Introducing the Stig Special

[COMMANDO6 20]

Once you get it apart get the voltage and size of them and you can order some brand new ones from http://www.mouser.com/

[Staub'sLawnmower 6]

Check the start switch and the cap. Thay always like to go down!

[Stigian 1,234]

Looking good Ian, I like the chain drive idea.

Thanks Massey, the chains should do the trick.

Looking good Ian! Best use of skateboard wheels I've ever seen.

Matt

It was a tip I was given by the 2012 world mower racing champion

If the skateboard wheels handle "racer" abuse then they should be up to the job on my beast.

Check the starting capacitor on the compressor motor. It's probably bad.

I don't know how old the compressor is, but capacitors tend to die with age.

Thanks Guy's, I still need to crack the "electricary" box that sits on top of the motor to check the capacitor, but a quick look on Fleabay showed me how cheap they are to buy

Age of compressor...Er.... maybe about 4 years

Yeah, motor run caps.... They hate long mains runs ( high inductance makes them work harder)

I've seen your mains routing.

Morning Dude, yep my mains routing is Er... Not quite the best set-up.. I'd like to do a proper job, but out landlord won't have it!!

I don't know what HP your compressor motor is, but you can wire in a large wattage light bulb(300Watt heat lamp bulb works good) in place of the capacitor to diagnose if you happen to have one about.

Thanks for that tip David, I've no idea what HP the motor is. I will have a look when I delve under the bench to pull out the capacitor.

[Stigian 1,234]

Once you get it apart get the voltage and size of them and you can order some brand new ones from http://www.mouser.com/

Ta muchly

Check the start switch and the cap. Thay always like to go down!

I'm guessing the switch is still working as "something" makes a loud buzz sort of sound when I turn it on, so the cap it must be.

Much to my shame I've not done anything on this project for quite a few days, but I did find time yesterday to have a look at how the drive chains would run in the outriggers..

I've still not got any 1/2 chain links so a bit of phone cable had to do.

If I could take out one chain link then life would so so much easier. But as I can't, and can't move the axles a 1/2 link is needed.. I was quite amazed at how much "slack" just a 1/2 link produces!

Which means I now need 2 chain guides/rollers per chain to deal with the slack..

One up top..

And one below..

And that chaps is all that has been happening!!

The good news is I will have some money again on Friday, so I can order that last bits needed for this chain conversion...

Yep... Test drive 3 should be under 2 weeks away :D

[Don1977 604]

Glad to hear that you will be trying that machine out again in a couple of weeks. We will be waiting for the video.

[Stigian 1,234]

Thanks Don, fingers crossed for a couple of weeks but no guarantees at the mo..

I have been having a bit of fun at the lathe for a couple of days... The time had come to sort out the engine pulley I made.

Quite what happened to my measuring when I made it I don't know, but somehow the groove ended up a lot smaller than it should of been!

The belt won't quite fit!

Yep.. That's a lot smaller than it should be!

Best bung it in the lathe then... Hhmmm.. That doesn't look that well held to me.

Normally for a hole this size I would use the drill chuck in the tail stock to hold bits steady.. This time the chuck was too small...

Time for a bit of this

So what I need is a bit version of one of these..

Which can be made out of this.

Some interesting tool setting up later.

Part way through the narrow taper.

Ta-Daa, the finished article.

So after all that work did it fit and did the pulley spin true??

Yep

Pulley taken out to the correct size... For some reason my camera wouldn't focus too well on it, so sorry about the naff photo.

The belt fits much better now.

Well, the belt fit's the pulley quite well.. But as for the length!!

The previous belt was a B140 which was a bit short.. So short it would fit under the belt tensioner...

So this time I bought the next size up, a B144 which is too big

I guess it's time to make this black pulley a lot more adjustable.. But that can wait for another day.

