31, Yay!!!!

The more I worked on the hydraulic system circuitry, the more components I realised I needed for the machine to operate safely and effectively. I very seriously regretted going in this direction, A far better option would have been to make a 3 phase Generator, too late now! The list of bits, including swivel and removable couplings, control valves, pressure switches, braking valves, gauges, pipes and hoses along with the myriad of various sized and threaded adaptors to connect them all together seemed never ending.
I spent many months of scouring junk yards, eBay and the internet in general for suitable controls and fittings along with the designing and redesigning of the system. The bulk of the more expensive items I purchased from America, spending a total of about $600.00 including shipping. Paying the list prices in Australia for the same items would have set me back about $5,000.00.
By mid April, I had all the hydraulics in place and the moment had arrived for the inaugural turning of the blade, why, after 4 years of toil and a number of trial runs of the power unit too numerous to count, does the starter motor choose this point in time to fail? To say I was p****d off would be an incredible understatement!
Another couple of weeks went by before I was able to install a replacement and on the 22nd of April, 2006 all my work finally finally paid off.



A bluestone block, measuring 322mm wide, 215mm high and about 150mm thick, still wet from the saw, was carefully positioned for a photograph. As silly as it sounds this was one of the highlights of my life, this piece of stone had cost me about 4 years and in the vicinity of $20,000.00 to produce. This figure included the shed and is purely a guesstimate as apart from the main components, I kept no record of the money spent on the seemingly endless bits and pieces.