If I can check the oil in the car without a debilitating back injure I consider it a win. Lifting those bearing caps would have put me in a wheelchair.
Let’s face it. This has no guards or safety equipment. If your running this and get your arm grabbed by this machine, they will use a pressure washer to remove your body. Guess that’s why it’s painted red.
It would not hurt to box up the glass oilers for their journey to preclude any damage from the trip! What a grand moment for the shop! Getting so much space back is really nice.
Nothing like the satisfaction of seeing a BIG restoration project come to fruition! I've never worked on anything THAT massive, but I have done my share of things like building engines and installing them, doing car restoration and modification, and working on some other things both for myself, friends, and at work (before I retired). One particular "rush job" for work really stands out in my memory! One Friday just before 5:00 my boss came to my office and asked me if I could stay and help the guys in the shop essentially build a big V12 cylinder twin turbocharged Diesel engine for a customer who had one (an old one) fail and the machine it was in was critical to their production. Was in a big machine in a rock quarry. The kicker was we didn't have a complete engine in stock BUT we had all the parts AND the accessories to build one to their specs! By way of background the company I worked for was Deutz. We were the US "Main Operation" here in Atlanta and Deutz is a German Diesel engine manufacturer KHD based out of Cologne Germany and the history goes back to the inventors of the Diesel engine, Rudolph Diesel and Nicholas August Otto! We had parts for engines going back into the 1800s. I always hated doing the annual inventory because I was one of the guys assigned to "The Dungeon" (as we called it) where all the really ancient parts were. My actual job was Warranty Engineer, but I knew those engines as well as anybody there and better than a LOT of them! That's why I was picked to help the guys basically build an engine from the bare block out to completion! So, we started collecting parts from all over the place, running around with forklifts (had my certs for those). There were 6 or 8 of us wrenching and getting the thing built and, though it LOOKED like a Chinese Fire Drill we were working as a team of highly skilled Mechanics (which I can proudly say, I AM)! This whole thing went on until Midnight when we finished it up (with Pizzas brought in and beer from the company stocked fridge in the breakroom, one of the perks of that job) and when I left, they were running the engine in on the dyno and waiting on the truck driver to get there (took a flatbed semitrailer to carry that thing)! And one last note: I don't know about YOU Keith, but I'm 5' 8" and 125# and I'd get tired of using those chain-falls in a BIG hurry! If *I* was doing that kind of work I'd definitely have to get an air or electric chain hoist! And having spent 5 years as a Sales Engineer dealing with all kinds of Industrial Equipment, I'd recommend an air one (or three)!
@@TomokosEnterprize Forced retirement at ANY age is wrong! I "semi-retired" a few years ago to take care of my elderly parents and after they both passed I fully retired. I had a long rewarding career as a Mechanical Engineer but now it's ME time!
I want to congratulate you on getting healthy , your ability to move, lift and your breathing has improved dramatically in the last few years , that is a bigger accomplishment than all of the other projects and you deserve all of the credit for that, Good work Mr. Rucker !!
Keith , you’re missing the sight glasses that go underneath the oil reservoirs. Without them you can’t see how much oil is dripping and going to the bearings. Aside from that you’ve done a great job and I’m sure that the customer will be pleased. Looking forward to seeing any video of the press working. Merry Christmas to you and all of your viewers!
If they had repaired the cracks in the reduction gear, then they wouldn't have a cool story and a bit of a cautionary tell (or is it tail? Great job Keith!
That's one heck of a piece of history. I hope people can see it working for generations to come. Great job, Keith, and have a Merry Christmas, everyone.
A masterwork of restoration, congratulations! Two thoughts: It would be interesting to see this machine at work processing cane, perhaps eventually your customer could provide some video of it at work? Secondly, thinking of the next person who re-restores it in a hundred years or so and your herculean effort to press the gears and etc., off the shafts, it would have been nice to apply some never-seize when those gears went back on to make dis-assembly easier. I "restore" antique farm machinery and encounter the same problems. In fact, I'm halfway finished with a copy of your absolutely genius portable press. I always use never-seize when things go back together.
