Hi Steve (deviosi, for our newer members), thanks for stopping by. This project could benefit a lot from your involvement, if you have the time to join in.
There are a couple of key issues here. First, is the objective to make strong durable decks, or to make authentic ones to the original design, as is the usual (though not universal) practice with veteran and vintage cars? I think it is very important to have that clearly understood by people who are considering upgrading twin rail machines. Second, I've been told by several people that the most difficult part of getting things made in China, is getting the factory there to make it in accordance with the drawing, rather than taking assorted short-cuts as they go along. Even if you stick to your guns and keep rejecting samples until they finally make an accurate one, the short-cuts will probably be resumed in later production unless you are very attentive on an ongoing basis.
Scuba, I noticed there were no bolt holes for a one piece deck in your sideplates, and this confirms what BB had said. That means it will be important to figure out a way for people who are making conversions to get their bolt holes in exactly the right place. There are only two really accurate ways I know of: using an accurate jig, or using an NC milling machine. If people just drill their own holes to a drawing, the chances are nearly all of them will be out of position, will be drilled or filed oversize to get the bolts through the holes, and will turn the rebuilt mower into a corkscrew-shaped dog's breakfast that produces a lousy, uneven lawn. It will do no credit whatever to Outdoorking if this project ends up producing crummy mowers. BB, you might look at an alternative: ship a genuine solid deck sideplate in good condition to China and have them set up to produce copies on an NC mill. Then you could offer deck-and-sideplates kits to people who wanted to convert their twin rail machines. Ordinarily this would be too expensive to make sense, but such things can be done remarkably cheaply in China, provided you pursue the sourcing and negotiating process meticulously. Obviously the suppliers who are happy to supply decks and sideplates made precisely to drawings, are not the same ones who have an old folder and a pre-war pedestal drill in a wooden shed, and will give you a really good price.
