Planet Jr number 4........ I think.

[carlherrnstein]

We have started getting a little more serious about gardening, an one problem we ran into is planting seeds. It's a pita to make a furrow, handle every single seed, an cover them.

I have been looking for a garden seeder but don't like the price of the new good quality units an I'm not going to waste my time with the aluminum an plastic earth way one, I'v used one an it was horrible.

So I found the remains of an old Planet Jr. I can't tell for sure what model but, I think it's a number 4. It's completely stuck but it's got all the spacing stars and the wrench, the only thing missing is the hopper lid and the wood handles. It can either hill drop or drill seeds. Everything on it is either cast iron or wrought iron. I'm guessing its about 100 years old but I have no way of knowing.

For now this will be a strictly mechanical restoration, if I like the way it works it might get some cheap spray paint.

[carlherrnstein]

Im almost done with the repairs, I ended up painting it and have had to make a couple new sheet metal parts, replaced some of the hardware an made a stainless steel torsion spring. I experimented with nickel plating a couple parts, time will tell if it flakes off. I got a pair of handles from Lehman's I expect to reassemble it for real in a couple days.

Spring is fast approaching, I heard the peepers yesterday.

[Sunny Boy]

Nice work.

If you got the parts down to bare steel first, then the nickel should hold quite well. Nickle does well on steel - better than just chrome.

About the only thing that holds better to steel is copper. That is why the best chrome plating is called triple chrome plating. It's not three coats of chrome. It's a coating of copper for best adhesion, then a coating of nickel over that for best corrosion resistance, then a coating of chrome for best hard surface wear resistance.

The chrome does not seal as well as the nickel, so without it and just the chrome the steel would eventually rust.

Paul

[carlherrnstein]

I am done repairing it, I took some pictures while it still looks good. I pushed it around the yard a little, the drive mechanism can be disengaged by simply lifting up on the handles, this will be really handy for turning around at the end of the rows.

[Hootyburra]

I am done repairing it, I took some pictures while it still looks good. I pushed it around the yard a little, the drive mechanism can be disengaged by simply lifting up on the handles, this will be really handy for turning around at the end of the rows.

Excellent work and very wise to be planting seeds and growing food.

Ps, great signature.