Old Atco mower proj...
 

[Closed] Old Atco mower project.

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Offline  stevied
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Just picked up a 1960's B23 Atco as a little restoration project.

It's a good runner and cuts very well but is in need of some TLC.

 
Posted : 13/05/2018 8:52 pm
Offline  fadda
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9 minutes, and you haven't posted the 'before' pics?

Shame on you...

 
Posted : 13/05/2018 9:03 pm
Offline  stevied
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I've tried but the stupid f***ing mobile version is impossible to use..😨

 
Posted : 13/05/2018 9:06 pm
Offline  slackalice
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Quick! Before I start using google please! 😉

 
Posted : 13/05/2018 9:11 pm
Offline  stevied
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https://photos.app.goo.gl/eU8xir1Kb4CUClYx1

 
Posted : 13/05/2018 9:15 pm
Offline  fadda
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Is mower envy even a thing?

I don't even like cutting the grass, but I fancy a project like that one...

 
Posted : 13/05/2018 10:05 pm

Offline  hot_fiat
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Nice! I took on a 1930s atco. It was an absolute bastard thing with a Villiers 2 stroke. The cretinous heap would happily kick back off the handle and start itself in reverse, when it did run properly, you had to run after it as it was setup to do about 7mph.

 
Posted : 13/05/2018 10:10 pm
Offline  stevied
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As I couldn't post on mobile, here's a couple of pics:

As it runs well, the first job will be to strip as much of the casing as I can to sand-blast and re-paint. I'll then look to strip the engine to clean/paint then replace the controls/cables to get it up to scratch.

More to follow....slowly probably 😉

 
Posted : 14/05/2018 8:10 am
Offline  mcmoonter
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Laughing at hot_fiat.  When we first came here our lawns were in a poor state. My dad borrowed a big industrial mower from his work. It had sort of single wheel clutch to help it make a turn at the end of each cut. One wheel would lose drive and the other would whip your ten year old body off the ground to start the next cut. It may have had that clutch on each wheel to turn in either direction.  It also had a moss scarifier which we only tried once. A single pass of the tennis court sized lawn yielded enough moss to fill a skip.

Keep the pics coming OP

 
Posted : 14/05/2018 9:10 am
Offline  singlespeedstu
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That takes me right back to my youth.

My first job was as a lawnmower mechanic.

Those old cast iron engines sound so nice when you get them ticking over really slow with just the occasional ching from the centrifugal clutch.

 
Posted : 14/05/2018 9:54 am
Offline  stevied
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Those old cast iron engines sound so nice when you get them ticking over really slow

It does sound lovely, like what I imagine England used to sound like on a Sunday morning all those years ago 🙂

So, should I keep it green? Part of me wants to keep it original the other part wants to make it different...

 
Posted : 14/05/2018 1:51 pm
Offline  fadda
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If it were me, I'd definitely keep it as original as possible.

I am a nostalgic old Hector, though...

 
Posted : 14/05/2018 2:03 pm

Offline  hot_fiat
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We seem to be a nation obsessed with putting everything in formaldehyde, from buildings to bits of useless 70s tat (especially mechanical stuff).

Cobblers to that! Steampunk it. Fit an arduodino-based injection system and roots blower then take it racing!

 
Posted : 14/05/2018 2:18 pm
Offline  prawny
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Keep it green, you could probably make a few quid on it. My dad had a couple of Atcos (he was a poper lawn nut) and they cost a fortune, but when he got rid of them they fetched a decent amount too.

 
Posted : 14/05/2018 2:26 pm
Offline  mugsys_m8
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Think there's a good James May Dismantler episode on an old lawnmower on you tube.

 
Posted : 14/05/2018 2:27 pm
Offline  stevied
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Started stripping her down last night 🙂

Have got the basic covers off, air filter, exhaust etc so starting the shot-blasting process:

Luckily I have access to a shot-blaster, polishing kit etc at work so that will help with keeping it cheap as I can do most of the work myself 🙂

 
Posted : 15/05/2018 9:03 am
Offline  stevied
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Pull-start cover cleaned and given a light polish:

 
Posted : 15/05/2018 11:22 am
Offline  fadda
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This is very promising - please carry on, stevie!

 
Posted : 15/05/2018 11:58 am

Offline  CountZero
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Needs James May voice-over!

 
Posted : 15/05/2018 12:12 pm
Offline  CountZero
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I’ve got ever-increasing numbers of cowslips appearing on my ‘lawn’, plus a lot of moss, gives me a good excuse not to mow it. It’s basically just two small squares either side of a path, I just use shears to trim the longer bits.

 
Posted : 15/05/2018 12:16 pm
Offline  stevied
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A bit more stripping tonight..

