People are trying to conserve natural resources whenever possible. Take the lawnmower for instance. You can buy a riding or push lawnmower. They are noisy, loud and they need gas and oil to make them run. With gas prices rising, I often think of an old mower that my uncle had. It was so quiet, that the sounds it did make was peaceful. It actually fit in with the natural surroundings.
What lawnmower is this? Well, I’m talking about the old push reel mower that used neither gas nor oil. You simply pushed it across the lawn. There is a bar with blades attached to a wheel on each side. The blade bar would turn around and that would cut your grass.
This mower is perfect for small lawns of 8,000 square feet or less. The only servicing this mower needs it to sharpen the blades. You need sharp blades to cut the grass properly and the job goes faster. If you use dull blades to cut the grass, they tend to chop or rip the grass, leaving your lawn more susceptible to disease.
Sharpening the blades on this mower is not hard, and it is something you can do yourself. The process of sharpening the blades on this mower is called backlapping. Before you begin to dismantle the mower, purchase a kit with lapping compound. These kits often come with a crank, brush and abrasive compound. You can find these kits at the hardware store, home and garden center, or online.
Remove the Blade Reel
Place the lawnmower on top of your workbench. This makes the job easier, and it’s kinder on your back because it eliminates the need for constant bending over. Remove one of the wheels and the pinion gear. To accomplish this, simply pry off the side cover in the center of your wheel with a flat head screwdriver. Below this cover, you will find the C-ring. Remove the C-ring with a flathead screwdriver. Set this part aside where you will find it later. Now you can remove the wheel and the pinion which is directly behind the wheel. The pinion gear allows the wheels to turn the blades as you push the mower across the lawn.
Apply the Abrasive Compound
Remove the items inside your kit. Slide the crank handle over the reel shaft. Open the abrasive compound and put some of it onto the brush. Apply the compound to the lengths of each blade and the cutting edge of the bar that makes contact with the blades.
Crank the blades in a complete backward revolution, or away from the cutting bar, 100 to 150 times. Don’t be alarmed if you hear grinding noises or if the crank is hard to turn. This is normal.
Test for Sharpness
Feel the blades for sharpness, but be careful so you don’t cut yourself. When you feel a fine wire edge on the front edge of the blades, you’ll know the blades are sharp But are they sharp enough? To determine this, cut or tear a long length of newspaper into 2 inch wide strips. Feed the newspaper strips between the blades and the bar. If the blades cut the newspaper cleanly, then they are sharp. If they do not, reapply the abrasive compound again. Keep repeating this step until the blades are sharp.
When you are finished, remove the crank.
Reassemble the lawnmower in the reverse order that you took it apart.The mower is ready to cut your lawn again.
