OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Reel-Type Mowers SB 45 RAT REEL - Rebuild First Timer

Hi All,
I have been inspired by many of the members rebuild here at Outdoorking.com ( great site ) soI Picked up a second SB45 the other day which will undergo a complete ground up rebuild, similar to JamSkins2. I have had a SB45 for some time which is in OK condition, it works great and cuts like a new one, but she is a bit battered and not all that aesthetically pleasing. The new SB i got is in pretty good shape, Zero frame cracks and everything in place, well looked after machine.

I have alreay completley stripped and Robo Washed all parts and sent bits off to be chromed. Next is get everything Sand/bead blasted and ready for GunMetal Grey Metallic Paint + clear. Need to Order 10 blade reel and get that Powder coated along with the Soul Blade.

Wanting to fit out with a New Honda GX120, Strip the fuel tank and have that Painted to match framework, so if any one has any info or issues with fitting the GX120 ( Jamskin ?) to this model i would appreciate the help.

Look forward to updating you the process and progress.

Regards
Pete

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Hi peettee, looks like a nice project. I'll look forward to seeing your progress. The Honda engine is a great way to go, I'd like to do the same one day but my Briggs' have so far been extremely reliable.

Best of luck with the project and please keep the pictures coming

Cheers, Michael

Update.
Dropped all parts off for abrasive blasting today, and started to clean up and paint what parts i have left.

With a bit of elbow grease the 30yr old Clutch came up OK. Still requires a final going over and clear.
Primed and applied a couple of coats of metallic grey, will wack one more on then 3 clear layers. Front roller brace.
Should have frame back friday to start paint this weekend...and chrome bits next week...stay tuned.

peetee, you have an early (captive cotter) clutch, but it has at least one grubscrew as well. If it has a second grubscrew directly over the keyway, it would probably work as well as the later style clutch that had two setscrews (one where yours is, and one over the keyway). Does yours have a second grubscrew, and do you know how it came to have it or them?

Hi Grumpy, yes it has the second grubscrew hole over the keyway, not too sure on the history of this one, i aquired it from an older gentleman who isnt too well so I cant establish the mowers past.
Cheers

Hi to peettee and grumpy,
That is the later style inner clutch half, and has no captive cotter fitted...you can see that in the first pic.

Thanks Deejay, I can see where I went wrong now. I've always thought Scott Bonnar produced a new pattern to cast the inner clutch-half when they changed to two setscrews, but I now see they kept using the old pattern, and just drilled and tapped the two holes for the setscrews - see red circle:



It was an economical move, but disappoints me a bit.

How good do those clutch halves look Beautiful work!

Picked up a heap of new bolts to replace the stretched originals,
went with a HT counter sunk Allen for the bed knife as i wasn't happy with
the OEM flat drivers that need to be impact driven home.

Obviously you needed new screws, but using high tensile ones in that situation is a mixed blessing. The screws are much harder to strip, but the sole plate is not: any overtightening will now strip the sole plate, which is quite an expensive item. Also, it is fairly difficult to strip a soft straight-slot screw without first doing at least slight damage to the slot, which should serve as a warning. Also, the hexagonal recesses in the cap screws will now pack with crud and rust, making it difficult to remove them. With straight recesses, you can easily clean them by putting the edge of a screwdriver in the slot and tapping it sideways with a small hammer.

Having said all that, cap screws are prettier than straight slot screws - but I personally would not use them in that situation.

Good points Grumpy ! I may still use the OEM ones after taking that info into consideration, there is a reason why they used them in the first place right ! When I removed the originals with an impact driver one of them was slightly damaged and I had to run a 1mm grinder through it to regen the slot for more purchase, so I thought Hex would be an easier alternative later on down the track.

I think you can buy straight-recess screws at least as easily as cap screws, peetee. Personally, I'd buy new, soft, straight-recess screws. That way you get well-fitted heads, and if they are installed carefully, they look nice.

Blasted me parts and applied first coat of primer, will start bogging and sanding for a better finish.

Have changed colour scheme slightly, going to get powdercoated bright orange the drum ( leaving
centres charcoal) the new 10 blade reel and soul blade, i will paint Honda cowling same orange...
charcoal and orange could work out pretty smart with the chrome bits.

Was also thinking if adding in a pair of custom trolly transport wheels at the rear to traverse my
driveway, couple of smart chrome brackets with a set of roller blade wheels mounted where the
handle bars are fixed?

