SEASONS GREETINGS

A happy Christmas and peaceful new year to all following my blog.

Baring some mechanical tweaking this restoration is complete and I’m anxious to show some photos of the finished article but for the moment this is proving impossible. Although well lit there’s no room to photograph the mower with the ride-on attachment in my garage and outside we’re still under several inches of snow.  I’m awaiting a clear sunny day but not holding my breath ! 

Back in the new year.

VIDEOS

At long last I've managed to add a couple of videos to this blog.
The first has been included in my post of Sunday 14th November 2010 regarding the problem I was having with the frame alignment. This is of course now history as the problem was resolved. The second brief video has been added to my post of Sunday 7th November 2010 and shows the rear roller being de-rusted prior to lacquering.
Work on the grassbox is now finished, I'm awaiting a transfer and then a photo will be posted.
 

MORE WORK ON THE BOX

I’ve now finished preparing the grass box ready for painting. This has taken much longer than anticipated.  I used Plastic Padding Chemical Metal as a filler over the small irregularities which I had previously used on other projects. As a metal to metal adhesive and although obviously not as strong as welding I would certainly recommend it for non load bearing joints or where ferrous and non ferrous metals need to be jointed. As a filler however it sets far too hard and is a devil of a job to sand down. Anyway after a great deal of elbow grease the box is now as smooth as I can get it and will have to be brought indoors for painting this coming week.

WORKING ON THE GRASS BOX

With my garage now a barmy +2 deg C I’ve spent today preparing the grass box. A few areas have filler and this has been rubbed down and smoothed. One panel on the front face is just a bit lumpy and bumpy so I’m trying to hammer this flat but as I’m no panel beater I may only succeed in converting a few small bumps into numerous tiny ones as in a planished effect.

As the box has a matt finish in what I think is red oxide primer the bumpy section doesn’t show clearly enough to photo but certainly would be apparent when gloss painted.  As I attempt to smooth the panel I’m wetting the surface to show up the irregularities ( plus my poor panel beating!) but if my efforts don’t succeed I may resort to layering a piece of thin aluminium over the irregular area.

This prep’ing of the grass box will take a while and it’s far too cold for painting so I’ll only post again when there’s some progress to report.  

AL GORES GONE QUIET

8am 2/12/10 update from last nights post.  We’re now under 11” of snow with more falling as I type and forecast to continue for the rest of the day. If I don’t post again within a couple of days could someone please organise a rescue party – me first then the Atco and finally Mrs Grass.

Anyway I digress. Helping push the van driver out of the snow yesterday should have been the last thing to do given my back problems but miraculously this morning I’m pain free so something must have clicked back into place. I may even venture into the freezer which is my garage to start work on the grass box. Or maybe not!

CHRISTMAS BOX ? NO, GRASS BOX !

A follower –topgunhorse- has very kindly given me his grass box and, furthermore, gone to great lengths even to have it delivered. I really am most grateful.  Here on Epsom Downs we’re under a good 6” of snow (correction now 8") and it only took an hour and a half to push the delivery van the 30 yards to the top of the Close !  So my sincere appreciation also goes to the driver who may not yet have thawed out.

The box is in remarkable condition given its age but I may resort to some minor metal bashing, painting etc but not ‘till the weather improves as my enthusiasm for this restoration doesn't extend to working on frozen steel in my arctic garage. As I posted earlier this project is on ice – now literally.

 Weather permitting this should keep me busy over the Christmas break and anyway what else would I be doing – eating, drinking and making merry ? No thanks, bah humbug!

NORMAL SERVICE WILL BE RESUMED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

I have a longstanding lower back complaint – degenerative disc disease – which behaves just like rheumatism; when it’s warm and dry I can live with it but the moment the weather turns cold and damp I can be virtually paralysed for days or weeks on end. It's not at that stage yet but for the moment it’s even a struggle to type this post so just as the project is nearing completion this restoration is ‘on ice’ ‘till I’m fit enough to attend to the finishing touches. 

WHERE DO THESE GO ?

Somewhere earlier in this blog I’ve mentioned that at the conclusion of every restoration I’ve ever undertaken there’s a grommet, widget or whatever left over with no apparent home. Well this Atco restoration is no exception. The photo shows two flat plates roughly 2” x 1” which I think may have something to do with the fuel tank mounting brackets but having looked very carefully at the video I took during dismantling their location is nowhere to be found. The machine hasn’t yet collapsed so they can’t be that important but any suggestions would be appreciated.