 
Posted : 15/05/2018 8:30 pm
Offline  stevied
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Posted : 16/05/2018 8:07 am
Offline  concept2
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Great project...

there is a guy on the forum below who knows the answer to any mower related question.  I think he may have had a business in the past.. I did something similar and had some help..

https://www.oldlawnmowerclub.co.uk/

 
Posted : 16/05/2018 8:44 pm
Offline  slackalice
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Why can't I see any photo's? All I have is a grey/white no entry symbol. Shame, as I'd love to follow your very cool project OP 😃

 
Posted : 16/05/2018 8:49 pm

Offline  stevied
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Cylinder bead-blasted and 1st coat of paint:

 
Posted : 17/05/2018 1:44 pm
Offline  somafunk
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no pics showing here either?,

 
Posted : 17/05/2018 2:49 pm
Offline  stevied
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weird, I can see them. Trying to use google pics...copying the address, pasting in the box etc..

Can anyone else see them?

 
Posted : 17/05/2018 2:53 pm
Offline  Rockhopper
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No, i can't

 
Posted : 17/05/2018 3:22 pm
Offline  stevied
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Let's try Imgur:

Start:

Some bead-blasting:

Polished pull-start cover:

More stripping:

Painted cylinder:

 
Posted : 17/05/2018 3:36 pm
Offline  maxtorque
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I have to say i'm not a fan of excessive resto jobs!  Leave the patina, but make it mechanically A1

 
Posted : 17/05/2018 4:26 pm

Offline  slackalice
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Nice! 😃  Imgur works!

Thanks

 
Posted : 17/05/2018 7:20 pm
Offline  fadda
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Yay!  Hooray for imgur!

Loving it, to be honest, I'm impressed and jealous in equal measure....

 
Posted : 17/05/2018 9:16 pm
Offline  stevied
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I'm not going to worry too much about dents and stuff so it will maintain some of it's battle scars.

Glad you can see the pics now, will continue to use imgur 🙂

 
Posted : 18/05/2018 1:35 pm
Offline  singlespeedstu
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You need to clean all the paint of the edge of the cylinder blades then grind the bottom blade flat and adjust it so it'll cut newspaper as you turn the cylinder by hand.👍🏻

 
Posted : 18/05/2018 2:09 pm
Offline  stevied
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We've got a cylinder grinding attachment for the cylindrical grinders here at work so will touch up the cylinder then lap the bottom blade 🙂

Replaced the old blade height adjusters with some new, stainless ones.

 
Posted : 18/05/2018 2:26 pm
Offline  v8ninety
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Ooh! I acquired an old atco mower too. It’s a bit of a shed (patina, yes definitely patina) and not quite as lovely or collectible as yours, but it’s put some good work in, and the kids love it👍🏼

https://imgur.com/a/J01edmo

 
Posted : 18/05/2018 5:56 pm

Offline  slackalice
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I am liking that! 😎

 
Posted : 18/05/2018 9:57 pm
Offline  stevied
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Looks like a beast v8 😎

 
Posted : 19/05/2018 9:50 am
Offline  grey
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I've a old Suffolk Punch to renovate as a project.

I really should get round to starting it.

 
Posted : 19/05/2018 6:36 pm
Offline  v8ninety
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Looks like a beast v8 😎

It is! It has an (optimistic) 12hp on tap! 😱

 
Posted : 19/05/2018 8:38 pm
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If I owned that lawnmower I would just cover it in Chrome plating...the whole thing

 
Posted : 19/05/2018 9:25 pm
Offline  timber
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Similar to above, as your blasting and polishing, I'd just go with that as your finish but keeping the blade frame red.

 
Posted : 19/05/2018 9:56 pm

Offline  stevied
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It'll need painting to protect the metalwork.

Got the bearing plates done overt the weekend:

 
Posted : 21/05/2018 8:51 am
Offline  stevied
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Bit of ultrasonic washing and a light bead blast:

Before:

After:

 
Posted : 21/05/2018 12:11 pm
Offline  stevied
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Main chassis nearly stripped. Just need to get the clutch assembly off:

 
Posted : 22/05/2018 11:17 am
Offline  stevied
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Managed to throw some paint over the engine. Have stripped/re-blacked all of the bolts & nuts etc.

Starting to look better now.

I know it's not the right colour but I had some HT paint in the shed.

 
Posted : 23/05/2018 8:51 am
Offline  fadda
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You're cracking on with this - keep the pics coming!

 
Posted : 23/05/2018 9:35 am
Offline  mcmoonter
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Thread of the week, keep the pics coming

 
Posted : 23/05/2018 10:19 am

Offline  stevied
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Cheers guys, will update as I go 🙂

 
Posted : 23/05/2018 12:09 pm
Offline  stevied
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Got the main frame ready to paint. Gave the rear roller a good going over with the orbital sander too, came up quite well:

 
Posted : 24/05/2018 1:20 pm
Offline  jerseychaz
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I picked up an Allen Scythe late last year, a few bits and pieces and it runs - just about, I think the timing needs tweaking but on a Villiers 25C two-stroke that's a black art and a half! I'll post pics next time it's out of the shed

 
Posted : 24/05/2018 2:47 pm
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