I have a 5 year old mower that I purchased from K Mart. It has a B &
S engine that still runs great. The problem is that a part of the
deck has rusted through. It is about a 9" portion of the "well" of
the deck. I feel that it can easily function with a little support
and patching. Out of curiosity, I called the company and found out
that a replacement deck would cost $125. I believe I paid about $200
for the mower.

As a handy guy, I would like some ideas on how to go about patching
the rusted portion of the deck. I would like to know what I should
use to patch it and where I can get it from I plan to use rivets
or screws to attach the metal patch.

Al Kondo

How about a fiberglass patch? You can buy kits at you auto supply
store quite inexpensively and it might be a lot easier than cutting
metal, drilling and riveting, etc. and it won't rust.
Des

"Al Kondo" wrote in message
...
I have a 5 year old mower that I purchased from K Mart. It has a B
&
S engine that still runs great. The problem is that a part of the
deck has rusted through. It is about a 9" portion of the "well" of
the deck. I feel that it can easily function with a little support
and patching. Out of curiosity, I called the company and found out
that a replacement deck would cost $125. I believe I paid about
$200
for the mower.

As a handy guy, I would like some ideas on how to go about patching
the rusted portion of the deck. I would like to know what I should
use to patch it and where I can get it from I plan to use rivets
or screws to attach the metal patch.

Al Kondo

I think you should get a new mower. The deck protects you from flying
debris. If is it rusted in one spot the whole thing will go soon.



"Al Kondo" wrote in message
...
I have a 5 year old mower that I purchased from K Mart. It has a B &
S engine that still runs great. The problem is that a part of the
deck has rusted through. It is about a 9" portion of the "well" of
the deck. I feel that it can easily function with a little support
and patching. Out of curiosity, I called the company and found out
that a replacement deck would cost $125. I believe I paid about $200
for the mower.

As a handy guy, I would like some ideas on how to go about patching
the rusted portion of the deck. I would like to know what I should
use to patch it and where I can get it from I plan to use rivets
or screws to attach the metal patch.

Al Kondo

Al Kondo wrote:

I have a 5 year old mower that I purchased from K Mart. It has a B &
S engine that still runs great. The problem is that a part of the
deck has rusted through. It is about a 9" portion of the "well" of
the deck. I feel that it can easily function with a little support
and patching. Out of curiosity, I called the company and found out
that a replacement deck would cost $125. I believe I paid about $200
for the mower.

As a handy guy, I would like some ideas on how to go about patching
the rusted portion of the deck. I would like to know what I should
use to patch it and where I can get it from I plan to use rivets
or screws to attach the metal patch.

Al Kondo
on those K-mart type mowers the deck is the first thing to go.. they
built on a cheap sheet metal deck.. either buy a snapper or toro and go
for a professional deck and when the engine burns out you just buy a new
motor for it and you are all set to go.....
on my toro's mower it has alum. decks on them so i dont have that
problem with rust...

According to Des Perado :
How about a fiberglass patch? You can buy kits at you auto supply
store quite inexpensively and it might be a lot easier than cutting
metal, drilling and riveting, etc. and it won't rust.

My first thought was fiberglass as well.

However, the other comments about the rest of the deck rusting suggest that
before considering _any_ sort of patch, you need to evaluate the whole
deck first. If the deck is nearing collapse, a patch could make the result
more dangerous. A large hole should be considered unrepairable - especially
one that "moves". Patches generally won't add much in the way of structural
strength.

Standard automotive polyester resins are fairly brittle. You'd
have to build up several layers of glass. Also, they're not going to
stand up to abrasion very well - which is going to be an issue especially
if the patch is in line with the blades.

Epoxy-glass would be better.

In either case, you might have quite a problem cleaning the deck well
enough to get good adhesion.

