My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

Thanks

Tim Zimmerman wrote:
My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

For "pearl size sections" missing, don't even try to balance it. Just
replace it. Balancing a blade makes sense for normal wear; it's not
indicated for acute damage.
--
Bo Williams -
http://hiwaay.net/~williams/

I use an old knife blade clamped in the jaws of a vise. I then balance
the blade with the knife edge running across the center of the hole. Grind
the edges to balance. You will never get the blade to sit stationary but
you will see which end is heavy. If the mower is shaking enough to feel in
your shoulders I suspect that the motor shaft is bent.
Randy

"Tim Zimmerman" wrote in message
. ..
My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

Thanks

Sears and other places that sell mowers will sell a small cone shaped device
on which you position the mower blade before and after grinding to determine
if it's balanced, probably not more than $5 I would guess.

-Tom


"Tim Zimmerman" wrote in message
. ..
My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

Thanks

"Tim Zimmerman" wrote in message
. ..
My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

You should not run the blade with that much damage.
Get a new blade, send the bill to your friend.

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 03:53:13 GMT, "Tim Zimmerman"
vaguely proposed a theory
.......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

Get your "friend" to replace it! Jeezers nose!

My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

Thanks

"Tim Zimmerman" wrote in message
. ..
My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

Thanks


This is Turtle.

I take the blade off and bring it with me to Walmarts and go to the lawn mower
area and match it up and get a new one for $9.95 and come back and put it on.
Tring to balance a blade on a lawn mower with chunks missing is right next to
impossible.

Now like Randy said it might be a bent shaft on the motor.

TURTLE

Tim Zimmerman wrote:
My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

Thanks




Don't know how big "pearl size" is since pearls
come in a lot of different sizes. You're going to
have to do a lot of grinding to get it in good
shape and balanced.

To balance it, just clamp a six or eight penny
nail in a vice (horizontal) with about 3/4"
sticking out. Or, pound the nail into anything
and stick the center hole of the blade on it. You
can get fancier but a nail works. Set the blade
slightly off horizontal and grind until the side
that is down always swings down (try each side
slightly below horizontal).

Finally, you may have a worse problem than just
chips in the blade -- the crank shaft may be
slightly bent. Be sure you get the blade balanced
well, because you need a balanced blade to tell if
the crankshaft was bent.

Tim Zimmerman wrote:
My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

Thanks




If it is a serious wobble I'll put my money on a bent motor shaft rather
than an unbalanced blade. I have a battery-powered electric sold by
Sears but IIRC made by B&D and hitting a tree root with it left me with
a bend in the motor shaft which was unrepairable leaving me to replace a
very expensive motor. I'm a lot more careful now...
--
John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]
http://johnmcgaw.com

Tim Zimmerman wrote:
My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the
mover to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

Thanks

It sounds like you have a bent shaft and certainly have a damaged blade
that needs to be replaced not balanced.

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

Buy a new blade and give the bill to your friend.

Tom


"Tim Zimmerman" wrote in message
. ..
My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

Thanks

i felt the need to hear myself talk so i decided to add nothing to this
conversation like the other 20 people before me.

nice fishing tim.

randy

"Tim Zimmerman" wrote in message
. ..
My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

Thanks

In article ,
Tim Zimmerman wrote:
My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

Thanks





You can test the balance by hanging the blade from a nail or string
and grinding as necessary, but if it has the chips you say, it
wouldn't be out of line for your friend to buy you a new blade.


--

Larry Wasserman Baltimore, Maryland

Replace the blade. A blade that has been that badly abused may have had
its integrity compromised. You can bank on that blade being severly
weakened. If you try to balance it and use it, you are running the risk of
a catastrophic blade failure in the future, which means that it is possible
that chunks of metal could come flying out from underneath the mower.
It is possible that the shaft is bent; however, some lawn mower engines
have small aluminum 'keys' that sit in slots machined into the shaft (or at
least where there is a mechanical connection between the shaft and the
engine). These are designed to fail if the blade strikes something hard.
It happened to me once. I hit a metal culvert and the mower stopped dead
and would not restart. Once the keys were replaced, everything was fine.


"Tim Zimmerman" wrote in message
. ..
My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

Thanks

I thought I'd say the same thing a couple dozen other people said without
looking at their replies and tell you to buy a new blade, the motor shaft
could be bent and your friend should pay for it.

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 03:53:13 GMT, "Tim Zimmerman"
wrote:

My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

Thanks

You mean your ex- friend!

I did that 21 years ago and I have not forgiven him yet.

DK

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 03:53:13 GMT, "Tim Zimmerman"
wrote:

My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

Thanks


Speaking of mowers hitting rocks, here's a story that will make you
think about safety a little more.

My uncle was using a push mower without the bag on the back (and the
safety flap was torn off), and it threw a pretty good sized rock that
hit him square in the shin. He said it hurt pretty bad, and he
noticed that there was a little trickle of blood, so he shut off the
mower and started to walk inside to get a bandaid. Got six paces
towards the front door before his leg shattered and the top half of
his shin stuck in the ground. Nobody was home, no neighbors in the
sticks, and he wasn't in any shape to drive to the hospital, so he had
to call an ambulance. He said he had never felt so helpless and
scared in his life.

