I cried when I first used mine, I was so carefully when I tightened up all the bolts and even though I keep it clean the last thing you want to do after mowing the lawn is spending an hour detailing it to look new again, I did it a few times but when your doing the lawn a few times a week, you give up and appreciated the result the machine gives you for the money and effort you spent. Like I have said in previous posts it's a labour of love and it's the poor man's vintage car restoration which people can't afford to do anymore or are time and space poor, I personally see it as a hobby similar to when I was a kid building model planes and car kits that sat on a shelf and had no purpose but collect dust. I wish I had space for storage as I would love to do a few machines a year and keep them as displayed items, these old machines take you back to a time that don't exist anymore which sometimes make you wish they had never changed.
Totally get that and to make matters even worse it's going to be a Verti-Cutter and not a regular mower, thus it'll make tons more mess.
I'm seriously toying with the idea of changing the cutter sprocket to the Electric 45 variant which is smaller than the petrol issued unit. This way I won't require such a long chain and it will spin the cutter much faster which will be better in the opperation of the machine. The only draw back is that I'll have to slip the landroll clutch as it will want to travel forward much quicker and that something we really won't want on this type of format.
In actual fact a Groomer / Verti-Cutter will require far slower movement so as not to load the machine up as these 45's were never designed to be put under that type of strain, thus the slower one travels the less load is place on to the reel. I guess clutch corks are pretty cheap in the grander scheme of things and it doesn't take long to reline one. The other thing to take into consideration is that this machine will only be used probably 4 to 5 times per season opposed to the cutting machine that gets used every 2 days or so.
All in all I'm well versed in knowing that this machine will infact be a used machine and not an ornament sitting gathering dust in the shed.
After this machine is completed I'm going to tear down the 20 inch Series 1 mower at the end of this years cutting season and do much the same to it as has been done to this 17 inch Series 1 machine that's featured in this thread. The plus side will be that the 20 inch won't require no where near the amount of work and sourcing of bits and pieces as it's in superb working order and will be solely a cosmetic upgrade.
Hell I'm the original user of a 45 in this street and have introduced cylinder cut mowers including restorations on 3 neighbours machines in my street and as such my machines are not keeping up appearances so I guess I'm letting the side down from where I see it.
As they always say Mechanics drive the biggest Poo heaps don't they ?
Cheers, BB.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
Basically I've finished the machine off tonight apart from one major detail....................the "Scott Bonnar 45 decals" on chain case are still to be applied, but apart from that all it needs now is to have all the workings lubed and then probably a few very minor adjustments and then she's ready to go to work.
I will take a whole series of final photos for the record to put up on this thread to pretty much finalise it as we all hate unfinished threads or better still a story without and ending.
So for now here's few more to tease everyone I guess.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
and with a few final little adaptations made using thin nylon washers on a few fasteners so that it won't remove the paint for now.
Items like the Chain Case securing screws, Grass Deflector thumb screws, Reel Bearing carrier front nuts that are forever needing some sort of adjustment. Using plastic washers will prevent paint damage. Also you'll notice the thin rubber edge strip that I've fitted around the perimeterc of the Chain Case so as to prevent paint rubbing via the Chain Case that has rather sharp edges.
Well below is a photo taken straight after attaching the Chain Case after decal fitment.
I am going to do a final photo shoot with this mower and also a full list of credits of various folks that have helped with services or supplies along the way. I strongly feel that the people that have inspired me and helped make this project happen all along the way deserve the credit that should be given.
anyway here's a Sneak Peak from the "Scotty's Birthing Suite"...............................
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
Yes I couldn't agree more ! Chrome is the only way to go in my opinion, but that's pretty rich coming from an Electroplater isn't it ?
If I was still in the trade there would be quite a few more parts that would receive the Midas touch but it's just so cost prohibitive nowadays and as such why so many are now only painting their bars. Sorry but it's just not for me.
Cheers, BB.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
Awesome restoration, that paint is pretty good for a spray can. If only thay could stay like that when you use them. Is that rubber grip on the clutch drive leaver off a model 40? Or did some 45's come with them. You now just need to spruce up your daily drive to keep up with the rest of the street.
Firstly thanks for the kind words and yes the 20 inch Series One machine will be done over the winter when it's not required.
At this stage it's a fully functional survivor and I'm not ashamed to use it like it is as it purrs like a kitten.
As far as the clutch grip is concerned it's from a Model 45, but I can't say which exclusive variant it's from otherwise everyone will want to find that version and they'd be none left to be had. Ha Ha Ha !............................................Ok the electric version. This was done as a safety precaution so as to avoid an electric shock should something go wrong with the power cable etc and turn the metal of the machine Live.
That's the only real part that's worth salvaging from those mowers that fetched no more than $50 tops for so many years. Now you'll always find a sucker that thinks he's secured a bargain at $200, only to get sick of draggin' a heavy 240 extension cord around behind one's self. Then they oddly get resold soon afterwards again and again.
One thing about Electrics is that many of them have superb handle bars and transmission parts on them as the people that bought those types originally kept them indoors well out of the weather due to them being an electric appliance opposed to a smelly petrol machine relegated to being left outdoors. Many of the electrics also have good catchers without any rust due to this indoors thing happening.
