MF 39 Corn Planter

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ducksngolf

New member
New to the forum and need advice. I've just purchased a Massey Ferguson #39 two row corn planter. The fertilizer box is in OK shape, but the auger at the bottom has quite a bit of rust. Any ideas on how to fashion new auger blades to weld to the shaft?
 
Had an idea that I tried tonight, and I think it will work. Bought a 1" flat washer and cut on one side. Put it into my vice and bent it into an auger type shape, and I think this would do the trick. Put a dozen or so on either side of the shaft and weld them split end to split end. The pitch of the auger blade will obviously be different than the original, so I may have to see about a larger / smaller drive sprocket to turn the shaft a bit faster. A bit homely looking, but I think it will work.

If I decide to try this, I'll post a pic later. I've located a MF dealer and will talk to him about parts tomorrow. Problem is, he probably wants a good $ for this part and I'm not willing to pay high prices. It's only for food plots!
 
Picture

The shaft / pipe is OK, just surface rust. But the "blades" of the auger are rusted completly off in some areas, just rusty in others. The worst rust is near the fertilizer "chutes" that would lead down. The center part is pretty much OK. Rusty, but workable. I'll try to post a pic.
 

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A picture is worth a thousand words alright. What size is that pipe? 1"? or 3/4"? and how thick? I know they sell black pipe at hardware stores- if it is too weak to weld or might be hard to clean up. I have sandblasted such before and the metal be solid. I guessing your idea of using a washer would be buying some size larger and after cutting it, sort of cock it on to get the right angle, then weld them in the spiral? Someone with a plasma cutter might also be able to cut that out for you in sections. I would try making a template out of cardboard and seeing how it comes out. Good Luck, Bordercollie
 
Can't remember the company, but one of the big suppliers sells the auger parts you need. You just stick it on and spot weld it in place. Maybe me or someone else will remember where to get them. Can't even remember what they're called, maybe flights? Google up Washburns.
 
experiment

Redbeard:

The pipe is 1" in diameter. I've tried cutting a 1" washer and bending (as you described) and it worked. But I think the metal is a bit thick and difficult to work with. I'm going to try cutting some thinner stuff with a slightly larger diameter as the it was clear that the 1" washer would not have had a large enough center (when you twist the washer, the center must contract a bit).

The auger is spaced at 2", or put another way, one full turn in 2". The auger blade is also 3/4" deep. I've tried the cardboard cutout, and this will work. Welding to the pipe should give some strength to the auger blade. I'll try sanding down the pipe, but I really expect that there will be plenty of solid material left. The rust is a bit pitted, but that is all.
 
That would be the best thing ,IMHO. Thin plate strips of steel can be bought at the iron supply or your neighborhood welder maybe . It would be good to know the thickness or gauge you needed so it would hold up after all the work your doing.( Just for the record, specialized nut and bolt companies have nut,bolts and washers in just about any size and thickness,should you ever need a weird size.) Good Luck, Bordercollie
 
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