Fun projects that warm the heart

[Gene Pink]

Last night, I spent some glorious me-time welding and grinding on my lawn mower deck, a John Deere 42" two-blade.  I have been meaning to do this for awhile, it is a good time of year to pull it apart for a rebuild, won't have to mow the dirt until next spring.  I live in Texas, and it will be mostly dirt in between any weeds that may pop up over the winter.

Didn't really feel up to it, serious cold/flu/bug/whatever, the kind of thing that makes you hack and hack repeatedly just to get rid of that lung tickle. But I dragged my ass out in the shop anyway as the weather was nice, and immediately hacked out a hairball the size of a cabbage, and when it hit the ground, three lizards and a bullfrog escaped and ran off with their freedom. Yeah, that kind of cold.

Note that I am rough on gear, often using what is at hand instead of the proper tool. In this case, I don't own a wood chipper,  but I have a pair of 22" long ~2500RPM blades under this mower deck, almost as good if you go slow. It is hard not to smile, reducing cut tree branches into mulch, while the goats run for cover from the shrapnel.

This unorthodox yet fun method does have it's limits, an oak limb of 3" dia, can lock it up dead, motor and all (good belt traction, no slip-screech).  So you git under there, dig and pry out whatever locked the blades, and try again. Because, as a guy, just because it failed the first time, doesn't mean it will fail the second time. Or the tenth.

Point being, this abuse has taken it's toll on the deck's 0.090" sheet metal, both blade spindle mounts had multiple cracks several inches long from the mounting bolts in every direction.  Losing two inches off of one end of one of the blades last time out back didn't help. To quote Jack Lemmon in The China Syndrome: "There was a vibration".

Many cracks welded last night. Some aftermarket company sells "reinforcement rings" made for this, and most people agree that it is a good idea to put them on new mowers to prevent these fatigue cracks.

Should I plunk down 30 bucks for a pair of these 5" dia,  3/16" thick rings on Amazon? Most people I know would argue against the economics of the time spent making them, but I'm guessing that in the climate of this board and the people who frequent it, you will understand why I just had to make my own. So I did.

Specs for the stock needed: Something thick I can torch a 5" circle out of, with a 3" hole.  3/16", 1/4", whatever.

Here's some hot-rolled 1/4X6" in the flat stock bin... but wait, what is in the "round-stuff" bin? Well hell, here's a pair of zinc-plated mild steel 5" discs, 3/8" thick...why not, the OD is already done, thicker can't hurt.

So with the disc in the lathe, a 2-1/2" holesaw in the tailstock (haven't used back-gears in a long time, but 165 RPM seemed a bit fast, went with about 110 RPM and a lot of lube and backgear noise),  about 5 minutes per 2-1/2" hole. Holwsaw is still sharp, I think it is a Lenox going by the white paint. Add a 0.080" step machined to clear the part of the spindle housing that protrudes above the sheet metal, drill bolt holes, and done.

Tonight on the lathe was fun, too. And to find a pair of 5" discs ready to go, with only ID work needed was cool. Can you guess where these  discs might have come from?
;-)

Gene

 

[JohnRoberts]

Last night, I spent some glorious me-time welding and grinding on my lawn mower deck, a John Deere 42" two-blade.  I have been meaning to do this for awhile, it is a good time of year to pull it apart for a rebuild, won't have to mow the dirt until next spring.  I live in Texas, and it will be mostly dirt in between any weeds that may pop up over the winter.

Didn't really feel up to it, serious cold/flu/bug/whatever, the kind of thing that makes you hack and hack repeatedly just to get rid of that lung tickle. But I dragged my ass out in the shop anyway as the weather was nice, and immediately hacked out a hairball the size of a cabbage, and when it hit the ground, three lizards and a bullfrog escaped and ran off with their freedom. Yeah, that kind of cold.

Raw garlic cut up into small pieces swallows with some fruit juice. Helps loosen up phlegm from your throat too.

