a Bullfinch to fill the hole left by the one I foolishly sold a few years back. It seems my search for an operational hoe to use has taken a turn and could be leading me into a new collecting and restoration frenzy.

At the time of purchase I really knew nothing about Terriers other than they were bigger than the popular Bullfinch and smaller than the other popular Juniors. Also that they came in a reverse and a non reverse with non reverse being the earlier ones.

As it turns out my hoe is quite an early unit with the rotovator shroud being curved unlike most Terriers seen around which have straight lines. I believe there were 15000 Terriers made, 6000 of which were early non reverse models. This hoe is number 876 and is fitted with a Howard L series engine serial number 1289 which from what I can work out dates it at pre 1955.

As it arrived at home.
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Author:  Burnsy [ Mon Apr 29, 2013 11:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Rotary Hoe - Howard Terrier
After a few hours it all looked like this.
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Author:  Burnsy [ Mon Apr 29, 2013 11:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Rotary Hoe - Howard Terrier
The rotovator (did you know rotovator is a palindrome!!) housing is now sitting in an electrolysis bath getting cleaned up ready for some work and a repaint, before all the rear end goes back together with new bearings and seals. Then the gearbox seals will be done, the main body and handlebars painted and the engine given a once over including a paint job. The stripping and rebuilding will be a slow process so you probably won't see much action here for a while.

My biggest hurdle is finding a new pinion gear as the one on it is shot, anyone happen to be a machinist capable of cutting splined gears :god: Once that is sorted it will be out to the chook pen to turn it all over and into the vege patch to create a new big inground bed :thumb:

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Author:  Burnsy [ Tue Apr 30, 2013 8:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Rotary Hoe - Howard Terrier
Slowly working my way through the rear housing and rotavator shaft bits using electrolysis to clean them up. I remove them from the tub every few hours when I can and give them a brush with the wire brush. I also use more washing soda than most as I find it lifts the old paint off better.

Tomorrow I will fire up the mig and repair the shield before undercoating it. The plan is to undercoat everything in rust proof etch primer before assembling the different parts and painting them with Sparex Howard orange.


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Author:  gazza [ Tue Apr 30, 2013 10:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Rotary Hoe - Howard Terrier
Nice progress Burnsy :thumb:
Author:  Burnsy [ Wed May 01, 2013 6:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Rotary Hoe - Howard Terrier
Re - engineered the shield / rear flap by adding a length of tube to the rear flap to straighten it and two sections of rod to the shield to straighten that. Also welded up the split. It should not reappear now the rod is welded in there so it can't flex. Checked it all for fit then gave all the bits that form the rear rotovator sheild and mount a lick of undercoat. I am pretty happy with how it has come up, should last another 60 years. My howard orange paint arrives tomorrow so I will give each section a few coats before reassembling and then spraying it again.

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Author:  Burnsy [ Tue May 07, 2013 11:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My Rotary Hoe - Howard Terrier
Burnsy wrote:
The rotovator (did you know rotovator is a palindrome!!)



But only when you spell it correcty :bash: ROTAVATOR
Author:  Charlie [ Tue May 07, 2013 11:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Rotary Hoe - Howard Terrier
great work. I love these projects.

If you get real stuck I could help you out with the pinion gear. It would just involve you sending it to me.

:thunbs:
Author:  Burnsy [ Wed May 08, 2013 12:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My Rotary Hoe - Howard Terrier
Charlie wrote:
great work. I love these projects.

If you get real stuck I could help you out with the pinion gear. It would just involve you sending it to me.

:thunbs:


PM sent Charlie.
Author:  arbe [ Wed May 08, 2013 3:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Rotary Hoe - Howard Terrier
Nice work Burnsy.
Author:  EAGLEYE [ Thu May 09, 2013 5:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Rotary Hoe - Howard Terrier
Looking good .

Sent from my HTC Explorer A310b using Tapatalk 2
Author:  Burnsy [ Sun Jun 16, 2013 9:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Rotary Hoe - Howard Terrier
Finally got some paint on it. Inside baking for the week now before I can hopefully start assembling the rotavator section next weekend. Handlebars, wheels and tractor section all done as well but I have not made a start on the engine yet.

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Author:  Charlie [ Thu Jun 20, 2013 4:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Rotary Hoe - Howard Terrier
Looks good mate. Whats the plan with the engine, clean and rebuild?


p.s. you do a bit of singing in your spare time?
Author:  Burnsy [ Thu Jun 20, 2013 9:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Rotary Hoe - Howard Terrier
Charlie wrote:
Looks good mate. Whats the plan with the engine, clean and rebuild?


p.s. you do a bit of singing in your spare time?



Probably just clean it up and get it going. It was a runner being used by an old guy till the pinion gear stripped and by all accounts I have read they were a strong engine more than capable of running the machine even if a bit tired.

And........ only to the wiggles :wink:
Author:  Simo [ Fri Jun 21, 2013 12:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My Rotary Hoe - Howard Terrier
:wave: hey mate, I think I might have just found a spare blade for your rotary hoe, looks the same anyway, let me know if you need it and I will measure and photo for you to see if it matches.
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