Thread: Mower deck rebuild

Originally Posted by PDW

Can't see what your problem is. Don't you own a welder and a box of E4311 electrodes?

Bloody big tiger snake is living on the north end of my barn ATM so I can't mow the grass. I am devastated.... I so like wasting time driving around in circles (squares) on a stupid machine powered by one of the biggest POS engines of all time - a B&S 12HP vertical shaft.

Count your blessings & buy her a scythe for Christmas. Make sure you wrap it well & be elsewhere when she unwraps it.

PDW

Why is this snake preventing you from mowing the grass? Do you not want to disturb its sleep? If I had a tiger in a position like that, and I probably have, I would deliberately mow to annoy him and send him on his way.

Dean

Originally Posted by pipeclay

I would use a reasonable tensile steel,I wouldnt go with a 1020 or similar.

My 1st choice would be 4140 then either 1045 or EN36.

I would try and steer away from stainless mainly because of its machining characteristics.

Hi pipeclay,
I was thinking along the lines of the 4140 as well as I wasn't sure if the 1020 would be good enough.
With the stainless, I find it easy to machine which is probably due to doing my apprenticeship in the food industry.
It was my job to rebuild the can closers and the first job was to pull all the shafts out and make new stainless ones.
Do you think the stainless would be good enough for a shaft like this as it has a fair bit of stress in use.

Phil.
ps I don't mind a bit of levity

I cant see why not,as it is used in prop shafts and torque would be similar or even greater than the mower deck.

If you already have it might as well use it.

Originally Posted by Oldneweng

Why is this snake preventing you from mowing the grass? Do you not want to disturb its sleep? If I had a tiger in a position like that, and I probably have, I would deliberately mow to annoy him and send him on his way.

Dean

Any excuse is a good excuse, is why. It's far enough away not to be a problem and there are plenty of others so no point in killing it or chasing it off.

Don't know why people think stainless is difficult to machine, I machine 316 all the time. It is soft WRT 4140 and similar though.

PDW

Phil, I am not sure if stainless is such a good idea in this case. The nice stainless shaft will be in intimate contact with a plain carbon steel blade. Add some grass juce electrolyte between the two, and the nice stainless shaft may corrode, just as if it was iron and possibly even faster.

Originally Posted by Steamwhisperer

Hmmm, good point. It is getting a bit long in the tooth and dangerous ....
I fear it might be time to retire the old girl once and for all.

Seems a bit harsh... counselling?

Regards
Ray

PS I'd go with Stainless, better suited to the environment..

Originally Posted by PDW

Any excuse is a good excuse, is why. It's far enough away not to be a problem and there are plenty of others so no point in killing it or chasing it off.

Don't know why people think stainless is difficult to machine, I machine 316 all the time. It is soft WRT 4140 and similar though.

PDW

I did wonder considering your dislike of mowing. If he's far away it is no problem. I only worry about them around the house area which includes workshop and implement shed. SWMBO does not like them in the house. She went to the toilet one day and found one in the wash basin. I am against running them over on the road. Rather pointless I think.

Dean

Originally Posted by RayG

Seems a bit harsh... counselling?

Regards
Ray

PS I'd go with Stainless, better suited to the environment..

I think it is the lack of humour that is the main issue here!

Dean

Originally Posted by RayG

Seems a bit harsh... counselling?

Regards
Ray

PS I'd go with Stainless, better suited to the environment..

Originally Posted by pipeclay

I cant see why not,as it is used in prop shafts and torque would be similar or even greater than the mower deck.

If you already have it might as well use it.

Originally Posted by cba_melbourne

Phil, I am not sure if stainless is such a good idea in this case. The nice stainless shaft will be in intimate contact with a plain carbon steel blade. Add some grass juce electrolyte between the two, and the nice stainless shaft may corrode, just as if it was iron and possibly even faster.

Great advice guys, a couple of things I didn't think of like stainless prop shafts, they do cop a flogging so should cope with a mower, and also the corrosive effects of that combination.
It's never gunna just be simple, is it.
Oh, and you should know by now Ray that I'm always in a constant state of counselling .
I checked the rest of the mower out and it seems there isn't much metal left that doesn't have a crack in it so the engine will be used to finish off Dads rotary hoe (another job out of the way)

Phil