FOLLOWER TO THE RESCUE!

Fortuitously a follower of this blog had saved the photo that had disappeared from my post of 14^th September. He’s kindly emailed the picture which I’ve now saved on my computer and reinstated on the post of that date.

TRICKY TRANSFERS

I’ve received the three new transfers ordered from the OLMClub as well as a couple bought through ebay.  The tool box should have the circular Chas. H Pugh transfer on the lid (at least that what was on the machine when bought) but I preferred the large Atco name version.  This was applied without a problem as detailed instructions were sent by the ebay seller.  There was no ‘home’ for the small Atco name transfer so I decided to stick it to the rear cross member of the ride-on attachment. And what a hash I made of it ! As I was peeling off the backing paper the transfer creased and attempts to smooth it out only produced even more creases and tares so the remnants were removed and discarded.

The correct (so I’m informed) transfer for either side of the fuel tank is the gold Atco name sticker which is fine against a green background but as my tank is polished brass the gold transfer would be ‘lost’ so I ordered the green ‘tank’ transfer which I think looks more prominent.

A word of caution to anyone not used to applying transfers. (ie moi !)

To my knowledge there are at least three types of transfers, or should I say means of applying, so be certain first which you have as mistakes cannot be rectified afterwards. The two purchased via ebay  are the type where on the face side the lettering shows in reverse (ie mirror image) and these need to be wetted, applied ‘up side down’ – also to a dampened surface -  after which the backing paper which is uppermost carefully peeled off leaving the transfer on the surface which then may need to be smoothed over to remove bubbles and creases as in wallpapering. Others are simply stick-on where the backing paper is first removed to expose the sticky underside and then pressed onto the surface. Finally another type has backing paper on both sides and is applied by first removing the underside paper, applied to the surface followed by very carefully peeling off the backing paper from the face side.  

This all may sound obvious to those in the know but I wasn’t and I’m somewhat surprised fitting instructions aren’t included with some of the transfers.    

UPDATE

 I’ve found some 5/8” ID x 1/8” thick washers and added these alongside the existing spacers.  The gap between the rollers is now fractionally more than it should be but maybe I’m being too pedantic.

As with the rear roller I’ve fitted rubber sleeves around the new oak front rollers as protection but that’s necessitated removing the scraper bar whilst these sleeves are in place.  

GOT BY THE SHORT AND CURLIES

Monday  15/11. At the end of this blog at the conclusion of the restoration I will include a credits list – those supplies I have used throughout the restoration but I will not be acknowledging the (expletive) from whom I ordered the new oak turnings. He was sent a detailed spec and drawing of the rollers and handles from which he gave a written, fixed, all inclusive price and ten day turn around time. He was also sent one of the roller brass inner sleeves and an old oak handle as a pattern to work from. Now two months later he hasn’t even started the job and wants more money. Yes I could tell him to ….. (you know what) but then he won’t return the items I sent as patterns and I’ll have another wait ordering elsewhere.  I’m minded to let him proceed and when finished refuse to pay the extra but that’s dishonest and not my style.  When I quote a client I stick to it even if we only cut even.

Update, Friday 19/11.  The oak rollers and handles eventually arrived yesterday.  The handles are fine but the rollers are each 1/8” too short. I had sent the turner one of the 3 7/8” long brass inner sleeves as a pattern only so that the centre hole would be machined to take the sleeve as a push fit but, contrary to the 4” long roller length given on my drawing, he’s used the sleeve length as a pattern for the length of the rollers. These sleeves are 1/8” shorter than the roller to ensure that the spacer washers sit against the side wall of the roller and not the sleeve. 1/8” doesn’t sound much but with five rollers there’s now a 5/8” gap at the end of the roller shaft. This will have to be ‘taken up’ with thicker spacers (which won’t look right) or a 5/16” collar at each end of the shaft. More unnecessary work ! 

I SHOULD STICK TO GARDENING!

