new pole

[Billy Foster]

I need to get a pole for a no.4 mower. Does anyone know where i may find one up here in Maine?

Billy Foster

[mitchmaine]

hey billy,
meaders want $45- 50 for a new pole. seems pricey to me. i have a friend who works up treelength firewood and he throws out a few ash for me now and then. six or seven inch saws out a fairly nice tapered pole. much cheaper if you do eight or ten at a time.
i know my number 9 is fussy about getting a snug fit up under the castings, don’t know about your number four, but you might measure it first to make your pole big enough to fit. the number nine wants 5″ across at the butt end.
mitch

[Billy Foster]

I have a friend sawing out a few for me but he doesn’t think it will be until the fall. I am looking at the clover in my field and I think it is going to start flowering pretty soon. I will need to get something sooner than latter. I have thought about using a piece of pipe but wonder if it will weigh to much.

[mitchmaine]

give me some numbers and i can try and mill one out for you.

[Billy Foster]

The measurements I have are 4″ wide where it bolts to the mower and 14′ long. I didn’t realize you live in Bowdoin. that is about 30 minutes from me. Now I need to start looking for a part for my No.4. working on it this weekend I realized the cast piece that the bar directly bolts to and is broken. I am not sure the name of the part but it is what just about everything connects too. this may put me back a little.
Billy

[mitchmaine]

is that a no.4 mcd, or a big four jd? might have something for the mac. might be a tough spot to repair under all that draft.

[Billy Foster]

it is a JD No.4
Yes I agree repairing it would be risky. I have a friend that is a certified welder, I am going to ask him what he thinks but my experience has been that welding cast usually results in it cracking next to the weld. I am looking around for a parts mower and am thinking of contacting Macnair’s to see what they would get for the part. We are going to HPD this year so maybe I can get one from farther away.
Billy

[Big Horses]

Cast can be welded quite successfully…but it takes someone that knows it well and is very patient. Pre & post heat, weld a very little, and then cool, peen the weld as you go… there are guys that do nothing but cast and have no problems…but there are guys that have nothing but problems! It’s not like any “regular” welding for sure.
John

[mitchmaine]

i’ve been scouting around for a parts mower for you. no luck so far. john deere wasn’t as popular as deering mowers around here, but they show up. do you belong to the farmers draft horse club? could be a parts mower there. i know a guy up in pittston who keeps a couple, but haven’t asked there yet.
like john says, push come to shove and you could try and weld or braise it. i know a couple welders who could tell you what they thought depending on the type of break. nothing to loose, correct?

[Billy Foster]

Yea I belong to the club, maybe I should post something on their Face book page…good idea. I called my welder friend, belongs to the club as well, he is going to see if he can do something with it. He said something about brazing it as well.

[mink]

billy go to a welding supply store , they have special rods for cast. my brother-in-law welded my wood splitter wedge and slide thing that was a one piece casting and it has held for 3 years at 20 ton pressure.

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