I AM LOOKING FOR PLANS FOR BUILDING A MIMI-BALER TO BALE HAY OR STRAW. I AM ALSO LOOKING FOR PLANS, ARTICLES, BOOKS, ETC. ABOUT BROOM MACHINES AND BROOM MAKING IN GENERAL.

-- ED MUELLER (elmjem@aeroinc.net), January 26, 2000

Answers

Ed, are you looking for some sort of machine that is either self-propelled or towed in the hay field? Or are you looking for the really low tech people stomping or lever baler? Or are you looking for the copies of balers that make the little decorative bales?

For the brooms, I hope someone comes in with an answer for you. I've made simple whisk brooms by simply binding a handful of stalks together. But that isn't what you want. You're probably interested in making flat sewn brooms. As far as I know, the major tool for them is a foot-operated vise. Don't think it would be hard to build if you are at all mechanically inclined. I'm not aware of any truly useful directions anywhere. Hopefully someone else is. My best advice is to go to old-time events. There frequently are broom makers there. Most people who demonstrate are more than happy to talk with you, just use a bit of common sense. If there's a huge crowd, leave them alone, if they just got done dealing with a heckler, they need to get composed again. (And why do people go to these sorts of events to make fun of the demonstrators?) Some broom makers might be worried about competition and not very open, but most will be. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), January 26, 2000.

I have no answer for you. I too am looking for a mini straw baler. If you have plans to make one or know where I can purchase one I would greatly appreaciate it. Please respond. Thank you

-- kay vollmer (kcv@bright.net), April 20, 2001.

We too are looking for some kind of small baler that we can use for our horse-mowed hay.

-- Rick (RickE@netidea.com), May 03, 2001.

Lee Valley Tools in upstate NY and Canada has a reprint of an old booklet on broom making. There is also a broom makers newsletter out of NH that comes out once a year I'll have to find the address. Berea College here in KY has crafts programs including "old-fashioned" broom making. Commercial mini-balers are expensive. If you run mini balers through google you'll turn up a few. It's hard to get prices from the web sites but they're probably at least $10K. They are mostly for 18hp+ riding tractors with pto's. There is a mini-baler made for a walking tractor that fits a BCS that is around $6000. Contact Joel Dufour at Earth Tools, 660 Mt Vernon Ridge Rd, Frankfort, KY 40601 ph(502)226-5751. He also has walking tractor powered hay rakes and BCS walking tractors. There is a Chinese mini-baler for around $2500 at chinamarket. I have e-mailed for more info on how it is powered (riding or walking tractor) but have not gotten any response yet. Nobody is importing them...yet. Tillers Int., 5239 South 24th St, Kalamazoo, MI 49002, ph(616)344- 3233 sells plans for a manual hay baler.

-- Bob Fairchild (bobkatfarm@yahoo.com), August 08, 2001.

I too am looking for a minuture baler - to make a bale about 10-12" long , 4-5" high , 5-6" wide . Anyone with information would be appreciated . Glenn W Bell 651 Bellview Rd Henagar , Al 35978 256-657-5549 gbell@farmerstel.com

-- Glenn W Bell (gbell@farmerstel.com), February 03, 2002.