Welded cast parts on sickle with a MIG!

Sodo · May 17, 2015

Looks like those stamped ones would work but I think they'd need a "thrust spacer" (?) too, (under them) for the back of the knives to rub on. TSC search function is not very good, cant find the related mower items.

I like the idea of the clips pressing the knives down nearer to the serrations, most are 1/8" up even 3/16,,,,, but I sure wouldn't hit mine with a hammer! I mow a small field about 3x per year, it may be awhile.

It squeaks sometimes then I cut thru some gopher mounds and it quiets down.

4570Man · May 17, 2015

Sodo said:
How big was this chunk of cast? How thick was it in comparison the the bead size?

I was welding a piece of 1/4 plate steel to the bottom of some rail road track. The bead was probably 3/8 wide.

Sodo · May 17, 2015

Ok so most of each item remained cold? Or did you preheat?

4570Man · May 17, 2015

The joint remained mostly cold, but when it broke it pulled a crater out of the cast iron along the bead.

4570Man · May 18, 2015

This is the crater. It is about 1/4 deep.

MHarryE · May 18, 2015

Rankrank1 beat me too it - sickle sections, guards, wear plates and hold down clips are rather generic. There are 2 standard hole spacings. Guards have different profiles but are made by many after-market suppliers because when sickles were in their prime all these wear components were a cash cow. However there is not one universal design. We all had our own tweaks trying to keep replacement parts as an in house profit base for our dealers. But that is the quick and easy solution. Your building up the original forged hold downs (are you sure yours are cast iron because older ones we had were forged steel) makes a better part. We changed to stamped steel parts for reduced cost, not improved durability. Working in a forge shop has to be one of the worst jobs ever created. Changing to steel stamping in a progressive die resulted in one completed part every press stroke or about one per second at our plant. Then on to heat treat, coating, and to the line for installation. Yes, the replacements you find will generally look quite different but do the same job.

Sodo · May 18, 2015

4570Man said:
View attachment 425442 This is the crater. It is about 1/4 deep.

So the weld just cracked away from the cast and the whole weld came off with the 1/4 plate? I guess thats what I would expect, and less likely with preheating the cast to dull red.

These clips were so far gone I was suprised they didnt fall apart before, during and after the weld. Because of that I looked for the forging flash ground off or other clues, they're not forged. These clips look like they were cast. One of them was bent, I suppose by trying to cut steel (fencepost?). I would not expect it to bend but rankrank says they do.

4570Man · May 19, 2015

That is exactly what happened.

Sodo · Sep 17, 2015

This hook broke off. I welded cast again with the MIG. Wondering if it's gonna hold. This is the mechanism to raise the mower, and provide the ride height above the ground, the hook is essential.