Seems to be as accurate as I'm able to measure. Checked with both an old Starrett and a new B&S 6" machinists square.
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Doing some plasti dipping....tried it once 40 years ago and didn't like it..mostly because my hands were usually covered in oil or jet fuel....but for now (And probably a better formula) it is fun stuff...for added grip I slap some orings over if needed...I bought a half gallon container to put a bunch of cans in..makes
it way easier..just keep filling it up and dip away
it way easier..just keep filling it up and dip away
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2012
- Messages
- 394
FMC Bolens Garden Tiller revival.
(Well not a days job but I finished it today so I thought I will post it)
I inherited an FMC Bolens 2230 Walk behind tiller model 1978!
It was an honest and reliable little horse but, as most things in this life (I do not have any info for the other life) it got old.
First thing that got retired was the B&S 3HP engine.
I replaced it with a ChinMade 4 stroke 6.5HP engine.
For a couple of years it worked like new. Then the tine blades and the shaft supporting the blades showed signs of ageing
As the gear lube was also leaking badly I decided to dismantle it and inspect the gear box.
As one can see the shaft was in a bad shape, the oil seals did not hold the gear lube as the bearings allowed too much play of the shaft.
Taking it apart was the easy part.
Measurements of the different parts gave the following data:
Instead of 31,75mm (1 1/4") diameter, the shaft was 31.25 on the right side and 31.40mm on the left. This allowed excessive play and oil leak.
The chain driving the main shaft had too much wear also
It was time for a new shaft, new bearings, new oil seals and new chains to make a proper repair of the gearbox.
Shaft, chains and oil seals were no problem to find locally.
A 32mm steel rod for 5$ took its place on my lathe to be transformed to a 31,75mm (1 1/4") diameter shaft.
The bearings though had to be special order from Germany and took a week to arrive.
To be continued....
(Well not a days job but I finished it today so I thought I will post it)
I inherited an FMC Bolens 2230 Walk behind tiller model 1978!
It was an honest and reliable little horse but, as most things in this life (I do not have any info for the other life) it got old.
First thing that got retired was the B&S 3HP engine.
I replaced it with a ChinMade 4 stroke 6.5HP engine.
For a couple of years it worked like new. Then the tine blades and the shaft supporting the blades showed signs of ageing
As the gear lube was also leaking badly I decided to dismantle it and inspect the gear box.
As one can see the shaft was in a bad shape, the oil seals did not hold the gear lube as the bearings allowed too much play of the shaft.
Taking it apart was the easy part.
Measurements of the different parts gave the following data:
Instead of 31,75mm (1 1/4") diameter, the shaft was 31.25 on the right side and 31.40mm on the left. This allowed excessive play and oil leak.
The chain driving the main shaft had too much wear also
It was time for a new shaft, new bearings, new oil seals and new chains to make a proper repair of the gearbox.
Shaft, chains and oil seals were no problem to find locally.
A 32mm steel rod for 5$ took its place on my lathe to be transformed to a 31,75mm (1 1/4") diameter shaft.
The bearings though had to be special order from Germany and took a week to arrive.
To be continued....
Last edited:
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2012
- Messages
- 394
FMC Bolens Garden Tiller revival (PART 2)
First thing was to reduce the diameter of the new rod from 32mm to 31.75 (Very light cut on the Lathe and lots of sand paper to achieve precisions).
Next I had to remove the sprocket from the old rod and transfer it to the new.
That was easier said than done, as besides of welding removal, it needed a press that I do not own (yet).
A 20 ton bottle jack I bought to build the "shop hydraulic press" did the job in seconds.
Old & new shaft side by side accompanied by the sprocket.
New shaft with the sprocket in place.
Gearbox assembly.
Notice the funny and primitive chain tension device that worked for 38 years flawlesly!!
New gasket as well, two halfs together, oil seals in place: Gerabox job done.
After some paint I have put it back to the tiller and tested it!
AS GOOD AS NEW AGAIN!
I even made an important improvement to the tiller.
I fitted antivibration engine mounts. That was a huge relief for operator’s hands! (my hands most of the time)
Thanks for reading.
Petros
First thing was to reduce the diameter of the new rod from 32mm to 31.75 (Very light cut on the Lathe and lots of sand paper to achieve precisions).
