There is no denying that Russell is a very handy person to have around. Most of you know that we were dairy farmers, but before coming home on the farm Russell was a Fitter & Turner at the Naval Dockyards in Williamstown in Melbourne. At one point Russell and his 2 brothers, Neil and Ian were all working there.....and although it's gone through many changes since Russell left in 1984 (the biggest yet to come when it will eventually close), Neil still works there. During his apprenticeship he attended night school to learn welding......with all of these skills he saved us many tens of thousands of dollars over our 30 years on the farm. I would be surprised if it didn't hit the 6 figure sum. He would fix, weld, make and invent anything and everything. He invented a wire winder that would roll up lengths of fencing wire into neat (and heavy) rolls......all out of recycled bits.....he spent a total of about $3 on a couple of bolts! He made our tow behind calf milk feeder, a calf grain feeder, a paddock smudger out of old tyres, a motorbike trailer, a mole drainer, tank stands, gates.....he built sheds, and welded all of the yard at the dairy...........I think you get the picture! Now that we are off the farm he continues to dabble and adapt things around the place.......his latest being the old wheelbarrow. We had been tidying up the vegie garden and Russell was topping up the screenings on the paths. After wheeling in 5 barrow loads of heavy screenings he decided that there had to be an easier way.........so he added 2 extra wheels.
So now the wheelbarrow can either be pushed along........like a shopping trolley........but better!.........or lifted an used as normal.
He has made it that the wheels can be taken off and put back on at any time.........but I can see that they won't be taken off anytime soon......and better still it can also be used for taking shop purchases to cars!!
Linda :)
my hubby is similar, he tinkers in his man cave and can do some basic welding. he built his man cave so its much better than some of those rickety things you buy and put together. think our wheelbarrow has had 2 new bases as they had rotted out.
Posted by: libby | November 24, 2015 at 05:34 PM