Joseph Keniry from Youghal, Co Cork, was given the task to make a mechanical hand-controlled yard scraper for his neighbour. His neighbour had automatic scrapers in the bigger cubicle sheds but had nothing for the smaller awkward sheds except a hand-scraper.

Joseph succeeded in manufacturing a practical mechanical scraper with all recycled materials.

The scraper can be used for slurry and is strong enough to push in silage. To construct it, he used the back axle from a ride-on lawnmower for the wheels.

Next, he got a normal generator petrol engine with a recoil start and mounted it between two box irons that also acted as handles for the scraper. A gear box allows the scraper to go forward and reverse. The rubber from an old car tyre was used as the rubber in front. Joseph says: “It’s heavy enough to do its job and not too heavy for the farmer to use.”

Joseph also designed a mineral lick bucket-holder for keeping the contents out of reach from badgers in the field.

The holder has a special fitting at the back that enables it to be fitted to different sized stakes and poles. The fitting is made up of a chain that runs around the pole and it slides into a slot. It can then be tensioned with a lever nut. This holder would also prevent the bucket being knocked on its side.

To make the loop for the holder, Joseph arranged cogs from the timing belt of an old car and fixed them on to a steel plate.

A steel sleeve was welded on to one of the cogs. When he wants to bend a bar, he just feeds it through the bender between the top cog and the smooth disc while turning the bar that powers the cogs.

Joseph says it is a very easy way to make a steel loop.