In my post of 14th September I included photos of the the Atco with the ride-on attachment when purchased and these have now disappeared! I copied these from the ebay listing and pasted them into this blog but about 90 days after the auction end the listing with the photos is removed which in turn has removed them from my blog. Only now I learn that I should have copied them to 'my pictures' on my computer as a permanent record. Moreover the ebay seller also no longer has the photos which is understandable. I'm fairly good with horticulture but !*£$! useless with computers! Never mind we all learn from our mistakes.

See update 22nd November.

RIPPLES AND NIPPLES

This week I also fitted the restored clutch lever assembly. It’s a straight forward job but very fiddly and took several attempts to get it right. Two pairs of hands are a must. Even now I suspect that although operating correctly the clutch is not fully releasing but there is means of adjustment so another tweaking issue on completion.

I have previously said that the carb control cable was "working perfectly", well I was wrong. It's difficult to test a cable off the machine and now having fitted the cable I find that the inner wire is partially seized inside the cable sleeve - doubtless due to a combination of slight ripples and kinks along the length, frayed strands and age. I've sent an enquiry to the OLMclub for a replacement and also advice on fitting. There's a nipple on each end, at the lever end this is easily fitted but at the other end the wire goes through the screw on carburettor cap and then terminates with a nipple. So one of those nipples must be clamped/brazed on after assembly; or is there something I'm missing here ? Watch this space.

Update. Jonathan Cruse has kindly confirmed my above observation in that the nipple at the carb end has to be fitted after passing through the carb cap. He’s offered to make up a new cable but I’ll wait and have this done when I take the machine to him for a few mechanical issues which are beyond me.

STILL LEARNING ABOUT THREADS

I refitted the engine release valve stem and body – see photo. In the process of attaching the clip one of the screws sheared off leaving a few millimetres of thread inside the hexagonal stem body which can not be removed. These ‘screws’ are 3/16 BSF x 3/8 bolts (why are very small bolts called screws ?)  This size of screw could not be found online but in the process of searching I discovered that 3/16 BSF is interchangeable with 2BA thread. (32 tpi  and 31.4 tpi respectively.) So I searched my electrical bits box and found a 2BA screw which after cutting to length fitted perfectly. Just one problem. Having fitted the new screw into another threaded hole in the hexagonal valve stem body the clip and lever are no longer in the correct  position when fully screwed into the engine casing. Moreover the stem appears to be seized inside the body when it should act like a piston inside a cylinder when the decompressor lever is applied. For now I’ll leave as is and address this problem when the restoration is complete and ready for fine tuning to fire her up.  

(Part descriptions as referred to in the Atco spare parts list,courtesy of the OLMclub)

http://www.oldlawnmowerclub.co.uk/sites/default/files/opmanual/Atco%20Standard%20Parts.pdf

MAUVAIS QUART D'HEURE

This week I’ve been fitting the fuel tank and when completed I noticed that the forward tank straps did not quite sit correctly around the tank. After some deliberating I discovered that the tank support arms had been assembled the wrong way round.  The rear engine support brackets are near vertical and therefore the tank support arms are also vertical-these were fitted correctly, however the forward tank arms follow the inclined angle of the front engine support brackets but are then slightly angled upwards so as to be vertical at the top to take the tank straps. I had not noticed this during assembly with the result that the tank straps were not at right angles to the tank. It’s hardly noticeable but would be by those ‘in the know’ and anyway I can’t live with something I know is wrong so the whole !$%&*! engine/tank support assembly will have to be dismantled and refitted correctly. Only a days work. C’est la vie.

Update. Surprise, surprise. This dismantling and reassembly exercise only took half an hour and now the tank straps fit perfectly. Me thinks I’m eventually getting used to this machine!

ON THE HOME STRAIGHT

Update. Prior to taking the partly assembled machine to Jonathan Cruse to resolve this problem I decided that I would have one more attempt to fix it myself.

Firstly I made absolutely certain that every component had been assembled correctly and they had. I then set about systematically dismantling the engine & tank supports and cross bars noting very carefully the sequence in which they were removed and what went where.  I don’t know what went wrong during first assembly nor do I know what went right on reassembling but I’m delighted to report that the problem has been resolved.  The rear engine supports are now vertical and all the slack in the chain has been taken up.

ALMOST BUT NOT QUITE

I fitted the rear roller to the partially assembled frame and was anticipating all systems go for the final couple of days in putting all the remaining parts in place. Nothing could go wrong now. Oh yes it did !  

