The end of Winter brings yard work and gardening. Time to tune up the lawnmower and weed whacker, roll up your sleeves, and get to work planning outdoor projects.
Of Lawnmower Repair & Weed Eaters
I know many of you are still shoveling the white stuff. I feel your pain. But here in South Texas, spring flowers are emerging. Specifically, weeds. This prompted me to dust off the lawnmower and weed eater and get busy with yard work. But alas, things don't always go as planned; I have a bit of lawnmower repair to wrestle with. And after I get all that under control, I can set an agenda for outdoor do it yourself adventures.
Weed Eating – Mission Accomplished
Here's what transpired... Although the trusty Homelite weed eater had been hibernating through winter, it fired right up. Edging and trimming complete, I fetched the lawn mower. I would have put it off an hour or two since the lawn was still wet with dew, but rain was threatening.
I got about ¾ of the way done when things went south. The lawnmower's front end went down like a quarterback with substandard defense. The frame had rusted through and finally separated near the left front wheel.
Some folks might load it up in the old pick up and take it somewhere to get it welded. But that demands an unnecessary outlay of moola. There's a better solution.
Metal Joist Hangers and Self-Tapping Screws
I always keep some joist hangers and other mending plates in my wood shop. I used my tin snips on a galvanized joist hanger to make a custom brace. Then I used vice grips to hold it in place on the lawnmower frame. Then it was simply a matter of using self tapping screws to secure it to the frame.
I first tried using Phillips head screws but that didn't work out. Hex head screws did the trick. Did I finish mowing? Heck, no! Like I said, rain was coming.