If it was deemed repairable, I'd consider riveting aluminum sheet on the
inside, and then buttressing the patch from behind (outside of the deck)
with a couple layers of fiberglass to rigidify, seal the result, and
deaden vibration.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

jim writes:

Al Kondo wrote:

I have a 5 year old mower that I purchased from K Mart. It has a B &
S engine that still runs great. The problem is that a part of the
deck has rusted through. It is about a 9" portion of the "well" of
the deck. I feel that it can easily function with a little support
and patching.
[snip]

Al Kondo
on those K-mart type mowers the deck is the first thing to go.. they
built on a cheap sheet metal deck..

Ayup. OP wants to do this on the cheap so buying a new one doesn't seem to be
an option.

Here's what my father-in-law does:

Get the local trash pickup schedules for a 5 mile radius. Drive around on
trash day and look for mowers put out by the curb.

Pick up the mower (after inspecting it to make sure it's the same width as
yours and condition of the deck).

Chuck it in the trunk/pickup bed and drive home. Unbolt the motor and attach
your motor (and/or blade).

Presto, new mower. Cost: 1-2 hours of your time. Plus you've got an engine
which probably only needs a little service to run. Oh, and probably a blade
which, when reground and sharpened, will last 2-3 seasons.

IME about 25% of the mowers (or any yard machine) left out for the trash guys
only new plugs/gas/or a tweak of the carb settings to run.

Meh, I'm a cheap bassid. When my food processor broke (crappy plastic gearing)
I salvaged the motor and switch, got a pulley and used it to power my meat
grinder.

Best,

Marc

MrAoD wrote:

jim writes:


Al Kondo wrote:

I have a 5 year old mower that I purchased from K Mart. It has a B &
S engine that still runs great. The problem is that a part of the
deck has rusted through. It is about a 9" portion of the "well" of
the deck. I feel that it can easily function with a little support
and patching.

[snip]


Al Kondo

on those K-mart type mowers the deck is the first thing to go.. they
built on a cheap sheet metal deck..


Ayup. OP wants to do this on the cheap so buying a new one doesn't seem to be
an option.

Here's what my father-in-law does:

Get the local trash pickup schedules for a 5 mile radius. Drive around on
trash day and look for mowers put out by the curb.

Pick up the mower (after inspecting it to make sure it's the same width as
yours and condition of the deck).

Chuck it in the trunk/pickup bed and drive home. Unbolt the motor and attach
your motor (and/or blade).

Presto, new mower. Cost: 1-2 hours of your time. Plus you've got an engine
which probably only needs a little service to run. Oh, and probably a blade
which, when reground and sharpened, will last 2-3 seasons.

IME about 25% of the mowers (or any yard machine) left out for the trash guys
only new plugs/gas/or a tweak of the carb settings to run.

Meh, I'm a cheap bassid. When my food processor broke (crappy plastic gearing)
I salvaged the motor and switch, got a pulley and used it to power my meat
grinder.

Best,

Marc

Dumpster diving can be a lot of fun. Last year, i drove by a house that
had a dumspter in the street and a whole pile of TV's next to it.
I grabbed a 2001 RCA 27". Of course it did not work. But i am a tech
and fixed it for next to nothing. Still watching it.

Another thought for the OP, find one of the old guys lawnmower shops
that have piles of trashed mowers out back. Chances are they will have
a deck they will sell you cheap.



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"Al Kondo" wrote in message
...
I have a 5 year old mower that I purchased from K Mart. It
has a B &
S engine that still runs great. The problem is that a part of
the
deck has rusted through.

Cruise thrift shops and garage sales until you find a similar
mower with a good deck. Swap the better parts from your mower.

Bob

I had the same situation on a 10 year old mower that still had a good
running B&S engine. I bought a new mower to replace it but kept the old
one in the storage shed in the hope I would find someone that needed the
engine. Anyway, last year I bought a place in the country and ended up
having two properties for almost four months until I retired and made
the move. So, needing a second mower, I dug out the old one and found
that the rust had extended about two thirds of the way around the deck.
I removed the engine, wheels, brackets and everything else that would
come off the deck and used a wire wheel on a drill to remove the paint
and as much rust as possible. I then bought heavy weight fibre glass
cloth and epoxy resin and completely encapsulated the deck, both top and
bottom. After sanding and using a drill to open up the mounting holes
for the parts I had taken off I spray painted it with a good quality
enamel. After reassembling everything and installing a new blade I used
that mower all last year and well into the fall and have had no further
problem with it.

