The mower is almost done!!

I've made some good progress on the mower, and I'm really excited about it.

After I installed the wheels, and the lifting lever assembly, I was kind of stuck.  It seems when I pounded the pin out of the gag lever hinge, I cracked it.  I couldn't install any more of the components until I got that hinge.

I bought a new one from Norman Macknair (www.macknair.com).  I also got a new pin for the hinge.  It arrived last week and I was like a little kid in a candy store.  Out I went with part in hand.  I then installed the pushbar, yoke, gag-lever hinge, gag-lever, and the hook that attaches the gag-lever to the lifting assembly.  Soooo exciting.

I then started working on the sickle bar.  I used a wire wheel and cleaned it all up.  Then I removed every sickle guard.  This left me with the sickle bar and the inner shoe.  The 3 bolts holding it on were not budging.  I decided to cut them off with a grinder.  This went pretty easy, and soon I had everything broken down.  I finished cleaning it all, and then painted.

If you recall, I had bought 3 new sickle guards to replace some old ones that had the ledger plates lifted or damaged.  I painted these guards as well so they would match the rest of the mower.

The inner shoe ... oh that sucked.  If you recall, I used a sawzall to cut through the inner shoe pins holding the shoe to the yoke.  They were frozen solid.  The front pin was stuck solid in the yoke (and after a long battle using a drill, sawzall, punches, sledge hammer, and a few choice cuss words, I was finally able to free it).  The back pin was stuck solid in the shoe.  I thought that what I really needed, was a hydraulic press.  I think that would have done a good job removing it.  I didn't have one though, so out to the garage I went, for round 2 of using drill bits, sawzall, punches, and cuss words.  It finally worked though, and I freed it.  I was so excited I cleaned it up, painted it, and installed it on the mower.

Shoe installed, you can see the sole sitting below it, ready to be installed once I get the 3 bar bolts.

Next I had to decide what to do about the hardware that attaches everything to the sickle bar.  I could try to re-use the old bolts and nuts, but the nuts were worn down a lot, and it may be tough to tighten them without stripping them.  I stopped by Tractor Supply, and found that they had a box of bolts exactly like I needed.  With these in hand, I went home and did a preliminary assembly of the entire sickle bar.  It looks great!  I then slide the sickle blade in it and it slide very easily.  I'm sure I had a grin the size of the state of Texas.

Preliminary assembly from the outer shoe looking inward.  Need a grassboard!

Preliminary Assembly from the inner side of the sickle bar looking outward.  Blade slides easy!

I need a few more parts before I can finish.  Thanks to the Macknairs, I'll have them soon.  1st, I need the 3 bolts that bolt the sickle bar to the inner shoe.  These are only made by one company in the entire US, and I'm so glad that Norman Macknair knows how to get them.  Second, I am getting a new fender rod.  This mower didn't come with one, so I'm putting a new on on it.  I also need to get a grassboard.  I think I'm going to buy a new metal one from a local tractor house.  it's cheaper than buying the old wood ones, and it's locally available.  Hope that works.

 So here it is ... here's where we're at as of right now.  Once I get the parts I need, I'll be able to go for my first ride on it.  This has been a long project, and it's very exciting to see the end in sight!

And here she is.  PRETTY!

You can see the shoe here.  I just need 3 bolts to attach the bar to it.

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