OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Reel-Type Mowers MODEL 45: My Custom SB45 20"

Finally put this back together . The frame is stainless as is most of the nuts and bolts. Used a new blade from eBay without grinding and luckily came out very straight but did machine the reel in a lathe and cuts very well. Only thing i have found with the engine/reel speed it seems to throw grass into the catcher and everywhere else . Not sure if this would be because I'm hacking the grass down so lots of light dead grass.

Sorry about pics , maybe because of iPhone.

[Hi Jim - I have corrected the photos. I guess it was an iPhone thing - CJ]

Looking good Mate.

what grade stainless steel did you use?

Its all 304 . The sides are 4mm and the top plate is two 3mm pieces. Didn't go to hard on polishing it, just went over it with a rough flapper disc to give it more of a brushed look.

Hi Jim,

What a sterling job you've done on your mower. You obviously are involved in an engineering workshop as this isn't the sort of thing you could conjure up at home in the garage. I'd say a stainless deflector would've been a nice touch and sending the chain case off to a plating shop to be chrome plated. If you polished the stainless and then added the chrome your neighbours would be screaming about the reflection it would cause every time you brought it out on the front lawn. Regardless of what I think it looks smashing indeed and you are probably the first person to ever have build a stainless Model 45.

On to a technical level, If I may say and in a nice way the method you've used with the straight up fitting of the bed knife is incorrect as it should be machined to match the grinding of the reel.

If you speak to any of the respected lawnmower blade sharpening services you'll get the same response. I'm sure that the mower is working but not at it's optimum I'm sure.

I'm looking forward to hearing back from you regarding this.

Cheers,
BB.

lol @ chrome chain case, probably going a bit too far. Thought it might need some colour on it.

I did plan on grinding the blade , but after checking with a straight edge (didn't take a measurement) could only see one very very small high part. It does actually cut very well and even, maybe a little lucky? IMO i don't see why the cylinder would need to be 'matched' with the blade if they are both straight? I do however understand why the blade needs grinding but i don't see the need to have the cylinder ground at the same place. I could be wrong.

Love these things, actually have another 20" and copied simrice by making a grooming cylinder.

+1 for Chrome Chain case.

Looks like the 20" Scott Bonnars are becoming popular rebuilds.

How is the weight balance of the mower? Have you placed the motor in the original position?

Yeah the motor is in original position. Actually everything is in its original position.
Overall the frame is slightly heavier but the weight balance should be pretty much the same, not sure how well the original is balanced ?

Oh also forgot to mention, in an earlier topic i asked about protecting the paint on the rear rollers. Solved this with 3M clear vinyl tape and actually made rolling quieter too.

Hello jim13, Mod. BB & BT

This is great!
The use of stainless is so unusual, and this has proved a worthwhile project.

Mod BB is quite right about the 'matching' of reel to bottom blade.
It is possible, though, to backlap a bottom blade to bed the new reel grind.

I think the issue of grass not exactly meeting the catcher is because of the
close cut of higher grass. However, your photos suggest that the lawn needs serious
de-thatching.

Nonetheless, your use of stainless in the 45 frame is unprecedented, and a
rewarding story in itself. Thank you!

---------------------------------
JACK

Appreciate all the info in regards to blade and reel and the comments. Love these machines.

The lawn was put in last November so I left it slightly longer last summer and couldn't mow for a couple of months while this went back togethor. Just fertilized and when it greens back up I'll hit it hard with the groomer again. Groomer is basically a copy of the one simrice made.

The lawn is windsor green , how would you keep thatch down without a groomer ?

Thanks for input.

Thatch is an accumulation of organic matter just above the soil surface which can prevent water and nutrients passing through. At the moment you have just removed all the green growth leaving the brown stems behind. You goal should be to remove as much of the stem growth as possible. This will promote new growth very close to the soil level where you can cut and use the groomer regularly to reduce lateral stem growth. Don't wait for it to green up. Just smash it now.



You can do that with a combination of the groomer, the reel and the rotary mower. My rotary gets used to do the bulk of the cutting this time of year and it also does a great job of sucking up all the debris that gets brought up.

Not too sure why but i only cut it at 10mm Which is what i want to cut at through summer. Probably should have done it much lower to cut it right down below the maintaining height ? I had the groomer at about 5mm.