[GSBN] re tying half bales

[Derek Roff]

As others have mentioned, I haven't experienced this specific problem 
with arm pain.  However, it might be more common than we imagine, since 
workshop participants are likely to be unsurprised by being sore after 
a bale raising, and unlikely to call us, even if the pain persists.

On the other hand (the right hand, usually), I have seen many workshop 
participants with blisters or lacerated fingers due to the repeated 
abrasion by the bale twine.  Usually right at the upper joint of the 
little finger, where the twine feeds through the hand, as they are 
pulling it tight.

I consider this to be a more serious thing than the injured people do. 
It is a surface wound, and if properly cleaned, it will heal quickly. 
But with all the micro-organisms around bales, if it isn't cleaned, it 
has a good chance of getting infected.  Bale frenzy tends to lead to 
people not taking care of themselves.

At the recent colloquium in Oregon, someone (Chris Magwood?) referred 
to an approach that was new to me.  They suggested using four bar 
clamps to divide and compress the bale, before retying.  The head of a 
bar clamp is pushed into the bale at the length of the future partial 
bale.  Then the screw part of the clamp is brought up to the end of the 
bale, and tightened.  Use two clamps per side, so four clamps are 
needed to divide a bale this way.  Next, the strings are cut, and the 
bale divided.  Finally, the partial bale is retied, without the need to 
provide much compression via the new strings, since the clamps are 
providing pressure.  If the remaining portion of the bale needs to be 
retied, the clamps can then be moved to that piece.

This approach is supposed to be faster and easier, eliminating all the 
work with the bale needles.  I'm planning to try it.  Has anyone else 
seen this approach?

Derek


--On Thursday, October 29, 2009 6:32 AM -0400 Carolatkn at aol.com wrote:

>
> Hi
> I'd really appreciate your thoughts on re tying bales. I did a straw
> bale workshop 3 weeks ago and my left arm is still throbbing from
> making half bales. It is very painful. I've noticed this for a few
> days before, but it is definatley much worse this time. It could have
> been exacerbated by the fact that they only had the really thick
> baler twine which is very difficult to pull through.
> We call our knot the "truckers hitch" although I don't think that is
> strictly correct - a loop on the end, a loop a hand width away,
> threaded through and pulled in as tightly as possible and tied off.
> So my questions are
>
> Is this just me or has anyone else experienced something similar? I
> don't want to be demonstrating this technique if I could be injuring
> some one.
> Is there a better way to do it or a tool perhaps that could take the
> strain? I've seen someone use a pallet strapper but the best tension
> is achieved with a metal buckle - could those buckles be a
> condensation point in the wall? I've also heard of farmers making
> half size bales but inevitably some adjustment will be needed so
> customising will always be needed.
>
> best wishes
> Carol Atkinson
> www.strawcottage.co.uk
>



Derek Roff
Language Learning Center
Ortega Hall 129, MSC03-2100
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
505/277-7368, fax 505/277-3885
Internet: derek at unm.edu