I am absolutely certain that all the engine mounting supports and other parts fitted to the frame so far have been installed correctly yet the engine appears to be sitting too low with the result that the engine to clutch chain has a good 2 inches of slack. Furthermore the rear engine mounting support brackets are leaning in towards the engine instead of being vertical. With all the nuts only loosely fitted the whole assembly can be pushed backwards on the main frame but requires forcing to get the engine supports at the correct angle and that can’t be right. Even then there is still too much slack in the chain.  I’ve tried every way possible of solving this problem all to no avail so I sent an email and video to Jonathan Cruse at The Mower Centre in Hailsham in the hope that he can advise me.  It’s one of those problems difficult to explain in words so see video* (Best visualised by thinking of a shape that should be square but is a parallelogram.) It’s more easily understood when seen so I may have to take the mower to him for inspection.  

SAFER JIG

This is the new jig I made for working on the rear roller, far more stable than simply using wedges - as I know to my cost !  I have a brief video of me cleaning off the surface rust after the roller had been blasted by the metal finishers and hopefully I'll post that video once I've learnt how to upload it !

LOST SIXPENCE AND FOUND A TANNER

Update. I’ve now collected the ride-on seat and rear roller from the metal finishers. On the one hand I was very pleased that all the old galvanising on the seat as well as the paint, rust and most of the light pitting on the roller had been removed but at the same time a tad disappointed that the blasting process did not leave the shiny bare steel finish I was expecting. It’s difficult to explain the finish they achieved; best described as a very fine ‘textured’ surface in dull silver. Anyway on balance I’m happy with what was done, certainly a better finish than I could have achieved.

 I’ve left the seat as finished by blasting and given it several coats of lacquer.  When I collected these items they had just finished the blasting, by the time I got home –about 45 minutes later on a sunny day- the roller was covered in a rust bloom.  I made a new jig for holding the roller whilst the rust was removed with a rotary wire brush. The instant I finished this exercise the roller was dusted off and given three coats of lacquer.  Before and after in photos.

MORE HASTE LESS SPEED

Little progress this week. Firstly in the space of two days we’ve had four machines break down all requiring my attention. What did I say about modern lawn mowers ! Thank goodness it’s the end of the season.

I’ve had to stop fitting any more sub assemblies to the main frame for good reason. Earlier this week I took the ride-on seat to a company that uses glass bead and vapour blasting to remove the galvanised plating to leave a shiny bare steel finish. Because of the eye injury I sustained whilst sanding the ride-on rollers I decided to have the mowers rear roller face also cleaned up by this company at the same time. When this roller is ready for assembly the machine will have to be lifted and located onto the roller bearing brackets so if I fit any more assemblies to the frame it will become too heavy and cumbersome to manoeuvre. I’m doing all this unaided!

Soon after buying the moss green paint a few months back I prep’d and painted the lid of the tool box so I could satisfy myself that the colour was OK. Now I have noticed several tiny pin head specs bubbling up on the surface where foolishly in my haste I had failed to remove all traces of rust.  Moreover I don’t recall using Kurust after the old paint had been rubbed down and inevitably this process exposed some of the bare metal underneath. Although miniscule now these imperfections will only get bigger so the lid has been removed and this time totally stripped back to bare metal, coated with Kurust and then painted with top coat.  I’m a bit ashamed not to have done this right in the first place.   

After installing the carb I thought the finish I had previously achieved was not good enough so it was removed, stripped of lacquer and rebuffed.  Although the ports were taped over I nevertheless swilled petrol inside when finished just in case debris had found its way in. I’ve now realised that the lacquered finish will be unsuitable.  The slightest leak of fuel when primed will dissolve the lacquer to give a blotchy appearance so it will be left with a buffed and polished finish.

I reinstalled the cutting cylinder satisfactorily; or so I thought. Fitting the bearings to the bearing brackets and then assembling onto the frame was very fiddly and at the end of which I had forgotten to feed the chain above and below the already installed conveyor casting (back throw plate) and also overlooked fitting the outside brass dust cover caps when assembling the bearings to the brackets.  (Both inside and outside caps fit into channels inside the bearing brackets and have to be installed when the bearings are assembled.)  It was late and I was tired. Well that’s my excuse anyway !

