Hi Steve, mate, I'm sorry to hear that you have had probs with setting up the cylinder reel, if it has been professionally sharpened and the reel and bottom knife blade ground and lapped together as they should have been, it should be relatively easy (with a bit of practice) to set it up.
Could you please answer the following:
(1) Does the engineering workshop that sharpened them for you do cylinder reels for Bowling Clubs or Golf greens mowers?
(2) Has the bottom blade been ground, your pics don't show the 'top' of the blade?
(3) Are the bearings true and servicable?
