One of the things I love about living on the Rock Farm is the constant series of problems that require solving. There is so much to learn over so many diverse subjects that I find myself constantly seeking new knowledge. The best part of living at this time in history is the easy access to the collective wisdom of mankind. It is all held in a small device that fits into my hand.
But there is also a lot of stuff I learn from giving things a go – and one of the recent jobs was to repair the front swivel on the tractor. Years of hard work had stripped the threads out of the casing and the steering arm kept falling off the bottom of the axle.
The problem with having the collective wisdom of mankind in your hand is it sometimes takes a while to know what to ask it. I eventually determined that the best repair would be a helicoil, or threaded insert, and promptly ordered the parts.
Drilled out too far, the holes needed to be refilled and re-tapped.
Once the repair was complete, I was able to re-assemble the front axle, and get straight into the test drive.
The test drive involved ripping lines in a couple of paddocks to capture any run-off and allow it to soak into the ground. The old International 674 passed the test with flying colours. Test completed, the tractor was put back into the shed for a well earned rest.
I (re-)learnt there is some wisdom you can’t find on the internet or in a book. In the absence of having an expert on hand, some things you have to learn by giving a go.
It might go against one of my favourite quotes, but that is okay with me. I think Douglas Adams got it mostly right 🙂
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
Douglas Adams
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Earth – Mostly Harmless…