Update. After reinstalling the cutting cylinder and back plate I realised that assembly would be far easier with the rear roller and chain installed first and then these other assemblies afterwards so both were removed. The roller is away at the metal finishers so this job will have to await it’s return.

 

QUANTUM PHYSICS

In another life I read quantum physics. It was a walk in the park compared to comprehending all the permutations of different thread types. I have previously posted about the multitude of sizes, threads and finishes for the fasteners on this machine and now I’m at the stage of gradually reassembling the component parts back onto the mainframe I have discovered yet another thread type. The Villiers engine and the bolts holding the engine through support brackets to the frame as well as the clutch mechanism use BSCy (British standard cycle) thread at 26tpi* which I had-visually- assumed in my ignorance to be BSF (20tpi) and bought accordingly.  Despite fixing many bikes in my youth and much to my shame I never realised that BSCy threads even existed. Apparently this thread type is used where constant vibration could loosen a courser thread.  Anyway I’m not going to ‘spoil the ship …’ by using the rusty and badly corroded old nuts so, contrary to my previous post, I have once again had to order new ones online and in the meantime turn my attention to other assembly jobs.

*Footnote. Isn’t the computer wonderful.  With the aid of a huge magnifying glass I counted 13 teeth over half an inch of the bolt thread and simply entered ’26 tpi’ into google and up came the answer –cycle thread. How did we manage before the internet ?

NOT IF, WHEN.

It had to happen eventually. During dismantling every single fixing or group of fasteners were placed in polythene bags and labelled with their identity and location on the machine, not least so I knew what quantity/size/thread replacements to buy. Now I’m reassembling the component parts onto the mainframe I’m missing the two bolts holding the roller shaft bearing brackets to the frame. Obviously they’re somewhere but after an hour of searching I gave up and ordered a couple of new ones online. They are ½” BSW x 11/4” round head coach bolts and although no longer obtainable in imperial the near identical metric equivalents are plentiful. 

Update. Sods Law. Within minutes of buying replacements the old ones were found !   I know what’s going to happen next, it occurs on every restoration I’ve ever undertaken. When the project is fully finished there’ll be a widget, grommet or something left over in the parts box with no obvious ‘home’ ! 

The old Atco transfers on the machine were removed as each part was prep’d for painting. Those on the petrol tank and fan cowling came off with ease; they looked like they had been stuck on and then painted over by someone whilst intoxicated so could not have been original.  In contrast the Chas. H Pugh transfer on the tool box just couldn’t be shifted without sanding back the lid to bare metal – that was original. 

CHAINSORE

The three drive chains were in such a bad state that I had fully expected to buy new. They were rusty, partially seized and full of crud.  I had assumed that a chain was a chain was a chain but the number of types and sizes is bewildering coupled with inconsistencies in the way suppliers use varying reference numbers or names to identify different sizes and types. Anyway as I’m keen to restore rather than buy new wherever possible I thought I would do my best to clean up these chains. They were first soaked with Gunk followed by neat washing up liquid, thoroughly scrubbed and then all the individual links were methodically cleaned up with the rotary wire brush attachment on my bench grinder. (Don’t try this at home folks, very sore fingers despite wearing thick leather gloves.) Finally they were buffed up with an emery pad and sprayed with oil. Although this task took several hours the end result is indistinguishable from new. All I have to do now is to remember to fix these chains onto the drive cog wheels prior to assembly.

WHAT A PLONKER

This week I assembled the engine and fuel tank mounts between the engine support brackets and then onto the frame. It was important to get all the various parts assembled in the right order and once again it was a case of consulting the video at every stage. Unfortunately when the machine was videoed both prior to and during dismantling some of the rear view assemblies were obscured by the tool box so putting everything back in the right order on the rear ½” bars connecting the engine side brackets to the frame support arms was trial and error. Hopefully I’ve got it right, I’ll soon find out otherwise.

At either end of this bar are the brackets to support the tool box- not the frame stay clips but the flat supporting brackets.  Not for the first time a component has disappeared into the ether and is nowhere to be found after an hour of searching.  Fitting the tool box will be one of the last jobs so if they don’t turn up I’ll make new.

Update. I could easily have deleted that previous paragraph but I’ve left it in just to show what a plonker I have been.  The tool box support brackets (arms) form part of, and were fitted to, the handle assembly weeks ago which has been stored in my office a couple of feet away from my keyboard !

