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.