Monster Cane Mill Restoration: Pressing Apart More Gears and Complete Disassembly 

Great video! I bet 99% of your viewers were wishing they could go over and give you a hand when you needed it.

I don’t care how tough you are. That first pop when you’re pressing something heavy is going to make you jump every time 😂😂

Working solo has its challenges. You overcame every obstacle it presented with a calm cool attitude. You definitely took a two man job and safely completed it Alone. We all can take several lessons from this video. Have a Good Friday.

I see your willingness to show your complete thought process as perhaps the most valuable aspect of your videos.

I think I jumped more than you Keith when that gear “popped” the first time…whew… the torch got it too! Awesomeness Extreme getting that bugger disassembled. I tell you what, if money wasn’t an object, I’d get you a few electric hoists.

When I saw the homemade portable press bending and distorting I thought I wouldn't like to be standing anywhere close to that if it suddenly explodes! Scary forces!

Can't wait to see the turning of the rollers.

Good morning and happy retirement!

Nice disassembly process Keith. This is certainly a heavy duty job. I always like your methodical approach to these projects. Pressing the gear off was impressive. 👍 Thanks for sharing. Have a great weekend. 👍

Looking forward to seeing the jib crane and big lathe in action on this.

Thank you Keith, and congrats on your "retirement", I love being retired and working in the garage with my woodworking...

Excellent presentation. Thank you. I have really enjoyed this series. Really amazing by the heavy duty work you are getting done by yourself in the shop.

Geez Keith…August in south Georgia, pressing off huge gears and using rosebuds….I was sweating just watching!! Nice work. 😊

You always amaze me, Keith! You will tackle anything .... AND ... you get it done. I'm also amazed at the parts coming off, thrown in a pile, and somehow you always know or figure out how to get it all back together. This is one beast of a job.

G'day from Australia mate. I worked in quite a few sugar mills here in Queensland before retiring. My last 8 years was foreman in the main rebuild workshop for Mackay Sugar at Racecourse sugar mill. The rollers in our #1 mill were 8ft long and about 4ft diameter. The shaft running through them were about 16ft long and 2ft or more diameter. All up the weighed 28ton. We machined them on an old lathe of WW2 vintage that was originally used to make ships gun barrels. I have machined more of those than i can remember as well as just about every other part in a sugar mill. You're doing a great job and love following your videos !! Cheers ... Dave.

Whew! Pressing that gear off looked like it was right on the edge of dangerous! Glad it all worked out. Safely.

Reminded me of the tough gear pull when you were working on the J.A. Vance planer matcher

The gantry sure provides a new dimension to your shop. Wow - what you’re capable of. So very interesting. 👍👍🤜🤛

Thank you for saying how much it weighs. I was ready to go back to the first video to see if I missed it.

And good evening from a cold upper hunter valley in Aus.

Time for some iron butterfly. Putting that roller on the big monarch should be interesting.

Hard to believe you got all that done by yourself! That is a fine display of ingenuity and solid experience.

Great video! I enjoyed your persistence while you worked to the gear off. You are a great teacher.

No one can ever accuse you of being lazy...you truly work hard at your job...Excellent

You're a braver man than I, with 100T of pressure on that rig... made me nervous just watching from my desk chair.

Thanks Keith

Keith, You may have started as a machinist, but I reckon you’re now a certified rigger !

Whew! That's hard work. But next is the fun stuff. Nicely done.

Good morning Keith from a sunny Hampshire UK

That' some serious iron in the shop

A master class in the many uses of leverage!

Thank you Keith!

Good luck on the upcoming storm that is headed your way. I pray you are not in a flood zone.

It was good to see the Tally Ho's capstan back in action after your wonderful restoration of it.

You sure have some heavy parts on that crane mill! It is a good thing you had that heavy duty hydraulic lift! Be careful when you move those gears! TM long time viewer

"One piece at a time." to quote the late Great Jonny Cash. Thank you for another Great video. Cheers

Do you wear steel toe shoes on the shop? You do a lot of big equipment restoration. What a satisfying hobby.

You are the world reference for cane mill now!

Great video. Listen to how many times you say, I wish I had another hand. Heavy equipment mechanic here, at 50 we started taking an apprentice helper with us. I think it would be great for you to tap into the trade schools or the vocational schools and get you a helper at least over the summer months. that way you can share your vast knowledge and training the next generation. Keep it up. Watch your back and toes. Are those steel toe boots?

I keep hoping you could replace that chain with a button! :-)

happy retirement!

Can you imagine the machine shop that originally built this? Massive AWESOME shop, and most likely it was all belt driven. Man, I would've loved to see that

No matter how much you expect it, it's always a surprise when it lets go. Your DIY portable press did the job, but it's looking a little worse for wear now. Version 2.0 needs to be built like your gantry crane. You just seem to take on bigger and bigger projects.

