Sickle knive removal

[Soldner]

Hello Everyone,
Well i'm having the darnist time removing the rivets that hold the sickle knives to the bar.. I've tried using a punch, but there pretty rusted. I've soaked them with PB blaster, still without any help... Any suggestions.. Thanks.

Brandon

[Bigdog]

Brandon - If you have a vise set the knife bar on edge with the sections pointed up. Leave the vise open just enough for a section to slip through easily. Then take a large hammer and strike the tip of the section to drive it down through the vise jaws. This will shear the rivets and you will be able to easily pop out the remainder of the rivet with a punch.
If you don't have a large enough vise, you can improvise by placing the bar across an opening of the right size.

[Jim Becker]

I suggest what Bigdog said except for one detail. Put the knife in the vise with the sections pointing DOWN. Strike the back side of the section with a hammer. You have a bigger target and less hazard if you miss.

[jostev]

I would say that unless you still want your teeth, just use a grinder to grind the head off of the rivet, towards the top of the tooth that way you don't ruin your bar....

just my 2 cents

Johnny

[Bus Driver]

Hitting the back of the knife with the bar firmly supported is standard practice. Great (personal) stress reliever, too.

[Russ Leggitt]

Thanks Bus Driver for reminding me of my youth. When I was growing
up on a small farm in north central Mississippi my dad baled hay [square
bales] for the public.

In your post you also mentioned that removing damaged sickle knives
could be a stress reliever. You are so right-on. My dad had names for
the knives. As he would remove one with a B-I-G shop hammer he would
say, "take that [he would insert a name of someone that he wanted to
whack] ie, Russ", just as the hammer hit the knife blade and it went
ping on the floor.

Miss those days!

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

LOL, been there, done that, said that.

[KETCHAM]

I GROUND THE HEADS OFF WITH 3M GRINDING PADS AND ELETRIC DRILL.THEN PUNCHED OUT THE RIVET.GETTING READY TO PUT BACK TOGETHER TOMARROW.THE OLD TIME TECHS [MECHANICS]AT WORK TOLD ME HOW TO PUT IT BACK TOGETHER.LOOKING FORWARD TO A NEW SET OF KNIVES ON IT.I LOVE FORTIES AND FIFTIES TECHKNOWLAGE.CAN'T SPELL. KETCHAM

['Country' Elliott]

I have always removed them the way Jim Becker discribed it. HOWEVER, be ready for the sheared rivits to fly off in every direction...SO WEAR SAFETY GLASSES The rivits are soft enough that placing NEW ones in the NEW blades is EASY. Just remember to install them with the round heads on TOP of your NEW blade...the NEW blade on TOP of your bar (with beveled cutting edges facing UP so that the FLAT cutting blade surface faces DOWN)...THEN turn the bar and blade OVER and Flatten the rivit backs with a hammer using the FLAT on the BACK of your bench vise.