OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Finding and Swapping For Sale Reel Mower - Bed Knife and Reel Grinding

hi all i purchased a reel grinder some time ago to look after my scott bonnar mowers my self , when my local mower shop of 60 years closed down I brought it.





sharpened a reel and bedknife today from my 17 inch scott bonnar, grinder is quite simple to use, first true it up to the reel axles, then grind each blade one at a time with some back relief from the cutting edge.




the bedknive I sharpen on my milling machine, this one was badly rusted and I had to take off more than I would have liked to remove pitting and get a nice clean edge again,
any odk members in melb I can sharpen reels and bedknives for $40 pm me if intrested
thanks all damo

Fantastic Damo, this sort of stuff is of great importance to be kept, but sadly when a person dies or a business like that shuts down a lot of stuff goes in the scrap bin because people don't know what it is or how it works

Yes, there was a Brobo reel/bedknife grinder in the Melbourne area on FleaBay late last year. Would take up to 36" reels.
Tuition in its use was offered with the sale, too. Went to the starting bidder at $450.

Sounds like you need to head down the local lawn bowls club have a beer at 1972 prices and drop the word that you can sharpen their reels and perhaps tweak their machines.

Hi Guys,

There was also a "Foley" machine that sold for around $400 last year on ePrey from up Queensland way.

BTW Bowling Clubs get their reels done on far bigger and more accurate machines than this one. Those high tolerance reels are done on Spin Grinders which spins the reel at high speed while grinding.

Also reels should be ground with their bearings mounted on the shaft as that how it will sit in the mower and this is what one is try to replicate.

Cheers,
BB

hi all not much use going to any of the bowling clubs round were I live, most don't use mowers any more they have synthetic turf, a while back when Victoria went through a bad drought and we had water restrictions the turf got ripped out.
yes its a old machine but that's the way all reels were ground once apon a time , things have improved a lot in 60 or so years of turf care since then, this machine is meant to grind the reel on its shaft as the reel is not spinning, the reels shaft axel are held firmly by springs and each blade is ground individually , you can see this being done on utube,you would think being ground to the shaft is more accurate as the solid shaft has no play at all unlike a bearing,newer machines have to use the bearing to spin the reel up, it still gives good results a razor sharp reel, when set up slices through paper like butter without even backlaping as I,m to lazy to bother,
btw its not rocket science cylinder mower reels have been sharpened for nearly 200 years
damo

Dodgey, If my land lent itself to reel mowing I'd get one of those for the collection too. In such a case I would be asking about your services.
I suggested the lawn bowls as I know a local one that still is grass and they have a few reel mowers. It was a thought, maybe get several reels to sharpen, talk to the groundsmen and have a few refreshments. Sounds to me like a great way to spend a Saturday.
Your right, a lot did switch to synthetic and it changes the game a lot. My outlaws are quite involved in their local club and the old boy has been one of the groundsmen for a few years.

Sorry I did not get to see this wonderful/controversial piece of equipment you have yesterday Damo but looking at the standard of your workshop I'm sure it would do a perfect job. Wish my shed and equipment was half way up to that standard

Thought I'd put my 2 cents worth in as I have been a bowling greenkeeper for 40 years.My cylinders are done on bearings and are spun while ground (no relief).I think the single blade grinding is just fine as well and dodegy it sounds like you have got great results.I used to get my cylinders ground regulary.In recent years I have rarely had them done.However,30" Queen mowers can reverse cylinders to bring the trailing edge to the cutting edge.This combined with daily backlapping and quality non worn bearings has seen sharp cutting for the life of the bottom blade.The only time I grind seems to be when top soiling greens.I highly recommend backlapping at the the end of each cutting session.Wash or air dry,backlap and set mower for next time when everything is dry

G'day all Contributors

I feel these forums have not yet done justice to good reel mower maintenance.
I thank sb30inch for his comments as a long-time professional.

Dodegy has said that this is the way reels were ground once-upon-a-time.
Absolutely. I have been recording and cataloging reel maintenance methods
for years.

In the 19th century - in the field - the main means of sharpening reels
was by means of files and emery dust. This would be undertaken in con-
junction with backlapping. They went hand in hand.

The quality of the result was dependent upon the quality of the tradesman
(or novice). Manufacturers would have used powered grinders (powered by
water or steam).

Everything changed by the turn of the 20th Century. It may be that
this was driven, in part, by an increasing demand for precision
mowers in the public sphere - sporting grounds; golf clubs ...

Lawnmower manufacturers and specialist companies starting making
purpose-built machines. The major advancement was with the
advent of domestic electricity, and these grinders were made
in hand powered and then electric powered grinders.

I have found many ads from the 1920s that promoted a new type
of grinder that sharpened the blades in situ. In my books, not
a great method for residential mowers, with no planned service
intervals. Most mowers should be disassembled to check bearings
and re-lubricate the internals. I would also point out that ball-
bearings were the more expensive option to plain bearings at this
time (on domestic mowers).



The more common machines were as per dodgey's machine.
The mass-produced versions were built with precision, having
rigid cast iron side frames for this purpose. Reels were spun
on hardened V blocks.



Dodegy's machine is not a mass-produced job, but like many
grinders of that time, were one-offs build by small engineering
works as need arose. The precision of these machines varied -
some better than others. Dodgey's machine would have only
average precision built into it.

These machines can produce acceptable to very good results,
but they are more labour-intensive and do require experienced
operators. So the price dodegy has quoted seems extraordinarily
good value - and may make many machines viable for repair.

Of course these grinders will not deliver the precision required
for modern professional equipment (as BB said), but that is rather
a different argument, not pertaining to the service offered here.

The proof of a good result is in whether a good set can be
achieved 'out of the box' - meaning once the reel and bedknife
are ground they should immediately give a nice set without
need for backlapping.

On that note, I'm glad sb30inch raised the issue of backlapping.
It is the single most underrated procedure to keep reels sharp
during the season. With backlapping and good setting, there is
no reason why domestic reel mowers would need sharpening for
many seasons.

I know two methods of setting have been spoken about on these forums.
I can say that ODK can not recommend any method that changes the
manufacturer's recommendation. The non-contact method has a limited
application for some professional mowers. For most reels,
the contact method is the method to use - but always check what the
manufacturer says.

----------------------------
Jack

Hi all,

I felt that there were two separate issues (points of view) above that came to light and the lines did get somewhat blurred. I have taken it upon myself to moderate this thread in the true spirit of the ODK.

Moderating is not just all about people skills or based totally around technical knowledge, especially here on the ODK, it's a very fine line on getting the balance absolutely right and sometimes that just doesn't always happen.

Cheers,
BB