Ian 2,417 #1 Posted April 3, 2014 Morning all, as some of you will of know Kenny (Kenmof2000) posted a thread asking if these Lawn Ranger panels could be repaired.. Well, a few-ish days later a couple of parcels from Scotland turned up at the shack Unwrapped.. Let's have a look at the worst panel, the fender pan.. Er.. Very flat at the back, lot's of holes and lot's of very deep rust pitting!! Speaking of holes... If you look at the photo's are the 4 outer (they would be above the tyres) holes original or have they been drilled by a previous owner? The seat pan only needs a bit of straightening and a few patches to replace the missing metal.. Not to bad at all. Which leaves the hood... This is the first time I've had a close up look of a Lawn Ranger hood, and I had to say I do like it.. There's something about the raised lines and pressed Wheel Horse on the front that's very pleasing to the eye If only Wheel Horse had covered all the hood in decals then all the paint would still look like this On to the rust.... Yep, there's some metal missing!! The molding/strengthening strip has just about vanished!! But it will be reappearing again The base of the front is a right mess where someone at some point has tried to arc weld thicker steel inside!!! Despite how it looks there is more than enough left to take measurements from and get the correct shape for the repair panel/panels.. I've not decided yet if I'm going to try making it out of once piece of steel or more yet.. From the inside.. So now I knew the amount of work ahead I had to take some drastic measures!!!! Yep, I cleaned the bench Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian 2,417 #2 Posted April 3, 2014 It's been quite a while since I last did and serious panel fabrication out of thin steel, and as I'm "breaking in" a new MIG welder I thought I'd start on something easy to get back into the swing of things.. The sides of the hood. Off came what little remained of the trim molding thingy... Nice to see only surface rust hiding under the trim.. A quick clean up to see how up the rust had gone.. Not too far as it happens, once again a decal had saved the day I've no idea what this length of thin steel is from, or even how it came to be in the shack.. But it is the same thickness as the Ranger hood, which is handy The first repair patch was cut to size and clamped gently to the side of the hood so I could make out where to cut.. The masking tape was stuck to the hood first so I could clearly see the pencil marks.. Patch one welded in.. I still need to do a little welding and shaping but it's almost there.. Patch two tack welded in place.. I had hoped to of got more done yesterday, but time and a shot back were working against me... But after a good nights sleep (which makes a very pleasant change) I'm raring to go again Oh, and by the end of yesterday my nice clean bench looked like this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
meadowfield 1,900 #3 Posted April 3, 2014 Yep, I cleaned the bench woah!!! lots of rust and a clean bench good work so far Ian, you are a fast worker when you are fit! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 4,458 #4 Posted April 3, 2014 Yep, I cleaned the bench What about the other half? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
neil 524 #5 Posted April 3, 2014 I tell you what Ian , i think you done a right champion job of that hood so far , Quite a challenge . Does this mean that Ken is going to have the restored look or is he going to keep the original repaired look ? good job Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian 2,417 #6 Posted April 3, 2014 good work so far Ian, you are a fast worker when you are fit! Thanks Mark, though I'm not sure about being a fast worker even when fit... To be honest it's only playing with Wh's that's keeping me going at the mo... In so much pain, but welding etc takes the mind off it.. What about the other half? At the back out of reach That's my most used odds n sods of metal... It could do with going somewhere else but I've just not got the space! I tell you what Ian , i think you done a right champion job of that hood so far , Quite a challenge . Does this mean that Ken is going to have the restored look or is he going to keep the original repaired look ? good job Thanks Neil, I like the challenge I'm guessing Kenny is going for the restored look... Please step in and tell us Kenny.. I got a bit more done today.. The long patch on the side of the hood is fully welded on and ground back... The final straightening of the edges can wait until all the welding is done and the hood has been through the E-tank... The welds showing on the insides will get a good tidying up as well. A lot of time has been spent working out how best to remake the lower part of the hood front.. In the end as is my style I just grabbed a bit of flat steel and went for it The corner patches are over sized at the mo and the shape is almost there.. I won't be able to do the final shaping until I've cut the rotten corners away.... Gulp! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
neil 524 #7 Posted April 4, 2014 Cut the corners away ,No pressure there then Ian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the showman 4,074 #8 Posted April 4, 2014 once you've mastered that one Ian , i'll send you the one I have here Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nigel 1,876 #9 Posted April 4, 2014 its very intresting seeing ians work i was there when he unpacked these and we had a good chat for half an hour over a coffee discusing the best way of doing this job we went through loads of differant ways it could be done, and its nice to see he chose his way not my way he"s the master our ian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
