Project night: Fixing Manual Pump
During the afternoon on September 30th, 2026, a productive session took place at the WOT as a continuation of intro project night. The place was packed with activity as the members tackled several diverse projects, as repairing the bakfiets, some woodworking, and restoring the manual water pump located right by the entrance next to the office.
The pump was in need of maintenance, as the operating mechanism elevated overly during pumping, and the entire body required a fresh coat of paint. The working session started by disassembling the top section of the pump, which connects the hand lever to the rest of the system.
Thereafter, the team split into two teams. While the first group continued taking apart the pump’s components, the second team set to work removing rust from the top section using an angle grinder, following up with a rasp to carefully clear up the interior corners.
Of course, no project goes entirely smoothly. The first group hit a few snags along the way, including a weakened piece of wood in the A frame and a set of remarkably stubborn bolts. Despite these hurdles, the structural repairs wrapped up successfully.
Thereafter, the entire pump was thoroughly sanded down to create a smooth, clean surface for the paint job, which was carried with Hammerite paint.
Finally, the pump was reattached to the frame with lots of creativity and patience, securing the system by using a bit of force, a 24mm wrench and some new bolts and washers.
The final restored product can be seen below.
