How to Make a Homemade Baler

Build the Baler

• 1

  Cut from the plywood sheet two sections measuring 40-by-15 inches, and two sections 18 inches long by 15 inches wide, on a table saw. Cut two 2-by-4-inch beams to 6 feet in length and round off each end of both beams with a jig saw and orbital sander.

• 2

  Connect the four plywood sections with wood glue. Reinforce the baler box frame with exterior screws.

• 3

  Attach the rounded 6-foot-long boards along the top edge of the long baler panels, using wood glue. Reinforce with five screws through each board.

• 4

  Measure in 6 inches from each edge of the top side of both 18-inch box panels and mark. Cut a 1-inch-deep notch to hold the baling wire in place while the baler is filled. Measure 1 inch down from each notch and drill a screw approximately halfway in to wind the wire around.

• 5

  Use a paintbrush to coat the baler with polyurethane to extend the life of the baler and prevent warping. Allow the plyurethane to dry for 24 hours.

Load the Baler

• 6

  Cut two 10-foot lengths of baling wire with wire cutters. Wrap one end of each string tightly around the screws below both notches on one side panel five times to ensure a firm hold. Guide twine along the inside wall to the bottom of the baler and across to the opposite short panel. Pull excess wire through the notches and wrap them around the other pair of screws.

• 7

  Place the baler on a level surface and load with hay. Straws should run parallel with the short walls of the baler. Tamp often and fill to the brim.

• 8

  Unwind strings from wood screws and pull tightly across the bale in opposing directions. Hold with a finger the point where the wires cross and thread the excess around the opposite wire until the excess is expended to hold the bale together. Lift the baler box rails and store the finished hay bale.