Long weekend. Another life and death for the mower.

Happy Independence day.

I had Friday off, so I decided to play with the sand blaster I borrowed from Stefan (since I was going to head out to Stefan's to to return it later that day).  I was mildly disappointed.  It felt like using 1500 grit sandpaper in that it didn't really remove any material.  I started with the the drop bar from my truck. 


It took 3 hoppers of sand, and this was the best it would do.  It didn't even take the labels off.


I also went to do the grill grates.  When I was taking it apart, I noticed that the sides of my grill are rotting out, so this is probably the last year for the grill.


I did one of the grates with the sand.  It took forever, and about 10lbs of sand. 


I did the other one with a wire wheel.  It came out faster and better.


It is pretty clear which one is which. 


After that I went to season them (like you would a cast iron pan).  Apparently I tossed my cooking brush, so I ended up using my cleaning brush to brush the oil on, but it got the job done. 


I started to prime the drop bar while the oil was baking in, but it started raining.  This was the second time on Friday that it had started to rain on me (mostly cloudy my buttocks) so I called it a day and went over to Stefan's.  The grate came out pretty good though.


Apparently after I left on Friday, they did deliver my impact hammer.  I got the one that fits my Bosch drill battery.  Its torque and hammer rate was the same as the one I saw at Home Depot, and it was only a little more expensive.  It can take 1/2" as well standard 1/4 bits.


I didn't do anything when I got back Saturday evening.  Sunday I got to work on the tractor.  In the end though I didn't even use the impact hammer.  Instead, I took my Dremel and ground down the other shaft so the blade would lock on it again.  It nearly took the entire grinding wheel to do it, but I got the blade back on it.


I ended up putting the original blades back on it.  My spare is apparently a completely different casting of blade.  None of the curves in the blade lined up with the others.  The ones I took off weren't badly bent though.


I got the blades back on it and fired it up.  Got the yard mowed with it.  It looks nicer with the tractor, even with bent blades, than it does with the push mower. 


I saw some prints in the fill as I was mowing.  There are more deer around than the one I have seen.


The far back really needed it.  It was bad.  Really bad.


Unfortunately the far back spelled yet another death for the mower.  This time it wasn't the mower's fault though.  Apparently a strap or something got sucked up, and when it got wrapped up in the blades, it yanked out a big chunk of wood which, after a loud bang, made the deck start making weird noises.  Sigh. 


Despite the noises, it was still running though so I finished the back anyways with it. 


I started to pull off the deck again (I am getting quite good at it), and had a run in with some bees.  I got stung twice, so after putting some ice on it, I went on a rampage and killed every single one I could find.  I will probably put up some traps.  If it is war they want, I will kill every last one of them.  I haven't seen any of the good bees up there, only hornets and yellowjackets (yes I know they technically aren't bees), so the more the merrier.