Vintage Discs for the Cub.

[Ambush]

I hauled my old modified section of drag discs home last fall. It was a contraption that I stuck together to pull behind a quad and it sorta served it's purpose not too bad. Wood bearings were completely shot so it needed to come apart anyway. Yep, "The Rabbit Hole" opened and I fell in.

I had some pieces of oak from some well seasoned church pews just over an inch thick and three stacked would give me the three inch width I needed. I cut out twelve discs with a couple of holes saws and glued them in stacks of three, alternating the grain. Some trimming on the lathe, grease journal drilling and splitting completed that part. Then several days of used oil soaking.

[R Bedell]

Yeah, as a kid on the farm, I recall we had a 6 foot disc that had wooden bearings in it also.

[Ambush]

The original gang was four sections of eight blades each. I decided on two sections of four each which would end up just under four feet wide. Also just went with a fixed fifteen degree angle for simplicity. I had some very heavy three inch tube so that became the frame, even though it was about two inches too short. Some angle on each end made up the difference. Got everything shortened and assembled, tacked and dry fit. I'm guessing that the total weight is around 175 pounds. I had previously notched the eight blades with the plasma cutter.

[Ambush]

Without turning the relief up past the factory 625psi it still lifts it and holds.
And the weight seems about right to counter balance loader.

These discs are way older than the Cub, that's for sure, likely from the 1940's and going by the color very possibly International or Farmall. Someone here likely has some history with this circa. It'll be a couple months before I can try them out, but looking forward to seeing what the Cub will pull.

[ol'George]

It is a moot point now but,
normally the disk blades have "bumpers" as you pictured,
( the large round washers on the center of the shafts)
these are meant to rub together to have a neutral effect on bearing side thrust, -----especially wood bearings!!
Also, the bearing material is usually rock maple
( or hard rock maple as it is sometimes called)( I didn't check to see what you used)
If you find your bearings are short lived, do modify so the "bumpers" rub each other, rendering side thrust non existent.
If the disk has very limited use, you might get by in the short run.
that said, nice job!

[Ambush]

I used red oak, as that’s what I had and it will see pretty limited use Probably six hours per season.

Do you have a picture of the bumpers I’m missing? I have everything they came with and looked like had never been apart.

[ol'George]

Originally Posted by Ambush

I used red oak, as that’s what I had and it will see pretty limited use Probably six hours per season.

Do you have a picture of the bumpers I’m missing? I have everything they came with and looked like had never been apart.

You have the bumpers, they are the big cast iron washers that hold the disk blades on the shaft.
If you move the disk gangs together they will rub on each other, as designed.

When you assembled the disk, the first thing you put on the headed square shaft was the bumper, then a notched disk, then a bearing spool, then another disk blade, then a regular spool Etc.etc.
understand?

[Ambush]

Alrighty, got it, thank you! Unfortunately that ain't happening now, 'cause they's welded where they is.

[ol'George]

Originally Posted by Ambush

Alrighty, got it, thank you! Unfortunately that ain't happening now, 'cause they's welded where they is.

Well now you know anyway.
Also
where the hell was I when you were building it Ha,LOL.
Oh the notches will bite deeper and chew up trash/corn stocks,
good thinkin'

[Ambush]

Well to be fair to me (my first concern) I did have a thread a couple months ago asking about the disc rebuild.

With the original trailing arms, I can see how that works and works very well. Being ridged now, so that I can lift them with the hitch, I may have to do something innovative to get that affect. I may look at adding a mushroom shaped extension to the draw bolt ends.

I'm also making an adapter tongue so I can pull them off a ball hitch.