Another shaper to think about and a few questions

[Pete O]

Thanks for the link to your oil-gun Darren, there are obviously still a lot of old threads that I haven't managed to read yet. I might even have one or two that I could convert, but just small ones that would need refilling constantly. Hmm, maybe fitting a bigger reservoir to a grease gun.....

Thanks Stan, yes I did build the trailer 25 years ago- would do several aspects of it quite differently if I was doing it again now but it tows beautifully and has served us well over the years. Just had it sandblasted and painted and it looks better than it ever has.

Vinny, a neighbour with a forklift would be ideal, not a goer unfortunately. Bloke who used to live next door had an old Massey Fergusson industrial yard crane that was very handy- unloaded my lathe which probably weighs 3 times what this shaper does. His property was bought by the farmer who owns much of the surrounding land and I somehow seem to have got him offside- he won't even wave to me as we pass these days! Not even sure what I did to upset him.  

I'll have a think about making a ramp to unload it but I'm leaning toward the partial dismantling- in addition to reducing the weight and making it safer, it will give me access to the idler gear that is loose as well as enabling me to clean out much of the old grease.