Village Smithy Apocrypha - Hay balers, huh? PICTURE IS HERE

serpent · Post by **serpent** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 9:43 pm

One of the guys who bought an early New Model Village Smithy called me and said he was carrying his in his bib (overalls) pocket - I gather he plays while driving the tractor - and bent over to make an adjustment to his (hay) baler, and it fell into the gears. It supposedly stopped the baler (sheared a pin) and got "a little mashed up", but keeps on playing now that he filed off the sharp places where it got "a little chewed before the baler stopped".

I am allowed to identify him only as "Andrew", who lives in Kansas, and he's shipped the whistle to me so I can check it out and photograph it. More to come, I'm sure...
serpent

Jayhawk · Post by **Jayhawk** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 10:07 pm

What a cool story, but what about the poor baler? Does it still work? Does no one else care about farm machinery here?

Eric
also originally from Kansas

Celtoid · Post by **Celtoid** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 8:03 am

Yeah Serpent!! Jeez..it's probably a $150,000 baler.

I'm starting to think of what interesting secondary uses I can make with the VS, to be received soon. I would absolutely keep it away from my bailer if I had one, but the same goes for my lawn tractor and especially my snow blower. :roll:

Steven · Post by **Steven** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 8:11 am

That's pretty hilarious, Bill! What a tale!

Steven

serpent · Post by **serpent** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 8:37 am

Jayhawk wrote:What a cool story, but what about the poor baler? Does it still work? Does no one else care about farm machinery here?

Eric
also originally from Kansas

The Society for the Prevention of Whistles Jamming Hay Balers paid Andrew a visit and found that he'd replaced the shear pin. There was no gear damage, and the baler is once again happily spitting out bales. (He did say it's a square baler, though how that would matter to a VS, I don't know...)

serp

markv · Post by **markv** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 8:47 am

Thank The powers that be he didn't try to grab it on reflex. Keep it away from the auger Andrew!

My Grandpa lost a hand trying to grab a wrench that was falling into a turbine at a power plant he worked in. OSHA wasn't around then obviously.

Mark V.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 9:00 am

Great story, Bill! Now I know what all that "whistles of mass destruction" stuff earlier was all about!

--James

madguy · Post by **madguy** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 9:25 am

Bill, you should put that story on your web site as a testimonial!

~Larry

Soineanta · Post by **Soineanta** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 9:30 am

Just don't let the Taliban get ahold of any of your whistles! sounds like they could do some major damage!

chattiekathy · Post by **chattiekathy** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 10:00 am

If it had been a round baler, it might have been alot more expensive to repair.

Bill, if you talk to this Andrew again, you tell him that the wife of a farmer told you to tell him that he has no business making adjustments to a haybaler that is running and that he wouldn't be able to play that super whistle very well with just one hand! Sorry to put in a downer to this funny story but alot of farmers have learned that lesson the hard way.

It is a great story though. I always new those Serpent whistles were Super!

Cheers,
Kathy

littlejohngael · Post by **littlejohngael** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 10:51 am

chattiekathy wrote:Bill, if you talk to this Andrew again, you tell him that the wife of a farmer told you to tell him that he has no business making adjustments to a haybaler that is running and that he wouldn't be able to play that super whistle very well with just one hand! Sorry to put in a downer to this funny story but alot of farmers have learned that lesson the hard way.

And be sure to tell him that Kathy's not mad, she's just trying to give him a hand ... er ... I mean, a little friendly advice.

Little John

chattiekathy · Post by **chattiekathy** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 12:34 pm

serpent · Post by **serpent** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 1:12 pm

chattiekathy wrote:If it had been a round baler, it might have been alot more expensive to repair.

Bill, if you talk to this Andrew again, you tell him that the wife of a farmer told you to tell him that he has no business making adjustments to a haybaler that is running and that he wouldn't be able to play that super whistle very well with just one hand! Sorry to put in a downer to this funny story but alot of farmers have learned that lesson the hard way.

It is a great story though. I always new those Serpent whistles were Super!

Cheers,
Kathy

I did talk to Andrew again, and he said he heard something in the gearbox and was just looking. He's already using piper's grip on right hand due to the loss of a fingertip to an old John Deere combine, so he's pretty wary of his machinery. I'm still looking forward to seeing that whistle!

serpent

Post by **Nanohedron** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 1:13 pm

madguy wrote:Bill, you should put that story on your web site as a testimonial!

~Larry

Yes, indeed.

chattiekathy · Post by **chattiekathy** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 1:34 pm

Serpie pie, I'm sad to hear the he already learned the hard way! But, I am glad that it was just the tip of his finger and not his whole arm.

Now, when you do get that whistle back, I want to see it too so you better get the camera out and post a pix!

I am keeping my whistles away from the machinery around here! I like the engraving I have on my serpents just like they were when I got them!

Cheers,
Kathy

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Village Smithy Apocrypha - Hay balers, huh? PICTURE IS HERE

Village Smithy Apocrypha - Hay balers, huh? PICTURE IS HERE

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