In other news, all parts needed to get this beast rolling again have been ordered, fingers crossed they should all be be by Tuesday :handgestures-thumbup:

[bowtiebutler956 649]

Belts can be annoying like that. I have a little saying I like to use when I'm fabricating things " I cut it twice, and its still to short"! Nice work Ian, and I really really wish I had a lathe!

Matt :flags-texas:

[Bobie01 22]

ian you are the man!!!!!

[Ole MN 11]

Ian,

Thanks again for the update. Keep it moving forward one step at a time.

Brad

[Stigian 1,234]

Belts can be annoying like that. I have a little saying I like to use when I'm fabricating things " I cut it twice, and its still to short"! Nice work Ian, and I really really wish I had a lathe!

Matt

Hey Matt, nice saying

Yep you should get a lathe, they are such a handy bit of kit to have about the place.

ian you are the man!!!!!

Thanks Bobie.

Ian,

Thanks again for the update. Keep it moving forward one step at a time.

Brad

Your welcome Brad, I'm hoping that in a few the beast will not only be able to move forward, but turn as well!!

Yesterday I had a look at getting the main drive belt sorted as it's a tad long..

A bigger pulley might do the trick, I thought while looking at the mule drive on my Raider!!!

A quick dig under the bench later, a spare was dug out and pulley removed.

It looks like it might work..

Ah... Maybe not.. And that's with the pulley on full height adjustment!

It would be so much easier to sort the pulley out if the oil filter wasn't in the way.. I guess it had better stay though

And then I spotted it hiding in the spares department .. Maybe the solution to the problem??

A C-175 belt tensioner thingy..

A bit of cutting and drilling later, the new brackets were bolted to the engine and the larger mule drive pulley tried.. It would be nice to be able to use this pulley as a bigger diameter puts less strain on the belt when it has to bend back over it's self.

It almost worked.. If the belt was half inch longer the tensioner would of gone all the way down as it should, instead the motion lever hit's and won't go into full reverse!!

A change of pulley later and the belt is nice and tight and no problems with the motion lever hitting anything.. I just wish the pulley was a little bigger!

I was about to take the new belt tensioner thingy off the engine for welding when a large packet arrived.. Yippee more chain..

And the correct size (I managed to order right this time) half links..

A quick test fit of the front left side chain.

A previous test fit of the chain using a bit of phone cable instead of a half link showed I needed two chain guides to take up the slack..

With the half link fitted enough slack was taken out the chain only to need one guide!

Even stranger, when I test fitted a rear chain I found it didn't need a half link or a guide!!!

Quite what is going on I don't know... The axles are the same distance apart.. Even though I knew they were I measured again just to check!! Err....

On the upside it means I don't have to turn any more skateboard wheels on the lathe or drill any more holes in the outriggers :thumbs:

[bowtiebutler956 649]

Its looking really good Ian!

Matt :flags-texas:

[Don1977 604]

Good to see you making some progress on get the 6x6 going.

[Stigian 1,234]

Its looking really good Ian!

Matt

Thanks Matt.

Good to see you making some progress on get the 6x6 going.

Ta muchly Don. I know it won't be long until test drive time, I'm starting to get butterfly's thinking about it

After yesterdays fun and games playing with the drive belt pulley, I decided to start again with it... The small pulley I had fitted really bugged me!!!

So after lot's of ing, cutting, drilling and welding I came up with these..

They bolt on like so and even have a small amount of adjustment.

Ta-Daa, the bigger mule drive pulley fits.

Now without any belt to belt clearance problems

Best get on with fitting the chains and sprockets on the right and side then...

So off came the outrigger.

To have some slots made longer..

One cut later my grinder stopped making a "cutting steel" kinda sound and replaced with with a "motor whirring" sort of noise!!

Best crack it open and have a look..

"That's your problem right there"!!.. The beveled gear had decided give up it's grip on the motor spindle.. Which means one dead grinder... Oh well, four years use out of a grinder isn't too bad for me, I do tend to work them quite hard

The good news is Pete will be turning up with his grinder tomorrow, so the slots can be cut, outrigger and chains etc bolted on... Then the engine can be fired up and drive bench tested..

