OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Reel-Type Mowers Scott Bonner 45 17"

Hi guys,

I've picked up an SB this morning and didn't notice it at first, but came to notice something quite funny in part, but also sad.

Someone has put on a new 3.5hp Briggs at some stage and obviously realised the fuel tank hits the handle. It looks like they've cut the handle and bent the other side in order to weld a new piece in.

Are new handles easy to source, and if so, what's the best course of action with relation to the handle? the motor needs a service and tidy up, but otherwise works well so would like to keep it if possible whilst the SB needs a bit of work.

Hello Chris86
That's hilarious. Funny, but sad, as you say.
Is there no end to tenant modifications!

Mod BB may be able to help - with handle bracket extensions
and a replacement lower handle.

Thanks for sharing this gem.
-----------------------------
Jack

Thanks Jack,
No doubt he'll be along shortly with his wealth of knowledge.

I also got this from a verge side. I haven't measured it, but I believe it's a 20". Just not sure on what it is? Villiers?

Hi Guys,

Any Honda off the footpath sounds good to me, don't know about the rest of it though. The engine looks to be either a 2 HP or a 2.5 HP size engine. Its a great engine for a 14 inch Scotty that's got an ailing Briggs on it. Like mine. It's a rather old unit though I must say, but don't let that discourage you. Just check out the thread on "The true testament of a Honda engine" that I put up under "Off Topics".

As far as your modded Scotty is concerned there are only two options and that is replace the lower portion with a Series II handle bar or get a set of Genuine Briggs handle bar adaptor plates which I can post a picture up in real size so that they can be copied and cost you the total amount of the two bits of steel plate.

Cheers,
BB.

Hi BB,

Sorry mate, I did a quick measurement and it's a 17". I thought it was a 14" from initial measurement, although I must admit - I was rather rushed. Never the less, a 17" Is an even better score for $100.

Given it's just the bottom half of the handle that's damaged, what do you think is the best option? I'm not fast if it's genuine or not, although the question has to be asked - If I'm replacing the bottom section with new, and the top half has a bit of surface rust, would it be best to replace the whole lot, or paint the bottom section also?

I've started pulling her apart and apart from a missing height adjuster bolt and adjuster screw and one slightly bent cutting blade along with a snapped brake adjuster - I think she's faired ok. It's sprockets replaced at some point I'd say because they look to be in pretty darn good condition for a unit that was used commercially (at least that's what the previous owner does for a living).

Hi Chris,

All the sprockets are A OK. Now as far as the handle bar is concerned, theswe are the parts that are extremely hard to fall accross second hand as no one will want t just a frame part as then the machine they have is rendered useless. Also there isn't anyone out there wrecking Scotty's anywhere in Australia. The only avenue is to find someone that has a 17 inch model 45 that has a totally fatigued fractured chassis and buy the whole machine from them and then part it out yourself. For a machine like that I wouldn't pay anymore than $40 to $50, then that way you get what you want and get some cash back from selling the bits you don't require or strip and keep everything yourself and toss the chassis to scrap.

Sadly it's pretty much the only way out.

Cheers,
BB.

Good news! Ive found myself another handle for $30.

Today i stripped her down completely minus the rear drum as i ran out of time. Had a lot of fun cleaning the build up off of it.

In regards to the front roller; it was very tight. I thought it had bearings, but clearly i was wrong? Moving forward, does anyone modify these at all? If so, what modifications are normally done?

Also, the cutting cylinder will need a sharpen and paint. Given this is my first attempt at a restoration, who generally paints and clean these up? Is this done as part of the sharpening process? The bottom blade looks rough. It appears that on one side the cylindee has worn a nice grove into it. Not sure where the point of no return is for these. I will post photos on Monday or Tuesday when i get back in front of my pc.

Hi Chris,

well that's good news as getting handles is pretty hard as it will render the donor mower as finished.
Hopefully it had a beyond repair chassis which made it a viable option to part the machine out.



These are those adaptor plates that I was referring to.



Cheers,
BB.

Hi BB,

Luckily for me, Perth is living up to it's name of the "Reel Mower" capital of Australia. Not sure why they were offered as parts. The bloke I'm getting the handle from (pick up this week) also restores Reel Mowers and ironically enough is looking for the same part for his 20" restoration.
I've put up 2 wanted ads for SB gear and both have garnished a fantastic positive response with the odd person asking ridiculous prices.....Seriously, who would pay $750 for a very run down SB45 in need of dire attention? Not me. Unfortunately Perth also comes with a population of folk who seem to think everything no matter the condition, is worth top dollar.

