Thanks BB,
I will have another shot at loosening the ring this evening after work, there is the possibility that i didn't hit the punch hard enough after being told the casings tended to crack if not careful.
The guy i got the mower from had some photos left from during his fix of the rails that showed a very small crack on the rear rail near the right hand bolt hole, maybe 3mm long, i'm pretty confident i can get the welded steel off and tidy up his handy work without to much drama, benefits of growing up with a boilermaker welder father i spent weekends in the workshop with i guess.
We will see how i go i guess, i do intend to have a go at repairing the damage he has caused to the rails, before doing this i will take the paint off around the bolt holes just to make sure it isn't worse than the photos showed, if they are too far gone i may be forced to seek out a different mower to restore (i need a winter project this year, car restoration last year). If nothing else this mower will work well to keep the grass in check until i can find a suitable replacement.
What would be your recommendation for repairing damage around the bolt holes in the rails typically be?