[Staub'sLawnmower 6]

It won't be long to you have shop doors open again !!! Look'en good!!!

[Scrumpy 5]

Ian,

Any chance that you are using chain from two different manufacturers and that it will stretch a bit with use and you will not have any adjuster to take up slack on the second side?

[meadowfield 2,545]

Ian,

Any chance that you are using chain from two different manufacturers and that it will stretch a bit with use and you will not have any adjuster to take up slack on the second side?

I was just thinking that !

the chain will definitely stretch during bedding in and use - that few thou' x100 links will add up....

[SousaKerry 500]

Ian,

Unless you are buying good quality pre-stretched chain it's a good bet you will be taking out that half link after a few hours of operation, keep it well lubed and count on it stretching a good bit as it wears.

Wow what's the chjances of three of us posting about the same thing at the same time :scared-eek:

[Don1977 604]

There is a lot of difference between Chinese chain and Morse or Belt Link. Don't know if they make roller chain now. I used to get to get the left over pieces when the shop replaced roller chain in the mill. They would always take a foot or so more than needed. I would get it and put the pieces back together.

[meadowfield 2,545]

Ian,

c'mon with this update.... I know the answer... just waiting for the pics and video !!!!!

[312Hydro 473]

:text-yeahthat: :wwp:

[COMMANDO6 20]

the suspense is killing me! We need video!

[Stigian 1,234]

It won't be long to you have shop doors open again !!! Look'en good!!!

Thank you Sir.. Yep it er... won't be long now

Ian,

Any chance that you are using chain from two different manufacturers and that it will stretch a bit with use and you will not have any adjuster to take up slack on the second side?

Nope, same chain from the same manufacturers. Same Ebay seller as well.

Ian,

Any chance that you are using chain from two different manufacturers and that it will stretch a bit with use and you will not have any adjuster to take up slack on the second side?

I was just thinking that !

the chain will definitely stretch during bedding in and use - that few thou' x100 links will add up....

Howdo Mark, your right about the chains stretching a bit

Ian,

Unless you are buying good quality pre-stretched chain it's a good bet you will be taking out that half link after a few hours of operation, keep it well lubed and count on it stretching a good bit as it wears.

Wow what's the chances of three of us posting about the same thing at the same time

Good quality chain is a bit out of my budget, it's more like, ok quality non pre stretched chain.. You may be right about taking the half links out.

There is a lot of difference between Chinese chain and Morse or Belt Link. Don't know if they make roller chain now. I used to get to get the left over pieces when the shop replaced roller chain in the mill. They would always take a foot or so more than needed. I would get it and put the pieces back together.

I like your way of getting cheap chain Don

Ian,

c'mon with this update.... I know the answer... just waiting for the pics and video !!!!!

Yes... Someone let the cat out the bag the other night

Sorry guy's your going to have to wait a little while longer for the video's.. Yep, I did say "Video's".. Just like waiting for a bus, none turn up in hours, then 3 turn up at once.

If all goes to plan I should get them uploading to MooTube overnight, so just a little longer to go...

To tide you over until then, have a few photo's which might help explain how the test drive's went

It might not look it due to all the grass, but it's quite a steep 2-ish foot climb... Not a problem

Slightly blurred, but I like it.

[bowtiebutler956 649]

I can't wait for the video Ian! Thats awesome that its working now. I bet you have a smile thats perminately glued to your face!

Matt :flags-texas:

[Stigian 1,234]

I can't wait for the video Ian! Thats awesome that its working now. I bet you have a smile thats perminately glued to your face!

Matt

Thanks Matt, you need wait no longer for the vid's

Part 37.

Part 38.. Test driving.

[Stigian 1,234]

Err.. Having problems getting the 3rd vid linked.. Something about "Posting too much media"??