Next I had to remove the sprocket from the old rod and transfer it to the new.
That was easier said than done, as besides of welding removal, it needed a press that I do not own (yet).
A 20 ton bottle jack I bought to build the "shop hydraulic press" did the job in seconds.
Old & new shaft side by side accompanied by the sprocket.
New shaft with the sprocket in place.
Gearbox assembly.
Notice the funny and primitive chain tension device that worked for 38 years flawlesly!!
New gasket as well, two halfs together, oil seals in place: Gerabox job done.
After some paint I have put it back to the tiller and tested it!
AS GOOD AS NEW AGAIN!
I even made an important improvement to the tiller.
I fitted antivibration engine mounts. That was a huge relief for operator’s hands! (my hands most of the time)
Thanks for reading.
Petros
Last edited:
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2015
- Messages
- 894
That's great! And I like the timing of your post. We've been wanting a tiller but haven't felt we could prioritize that. Then I found a little cultivator type 2-stroke Toro tiller in the dumpster at work this past week. (It's accessible at night so people dump stuff there all the time.) I grabbed it figuring it will work great for our needs, and even if I can't get the noisy engine working I can just pull it off and replace it with a custom mount and my DeWalt low speed drill. At the very least it would be a good project for my developing (okay, barely juvenile) machining and fabrication skills.
My little idea seems almost comically simple now.
My little idea seems almost comically simple now.
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2015
- Messages
- 894
My 11 year old daughter is very artistically inclined and after seeing a couple demonstrations on YouTube has become enthralled with the idea of woodburning/pyrography. I still had my old one from when I was a kid, but apparently it no longer heats up enough. As I looked at the price of buying her a new one with variable temperature, along with interchangeable tips, it occurred to me that I should just make some brass tips for my soldering iron. Brilliant! It works very well, with an appropriately sensitive temperature adjustment, so why not?
So I found a listing on eBay for a dozen or so 12" lengths of 1/4" 360 brass. They arrived Friday and Saturday I turned a test piece, just a duplication of my soldering tip (then more rounded for easier use on wood). I installed it in the soldering iron and...
What a stupid idea that was! My soldering iron "wand" is WAY too long for this purpose. I quite like that for soldering, but for any sort of art it's like holding the wrong end of a pencil. Pine is a tough wood to burn smoothly, but it shouldn't be this difficult.
Back to Amazon...
So I found a listing on eBay for a dozen or so 12" lengths of 1/4" 360 brass. They arrived Friday and Saturday I turned a test piece, just a duplication of my soldering tip (then more rounded for easier use on wood). I installed it in the soldering iron and...
What a stupid idea that was! My soldering iron "wand" is WAY too long for this purpose. I quite like that for soldering, but for any sort of art it's like holding the wrong end of a pencil. Pine is a tough wood to burn smoothly, but it shouldn't be this difficult.
Back to Amazon...
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2012
- Messages
- 394
Well, roadie33 I was shopping around for a new one, but the quality of all tillers I saw (even the expensive ones) was questionable to say the least. I am convinced that they do not make things as they used to in the past. That's why I decided to rebuild the old tiller.
And yes I agree with your words! when you rebuild something is like putting your signature on that! It feels really good.
Petros
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2015
- Messages
- 894
Incidentally, there is a 1.5" shaft the same diameter as the base of the tip, and between those sections a 1/8" wide rib for the threaded collar you see here to draw the tip in. I had a lot of trouble turning it to a consistent diameter because it flexes so much. I turned the tip first, then the collar, then the first portion of the shank, then the last, advancing the stock from the chuck between sections so I wouldn't be cutting quite so far from the chuck, expecting that to minimize the flex I would experience. But it wasn't nearly enough. A cutting depth that was correct on the tailstock end was far too deep on the headstock end. How should I have managed this? I didn't get a picture of the ugly shank (and now I'm too lazy...), but trust me, it's not pretty. It functioned for this use, but if I had needed a critical diameter or if it was a visible, aesthetic part I would not have been able to use it.
It seems like some sort of chucking center would have been ideal. Turn down the tip and then chuck it into a "live chuck" before turning the shank. Does such a thing exist?
It seems like some sort of chucking center would have been ideal. Turn down the tip and then chuck it into a "live chuck" before turning the shank. Does such a thing exist?