Nice Job Keith! Just think that was the first time the mill made a complete turn sense the fire melted the babbitt out. Truly a master craftsman. Thanks for the video Keith.
I actually like the fact that the foundry did not smooth out those cracks when they recast the gear. It maintains the history of the crusher without compromising the strength or function of it.
You must of heard me , I was saying “ don’t forget the shims Keith”! She is a beauty, you have done a remarkable restoration, thank you for bringing us along , having done my own endless restoration projects I share the delight and pride of accomplishment I know we humans enjoy when it’s all complete. Congratulations!
Hi Keith. I have 13 years on you. At our age it's not horsepower.... its more like pony power lol. Glad to see the finished product! As always, excellent work!
The foundry asked the customer if they wanted to keep the past history and integrity of the casting or refresh the gear. Obviously the foundry was a professional historical business and would always ask first as they evaluated the job. As a foundryman for over 40 years, this is what we used to do. Duplicating the gear was the correct choice as this is a historical piece.
Excellent presentation. Thank you. What an amazing cane mill. This series has been wonderful and I will hate to see this one leave the shop. Maybe you could get the owner to shoot some video of it in action with some cane and the power plant.
What a difference compared to when it came into the shop, awesome job Keith. I hope you'll be able to visit it when it's in operation to shoot some video for us. I do agree, a 30mm thick piece of steel is a perfect anvil.😊
Thanks Keith, long may you continue. I learnt metalwork as we call it in the UK, at school. They let us free on dangerous machines that would be restricted these days. We did alloy casting, brazing, lathe turning, threading etc all when we were 13-16. I still have some of the things I made, a hole cutter with a silversteel tip that I used to cut out instrument holes on an alloy dashboard, it still comes in handy every now and then. One thing I made from a book was an engineers jacking block, I had no idea what it was for, but it was an interesting project with many skills needed to make it. I saw you use one to level a machine on the workshop floor. Anyway. I enjoy seeing your work and I always regret never buying a lathe. Well over 70 now, so too late. Merry Christmas
Never too late to have some fun. Those small bench top lathes can do a lot. Only changeups needed are steel gears instead of plastic. I am 70 and love playing with mine.
Wow Professor, what a feat! Way to go. Awesomeness Extreme! If I gave you a dollar for every time you said “These Bearing Caps are HEAVY.” I’d be broke for sure! You, your family and friends Have a Very Merry Christmas 🎄
kieth just finished restoring one of if not the biggest old belt drive cane mill in existence! their cannot be many of these operating in the world. although its most likely a novelty for show. that mill is good to go for another 100 years. id paint them oilers up to look brass to help them look original too. .
Congratulations on finishing the project! Immaculate work and amazingly quick, you knocked it out at an incredible pace for a project that you’re documenting simultaneously.
Beautiful work, this Can Mill should be in a Museum or kept clean and displayed of use casually. The painting of the Cane Mill fits well with the Christmas Season. :) Thanks, Keith Merry Christmas
Excellent project, even if it did take a long time to complete. I know this has to be a beautiful sight to you completed. Looking forward to seeing the loading! Thanks.
One hell of a job on a project that very few people other than you have the skill set, knowledge, and the shop to do. Not to mention the the work ethic and the downright courage it took.
Another pile of rust leaves bright and shiny. You should consider having some tags made. Rebuilt by Keith Rucker and the date. It would add to the history. P.S. The song was well deserved.
Absolutely wonderful work. The oilers are a great touch that thing is old enough that it might originally have had McCoy oilers, it's a shame they don't make good reproductions of those anymore
Merry Christmas Keith and everyone. Nice restore Keith. You say you don't like painting, but they do come out nice, and look like museum quality. Enjoy some time with your family.
That's magnificent Keith. What a great job saving this monster. Would love to see it working in due course. When you said "I'm going to wrap it up", I thought it was a bit optimistic for a Christmas present - Just your manner of speech! Good fun - and Happy Christmas from the UK.
Absolutely super. There is nothing better than this channel. Keith, you do a fantastic job of including us in your projects. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thanks. It is much appreciated.