Note that I am rough on gear, often using what is at hand instead of the proper tool. In this case, I don't own a wood chipper,  but I have a pair of 22" long ~2500RPM blades under this mower deck, almost as good if you go slow. It is hard not to smile, reducing cut tree branches into mulch, while the goats run for cover from the shrapnel.

I pick up my dead wood before cutting...and dispose on my burn pile (sorry Al).  My calculation is that this helps keep the blades sharp longer.

This unorthodox yet fun method does have it's limits, an oak limb of 3" dia, can lock it up dead, motor and all (good belt traction, no slip-screech).  So you git under there, dig and pry out whatever locked the blades, and try again. Because, as a guy, just because it failed the first time, doesn't mean it will fail the second time. Or the tenth.

Been there even with me policing my yard,,, but I have less horsepower than you do.

Point being, this abuse has taken it's toll on the deck's 0.090" sheet metal, both blade spindle mounts had multiple cracks several inches long from the mounting bolts in every direction.  Losing two inches off of one end of one of the blades last time out back didn't help. To quote Jack Lemmon in The China Syndrome: "There was a vibration".

Metal fatigues... strong and puny at the same time. When we push the human body it gets stronger, stress steel and it cracks.

Many cracks welded last night. Some aftermarket company sells "reinforcement rings" made for this, and most people agree that it is a good idea to put them on new mowers to prevent these fatigue cracks.

Should I plunk down 30 bucks for a pair of these 5" dia,  3/16" thick rings on Amazon? Most people I know would argue against the economics of the time spent making them, but I'm guessing that in the climate of this board and the people who frequent it, you will understand why I just had to make my own. So I did.

its your time and your money... I am tragically cheap so lean toward DIY myself... while I lack your machine shop.

Specs for the stock needed: Something thick I can torch a 5" circle out of, with a 3" hole.  3/16", 1/4", whatever.

Here's some hot-rolled 1/4X6" in the flat stock bin... but wait, what is in the "round-stuff" bin? Well hell, here's a pair of zinc-plated mild steel 5" discs, 3/8" thick...why not, the OD is already done, thicker can't hurt.

So with the disc in the lathe, a 2-1/2" holesaw in the tailstock (haven't used back-gears in a long time, but 165 RPM seemed a bit fast, went with about 110 RPM and a lot of lube and backgear noise),  about 5 minutes per 2-1/2" hole. Holwsaw is still sharp, I think it is a Lenox going by the white paint. Add a 0.080" step machined to clear the part of the spindle housing that protrudes above the sheet metal, drill bolt holes, and done.

Tonight on the lathe was fun, too. And to find a pair of 5" discs ready to go, with only ID work needed was cool. Can you guess where these  discs might have come from?
;-)

Gene

If they had a hole in the middle I'd guess disc brakes from a go kart... Solid round stock that thick, sounds like some kind of a weight,, maybe a base for your fake Christmas tree.. ??

JR

[edit] I am currently shopping for a new mower...(if they aren't cheap this time of the year, when will they be cheap?).  I figure I'm the last homeowner in MS who doesn't have a zero turn mower yet...  I am leaning toward a really nice 44" machine (25 HP) . There is about a 6dB price difference between what i could buy and what I should buy... I am cheap but lean toward spending the extra money for the better machine (buy right you only cry once).  My old 28" snapper has paid for itself several times over but I keep wanting to shift to a faster gear, it's so slow. I figure upgrading to 44" cut and 8 MPH will satisfy my urge to spend less time on yard work.  [/edit]

 

[Gene Pink]

> Metal fatigues...

It does?

Broke blade closeup attached, it is also down to about 1/2 the original thickness, erosion I guess:

 

[Gene Pink]

John, what are you gonna do, take the money with you when you go? If you want a nice mower, buy a nice mower. How much did you spend on your last car?