Bit hot here at the moment, but i managed to get a few layers of charcoal down...
no clear yet but you get the idea.

Also Ordered my 10 blade reel to get powder coated orange with the drum and sole plate.

And some knob polishing

Hi peettee, I am slightly concerned about powder coating the underside of the soleplate, it needs to be perfectly flat as the new bed knife, once firmly attached, will conform to the shape of the sole plate. The new bed knife (complete with its sole plate) will need to be re-ground at the same time as the reel, as no bedknife is perfectly flat from the manufacturer.

DeeJay, I will be Masking of this region so no Powder coat will be applied to the mating face. Was planning on turning then Spin grinding the reel and milling the sole plate myself at work....any tips on performing this ?

Hi Pete, no mate, no tips as I am not an engineer....have you sharpened cylinder reels before yourself, by spin grinding.?

We have sharpened reels but not bed knives....might just take the pair to the pro's to ensure its done correctly.

Hi Pete, I think that is a good idea....Perhaps as you have done spin-griding before, the machinist may allow you to watch how he faces the bed-knife mate. Then you could do it yourself in future...Might be worth an ask...

Spoke to the local mower shop today who have been servicing cylinder mowers for way longer than I've been taking in oxygen, and they have confirmed the bed knife needs only a ground straight edge, true or not this is easily achievable on our workshop, so will perform the entire task in house and save some $$

Just curious how much you paying for a cylinder and bed knife re-sharp ?

Cheers

Hi Pete, I am lucky I have been using the same engineer/machinist for many years, and I guess he looks after me, for both the reel and bedknife, $80.00...which is not expensive, to achieve a quality cut.

The engineer I use does both surfaces of the bedknife, the upper surface is ground to ensure perfect flatness and soothness, to conform to the cylinder reel; and the front edge (where the cutting actually takes place) to a true straight edge.
Here is something for you to ponder:

Myth: New bedknives are �true� and don�t require grinding.

Fact: �New bedknives are certainly not true coming from the factory. Every bedknife that gets installed on a bed bar needs to be ground properly in order to achieve a consistent quality of cut. The bedknife is the single most important factor in achieving a great quality of cut. The bedknife�s job is to position the grass before the reel blade cuts it. Depending on where the position is will depend on how clean and consistent your turfs after cut appearance will look."

Bedknives will take the shape of the existing bed bar once tightened. By grinding the bed knife properly it will give you a smooth surface that you will then align to a reel that has been ground to a true cylinder. Once this is complete you will have 2 perfectly aligned surfaces that can achieve the quality of cut that everyone is looking for. It is very important that the bed knife is ground to its proper angle (manufacturer�s recommendations) in order to maintain high quality turf grass.

Hey Pete, I've found the price can vary quite a bit. The most I've paid is $110. I went with Darryl's advice and spoke to the local bowls club and golf courses and got a terrific contact. As long as I can leave it for the week they only charge me $33 for the reel and $15 for the bedknife. I also try and take 4 or 5 with me so that I get treated as more of a trade customer.

Hi Michael, that is a fantastic price mate, it sure pays to shop around doesn't it!

Absolutely Darryl, I never would've thought to ask the local green keepers, if it wasn't for your suggestion. And price aside, I've been happiest with the work also.

Hi Michael, glad to be of help mate!
Hopefully our other ODK members will do the same and find the best solution for their re-grinding needs.

Bit of progress...
Tidied up frame a lttle, deburred and bogged, sanded and primed.
Ground back the spot weld that lies in the path of the side cover,
planning on gasketing the side cover as they dont seal all that great !

Also ground back the ugly welds on the RHS for a better final finish.

Hi Pete, great work so far mate....the chassis frame is immaculate...

One thing has tweaked my interest....What is a 'bent lip' sole blade?

As an aside, the quickest way to prep the reel prior to powder coating is by sand or bead blasting...you just need to get it to the powder coaters quickly before light surface rust sets in...also a light spin grind will be necessary afterwards to restore the cutting edge.

Pete, be careful that you do not fully seal the chain case - you will have to provide a breather. With temperature and humidity changes, you'll get condensation and rust in there otherwise. The original system let dirt in, but it also allowed a movement of air which was beneficial. The ideal answer would be a flow of clean air through the housing.