Thank you for the picture for the adaptor plates as I'll indeed need to grab these.
I've been doing a lot of thinking and have also been very inspired by Simrice's recent restoration of his SB45. Given I have no dire need to get the SB back in service anytime soon, I'd very much like to take his route and replace all the nuts and bolts an pretty much every component on the machine except the motor, cutting reel and rear drum. I know cost will add up in the end, however, I don't have a set budget and I'm in no rush to complete this tomorrow. I am however, someone with immense pride and given this is my first restoration, a very large part of me would really like to be attentive to detail and make this machine look the goods. (damn you simrice ;))

I still have the 16" thoroughbred to do (have been working on the motor only at this stage) and I also want to complete this at some stage as it's in extremely good condition, although I will likely get a new motor for it and gift the mower to the old boy upon completion.

As it stands, the SB45 has been completely stripped minus the rear roller which will take me a little longer than the time I have available during the week.

I got a price from a guy who has a trailer with a specialized cutting machine of which he works mobile to a number of golf courses in W.A to replace my bed knife ($35) and to sharpen the cylinder ($165). I'm not sure whether these prices are over the top or are reasonable? I'm yet to chase pricing from anyone else at this stage.

I'm now in the position where I need to look at stripping the paint and rust off of the SB45, although at crossroad as to which direction to go about this. A large amount of folk here appear to take the electrolysis path. Is this the best method of approaching this, or should I look at sanding back and taking my time?

Painting is also another ongoing thought of mine. to spray by can, or by compressor/sprayer? I've never used a compressor spray gun to paint anything before, so I'm kind of concerned about getting it wrong (can trial on other things?)
Can paint does seem easier, although given I want to do this right, not sure which the best method is?


As per the below picture, what's the best way to restore this model badge? I've seen one's in better condition, but this one is a bit rough?

Hi Chris,

$165 for a Reel grind is in another universe from where I'm standing. I don't pay anymore than $75 for a new bed knife and spin grind of both the reel and blade. Boy that original blade has seen much better days hasn't it ?

You're spot on regarding Perth and how everyone thinks everything is worth a million $$$$$. I have a daughter and son in law over there and the stories I hear simply blows me away.

As far as painting is concerned I've seen some really good outcomes from cans on this site. I do have all the painting gear at my disposal so I guess I'll lean towards that method, also I've painted cars at a top level years ago so I guess the Iwata W-77 is the tool of choice for me. No I don't have a gravity feed gun, just all my suction units, but I should get one at the price of paint nowadays.

Honestly regarding both paint and rust removal goes I'd be heading off down to your local blasting facility, but make sure they don't use the largest grit size as they'll mess it up that way.

Now as far as the ID plates are concerned it's rather involved and I really should write a full procedure for this to be done properly.

But basically you have to remove them first and tap them totally straight with a plastic assembly hammer to ensure they are totally flat. Using a plastic hammer is far safer than a steel hammer face on brass.

Use paint stripper to remove the old paint and then you'll have to paint the whole plate in bright red and allow it to cure out properly for a number of days.

Then, you'll have to tape a tab onto the rear of the plate using some strong cloth type tape so that you can grip it properly. Apply some 280 grit wet and dry paper to a piece of glass so that you have a perfectly flat sanding surface with no lumps or bumps to rub the front of the plate against until it just removes all the red paint from the raised sections to reveal bright brass. Change the paper to 400 grit and keep rubbing lightly, this will remove all the 280 grit marks and then get the surface closer to being a polished finished. After the 400 you can then go to 800 grit and repeat the process. Once you're happy with finish then it's time to stretch a piece of tea shirt material over the glass plate and apply some "Brasso" to the material and rub like hell until you've got a super glossy finish. Once happy you'll have to spray it with some protective clear to stop the brass from oxidising and undoing all your hard work.

I hope that this is rather self explanatory and if you have any queries don't hesitate to ask.

Cheers,
BB.

Wow BB,

Your detail on the plate is amazing. Given there is currently no thread on such a thing. Would it be possible moving forward and given you have the time, would you be willing to make a thread with a step by step tutorial on how to do this? It seems quite detailed and as many of the mowers restored have plates similar to this, it would be an amazing read.

