Small shop projects.

[MercuryMac]

I've never liked my lawn-sweep and this fall when it broke down, I found another cheap one and started making it better.
First I took the wheel drive sprockets out of the drive wheels. One wheel needed to be moved out so I could put a V-belt pulley on one end of the shaft that turns the brush that flicks up the grass clippings. [pic one]. Now I'm going to mount a hydraulic motor on the framework to turn the previously mentioned pulley. The ground driven brush would not turn quite fast enough and the narrow, hard, plastic wheels would slide on uneven ground if the brushes caught on the ground.

[MercuryMac]

That lawn-sweep is coming along now. Here is a picture of my hitch, my hydraulic hose holder and the base mount for the hydraulic ram [that lifts the clippings basket]. The second picture is the hitch gismo mounted and the red ram connected.
Picture 3 is the mounting bracket for the hydraulic motor to turn the brushes.
#4 is the motor mounted and bolted down.

[MercuryMac]

The first picture is showing the spring loaded belt tensioner.
The next pic is the hydraulic ram compressed and holding the litter basket open.
The third pic is the ram extended and the basket closed.

[dutch]

what`s the purpose of a lawn sweep...? Not sure I ever saw one before

[DozerII]

Originally Posted by dutch

what`s the purpose of a lawn sweep...? Not sure I ever saw one before

You pull it behind a riding lawnmower and it sweeps up grass clippings and leaves.

Nice job MM, that took a few nights of imagineering.

[bob w]

Even big projects, like the roadster build now dominating my time, I break down into little, bite-sized projects. Keeps me from getting overwhelmed.

There's a satisfaction in fixing/repairing/improving something instead of buying an inferior new gizmo. You guys are demonstrating that.

[dutch]

Originally Posted by DozerII

You pull it behind a riding lawnmower and it sweeps up grass clippings and leaves.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Originally Posted by bob w

Even big projects, like the roadster build now dominating my time, I break down into little, bite-sized projects. Keeps me from getting overwhelmed.

There's a satisfaction in fixing/repairing/improving something instead of buying an inferior new gizmo. You guys are demonstrating that.

That`s it. I just have to fix old things. It may cost just the same as new stuff when done, but you end up with better quality and looks. Working on an old power hacksaw right now...

[Neto]

I took one of those down to Brazil, and tried to use it to pick up grass clippings on the grass landing field (airstrip, for the mission Cessna 206), but it couldn't handle the amount of clippings I was attempting to pick up. The only time I needed to get them off of the airstrip was when we had been away for a longer period, and there was so much that it could cause the airplane to skid. Otherwise, the small bit of grass didn't matter. I never did find a good way to do that job, except just raking the entire airstrip. Mammoth job. I would blow it over toward the side with the mower as much as possible, then the rest had to be done by hand.

[05snopro440]

My brother has a power sweeper that you tow behind your tractor but it has a motor that drives the sweeper. Similar to what Mac is building, but his is enclosed. The result that you eject is essentially a grass bale.

[MercuryMac]

Neto, my old sweep was ground driven so it wouldn't pick up heavy, wet or green grass very well, so I wanted to have it 'powered'. If I cut my grass a way more often it would be easier, but I let it get a wee bit too long before I recut it. It usually takes me all day to cut my lawn.
It turns out that I like building things, so sometimes I spend weeks building something to save a few hours working it. That doesn't compute for ordinary folks.
Bob, you have figured me out.
Thanks Dozer, imagineering is my middle name.
I'll bet Dutch will be scouring all over western Europe to get himself a lawn-sweep now.
I almost finished the sweep now except for the hydraulic hoses on the ram.