Well done Keith, it turned out so nice!! Maybe a video of it running coming up? We do not grow sugar cane up here in Canada, so that will be very interesting! And Merry Christmas to all from Ontario, Canada!
Nice to see it fully assembled. I think your workshop will look empty once that mill goes out the door. Any chance of some video footage when they actually use it? 👍😎
This was very cool. I like the square bolts, and the oilers, they make the whole thing look original. Any posibility of a video down the line of it working? Thanks for all the good work.
Nice job. Just the size of the parts makes that restoration intimidating to me, but you effectively dealt with all the challenges and the result looks great. Merry Christmas!
What a beast this is. Followed all the way and it was interesting. Glad to see it completed and looking forward to the next project, hopefully something smaller. Very enjoyable series.
I kinda feel like it doesn't make any difference, but my OCD says the numbers on the binders need to be in the position to be read when installed. Great job with the mill. 😃 👍
Keith, you have done a beautiful job with that machine. I was wondering if the State of Georgia allows the original finish to be sprayed on? Here in California they don't allow certain older finishes. Merry Christmas to all!
Good morning Keith, Excellent work and what a beautiful piece of machinery you restored. I want to give a big shout out to your website, Vintage Machinery and all the research material you have uploaded. That was truly a monumental achievement. Enjoy your week off ( actually to let your body rest). That was a lot of upper body workout. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
If you got through this project without a mashed finger then you are the man.
No kidding, right?
If I can check the oil in the car without a debilitating back injure I consider it a win. Lifting those bearing caps would have put me in a wheelchair.
I was afraid for him the whole way.
Let’s face it.
This has no guards or safety equipment.
If your running this and get your arm grabbed by this machine, they will use a pressure washer to remove your body.
Guess that’s why it’s painted red.
Would LOVE to see it in action when the owner gets it running and in use! NICE WORK!!!!
It would not hurt to box up the glass oilers for their journey to preclude any damage from the trip! What a grand moment for the shop! Getting so much space back is really nice.
Nothing like the satisfaction of seeing a BIG restoration project come to fruition! I've never worked on anything THAT massive, but I have done my share of things like building engines and installing them, doing car restoration and modification, and working on some other things both for myself, friends, and at work (before I retired). One particular "rush job" for work really stands out in my memory! One Friday just before 5:00 my boss came to my office and asked me if I could stay and help the guys in the shop essentially build a big V12 cylinder twin turbocharged Diesel engine for a customer who had one (an old one) fail and the machine it was in was critical to their production. Was in a big machine in a rock quarry. The kicker was we didn't have a complete engine in stock BUT we had all the parts AND the accessories to build one to their specs! By way of background the company I worked for was Deutz. We were the US "Main Operation" here in Atlanta and Deutz is a German Diesel engine manufacturer KHD based out of Cologne Germany and the history goes back to the inventors of the Diesel engine, Rudolph Diesel and Nicholas August Otto! We had parts for engines going back into the 1800s. I always hated doing the annual inventory because I was one of the guys assigned to "The Dungeon" (as we called it) where all the really ancient parts were. My actual job was Warranty Engineer, but I knew those engines as well as anybody there and better than a LOT of them! That's why I was picked to help the guys basically build an engine from the bare block out to completion! So, we started collecting parts from all over the place, running around with forklifts (had my certs for those). There were 6 or 8 of us wrenching and getting the thing built and, though it LOOKED like a Chinese Fire Drill we were working as a team of highly skilled Mechanics (which I can proudly say, I AM)! This whole thing went on until Midnight when we finished it up (with Pizzas brought in and beer from the company stocked fridge in the breakroom, one of the perks of that job) and when I left, they were running the engine in on the dyno and waiting on the truck driver to get there (took a flatbed semitrailer to carry that thing)!
And one last note: I don't know about YOU Keith, but I'm 5' 8" and 125# and I'd get tired of using those chain-falls in a BIG hurry! If *I* was doing that kind of work I'd definitely have to get an air or electric chain hoist! And having spent 5 years as a Sales Engineer dealing with all kinds of Industrial Equipment, I'd recommend an air one (or three)!