And if you want to beat up on your brand new mower, beat on it. Don't tell me you never side-slipped your foot off a clutch pedal in first, all four barrels of a Holley (or in your case, more likely an  Autolite) wide open, motor RPM bouncing off the rev limiter? If it breaks, ya fix it.

Yeah, I am rough on blades, new VS old, all lined up, for laughs:

Gene

Come to think of it, maybe I don't need blades, simply replace the blade mount with a disc, and hang about 10 sections of chainsaw chain radially off the edge of each disc, weed wacker style.  ;-)

 

[Gene Pink]

If they had a hole in the middle I'd guess disc brakes from a go kart... Solid round stock that thick, sounds like some kind of a weight,, maybe a base for your fake Christmas tree.

Tale another look at the first post picture, there is a very clear hint that doesn't belong.

Gene

 

[JohnRoberts]

> Metal fatigues...

It does?

Broke blade closeup attached, it is also down to about 1/2 the original thickness, erosion I guess:

Erosion? Yup I wonder about that too... The old blades seem to deteriorate in a swifter fashion than if not under constant attack from grass and twigs (like standing still). I guess even grass can be abrasive with enough collisions.

Tale another look at the first post picture, there is a very clear hint that doesn't belong.

Sorry I still have no guess...

JR

 

[JohnRoberts]

John, what are you gonna do, take the money with you when you go?

I'd like to die broke, or even owing money, but don't have a firm date for my final demise which makes planning difficult.

If you want a nice mower, buy a nice mower. How much did you spend on your last car?

I bought my last car 17 years ago so it's a little long in the tooth too. Looking at the (used) VW diesels. Price dropped 20-30% on the news they cheated emissions. Maybe get one before they update  the software to make it cleaner, and slower and less efficient.

And if you want to beat up on your brand new mower, beat on it. Don't tell me you never side-slipped your foot off a clutch pedal in first, all four barrels of a Holley (or in your case, more likely an  Autolite) wide open, motor RPM bouncing off the rev limiter? If it breaks, ya fix it.

Didn't have a rev limiter back in the 60s... actually broke a motor that way. Some miscreant had stolen my Sun tachometer so I was running blind. Those old Y block Fords were factory red lined  at 4700 RPM, and I routinely pushed 6500 RPM. That night while running blind I suspect I exceeded that RPM by enough to throw a connecting rod.  :'(  (I actually had a rev limiter on my 93 mustang with supercharger. I could even plug in a really low RPM chip if I needed to leave it somewhere for service. 8)  The last time I left my current ride (no rev limiter) at a dealer for service, they couldn't find the keys when I came to pick it up. Apparently some kid in the parts department had "borrowed" my keys and still had them. 

Yeah, I am rough on blades, new VS old, all lined up, for laughs:

Gene

Come to think of it, maybe I don't need blades, simply replace the blade mount with a disc, and hang about 10 sections of chainsaw chain radially off the edge of each disc, weed wacker style.  ;-)

Yup that's how the bush-hogs and big dog highway mowers work, either free swinging chains or mount the solid blades on pivots, so they extend out due to centrifugal force to cut grass, and can give if they (when you)  hit rocks or big wood. Putting less strain on the drive train, blades, etc.
========
Yes I am already resigned to buy a proper mower. The 28"/9HP snapper was pretty good for back when it was new (a couple decades ago), but modern mowers have advanced a bunch since then. The time savings from 44"/25HP would be significant and justify the purchase to even me  8).  I could buy one that looks like a similar feature set for half the price of the models I am considering, but my local "gray hair" mower repair guy says the cheap stuff craps out after a couple seasons.  He knows because he repairs them all and doesn't sell mowers himself,  anymore.. he's retired.  I bought my snapper from him back before he sold his business.

While less expensive than my current ride, the mower(s) I am considering cost more than my first new car did back in the 80s. 

My skin flint personality is protesting, but I can overcome...

JR

 

[PRR]

Magnet structure.

Didn't know they can be Zinc plated.

 

[Gene Pink]

Magnet structure.

Didn't know they can be Zinc plated.

