Rebuilding the bottom of a U1111 deck

[lkortkamp]

My current deck is getting really bad(rusty)so I started to rebuild one of my other decks that is in pretty nice shape. I dismantled it, blasted it, and now wanting to add the metal "guards" or guides that wrap around the outside of the blades. Only problem is I don't have any good pictures of what it is supposed to look like. All my decks they are rusted away. I suppose they just help with air flow and cutting the grass?

Someone have a good picture of the bottom side of a 1970s deck?

 

[dschwandt]

Part #15

 

[lkortkamp]

That's it. Just need to figure out how to make it.

 

[digger]

My current deck is getting really bad(rusty)so I started to rebuild one of my other decks that is in pretty nice shape. I dismantled it, blasted it, and now wanting to add the metal "guards" or guides that wrap around the outside of the blades. Only problem is I don't have any good pictures of what it is supposed to look like. All my decks they are rusted away. I suppose they just help with air flow and cutting the grass?

Someone have a good picture of the bottom side of a 1970s deck?

 

[lkortkamp]

As I was forming the piece of steel I realized it really comes close to the bolts that go to the hanging mounts and such. By the picture, I am right. It just clears.

 

[abthomas]

I keep mine about 1-1/4 height and have a cardboard template I made from a good deck one time . I found if you use a scribe or soapstone straight down from the end of the blades and mark the deck these baffles are pretty much the same radius as the blades with about an 1/8 clearance to the blade, the originals bolted in and you can follow those bolt holes and get close. it's a little hard to bend the material to a nice circle shape if it's to heavy I usually use 1/16. I'll try to post a pick of one I just did .

 

[cmiller]

The OEM part is notched for clearance where it comes near the bolt heads.

 

[mgonitzke]

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I think there is some airbrush magic going on here....I have never seen one that actually looked like this. It should look like Charlie's other photo.

 

[dschwandt]

Mount the blades and use the arc as a guide, allow about 1'
Add small pieces of angle where needed and welded to it and bolted to the deck itself.

 

[dschwandt]

Got a lawn roller?
I used 1/8" mat'l and a roller to form it to the correct OD.
Beat it out with a hammer using the roller as an anvil.

 

[mgonitzke]

I have formed those with a vice and pipe wrench before. They don't have to be perfectly round to be effective.

 

[abthomas]

I keep mine about 1-1/4 height and have a cardboard template I made from a good deck one time . I found if you use a scribe or soapstone straight down from the end of the blades and mark the deck these baffles are pretty much the same radius as the blades with about an 1/8 clearance to the blade, the originals bolted in and you can follow those bolt holes and get close. it's a little hard to bend the material to a nice circle shape if it's to heavy I usually use 1/16. I'll try to post a pick of one I just did .

not a very good pic and don't mind the green paint,it's all I had left !

 

[jack casey]

View attachment 154055
View attachment 154056

The oem deck on my CC 102 had beat-up blade 'guides' so I'm removing them now while re-freshing the deck. Did not look for a replacement as it appears that cutting grass will work fine. Did I do wrong? Have deck back on tractor in a week or so.
Thanks, Jack

 

[abthomas]

personally I think it gives a nicer cut with them in place !

 

[-CӞ]

aerodynamics?

 

[jack casey]

personally I think it gives a nicer cut with them in place !

Them 'guides' were there for a reason. Mine too mangled to save. Where oh where do I find replacements?
Cheers, Jack

 

[mgonitzke]

Where oh where do I find replacements?

The metal aisle at your local hardware store/box store, or a metal supply place. They've probably been NLA from Cub Cadet for at least a couple decades.

The oem deck on my CC 102 had beat-up blade 'guides' so I'm removing them now while re-freshing the deck. Did not look for a replacement as it appears that cutting grass will work fine. Did I do wrong? Have deck back on tractor in a week or so.
Thanks, Jack

Speaking from experience, the deck cuts poorly without the baffle, hence why they bothered to put it there in the first place. I would not omit it.

 

[jack casey]

The metal aisle at your local hardware store/box store, or a metal supply place. They've probably been NLA from Cub Cadet for at least a couple decades.


Speaking from experience, the deck cuts poorly without the baffle, hence why they bothered to put it there in the first place. I would not omit it.

 

[jack casey]

We cut grass twice weekly in the growing season, May-June around here. My landscaper cuts Saturday and I cut Tuesday....take a little off each time so as not to damage....cut to 3" and not take off more than half the leaf. Good advice from AB and Matt, if I can't buy guards I can make 'em.
Cheers, Jack

 

[jack casey]

We cut grass twice weekly in the growing season, May-June around here. My landscaper cuts Saturday and I cut Tuesday....take a little off each time so as not to damage....cut to 3" and not take off more than half the leaf. Good advice from AB and Matt, if I can't buy guards I can make 'em.
Cheers, Jack

At Lowes found Alum Flat 6238, 6ft., 1/16" x 1." I got lucky to find it at Lowes, only one piece. Maker is Hillman Group in Cincinnati, product # 11317, it comes right up on their site. Easey peasy.
There must be others out there with beat-up guards, this is a solution.
Jack