JUMBO JIGSAW

I’m making progress far quicker than expected and with the paint now thoroughly dry I have been putting parts back on the main frame assembly. I would defy anyone who is not familiar with this mower to reassembly all these frame parts in the right order and on first attempt. When dismantling I made a sketch and list of the parts and most importantly the sequence in which they were removed, plus of course the video. Despite continually consulting this list and video I twice had to change parts over –especially the cross bar sleeves - that had been wrongly placed. At the risk of labouring the point videoing during dismantling was the best decision I made in this project. Invaluable.

WHAT A GRIND

This mower has several cross bars with 3/8 or ½”  BSW threaded ends. Inevitably over 80 years the exposed ends of these bars have taken a few knocks causing damage to the thread especially the bar through the front rollers. The new brass nuts I’ll be using can be screwed on with some effort  but being a softer metal than the steel bar this can causes cross threading in the nut  so this week I’ve been grinding down the ends of the bars just sufficient to reach clean thread. The nuts now spin on with ease.

MOHAMED COMES TO THE MOUNTAIN

I have many tender plants in my garden which will soon have to be overwintered in the garage. In addition to those indoors I have a multitude of mower parts spread all over the garage floor, walls and hanging from the ceiling and most of these will have to be put together into sub assemblies to clear floor space for the plants.  So this week I started loosely reassembling various sections.  Never having been very good at puzzles it’s fortunate that I have videos of all these assemblies on my computer.  I can’t take my computer into the garage so all the parts have been transferred indoors for assembling Blue Peter style whilst simultaneously watching the videos. Mrs Grass was so pleased !   

'SIGN- RIGHTING'

The raised lettering on the handle side bar castings had been painted over. I had intended having this highlighted in gold by a local sign writer but as this was yet another expense I thought I would give it my best shot. Despite my less than steady hand I’ve surprised myself with the outcome.  I used plasti-cote B33 brass coloured enamel paint with a very fine artist brush. Fortunately this paint is water based so the inevitable smudged and smeared letter can be wiped over with a damp sponge, dried with a tissue and started again.  And this happened several times.

GRASS BOX WANTED

As the title indicates I'm after a grass box for this mower as I feel it would be incomplete without one.
Ideally for a 16 inch machine but I could modify a wider one if needs be. I would also be able to make an aluminium or wooden box if I had the dimensions or possibly borrow one for a couple of days to use as a pattern. Any offers ? Thanks. 

MEA MAXIMA CULPA

I’ve spent a day assembling the ride-on attachment. Despite my best efforts I’ve had no luck removing the galvanised plating from the seat so I’m having this vapour blasted by a metal finishing’s specialist. When dismantled I kept all the fasteners for this attachment in a polythene bag duly labelled but during assembly I decided that these really were too badly pitted, burred over and rusted for reuse. Having drawn a line under buying any more fasteners and with most of the old ones beyond restoring I’ve resorted to using just a few stainless M8 metric bolts and nuts which I had in stock. Sorry Mr Charles H Pugh for this slight deviation from your original spec but I promise these nasty Euro fixings will be kept to a minimum and confined only to the ride-on attachment.  

The photo -minus the seat- shows the rollers wrapped around with rubber strips for protection. This is easily removed.  Now finished the whole sub assembly has been very lightly misted with WD40, covered with oily rags and stored away in my garage till final attachment to the mower next spring.

I'LL BE SELLING THE BIG ISSUE SOON.

This morning I attended my self petitioned bankruptcy hearing.

Judge:  “ Where’s all the money been spent Mr Grass, booze and women ?”

Me:       “No m’lud, on my Atco restoration, honestly”

Judge:  “Nonsense.  Case dismissed.  Next.”

I’ve tried keeping costs under control but I’m on a hiding to nothing. Just the new fasteners alone have cost more than the mower and they’re way down on the list of expenditure !  There is a plus side however. Having said at the outset that I propose offering the results of my labours to a museum or other worthy establishment I doubt I’ll find any takers so auctioning with funds going to a cancer charity may be my only option. At least I’ll glean a little satisfaction that someone will gain from my penury !   

