A bit of home SN

[JOhnGw]

I no longer wash my car at home. I believe the car wash’s here are required to capture and recycle a specified amount of the water they use.

Duane

Water shortage is not normally a problem in Wales and it is sometimes less trouble to wash it at home rather than use a carwash.
However we do have regular hosepipe bans in the parts of the UK when water is in short supply.

[ric]

im convinced a layer of mud protects the paintwork when you brush the hedges on a narrow english country lane.

[Peter S]

God, who was an Englishman, created Scotland and Wales to protect the chosen land from the worst of the weather, from the north and west respectively. Following n from this large reservoirs were built in Scotland and Wales (often by filling large valleys with water) so the water could be pumped to large English cities. All very logical, you see.

Peter

[nuduke]

JOhn,
Composting video...You spoke!
That's a video first as far as I can remember.


Don't you sharpen the mower blade whilst servicing?  I tried to get mine off the other day but it was jammed rigid.  Bought a sharpening stone for my drill and improved the sharpness with that, working under the mower jacked up on blocks as, by error of procedure, I had petrol in it by then and couldn't turn it upside down!


John

[nuduke]

I should have put todays nude gardening post here!
John

[ric]

easiest way to undo the bolt on a rotary mower blade is an air impact wrench with a socket.

2nd best is a set of locking pliers, mole wrench , locked onto the rim of the deck to foul the blade as it tries to turn and a socket with a long handle, or a pipe over a short socket bar.

dont forget to take the spark plug lead off the plug before you start.

[JOhnGw]

, I had petrol in it by then and couldn't turn it upside down!

John

Pull the feed pipe off the carburettor to drain the tank it into a can - that's what I do.
Then I use an angle grinder with as metal grinding (not cutting) disc to do the sharpening.
Rusted in blade nuts are endemiic with me.

[ric]

turning upside down isnt good either.....the sump oil will go where it isnt supposed to.

current advice on a walk behind is to push the handles to the ground to tip the front of the deck up, either get the mrs to sit on the handle or wedge it under the back of the car.

tipping sideways used to be an option but not recommended anymore.

but you can get specialist jacks designed to tip rideons sideways..

[Greenbare Woods]

tipping sideways used to be an option but not recommended anymore.

I'm not likely to buy special jacks or other tools any time soon.  I disconnect the spark plug wire and turn it sideways.  I lean the handle on a yard chair.  I use an ordinary socket wrench on the bolt while holding the blade with my other hand to keep the piston from moving.  I grind the blade on my bench grinder and balance it over the side edge of another tool.  I've been doing it that way for 50 year and it still works. 

Bob
 

[nuduke]

Thanks for all the advice, guys.  I was trying to do it with a hand held lump of wood to trap the blade and a spanner, lying under the mower to avoid emptying the petrol and oil!  Not enough traction to undo the bolt.  The mole wrench idea looks cool- allows 2 hands on the bolt.  And never thought of using a tube to extend the spanner torque.  I'll have another go soon.  Last resharpen wasn't too bad but just today I ran over some slate chips which will undoubtedly have gouged the blade.  Probably need a new blade!


John