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21
New from Old / Re: Rebirth of a 6 Foot Flail Mower
« Last post by awemawson on May 27, 2026, 07:31:31 AM »
I suspect in this case the roller has taken a knock cracking the weld between it's tube and the cotton reel afair that slides into it and forms the stub axle.

Maybe I didn't Vee out the weld enough originally but is HAS lasted ten years. Left hand end is still intact but will get a close inspection when I can get someone to help me lift it onto the welding bench and maybe I'll gouge it out with a die grinder a bit and weld it 'just in case'. The right hand side I will be able to form the  Veeing on the lathe before re-inserting it.

Good news is that the new bearing is now in the post.
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New from Old / Re: Rebirth of a 6 Foot Flail Mower
« Last post by pycoed on May 27, 2026, 04:21:14 AM »
What is it with the right side roller bearings? Replaced mine 4 years back (both sides: left was reasonable, right was shot) & the other day I got a squeaking noise & upon first look it seems the right one needs doing again! I agree about the useless grass guards - I try to cut all the rushes away from mine after every use, but it  never  seems to work.
23
New from Old / Re: Rebirth of a 6 Foot Flail Mower
« Last post by vtsteam on May 26, 2026, 12:25:37 PM »
Looks good Andrew, and glad to see you back posting.  :thumbup: :beer:

I'm not doing anything interesting -- just yardwork chores alternated with escapes early or late in the day to go fishing at local ponds or river for an hour or two... on occasion. Waterball is filling up to its 3000 gallon limit -- an inch shy today.

Have done a lot of brush-hogging, trying to get a handle on invasive multiflora rose, japanese barberry and black locust starts, which are making life somewhat thorny! Plus winged euonymous, oriental bittersweet, Japanese knotweed. Pretty soon these guys are going to take over if neighbors around here don't start cutting them back, as well.
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Announcements & Issues / Re: Security Warning
« Last post by vtsteam on May 26, 2026, 12:15:19 PM »
Just means Eric needs to renew the site's security certificate since it has apparently expired. It does not mean the site has been compromised, despite the browser Chicken Little warning.
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New from Old / Re: Rebirth of a 6 Foot Flail Mower
« Last post by awemawson on May 26, 2026, 09:34:16 AM »
Small update: the self aligning 1-1/4" bearing sits on a 'Grass Guard' designed to stop grass entering the bearing.

Despite the fact that frankly it doesn't work I thought that I'd better make a new one, as the previous one suffered at the hands of the angle grinder while the seized 1-1/4" insert was cut off. Made from 1/8" mild steel the only bit that I had was horribly rusty and had a matrix of small holes drilled into it.

Well beggars can't be choosers so I pressed on though I had great fun getting a decent earth for the CNC Plasma Cutter, that I woke from a long and deep sleep not having been used in ages.

Came out acceptably for what it's for.;

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New from Old / Re: Rebirth of a 6 Foot Flail Mower
« Last post by awemawson on May 26, 2026, 06:01:17 AM »
Well it's been working for a long time, but the flail mower has failed :bang:

Young lady driving it for me says the the rear roller isn't rolling. Well no it isn't as the right hand stub axle has parted from the roller - ten year of fatigue on the weld I expect. Much bending and distortion  - all a bit of a mess

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It's possible that the spool that forms the stub axle is reusable if not bent - and the tube certainly is but both will need major clean ups before re-welding

I removed the right and left hand trailing skids to make access easier then tried removing the right hand bearing - no chance - firmly stuck - heat - hydraulic pullers - big hammers - no avail - need it on the bench to introduce it to an angle grinder.

In the end it only took one 4.5" disk - surprising as it's very hard steel:

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This leaves the skid that got bent in the original failure and even more when I tried removing the bearing from the shaft !

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Bent skid introduced to 60 ton press a few times in judicially placed places and it's somewhat better (but not perfect) - but after all they ARE self aligning bearings  :clap:

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Putting the stub axle between centres on the lathe it seems to have survived without bending so I will re-use it

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Replacement two mounting hole (130 mm spacing) RHP self aligning bearing housing with 1-1/4 insert ordered from Bearing Boys (?80 !) so update when it arrives.


27
Member Videos / OKMO R02 Denny Improved Ericsson Stirling Engine with Modifications
« Last post by Jim Dobson on May 26, 2026, 01:27:42 AM »
OKMO R02 Denny Improved Ericsson Stirling Engine with Modifications

I made a new wooden plinth for this engine, made a larger copper cooling water tank and redid the piping for the new tank.
Greatly extended the run time with the larger cooling tank.

28
Announcements & Issues / Re: Security Warning
« Last post by tom osselton on May 25, 2026, 06:08:30 PM »
This is what I got for the last few days

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Announcements & Issues / Re: Security Warning
« Last post by mcostello on May 25, 2026, 03:08:49 PM »
Just about every web board I frequent is having relog in warnings about security. Something is going on.
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Announcements & Issues / Re: Security Warning
« Last post by ozzie46 on May 25, 2026, 06:54:20 AM »
yes i am getting it also.
Ron
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