Straightening steel shaft

[logwalker]

I have to admire your rigging  Sprucebunny. How did this shaft get bent? LW

[sprucebunny]

Thanks, logwalker Here's the damage I did with it



Check out the two pieces of 3/8 wall channel that were under the jack and over the chain !!!

Bent it a tiny bit. Steel was too damaged to try any harder 

There is a little wear on the shaft so I thought maybe I could shim the bearings with this really thin 'spring copper" stuff I found in a workshop drawer. You can see it under the washer at the back of the shaft. It looks like copper but has a definate set to it ? It's thinner than a line on my cheapo calipers 

I'm hoping that between the tiny bit of straightening and jamming the bearings into line with the shaft shims  that it will be straight enough. Maybe I'm just dreaming with those shaft shims, though

Also included in the picture is the bogey assembly that fits on to this shaft and has a wheel axle on it.

[SwampDonkey]

Reminds me of my father, he made the best of two air vac harvestors over the years. Ran both for 20 years or so. First one was bought in the 60's, second of the assemly line, then another in the late 80's. He practically rebuilt both. Lots of heating, bending, cutting and prying over the years. 'If she don't work, make her work' or 'she's gotta work, there's no other way' could be heard with all the bang'n and thrashing going on.  Way to go sprucebunny, I'da given up long ago.