So there you go..........another secret let out of the bag, don't tell anyone please ?
Cheers, BB.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
Well here it starts, the beginning of the end of this thread of what can be done with what would probably be one of the worst examples of a Model 45.
I've deliberately done this machine when I could've picked a much better one / easier purely to demonstrate what can be done with a machine that's probably been able to be purchased for around $100 in this current climate of outrageous 45 pricing.
Here are the first of a series of photos that I'll put up for readers / paid up members to view. Remember only paid members can see these or any photos on this fabulous Forum.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
That handsome hammered paint is sexy as hell! And that lawn omg. Puts a blinkin bowling green to shame. I feel like I'm looking at a lingerie catalogue with those racy pics.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Unbelievable BB, that is so good it's too good to mow with and get dirty. I think in the current market place your machine would fetch high 900,000's to a Mil. Thanks for showing us this remarkable achievement.
Hi guys, I took the rather interesting trip to Windsor yesterday and obtained three cans each of Ultra-colorgold hammertone and deep green hammertone paints. I have taken pics of each can. Each three are the same no.
The bloke who sold them to me revealed they are actually sourced from China and receive their label. He says they can't skin inside the can and it's best to store them on their side. I noticed something interesting about them. They have the same spray button as a cheap can of spray paint I bought from a one of those dollar discount stores, but those came with a second spray button type (the white one with the red adjustable direction piece on the end) you can put on. The black one (the Ultra Color has) was hopeless so I discarded it and used the other instead which sprayed much better.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Thank you very much for your kind words re: achievement.
As I've mentioned previously, this project wasn't done to show anything off, rather it was merely about demonstrating what can be achieved with such a poor starting point and how if one was to find one of these for a small fee then one should not to be discouraged as it is clearly visible what can actually be achieved with more time opposed to more money, and time is the huge factor for the older generation who actually enjoy doing these sort of things. Member Bruban & NormK has really opened my eyes in regards to this point.
In the process of doing this machine I also did the Sole Plate and cutting cylinder which incidentally was probably the best part of the machine as far as life left in it is concerned, so at any time this machine can easily be returned as a cutting machine rather than the Verti-Cutter that I have made out of it. Everything is retro-fitable without any witness marks of the purpose I used it for.
MF,
I do recall being told that the paint was originally sourced from the great land of China, but I feel that it's actually made for "Ultra Color" under contract over there with probably most of all their other stuff, thus why they can sell it so cheap.
I'd be really interested in how the Gold looks as lots of machinery made in the 1960's / 70's was painted Hamnmertone Gold to stand out in machinery sales shops.
I also felt that the nozzle played a big part of how poor these can spray at times. Regardless the warmer it is the better the paint flows from these cans.
Cheers, BB.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
Well the time has come to wrap this thread up as the machine is now finished and ready to go off to work for which it was originally planned for.
With that in mind I feel that I must now give credit to all those that have either helped or provided services, being paid or for free.
so here we go,
Assorted Bearings.........................................................................................................Ben at Applied Technology Various new components...............................................................................................Cam Peitrie at CETE Verti-Cutting Reel and Handle Bar Shield Badge plus a few chain half links.................George at BonMods Adelaide. Zinc Plating of all Fasteners..........................................................................................Scott at M.K.Birrel Electroplaters Stripping of Old Chrome................................................................................................Paul at Klemzig Platers Final Plating of Handle Bar Assembly............................................................................Greg at "A Class Metal Finishers", Lonsdale New Stainless Front Roller........................................................."Reel Solutions" QLD (replaces the zinc plated unit as shown in the photos) Paint..............................................................................................................................Debbie at Ultra Color NSW Donor Chain Case.........................................................................................................Steve Rose at Australian Saws and Blades Pooraka.
So for now I guess that this is it for topic.
Finally I have to thanks all the contributors that make stories like this enjoyable to do as a project, but in the long term this is all about helping others in their quest of pursuing that ultimate restoration of a mower because really it's just way too expensive to restore a car, so a mower is within the realms of most cash strapped folks on a budget, but gaining the same type of satisfaction in the end.
Cheers, BB.
PS. I have decided that I will finalise this thread with an update on how the machine performs as a Verti-Cutter so that others that may want to go down this road can read some sort of road test and how this combination of machine and reel scrubs up.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
Well the news is..................it's still sitting on carpet all covered over in the shed as the growing season has been somewhat different this year here in Adelaide with the grass not growing as aggressively as in the past few seasons, thus no thinning has been required and the machine is still sitting idle.
It's now way to late in the season to thin the growth out as that will only encourage infestation of weeds for the winter and I don't want that in any way.
So I guess it won't be until next season that it gets it's first run. I will say though that I'm seriously thinking of applying the same treatment to my 20 inch Scotty over the off season as it won't be required for some time.
I'll start a whole new thread when I do that and document it well.
Cheers, BB.
I live a 24 Hour lifestyle, but every now and again I seem to fall asleep, well at least that's what my wife tells me.