Never too old to do what you like to do best. Forsed retirement at 65 is just plain WRONG !
@@TomokosEnterprize Forced retirement at ANY age is wrong! I "semi-retired" a few years ago to take care of my elderly parents and after they both passed I fully retired. I had a long rewarding career as a Mechanical Engineer but now it's ME time!
@@PhilG999 That is why we work so hard.
I want to congratulate you on getting healthy , your ability to move, lift and your breathing has improved dramatically in the last few years , that is a bigger accomplishment than all of the other projects and you deserve all of the credit for that, Good work Mr. Rucker !!
Keith , you’re missing the sight glasses that go underneath the oil reservoirs. Without them you can’t see how much oil is dripping and going to the bearings. Aside from that you’ve done a great job and I’m sure that the customer will be pleased. Looking forward to seeing any video of the press working. Merry Christmas to you and all of your viewers!
If they had repaired the cracks in the reduction gear, then they wouldn't have a cool story and a bit of a cautionary tell (or is it tail?
Great job Keith!
The most impressive cane mill restoration you have done yet! 😊
That's one heck of a piece of history. I hope people can see it working for generations to come. Great job, Keith, and have a Merry Christmas, everyone.
Merry Christmas to you and all of the other gearheads that enjoy videos like these! And Happy New Years to all!
Merry Christmas and Happy New year!
@bjorncedergren3940 Merry Christmas and happy new year 🎉
A masterwork of restoration, congratulations! Two thoughts: It would be interesting to see this machine at work processing cane, perhaps eventually your customer could provide some video of it at work? Secondly, thinking of the next person who re-restores it in a hundred years or so and your herculean effort to press the gears and etc., off the shafts, it would have been nice to apply some never-seize when those gears went back on to make dis-assembly easier. I "restore" antique farm machinery and encounter the same problems. In fact, I'm halfway finished with a copy of your absolutely genius portable press. I always use never-seize when things go back together.
Nice Job Keith! Just think that was the first time the mill made a complete turn sense the fire melted the babbitt out. Truly a master craftsman. Thanks for the video Keith.
If it was $200 for brazing the steam whistle I can’t imagine what this job will cost. You do good work Keith.
Keith, I want to thank you for all your videos in 2024 and wish you and your family a Merry Christmas!
I actually like the fact that the foundry did not smooth out those cracks when they recast the gear.
It maintains the history of the crusher without compromising the strength or function of it.
Just Awesome! After all that wrestling with that Monster you should have earned a lifelong supply of fresh cane-syrup.
That is a big red wrap just in time for Christmas. Well done Keith Rucker, always entertaining and interesting. Many thanks.
You must of heard me , I was saying “ don’t forget the shims Keith”!
She is a beauty, you have done a remarkable restoration, thank you for bringing us along , having done my own endless restoration projects I share the delight and pride of accomplishment I know we humans enjoy when it’s all complete. Congratulations!
I was saying it too!!
Another piece of history saved...job well done Keith.
THAT THING IS A BEAST
A M E N ! ! !
Hi Keith. I have 13 years on you. At our age it's not horsepower.... its more like pony power lol. Glad to see the finished product! As always, excellent work!
The foundry asked the customer if they wanted to keep the past history and integrity of the casting or refresh the gear. Obviously the foundry was a professional historical business and would always ask first as they evaluated the job. As a foundryman for over 40 years, this is what we used to do. Duplicating the gear was the correct choice as this is a historical piece.
Really enjoyed watching that gear train spin so smoothly. Thanks for taking us through this project, Keith!
😂 I really felt the emotion in "aw shoot" when you remembered the shims.
Merry Christmas Keith and to all your family 🎄🎁
I saw him put the holder on and thought "Where are the shims?". He answered right after
Any chance of seeing the mill in operation? Hats off to you Keith.
Isn't it great to do big projects that don't require an Opti visor and small nimble fingers? I really enjoyed this restoration thanks Keith.
Excellent presentation. Thank you. What an amazing cane mill. This series has been wonderful and I will hate to see this one leave the shop. Maybe you could get the owner to shoot some video of it in action with some cane and the power plant.