Having decided to replace the ½” BSW steel nuts with the equivalent in brass I’ve realised that I will also need ½” imperial brass washers.  They’re hens’ teeth.  After hours online unsuccessfully trying to trace these in small quantities it occurred to me that folks at Stationary Engine may help so I posted on their forum. The consensus was that M12 should fit over ½” thread so heeding their advice I bought a pack of ten and they fit, just .  I already had M12 stainless washers but their ID was fractionally too small so I had assumed that the same would apply to washers made by other manufacturers. It seems that ID and OD sizes can vary by a few thou from one manufacturer to another so it’s pot luck if certain metric washers fit over imperial threads. I’ll also be using brass nuts over 3/8” BSW thread for which M10 brass washers are an acceptable albeit slightly slack fit.

ONE IN THE EYE FOR ROYTHEGRASS

The HT lead where it joins the magneto was in a frayed and sorry state. At some time the inner wire must have broken as the ends were twisted together and then wrapped in fabric insulation tape. I haven’t seen that old electrical tape since I was a teenager.  Given that the machine was working when bought I’m reluctant to buy yet another -maybe unnecessary- new part so I tidied up the join and used plastic insulation tape. Fingers crossed it will continue to function.

I was not 100% satisfied with the lacquered finish on the brass fuel tank. It’s a bit dull albeit acceptable but as this is a prominent feature on the machine ‘acceptable’ is not good enough.  I stripped the lacquer off, cleaned up with fine wire wool and then used wadding and polish.  Accepted it will require periodic buffing but the end result was worth it.

I’ve spent an entire day in Sutton eye hospital. Earlier this last week when I was sanding the rollers I wore my ordinary reading specs instead of safety glasses. Biiig mistake. A tiny shard of rusty metal must have got behind the lens and hit my eye and for the past few days it’s been sore and weeping.

The doctor in the A&E at the eye hospital found a ‘foreign object’ and after a local anaesthetic removed it in seconds.  I’m now wearing an eye patch so will be out of action for a couple of days. In my business I insist on operators using proper eye protection so this incident serves me right. (Typing courtesy of Mrs Grass ‘till I can see properly again.)

RUDDY RUST

I’ve tried to think ahead on this project as for example painting all the frame parts early so they can have few weeks to thoroughly dry. Annoyingly I had overlooked the handle side bars which had become hidden in the corner of my workshop.  These are the bars with the raised ‘Pugh…Atco…  B’ham’…..etc  letters in the casting. I intend having this lettering picked out in gold and obviously the green paint will need to be absolutely dry beforehand. Autumn has now set in and my workshop is cold and damp so these bars may have to hung next to a radiator indoors, much to the delight of Mrs Grass !

This week I’ve been de-rusting the other rear roller from the ride on attachment. Not quite as straight forward as first appeared. De-rusting with the power sander then using a large rotary wire brush gave an acceptable finish but a few rusty pin holes and minor indentations remained.  As I propose leaving these as bare steel (as original or were they painted ?) they will need to be lacquered or will rust over in no time. I can’t lacquer over even the slightest trace of rust so the entire surface had to be treated with Kurust  after initial sanding and then lightly sanded again to remove the purple Kurust from the surface* leaving the treatment only in the indentations. And this whole process will have to be repeated on the mowers rear drive roller.  This exercise took a day.

I also appreciate that the lacquered coating will be penetrated and the bare steel exposed the second the rollers are reinstalled and the mower hits the ground so I’ll make removable rubber sleeves to wrap over these as well as the front wooden rollers for when the machine has to be moved.

As if to prove my point I finished sanding these rollers just after sunset and it was too dark to commence lacquering. They were stored in my garage for just 18hours and in that time they were covered with fine specs of rust. So for the third time I have today had to use the rotary wire brush to remove every trace. This time as each roller was finished it was promptly wiped over with spirit and given several coats of lacquer. Anyone who’s carried out bodywork repairs on a car will know that as soon as bare steel is exposed it should immediately be protected by a surface coating or the dreaded rust will inevitably return.

* Too late now but on reflection I would caution against using Kurust where a polished bare steel finish is required.  On the plus side the Kurust does it’s job and penetrates the metal sufficiently to get underneath the rust and protect the underlying metal which is fine where it will be subsequently painted but on the minus side the treatment does stain the steel and despite thereafter being both sanded and cleaned with a rotary wire brush the purple streaking left by applying the treatment with a brush does remain visible albeit faintly.   