Thanks for the information. I'll try and get some follow up pricing on sharpening of the cylinder and a replacement bed knife. I have a lawn bowling club I do electrical work for of which may point me in the right direction.

Regards,
Chris

Hi Chris86,
If youre interested I have some of those adaptor plates that I bought at a recent auction and I am located in Perths northern suburbs. Also Searle Fasteners is a great place to be finding all those nuts and bolts you will need.

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the encouragement, like I mentioned I'll have to do a complete procedure tutorial on this complete with photos which will stay in the Scott Bonnar section as a "Sticky"

Cheers,
BB.

Thanks Mr.Jones. I may take you up on that offer. That was the auction for all that lawn mowing equipment? the online one?



BB,
I'm sure the whole site would benefit from such a tutorial, and if you decide to do it, I look forwards to the read mate.

I've tried to clean up the front roller, however, after reading some of the restorations here, the appeal of a SS ball bearing front roller is grabbing me. From what I have read, a guy on Ebay was selling them, however, no such sale exists anymore. Not sure what's involved, but I have a friend of mine who works for himself, but is a long time boat builder for Austral Ships, so he may be able to make something for me.

I'm just thinking ahead and planning. Still plenty to do before I even consider these things.

Sorry for the slow updates. I've been flat out trying to build some garden beds as well as trying to locate a new hedge trimmer as my little one wasn't cutting it and I got screwed over by a local guy who I paid upfront (should have known better). Anyway I picked up a Stihl HS81R in fantastic condition for a miserable $150. Closest I could find second hand was $550, so I'll consider that a bargain!

Where I currently stand with the 45 is at the bed knife. I had an absolute nightmare trying to get the old bed knife off. I had it soaking for 2 weeks in a penetrant solution to no avail. I tried heating the screws, and even giving them a good ol knock. Still no avail!
I picked up a new bottom half of the handle from a knowledgeable bloke who I believe may be a member here for $30 (thank you kindly). He had a method of using a hole punch and a hammer on the edge of the screw whilst having the bedknife in a vice to give it a jolt to free up the screw of which he has done time and time again without failure. Unfortunately this method didn't quite work for me (may have done it wrong). What I did in the end was take a grinder to take the screws to the same level as the bed knife and then took a hole punch to every edge of each screw with the hole punch on an anti-clockwise angle with the theory that eventually the continual hitting in that direction on every side of the screw would free it up. Thankfully it worked!

Next step is to finish cleaning up all the parts and ascertaining my method of painting and colours.

Hi Chris86
Good work getting those screws out. Much care needs to be taken but I have successfully removed these with a combination of Cyclo C-10 penetration spray and careful use of the impact driver. Best to keep in on a flat bit of timber for this.

Hi Chris,

Firstly well done on getting the set screws out without damaging the sole plate and I'm sure you're feeling rather pleased with your outcome..

I will however say something here while we're on this topic and that is we at the ODK generally do not endorse the removal of the screws by their owners, rather we'd much prefer that members take the whole assembly to their engineer to remove the screws and let them attach the new bed knife prior to machining. This is done purely for the purpose of not having the sole plate accidentally broken or internally fractured as Cast Iron can be very temperamental and as the sole plate is not of a shape with parrallel sides which would make it much safer to clamp in a vice we always suggest that the engineer does that part for the customer. To put it quite simply, they have the knowhow of how to do this part of the job without risk to the casting. Another major point is have you tried to source a replacement should the worst happens ? near on impossible.

I understand that you probably want to paint it prior to the new knife blade being fitted but most of the cleaning and prep work can be done prior to the old blade being removed and then the painting can be done after the new one is fitted and returned back to you, this way the freshly painted surface does cop any damage to it while in the engineers hands, also the contact surface between the blade and sole plate should not have any paint on it what so ever.

I hope this clarify's our stance on the matter for all others who would potentially attempt this process themselves.

Apart from that minor issue all is looking superb and I'm looking forward to the outcome.

Cheers,
BB.

Thanks for the advice BB. I did what i did in a vice with wooden blocks knowing that it is a delicate process as read in other restorations. One thing i wasnt aware and i gues its likely too late, but the painting of where the blade attaches is already done. I did wonder whether i shouldnt have, however, it was painted previously so i assumed it would be ok?
Will any harm be done, or should i look to sand it back?

Hi Chris,

Personally ??

I would rub the mating surface back to bare steel as even a couple of thou paint thickness will make a difference in the bedknife grind.

Cheers,
BB.