Excellent job. I vote for two follow up videos please.... one collection and one installed and running or at least a link to one.🤞
Merry Christmas, Keith. Santa needs to bring you a small forklift to use around the shop, lifting the heavy parts and machines you work with.
That’s gonna take a lot of wrapping paper !🎉
What a difference compared to when it came into the shop, awesome job Keith.
I hope you'll be able to visit it when it's in operation to shoot some video for us.
I do agree, a 30mm thick piece of steel is a perfect anvil.😊
Keith - you are definitely more than 1 horsepower!
Thanks Keith, long may you continue. I learnt metalwork as we call it in the UK, at school. They let us free on dangerous machines that would be restricted these days. We did alloy casting, brazing, lathe turning, threading etc all when we were 13-16. I still have some of the things I made, a hole cutter with a silversteel tip that I used to cut out instrument holes on an alloy dashboard, it still comes in handy every now and then. One thing I made from a book was an engineers jacking block, I had no idea what it was for, but it was an interesting project with many skills needed to make it. I saw you use one to level a machine on the workshop floor. Anyway. I enjoy seeing your work and I always regret never buying a lathe. Well over 70 now, so too late. Merry Christmas
Never too late Brian, I am 76 and hardly a week goes by, where I don't make or repair something on my lathe, which is just a year younger than me.
Never too late to have some fun. Those small bench top lathes can do a lot. Only changeups needed are steel gears instead of plastic. I am 70 and love playing with mine.
Wow Professor, what a feat! Way to go. Awesomeness Extreme!
If I gave you a dollar for every time you said “These Bearing Caps are HEAVY.” I’d be broke for sure!
You, your family and friends Have a Very Merry Christmas 🎄
kieth just finished restoring one of if not the biggest old belt drive cane mill in existence! their cannot be many of these operating in the world. although its most likely a novelty for show. that mill is good to go for another 100 years. id paint them oilers up to look brass to help them look original too. .
Wow Keith. You've created meaning to the saying '"diamond in the rough". What a spectacle. Beautiful work, cheers!
It's so nice to see you breathe new life into this old stuff !
Beautiful. Old equipment was designed and made with artwork. A trait that is lost on modern equipment. Thanks for sharing.
You Kieth done one hell of a good job on that mill thanks for all your films ,John from wales
Thanks for taking us along, Keith!
Good job there’s still people left like yourself that can undertake such work. Great job, thanks for bringing us along for the ride ✌️
Keith, I can’t tell you how satisfying it is watching these videos. Another job well done, thanks for doing what you do!
Congratulations on finishing the project! Immaculate work and amazingly quick, you knocked it out at an incredible pace for a project that you’re documenting simultaneously.
HOLY SMOKES what a machine, and you lifted all them solo! Congratulations Keith, And thanks for a beautiful video
I was saying "No! The other way, we can't see the gears!" then you turned it. Sweet.
What a project! Loved seeing it from start to finish. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Would love to see it in action when the client sets it up!
Amazing project Keith. You did an awesome job. I loved watching it all come together. There were definitely some challenges with this one.
Dear Keith, You are only 0, 11 PS.
Congratulations, great work.
Nice work Keith. This should go into the Smithsonian!
From a piece of history, to a piece of art. It's beautiful!
Just want to see it crushing cane now. Merry Christmas to everyone.
I'm looking forward to watching it being moved. Great project.
Those oilers really make the cane roller a Vintage Machine! Nice work.
Nice to see the 48 inch pipe wrench come out! Merry Christmas Keith!
What an amazing transition from start to finish. Well done Keith! Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful work, this Can Mill should be in a Museum or kept clean and displayed of use casually. The painting of the Cane Mill fits well with the Christmas Season. :)
Thanks, Keith Merry Christmas
Excellent project, even if it did take a long time to complete. I know this has to be a beautiful sight to you completed. Looking forward to seeing the loading! Thanks.
Thank you Keith. Merry Christmas to you and everyone watching.
@ 34:15 the average for a man is 1/4 of an horse power, so that the mill will have x100 more power. Very impressive job, well done. 👏🤩
One hell of a job on a project that very few people other than you have the skill set, knowledge, and the shop to do. Not to mention the the work ethic and the downright courage it took.
