Putting the Drapers on a McCormick Binder

photos and text by Lynn Miller

Jim Rumgay completely rebuilt the Dufur Threshing Bee grain binder for this year’s use. He did a superb job. I caught him on film rigging the drapers or canvases for its maiden flight. Above is the binder with reel raised and awaiting the drapers.

Here Jim threads the bottom elevator draper between the rollers.

It’s a little tricky to get each slate and the canvas threaded through shields and mechanisms. Many folks don’t realize that you can raise the reel up this high and thereby allow excellent clearance for you to get to the work at hand.

Here you can see the draper threaded up and over the top/lower roller.

Now, the trick is to continue feeding that draper until the two ends, rigged with buckles, meet. This may take a trip or two around the machine to free up areas where slats may bind.

An underside view showing the bottom side of the lower elevator draper dangling between the frame and bull wheel. This must be fed back forward, around the lower roller, so that the whole assembly can be buckled in place snuggly. After this the roller is tightened to remove any slop and slap.

This photo shows Jim well along in threading the top elevator draper. Hangin out the end is the platform draper waiting to be rigged.

Jim is buckling that top elevator canvas in place. These two drapers run in opposite directions carrying grain between them to the knotting platform.

Elevator complete, it’s time for the platform draper to go on.

Here Jim is joined by Ed Joseph who helps to poke the slated end in under the roller.

Making sure that the tightener is loose first, Ed and Jim buckle the canvas up snug. It’s very important to make sure that the canvas wants to roll free with no jammed slats or pinches that break or tear when the binder is in gear and moving forward.

Once it is snug, Jim tightens the whole assembly with the outside roller. And the binder is ready for field testing.