I'll never push a mower without the bag.

--
Bryce

----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

Check that the shaft isn't bent.This could save you the time spent
balancing the blades,only to find that the shafy has been bent and it still
"wobbles"

"Tim Zimmerman" wrote in message
. ..
My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

Thanks

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 09:25:43 -0800, Bryce
wrote:

Speaking of mowers hitting rocks, here's a story that will make you
think about safety a little more.

My uncle was using a push mower without the bag on the back (and the
safety flap was torn off), and it threw a pretty good sized rock that
hit him square in the shin. He said it hurt pretty bad, and he
noticed that there was a little trickle of blood, so he shut off the
mower and started to walk inside to get a bandaid. Got six paces
towards the front door before his leg shattered and the top half of
his shin stuck in the ground. Nobody was home, no neighbors in the
sticks, and he wasn't in any shape to drive to the hospital, so he had
to call an ambulance. He said he had never felt so helpless and
scared in his life.

I'll never push a mower without the bag.
After reading the above, it becomes apparent that this must be a
motorized, reel type mower, and not your old style, human powered
device. Either that, or the uncle was cutting a lot of grass in a
hurry!
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

Randy Zimmerman wrote:

I use an old knife blade clamped in the jaws of a vise. I then
balance
the blade with the knife edge running across the center of the hole.
Grind the edges to balance. You will never get the blade to sit
stationary but you will see which end is heavy. If the mower is
shaking enough to feel in your shoulders I suspect that the motor
shaft is bent.

It might be worth removing the blade and running the motor to see if it still shaking or the shaft is visibly
wobbling. If it is, then a new or balanced blade is a waste of money and/or time.

bw wrote:
"Tim Zimmerman" wrote in message
. ..

My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?


Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the odds are that the severe
vibration that you are experienceing is not due to an out of ballance
blade. When a mower hits an object like a root, or rock or other
obstruction, it often bends the crankshaft that the blade is attached
to. This happened to my parents Honda mower when my son ran it into a
rock and the repair guy told us that it is a common occurance. In their
case it required a fairly expensive repair, the replacement of the crank
shaft AND a new blade. You can try a new blade, and maybe you will get
lucky, but if he hit rocks numerous times, I expect that the vibration
will still be there with the new blade. They don't make the motors on
mowers with heavy enough parts to be mowing rocks.

Drive a nail into one of the studs inside your garage. Leave about two
inches of nail not pounded. Put the nail in horizontal.

Put the mower blade on the nail, with the nail going through the center hole
of the blade. Let go of blade.

One end of the blade will sink towards the floor. That's the heavy end.
Grind more metal off the heavy end.

Repeat. When blade balances level to ground, install onto mower. Leaving
vise grip atached will nullify results of balancing test. Changes the
magnetic flow.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"Tim Zimmerman" wrote in message
. ..
My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

Thanks

Well, that's almost a good idea, except unless the nail is exactly the
same diameter as the blade's shaft, it won't be balanced....perpaps buy
a new blade...It's a lot cheaper than dimwit moron dave's suggestion to
buy a new mover

You know-------------the one with the CRANKSHAFT!

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 10:11:01 -0500, "Andrew Neilson"
wrote:

I would check the balance using the nail/screw driver etc -
it only need to be thick enough to support the blade
(actully the thicker the support the lower the accuracy),
and as OP have said grind some off the lower/heavier side.

Then before putting it back check the key way on the shaft
it could be partially sheared (as below). I have had that,
it upsets the timing and makes it run very rough and
difficult to start. If this does not cure it then the crank
shaft could be bent w.h.y
It is possible that the shaft is bent; however, some lawn mower engines
have small aluminum 'keys' that sit in slots machined into the shaft (or at
least where there is a mechanical connection between the shaft and the
engine). These are designed to fail if the blade strikes something hard.
It happened to me once. I hit a metal culvert and the mower stopped dead
and would not restart. Once the keys were replaced, everything was fine.


"Tim Zimmerman" wrote in message
...
My Black&Decker electric mower was loan to friend. He ran the
mower over several boulders several times, chipping a couple
pearl size sections off the blade. Possibly, this is causing the mover
to vibrate to the point of causing a shoulder sore.

I remove the blade, then clamp it to a vise grip. I have an angle
grinder that I will use to fix the balancing problem. The problem is,
I've never done this before. What is a practical way to balance a
mower blade?

Thanks






--
Maurice
remove DOT for email
------------

On Sat, 19 Feb 2005 19:32:28 +0000, Maurice
wrote:

Having thought about it a bit more, when I hit something
solid it was then difficult to start and ran lumpy - what it
turned out to be was the key had partially sheared on
the fly wheel. The fly wheel being heavier than the other
bits has so much momentum that it shears the keys and upsets
the timing.

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 10:11:01 -0500, "Andrew Neilson"
wrote:

Then before putting it back check the key way on the shaft
it could be partially sheared (as below). I have had that,
it upsets the timing and makes it run very rough and
difficult to start. If this does not cure it then the crank

--
Maurice
remove DOT for email
------------