Since we have over two acres to cut at our new place, the wife would use
the new self propelled mower that I had bought and I would use the old
one. It takes about four hours to do a cutting (planning on getting a
riding mower this year) and I tended to use the old mower in the heavier
stuff along the tree line and for mulching leaves in the fall. It has
stood up well. The fall pre-storage maintenance revealed no cracking or
problems with the fibre glassed deck.

In all , it cost me about thirty dollars to repair it and I expect it
will last quite a few years until the motor finally wears out. One word
of caution, epoxy resin is much stronger and less brittle than polyester
resin. But, the epoxy resin must be really well mixed for it to cure
properly and achieve full strength. If you do what I did then take your
time doing it and lay the fibre glass in strips about three to four
inches wide ensuring it makes contact with the underlying areas as you
apply it.

Good luck,

Jack

Al Kondo wrote:

I have a 5 year old mower that I purchased from K Mart. It has a B &
S engine that still runs great. The problem is that a part of the
deck has rusted through. It is about a 9" portion of the "well" of
the deck. I feel that it can easily function with a little support
and patching. Out of curiosity, I called the company and found out
that a replacement deck would cost $125. I believe I paid about $200
for the mower.

As a handy guy, I would like some ideas on how to go about patching
the rusted portion of the deck. I would like to know what I should
use to patch it and where I can get it from I plan to use rivets
or screws to attach the metal patch.

Al Kondo

Al Kondo wrote:

I have a 5 year old mower that I purchased from K Mart. It has a B &
S engine that still runs great. The problem is that a part of the
deck has rusted through. It is about a 9" portion of the "well" of
the deck. I feel that it can easily function with a little support
and patching. Out of curiosity, I called the company and found out
that a replacement deck would cost $125. I believe I paid about $200
for the mower.

As a handy guy, I would like some ideas on how to go about patching
the rusted portion of the deck. I would like to know what I should
use to patch it and where I can get it from I plan to use rivets
or screws to attach the metal patch.

Al Kondo
check out the neighborhood on trash pickup day.. alot of people will
throw out a mower that needs repair.. might be able to find one with a
good deck...

Real simple answer...


You dont repair it.

Just what I would want to have collapse on me while on a hillside, or near
my car....or my kid....or me....
A blade on an engine thats gonna run for a few seconds till it rips it self
loose or stalls...all the while, with no support from the rest of the rusted
deck...

In plain English...while it sounds like a good idea, its really stupid and
dangerous.
If its rusted out completely on one part...imagine the rust where you cant
see it yet.

"Al Kondo" wrote in message
...
I have a 5 year old mower that I purchased from K Mart. It has a B &
S engine that still runs great. The problem is that a part of the
deck has rusted through. It is about a 9" portion of the "well" of
the deck. I feel that it can easily function with a little support
and patching. Out of curiosity, I called the company and found out
that a replacement deck would cost $125. I believe I paid about $200
for the mower.

As a handy guy, I would like some ideas on how to go about patching
the rusted portion of the deck. I would like to know what I should
use to patch it and where I can get it from I plan to use rivets
or screws to attach the metal patch.

Al Kondo

Al Kondo wrote:
As a handy guy, I would like some ideas on how to go about patching
the rusted portion of the deck. =A0 I would like to know what I should
use to patch it and where I can get it from =A0 =A0 I plan to use rivets
or screws to attach the metal patch.

I would cut away the rusted metal and use a piece of galvanized metal
and some 3/16" rivets. Strong and will not rust. Also it's a good idea
to clean the grass from the bottom of your mower deck after each use ( I
know cutting the grass is enough work) but it will extend the life of
the deck.