DING! We have a winner.

Simple mild steel pole pieces that sandwich a ceramic magnet doughnut, from a cheap-ass Pyle Driver 15" woofer. The best use I could find for it.

Attached jpeg is the guts of a similar one, in case anyone is interested. Center part is the bottom and inner pole piece pressed together, the ceramic magnet on right, and upper pole piece on left, all glued together. The difference between the center slug OD and the ID on the left piece is the voice coil gap.

Gene

 

[JohnRoberts]

John, what are you gonna do, take the money with you when you go? If you want a nice mower, buy a nice mower. How much did you spend on your last car?

And if you want to beat up on your brand new mower, beat on it. Don't tell me you never side-slipped your foot off a clutch pedal in first, all four barrels of a Holley (or in your case, more likely an  Autolite) wide open, motor RPM bouncing off the rev limiter? If it breaks, ya fix it.

Yeah, I am rough on blades, new VS old, all lined up, for laughs:

Gene

Come to think of it, maybe I don't need blades, simply replace the blade mount with a disc, and hang about 10 sections of chainsaw chain radially off the edge of each disc, weed wacker style.  ;-)

Well I pulled the trigger on this puppy. I fired it up yesterday to mulch some leaves and the puppy is properly fast...  They claim 4 acres an hour, but my one acre took more than 15 minutes.  ;D The elapsed time meter registered 0.5 hrs.  8)  I figure I'll spend twice that long doing trim but still a remarkable improvement over the previous snapper slow motion mowing..

JR

 

[Gene Pink]

Well I pulled the trigger on this puppy. I fired it up yesterday to mulch some leaves and the puppy is properly fast...  They claim 4 acres an hour, but my one acre took more than 15 minutes.  ;D The elapsed time meter registered 0.5 hrs.  8)  I figure I'll spend twice that long doing trim but still a remarkable improvement over the previous snapper slow motion mowing..

Aaah, now there ya go.

I like the roll bar,  just how fast does that beast go? Do you need a 5-point NHRA restraint system?

Is there a nitrous kit available?

I can think of one addition, those wheels are boring, you need some bling,  perhaps a set of Cragar S/S?
;-)

They do make them in 12" for golf carts.

Gene

 

[JohnRoberts]

Well I pulled the trigger on this puppy. I fired it up yesterday to mulch some leaves and the puppy is properly fast...  They claim 4 acres an hour, but my one acre took more than 15 minutes.  ;D The elapsed time meter registered 0.5 hrs.  8)  I figure I'll spend twice that long doing trim but still a remarkable improvement over the previous snapper slow motion mowing..

Aaah, now there ya go.

I like the roll bar, 

I hit a low hanging tree limb with the roll bar (twice). I need to fire up my chainsaw to finish removing the limb. The mower didn't even notice, I just heard the loud cracking sound.  ;D

just how fast does that beast go?

8 MPH... The next model up with same motor (25 hp V-twin) uses bigger rear wheels and specs 10 MPH.

Do you need a 5-point NHRA restraint system?

It has a seat belt, but I didn't buckle up (I know I'm a rebel).

Is there a nitrous kit available?

I can think of one addition, those wheels are boring, you need some bling,  perhaps a set of Cragar S/S?
;-)

They do make them in 12" for golf carts.

Gene

No plans to bling it up or tweak the motor... More mower than I need or deserve, but i can live with that. I just couldn't see buying a cheap POS zero-turn that would break down in a couple seasons. Now I need to figure who to leave this to in my will, since it will surely out last me.  8) At least it is helping my strategy to die broke.

JR

[edit] I just noticed that my throttle was only up about 2/3.... I didn't notice because it was so much faster than my snapper. So i  should be able to trim some time off that 1/2 hour... 8)  [/edit]

 

[Gene Pink]

No plans to bling it up or tweak the motor...

Sometimes a slight upgrade in performance is a good thing, gets the blood pumping...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzVBpddpK2k

;-)

Gene