My customer broke off the right hand bracket that supported the mower deck. I believe that the problem was that at some point in the past 5 years he hit something hard. Figure 3 shows a force diagram which would explain the dent that I observed in the top of the mower deck. The first step was heating up the dent and pounding it out against a large piece of steel.





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X-Mark Mower Deck Repair
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X-Mark Mower Deck Repair
Smith Oxyacetylene Torch
Miller Dynasty 200DX
Lincoln SP-250 MIG Welder
Lincoln LE 31 MP
Lincoln 210 MP
Clausing/Colchester 15" Lathe
16" DoAll Saw
15" Drill Press
7" x 9" Swivel Head Horizontal Band Saw
20 Ton Arbor Press
BridgeportTags: None
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The 1/4" support bracket was broken off clean and also had a crack about halfway through. I grooved and welded up this crack first so that the bracket had a chance of sitting flat on the mower deck. Next I clamped the bracket straight and pulled in the bottom of the bracket flat on the mower deck. It looks like a lot of clamps, but I added them one by one until the bracket was exactly where I wanted it and straight. I welded up the spider cracks and then tack welded the bracket in place. Next I welded up the groove in the 1/4" plate of the broken bracket to the piece still attached to the mower deck.
Smith Oxyacetylene Torch
Miller Dynasty 200DX
Lincoln SP-250 MIG Welder
Lincoln LE 31 MP
Lincoln 210 MP
Clausing/Colchester 15" Lathe
16" DoAll Saw
15" Drill Press
7" x 9" Swivel Head Horizontal Band Saw
20 Ton Arbor Press
Bridgeport
- Likes 1
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I added an additional bottom plate for additional support and hopefully to help stop denting of the top of the mower deck. I added an additional weld to attach the bottom plate of the broken bracket to the sides of the mower deck for good measure. I decided to beef up the 1/4' plate that broke with a fish plate, which I set back from the edge of the original 1/4" plate by about 1/5". The last step was priming and painting it. My shop was 50 degrees F so I used my 1000 watt shop lights and my 800 degree heat gun to help the paint to set up before we reinstalled the deck on the tractor.
-Don
Smith Oxyacetylene Torch
Miller Dynasty 200DX
Lincoln SP-250 MIG Welder
Lincoln LE 31 MP
Lincoln 210 MP
Clausing/Colchester 15" Lathe
16" DoAll Saw
15" Drill Press
7" x 9" Swivel Head Horizontal Band Saw
20 Ton Arbor Press
Bridgeport
- Likes 1
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Originally posted by smawgmaw View PostWhat is the "gun" in the last two pics? I am not familar with it. Is it a type of powder coating system or heat gun?
-DonSmith Oxyacetylene Torch
Miller Dynasty 200DX
Lincoln SP-250 MIG Welder
Lincoln LE 31 MP
Lincoln 210 MP
Clausing/Colchester 15" Lathe
16" DoAll Saw
15" Drill Press
7" x 9" Swivel Head Horizontal Band Saw
20 Ton Arbor Press
Bridgeport
Comment
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Originally posted by ryanjones2150 View PostDid you stop drill the cracks running all over the place?
As usual, excellent job documenting the repair.
-DonSmith Oxyacetylene Torch
Miller Dynasty 200DX
Lincoln SP-250 MIG Welder
Lincoln LE 31 MP
Lincoln 210 MP
Clausing/Colchester 15" Lathe
16" DoAll Saw
15" Drill Press
7" x 9" Swivel Head Horizontal Band Saw
20 Ton Arbor Press
Bridgeport
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