meadowfield 1,900 #10 Posted April 4, 2014 Good effort so far Ian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian 2,417 #11 Posted April 5, 2014 Cut the corners away ,No pressure there then Ian No pressure at all Neil once you've mastered that one Ian , i'll send you the one I have here Oh no... Not another one its very intresting seeing ians work i was there when he unpacked these and we had a good chat for half an hour over a coffee discusing the best way of doing this job we went through loads of differant ways it could be done, and its nice to see he chose his way not my way he"s the master our ian Morning Nigel, you just knew I was going to repair it my way.. We all have our own way of doing things Good effort so far Ian Thanks Mark. Fresh steel is over rated.. All the base of the hood needed was a quick squirt with primer to make it as good as new Ok, maybe not. But the primer did give me a surface I could see pencil marks on.. Very handy as I was about to mark this corner out for cutting. Gulp 1.. The patch is very close to the shape it needs to be. Gulp 2.. The rest comes off after welding on the first patch. Two corners on.. Nope the masking tape isn't a bodge, it's a good way of making templates.. Ta-daa The lip this end of the bottom grill holes needs a little tweak, but I'm reasonably happy with how it's going. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kenmof2000 12 #12 Posted April 5, 2014 My god Ian,,,, Fantastic job so far Im so glad you put a thread up with the progress, it lets everyone see the before and after conditions, let alone the work involved in between, brilliant work m8!!! 1 Ian reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian 2,417 #13 Posted April 5, 2014 Your welcome Kenny. It may not be a professional job but it ain't bad 1 Kenmof2000 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
neil 524 #14 Posted April 5, 2014 It is always good to document what repairs you do to a machine either by pics text or video & Ian covers every aspect of that 1 Ian reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kenmof2000 12 #15 Posted April 5, 2014 Your welcome Kenny. It may not be a professional job but it ain't bad Sure looks a professional job to me Ian,,,,,, 1 Ian reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nigel 1,876 #16 Posted April 5, 2014 Spot on ian 1 Ian reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pmackellow 2,738 #17 Posted April 5, 2014 Top job Ian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 4,458 #18 Posted April 5, 2014 Some of the lads in the sheet metal department where I used to work, would have had a blue duck fit if asked to do that. Full marks Ian. Ever thought of moving up here? 1 Ian reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KC9KAS 3 #19 Posted April 6, 2014 Ian, you are a very talented fellow! Love to see your building & modification photos! 1 Ian reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian 2,417 #20 Posted April 7, 2014 It is always good to document what repairs you do to a machine either by pics text or video & Ian covers every aspect of that Thanks Neil, yep it's all going on video Sure looks a professional job to me Ian,,,,,, Thanks Kenny. Spot on ian Thanks mate. Some of the lads in the sheet metal department where I used to work, would have had a blue duck fit if asked to do that. Full marks Ian. Ever thought of moving up here? Thanks Norm... What's up with your old work mates, it's only metal after all! Nope, it's a bit too cold for me up north.. Better Wheel Horse shopping down south as well Ian, you are a very talented fellow! Love to see your building & modification photos! Thank you very much, loads more to come.. This is not part of the repairs but I thought I'd show you all anyway.. I thought I would have a bash as seeing how much double curvature I could create without having to cut and weld which is how I did the lower corners of the hood.. It gives me hope that should I ever have to remake top corners of a hood they shouldn't be too bad to shape 1 Stormin reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stormin 4,458 #21 Posted April 7, 2014 What's up with your old work mates, it's only metal after all! Some of them, only some mind, didn't like work. Nope, it's a bit too cold for me up north.. Whimp! Better Wheel Horse shopping down south as well You can say that again. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian 2,417 #22 Posted April 9, 2014 No real news on these repairs I'm afraid.. Lot's of visitors over the past few days has stopped me from getting much done.. But I have spent a bit of time today finding lots of ways of not making the hood trim/strengthening strips correctly!! But I think I have it worked out now.. Photo's to come when I take them.. 1 Kenmof2000 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian 2,417 #23 Posted April 10, 2014 Evening chaps, a bit of a progress report.. The bit of time I had yesterday was spent trying to work out how to make the trim/strengthening strips.. Despite numerous attempts I couldn't get them right.. Eventually I realized that the insides of the hood do not go straight down (or up if the hoods the right way up), but curve, which makes them impossible for me to make out of one bit of steel which I had been hoping to!! Not sure what to do about that.. Maybe make an inner and out part, clamp them to the hood and weld them together... Any thoughts on this guys? This is all that remained of the hood mounting bracket! After a quick blast in the cabinet. Best break out some more steel, a little bit thicker this time.. The new MIG welder did well on this thicker stuff, I'm still struggling a bit with the thinner stuff though.. It will come in time The refurbed mounting bracket.. The outer edges need to be shaped to match the curves of the hood.. Can you spot something strange going on with the hood shape??? I don't know why I haven't spotted this before.. The left side is slightly taller then the right!! Not by much but it's there all the same! After a lot of looking, hammering, looking again, hammering some more, yet more looking, and more hammering I think I have it sorted now... What do you think Guy's, have I got it right now or do I need to hammer some more? Out of interest I thought I'd run a wire cup brush on a grinder to see how the surface rust came up.. I quite like it... If it were mine I'd be tempted to leave it as is and wipe some oil over it once in a while 2 Kenmof2000 and Stormin reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
neil 524 #24 Posted April 11, 2014 I think you done a Spot - On job on the hood Ian ,& i agree with leaving as is & regularly oiling , Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian 2,417 #25 Posted April 11, 2014 Thanks Neil, yep the rusty look would be the way to go... It would feel a bit strange making the fresh steel rusty after cutting out the rust that was there Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