LESS INTERESTING THAN WATCHING PAINT DRY.

In any restoration project the day comes when a task becomes mind

bendingly tedious. Today was that day.  There are 5 drive chain wheels/cogs on this machine with a total of a zillion teeth all of which are rusty and slightly pitted. Had the mower been in regular use these would of course have been kept shiny by the rotating drive chains but they’re not and I have to make the best of what I’m faced with. I started by using a small half round file to clean up each tooth individually but after having lost all sensation in both hands within an hour I resorted to a rotary wire brush. It’s taken two days to complete the job and tomorrow all that bare steel will have to be lacquered or the rust will return in no time.

BOLTS, NUTS AND HEADACHES.

  I’m really trying not to regret buying all new fasteners for this machine but I’m on the limit of my patience. However much I order there are always sizes and finishes I’m missing and have to buy yet more.   I’m reasonable with maths but those better than me can come up with a bottom line figure for the number of possible purchases. These are the permutations.

Required: Bolts + nuts + washers + penny washers + spring washers.

Multiplied by:

Finishes. Some in stainless steel, some in brass (and a few in plain steel as neither SS or brass are available in certain imperial sizes.)

Multiplied by:

Thread types: Whitworth, BSW (British Standard Whitworth) -there is a difference with head size, BSF (British Standard Fine) and where BSW is not obtainable UNC (Unified National Coarse) which mate with most BSW threads albeit technically frowned upon.

Multiplied by:

Sizes: 3/16, 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 1/2 and 5/8”.

And just to add to my woes I’m having to buy minimum packs of a dozen or so where only a few may be required.  When this restoration is finished I’ll have boxes full of now obsolete imperial fasteners I’ll have no further use for.

AN ASIDE

 Forgive me for wandering slightly off topic on this comment. Every year in my business we only buy new modern rotary mowers and if we get a 34 week seasons use before they’re scrapped we’re lucky. Admittedly they’re in use 8 hours a day 5 days a week but everything about modern lawn mowers is insubstantial and designed and constructed for a very finite life. Contrary to manufacturers hype there’s no such animal as a ‘professional’ lawnmower for continual commercial use. In total contrast everything about this Atco is shouting at me “solid”.  Accepted that modern engines and electrics are far superior but having been in such intimate contact with every part of this machine I simply can’t imagine anything ever breaking or failing due to flimsy materials or shoddy construction.  In the 1920’s the concept of inbuilt obsolescence didn’t exist. Goods were made to last because continual replacement was not an option.

Rant over, I feel better for getting that off my chest !

SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKEND SIR ?

 The control cables operate as they should but the outer sleeves are very grubby and frayed. I’m reluctant to replace perfectly good working cables but their appearance will detract on the end product. I’ve just discovered heat shrink tubing. It’s a Polyolefin material which is bought just large enough to slip over an existing cable and when heated up with a hot air gun or hair dryer shrinks up to half it’s original diameter. It’s very cheap so I’ll try sleeving the cables to see if improves appearances. Update. Just sleeved the carb control cable and it now looks like new. I had to very slightly file down the brass nipple at the lever end of the wire for the sleeve to fit over. Few products do ‘exactly what is says on the can’ but this does. Thank goodness they don’t make condoms from this material. Ouch ! 

RUBBER SOLE

 The foot-sole rests on the ride-on are rubber and on this mower split and perished rubber. Also the steel side plates are more rust than metal. I’m told that replacements are available but I’ve decided to use the square section of the oak spindle I bought to make up new ones. To be honest carpentry has always been my first love even from a teenager so making these has been thoroughly enjoyable. Admittedly I have again departed from originality but aesthetically they should look good alongside the matching oak handles, front rollers, tool box and starting handle.Old and new in photo.

Earlier I mentioned that as component parts were removed they were labelled and put into boxes awaiting painting / restoration. Another idea fine in theory !  Anyone familiar with this machine will know that all the cross bars and engine & fuel tank mounts have 3/8”+ or ½”+ ID tubular sleeves all of varying lengths. And there’s dozens of them.  When it comes to cleaning up and painting the whole !*&$*! lot get mixed up and the labelling system goes out of the window ! So now on final reassembly I’ll have a monumental task of working out which sleeve fits where and in what order. That’s for another day but the videos taken during dismantling should help.