Vintage Lawn Mower Restorations

Now painted n hanging out in the oven.

EPIC FAIL !
Yesterday when I got back to the deck after lunch I pooped me pants with what I saw.
On all internal curves of the deck, inside n outside of tge chassis rail groove plus the base of the engine mount the paint had wrinkled.
Most likely paint too thick, dried on top but not underneath. So off it all comes n start again. I have never given a 3rd coat before n wont again. Put one coat on today n will let it dry completrly then a light rub back for a top coat.

Alright, Im now bavk on track after my mistake of too much paint. So next is tge engine needed a spruce up. Never liked the original red paint n had dome nice gloss black engine enamel. So off came the rusty chrome parts, on with the black n clean ip the chrome as best I could using rust converters n alike. I have new decals for the engine on the way n will give it an oil change n service now. 

Now for the biggest issue, bad or no chrome on the handles. Initially thought using rust converter would lift the chrome back to being half decent, wrong. About half the chrome had totally gone. I dont know of any paints that can go over chrome so removal is the next option. A 30% mix of hydrochloric acid will pickle it off but no tank big enough. So sanding is the nect option.
But thinking outside the square I am hoing to try dome heat shrink tubing so its on the way

Why not make a bath from some black plastic and scrap timber to pickle the handle?

Never did like that model of starter. Loudest schreech I have ever heard, besides a slipping v-belt......

Jarrod.

Never had an issue with the recoil starter on sny of the mowers.

Still no heat dhrink delivery but a set of brushes arrived for one of the 100mm angle grinders. Good to have them both working again one as a cutter, one as a grinder

I'm in practically the same situation, one for cutting, two for grinding - but one of them is growling and gets hot quickly.  On borrowed time . . .  

Monday afternoon after visit to skin cancer clinic the heat shrink arrived. So I had a go at the top half of the handles before packing the caravan to head to Sydney for a week. If I do this again I will buy the next size up tube to make it easier to get around those tight right angle bends. Im fairly happy with the result with only a slight wrinkle on the underside of the bend. The bottom handle can only get partial shrink wrap because of the height adjusters.