Super nice job. You worry me when you pick up those very heavy castings.
This is great. See what you get with a little lovin and a lot of experiance. Well done my friend. I call this a great big feather in your cap Kieth
Enjoyed that project Keith. Thank you so much for the work you put in. 👏👏👏👏👏👏👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Beautiful! History is preserved for a little longer. Nice job, Keith. That has got to feel good. Merry Christmas to you all.
Love it when I get to use the BIG spanners!
Keith, I'd say that gantry crane paid itself off with this one project. Well done.
Now, that's called engineering. It's looking very good.
Another great series Keith , looking forward to see what 2025 brings.
Another pile of rust leaves bright and shiny. You should consider having some tags made. Rebuilt by Keith Rucker and the date. It would add to the history. P.S. The song was well deserved.
I really dig the firetruck red color
Absolutely wonderful work. The oilers are a great touch that thing is old enough that it might originally have had McCoy oilers, it's a shame they don't make good reproductions of those anymore
Merry Christmas Keith and everyone. Nice restore Keith. You say you don't like painting, but they do come out nice, and look like museum quality. Enjoy some time with your family.
That looks amazing Keith! Thanks for bringing things like this back to life.
Mary Christmas from Norway.
WELL DONE another vestige saved it would be interesting to see it in operation and it has the same color as Santa Claus
It looks brand new! That is one large buck.
Sure, it would be cool to see it in operation, just a thought. Merry Christmas, Keith.
That's magnificent Keith. What a great job saving this monster. Would love to see it working in due course. When you said "I'm going to wrap it up", I thought it was a bit optimistic for a Christmas present - Just your manner of speech! Good fun - and Happy Christmas from the UK.
Absolutely super. There is nothing better than this channel. Keith, you do a fantastic job of including us in your projects. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thanks. It is much appreciated.
Well done Keith, it turned out so nice!! Maybe a video of it running coming up? We do not grow sugar cane up here in Canada, so that will be very interesting! And Merry Christmas to all from Ontario, Canada!
Clearly this is a BIG project! Perhaps you should get a propane powered fork lift for indoor lifting! TM long time viewer
Nice to see it fully assembled. I think your workshop will look empty once that mill goes out the door. Any chance of some video footage when they actually use it? 👍😎
Beautiful job. Enjoyed every minute. Thanks
You did a amazing job on that restoration, it would be fantastic to,have a video of the machine working pressing the cane for the future ??
Fabulous job
Amazing restoration! Love all your videos.
This was very cool. I like the square bolts, and the oilers, they make the whole thing look original. Any posibility of a video down the line of it working? Thanks for all the good work.
Another incredible job of restoration.
What a fun project to watch. Thanks for bringing it to us. Merry Christmas.
Wonderful work and feel privileged to witness your efforts. Great job.
Nice job. Just the size of the parts makes that restoration intimidating to me, but you effectively dealt with all the challenges and the result looks great. Merry Christmas!
What a beast this is. Followed all the way and it was interesting. Glad to see it completed and looking forward to the next project, hopefully something smaller. Very enjoyable series.
I kinda feel like it doesn't make any difference, but my OCD says the numbers on the binders need to be in the position to be read when installed. Great job with the mill. 😃 👍
Keith, you have done a beautiful job with that machine. I was wondering if the State of Georgia allows the original finish to be sprayed on? Here in California they don't allow certain older finishes. Merry Christmas to all!
This was such a nice Christmas gift! Thanks, Keith!
Good morning Keith,
Excellent work and what a beautiful piece of machinery you restored.
I want to give a big shout out to your website, Vintage Machinery and all the research material you have uploaded. That was truly a monumental achievement.
Enjoy your week off ( actually to let your body rest). That was a lot of upper body workout.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
That project was fantastic!
Keith, That is a beautiful restoration. The owner should be very pleased with it. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
What beautiful machine. If your client puts it to work it would be nice to see it in action. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Looks good and I'm sure you're glad to see the back end of this one
What a beauty Keith, great work!
Wow! Thanks