At Home In The Woods

[Obed]

Welder and Accessories Arrive!

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I decided what accessories to purchase by watching YouTube videos and observing what the guys in the videos were using.

 

[Obed]

Also my rule of thumb when I weld in a garage. I stay 30 min after I am done welding to make sure I didn't start a fire some were.

Bilko,
I'll probably do my welding outside. Apparently flux core makes a mess. I suppose I could stay outside 30 min after I'm done an make sure I didn't catch our woods on fire!
Obed

 

[Obed]

Grinders are good for the rough stuff, but a file is a lot easier to control for getting the edge more even. I use both as needed. I sometimes go in between my bench grinder, angle grinder and die grinder depending on what will fit best.

Dave, the Dremel does a pretty good job making the blade sharp if the blade is not in rough shape. I could always use the grinder to get the rough spots, then use the Dremel. But, really, how sharp does a mower blade really need to be?

For bench grinder, you will find most in 6" or 8" size. Bigger is better in general (larger diameter wheel makes a less dished grind - flatter). A lot of times the wheels that come with them are the hard gray ones (silicon carbide?) that are really made for rough grinding, not sharpening. You can buy better wheels if you are picky about that. Lots of woodworking and metalworking shops will have better wheels for sharpening cutting tools.

Thanks for the info.
Obed

 

[Obed]

and grease all fittings on the tractor and mower deck (pulleys). Check if the steering has a fitting as my Gravely does and it really makes a difference in the steering. I spray chain lube on my springs to prevent rust.

I'm curious. Where do you guys keep your grease guns? Right now, ours is in a box with some other stuff but I don't really like it there. I have to keep it in a plastic bag to keep grease from getting all over the place.
Obed

 

[Obed]

From the look of your mower deck and the idler arm/pulley assembly, etc. it would appear that little to no maintenance has been done on the mower for ever. ...

You should clear all the grass off the topside of the deck after each mowing, (air from compressor or leaf blower) keep the blades balanced and sharp, and spark plug, air filter and all fluids fresh and clean respectively. And change all belts at once. Tire pressure is important too to keep the mower deck level and the cut level too. Clean gas too- nothing stale, it will screw up the carb.

Coyote,
I definitely have room for improvement. I probably will never go as far as blowing the grass off the topside of the deck after each mowing.

When I bought the new belt yesterday at the Kubota dealer, I gave them the serial number of my mower and asked them what year the mower was built. It was built in 1989. The mower is 24 years old and is still purring (assuming the pulley arm maintenance fixes the transmission issue). I can't complain about that.

Obed

 

[Diamondpilot]

I'm curious. Where do you guys keep your grease guns? Right now, ours is in a box with some other stuff but I don't really like it there. I have to keep it in a plastic bag to keep grease from getting all over the place.
Obed

I cut 20" length of 3" pvc pipe and put a cap on the bottom. Fill with 4" of kitty litter and screw to the wall at a stud with one screw in the top edge. Pre drill it. Then just stick the gun in with the handle out. The kitty litter absorbs all the drippings. I rotate it once a year or so and dump out the old litter into a waste basket and replace with new kitty litter.

For traveling I have slipped a pair of old tube socks over it.

Chris

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I'm curious. Where do you guys keep your grease guns? Right now, ours is in a box with some other stuff but I don't really like it there. I have to keep it in a plastic bag to keep grease from getting all over the place.
Obed

I use a plastic toolbox dedicated for greasing. Has the gun, extra tube of grease and common zerks and the wrenches to replace/repair any problems. Also have a pair of gloves in there dedicated to greasing to keep my hands clean.

My Lincoln cordless grease gun stays in its case when not in use.

 

[PAGUY]

I just leave my grease gun on a shelf where the canisters are stored along with the wheel bearing grease container. I haven't had any problem with leakage from the gun. When I use it I wipe each fitting before attaching to fitting with a disposable rag when done. I do manage to get dirty doing the deed but that is a badge of the working man .

 

[clemsonfor]

I have a car shed that has metal shelves in it, I hang the gun on the side cross members. It will drool onto the metal bench beside it or on to the ground but so does the truck in there, I don't really care about it to much.

And yes you will have slag flying all over, and it will make marks on your concrete, they seem to fade? At least I think mine does but water flows over my carport where I weld, and again I don't care about that concrete as much, I don't try and spill oil on it, but a few drops or all the slag dosen't bother me. And welding outside you will start a fire under what your working on every time unless your on pure grael or concrete. You can just tamp them out with your gloves. Also remember to not weld on wet concrete barefoot touching the metal barehanded, you will feel a bit of a tingle!!! Also I don't ware an apron thing or sleeve thing, just because I don't weld usually for long periods, but they will help. When you weld and when you go upside down you will get slag that falls on you and burns your arms and falls on your shirts and you will end up with holes burned into your shirts from it. Heck most of the time if I am just tacking something back up or a tiny weld I am not even wearing gloves.

 

[jinman]

Obed, I found a picture of my boxblade hitch ball. My boxblade has a hinged rear blade and the hitch is right above the piano hinge.



Also, I have a bench grinder that I've never mounted to a bench. It has rubber feet and I can move it anywhere I need. It weighs enough that it sits and doesn't move around while I sharpen mower blades. I can set the grinder on my driveway or even on gravel. That way, I don't fill my garage/workshop full of metal filings. There's really nothing that works as well as a bench grinder for sharpening mower blades.

You may not be able to tell you have a better cut with sharp blades, but I can tell that my engine isn't laboring as much while cutting with sharp blades. When you start seeing unmowed gaps between blade paths, it's time for new blades. I get a couple of sharpenings and it's time for new blades.