Lawnmower deck

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Everybody that is a weldor probably gets these.  The mower had a bent blade, I figured that out when I took the motor off the deck.  The mower is self propelled, so there is a belt pulley on the crank shaft. The motor needs to sit higher, so there is a 2 or 3" spacer between the motor and deck.  Only 3 stinkin bolts hold the motor on.  They were still tight.Here is the deck.I tig welded the pieces back in from the top.  ER70-2 and -6 were both used.  I still don't know which one I prefer.  -6 really does flow better, -2 seems to make a nicer looking weld.  I don't need no stinkin dimes.]To clean the deck, I heated it red with a rosebud, then wire brushed it.  MY best way to get rid of paint.I then cut some "washers" from a piece of 1/8" X 4" using the new (OMG) miller circle cutter on my HT 600.  OD was 9.5", ID was 7".  I set the  bigger radius on the tool to , center punched the plate, then set the smaller.  I had to do this 3 times.    Washers tig welded to the underside after grinding the junk off.And NO I didn't grind the mill scale off.  This was a "shirt tail relative"  Good guy, don't get me wrong, but it took me all afternoon and I charged him less than an hour.Last edited by David R; 08-17-2008 at 03:04 PM.Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:I flipped it over drilled the holes right through the old ones.  I ground the top tig welds flat where the bolts went through and bolted the motor back on.Here is the finished product.The plasma tool doesn't need the wheel, I will do a review on it this week.David Last edited by David R; 08-17-2008 at 03:11 PM.Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:looks good nice fix!
Reply:Good job there. I quit doing lawn mower decks, other than short term quick fix, a long time ago. Especially the push type mowers. Cracks are generally an early sign of the overall condition of the rig. Weld up one crack and another developes, weld that and a wheel falls off, on and on. Put your heart and soul into it and the guy parks it and buys a new one cuzz it won't start on the second pull.
Reply:David,That's a decent fix. But why not shoot some primer and paint on the deck before reassembly? You just made it a lot harder to paint and if the guy doesn't take the engine off there will be bare metal under it. Just curious, not trying to stir the pot.Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:Is it cute or what?
Reply:dave where did yot get the guide for the plaz cutteroh like allways great job
Reply:Good repair, Dave.  One thing I would point out, is doing a little "partial repair" at each hole, in this case, is actually better oftentimes, than cutting out a complete ring, and welding all around.   Having these repairs and welds, scattered around the circle, would reduce the possibility of the whole thing cracking, cracks often follow the welds, and will buy a little extra time.   In addition, the friend, who's gonna be using this, will have a better chance of seeing future cracks, as they occur, and get them fixed, rather than just waiting for a catastrophic breakage (not sure I want to see that here).  I also like how you didn't weld out from the circle, only along the circle itself.  And, like you, this is a job I'd normally only do as a favor for a friend, or for myself, for $200 you can buy a brand new mower .....
Reply:I agree nice fix on the deck.pro-level dumpster diver                                     Hobart 125EZ
Reply:Nice fix Dave.You get all the fun jobs. LOLMiller DVI2Lincoln Precision Tig 225Thermodynamics Cutmaster 38Everything else needed.
Reply:Looks better than new to me.
Reply:What is a "shirt tail relative"? That is a new one to me.Nice workreber
Reply:Originally Posted by ReebsWhat is a "shirt tail relative"? That is a new one to me.Nice workreber
Reply:I did a fix like that last fall.The mower hasn't been used this season at all...
Reply:"Shirt tail relative" Girlfriends son in law...... I am not married once was enough. Joker11, no paint, same reason I didn't grind the mill scale off.  Get Er Done!Once I found the bent blade, I felt the repair would hold up just fine.  If I had just welded the pieces back in, I think it would have cracked again, that is why I added the additional support underneath.Thanks for all the compliments.    The torch guide came from my LWS.  Its made by miller, but fits my plasma gun.  Cost $107.00  It can be set up in a couple of different ways.  More pics of the guide coming soon.  David  Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Very nice work David!! I love that method of heating it up till shes red and then wire brushing it!! It works every time for me!!