THE DOCTOR of MACHINING strikes again. Way to Go Professor!!!

Thanks for sharing Keith

You're sure getting your workout on this job, Keith. It hasn't been easy.

Always amazing to watch you one-handing these monumental monsters!! Thanks for sharing this process!

Interesting as always, Keith. Thanks.

Cane mills are like Capstans. I've watched you years before Tally HO and I will continue to do so. From a french viewer...

Wow Keith you certainly working hard and sweating up a storm now that you are retired. Congratulations and thanks for sharing another great segment on this restoration.

What a massive job! I am glad to see you using good equipment and taking precautions, there's no room for error at those sizes. Thanks for providing the weight readout, on a job that big, weight becomes another interesting and important specification.

Nice to sit and follow you along tonight Kieth. So far it is a crazy day on the net eh. That gear and drum looks like the one that drives the carrige on my saw mill, LOL. Just a tad larger though, LOL. I sure do like that 100 ton cylinder. You have a great winning system happening here today bud. Never say never eh. You sure paid for your breakfast today my friend. That assembly was really comfortable as it was eh,LOL. Well, Keith. It put up a good fight but you won good sir. Make sure they spray a primer on the castings so they don't flash rust ok !

As always Kieth, an interesting video!

Keith I noticed you had your health and safety trainers on around all that heavy ironwork - good man lead by example.

You should try put some brake oil a cuple days before. Great job!

You knew this thing was going to put up a fight!

Muito bom trabalho como sempre amigo!!! Esse sim da pra dizer que é um serviço pesado!!! Boa sorte sempre!!!

That jack handle is that short ONLY for shipping purpose. We use handles on all of ours, double that length, and it's so easy.

Since it was so tough to get those gears off the shafts, it will be interesting to see you refit them !

Great job.

Quite the piece of iron. Congratulations Keith Thanks for the video

Great work. Addictive viewing! I really hope you do some restoration to bring this back to some semblance of its former glory. Sand blasting everything at a minimum. Get rid of all that surface rust. Turn it into a working show piece.

Man! That is a beast of a cane mill! 😮

Great large project along with nice amount of work, Keith :)

Another fantastic challenge.

Keith enjoying this project as much as the Tally Ho Capstain project. Cheers.

That's an honest day's work! Great Video!

Fun to see / hear the pop when enough heat expanded the stuck hub and it moved from the jack pressure.

Always giving some encouragement. From afar thanks for sharing

You had me jumping.

That's one big mill. Even the pieces are extremely heavy. Hopefully, you will put on more ppe when you're putting it back together. I just went through having my toes smashed from something similar with protective gear. I'm still recovering over a year later. Great video and very informative.

Great video Keith!

that hydraulic ram is going to pay for itself soon enough :D

Man! What a job!

For as rusty as everything is, I was surprised those nuts and bolts didn't just snap right off!

That jack frame stood up to 100 tons! VERY IMPRESSIVE - even if it did bend.... IT HELD! Those gears were STUCK! 😂

Hard work!

Dear Mr. Rucker: May I suggest that, for this series, you change your theme tune to the "Monster Mash"? 🙂

Taking that gear off was scary !!! Be careful my man 🙂

You’re gonna need a vacation after that tearing that thing apart.great job,great video as always.be safe.continue on 😎😎😎👍👍👍

that was a proper work out keith!

That’s a huge job.

thanks Keith

I already know what is going to happen... forever to disassbemble and 1 day to put back together. The portable press proved its value now needs some appreciation upgrades!!

Good evening Keith Rucker Friday in Australia.

Happy Friday Keith 😊

Thanks Keith 👏👏👏👏👍👍🥰

Great progress!

It is amazing what this man can do alone but might not be possible with his former self.

Awesome work!

Good morning

Penetrating oil really helps too.

Keith, It might be a good idea to weld up a shield you can step behind when doing scary things. Maybe something on casters . That 100 ton press looks scary. Be safe Frank

A funny editing mistake at 18:50 had you remove the same bearing twice. Deja vu.

No matter how many times you’ve pressed big pieces apart that first pop always makes you p**p your pants!! 😂😂😂

All these folks you see in the media talking about authentic this, and authentic that. They need to come watch Keith and learn what authentic really is.

On the two lower rollers, I would suggest making a pad to support the heavy end bearing block before sliding in assembly in. Lots like they would be about 4 x 4 x 1.5 and have two round shafts using inserted into the holes the two long transverse bolts went into. Basically extending the shelf the bearing block sits on. This will allow you to level the roller and blocks as you slide the assembly back in place. Another option would be to have extra hands available. IMO, just too much weight to be struggling with...

Thank you for sharing.👍

Have you considered using one of those laser based rust removal units?

Cane mill cardio.