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Bale Wagon Built Heavy With Salvaged Bridge Parts
When Minnesota farmer John Gardiner asked Rick Kornmann to build him a heavy-duty bale wagon, he had no idea it would be strong enough to haul as much as a loaded semi trailer. Says Gardner, “I knew he was going to use metal bridge parts, but the girders he used on the finished wagon are sturdy enough to support 27 b
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Bale Wagon Built Heavy With Salvaged Bridge Parts WAGONS/TRAILERS Conversions When Minnesota farmer John Gardiner asked Rick Kornmann to build him a heavy-duty bale wagon he had no idea it would be strong enough to haul as much as a loaded semi trailer Says Gardner “I knew he was going to use metal bridge parts but the girders he used on the finished wagon are sturdy enough to support 27 big round or square bales without twisting bending or making a sound It might be a little overbuilt but we don’t have any worries about going through draws or up and down hills ” Kornmann who works for the highway department used 5 1/2 by 15-in thick I- beams for the wagon’s stringers Salvaged from an old bridge deck the stringers are mounted 42 in apart and held in place by pieces of I-beam welded to the front and back “There just isn’t any way those girders are going to buckle bend or twist ” To hold the bales Kornmann made cross sections using 2 pieces of 12-in wide guard rails with 1/2-in bolts through the I-beam flanges Eight pieces were used on the wagon’s 19-ft length Kornmann doubled the rails to provide extra support so 3 bales can be placed across the 9-ft width Even more support is provided by 4 1/2-in by 6 1/2-in I-beams mounted to the front and back of the frame A 3 1/2-in well casing is welded to the top of each support to hold it in place and provide a smooth surface if bales need to be tied down for road travel Gardner has the frame mounted on a 12- ton running gear with chains securing it to the solid bolsters He says the guard rail cross beams work especially well for round bales because they cradle the bale between the slanted metal side walls Big square bales also work well placed lengthwise or crosswise on the rails “The trailer might be overbuilt but I’m not complaining because I think it will always haul what we want and we don’t have to worry about it wearing out ” says Gardner Contact: FARM SHOW Followup John Gardiner 32560 Cty 8 Blvd Cannon Falls Minn 55009 or Rick Kornmann N4648 710th Ellsworth Wisc 54001 ph 651 258-4024
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