Mower deck baffle

Here is where we can talk about all things Cub and then some. Please follow the golden rule and respect others.
This is a free forum and all pictures posted here are for public consumption. They are free to be used as long as you are not using them in a for-profit manner. Also, any pictures subject to copyright or permissions will be removed.
Post Reply
Klapatta
Posts: 1352
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 2:25 pm
First and Last Name: Kenneth LaPatta
Location: Rockingham VT.

Mower deck baffle

Post by Klapatta »

Does anyone reproduce the deck baffle for the 42' and 38" decks?
DSCN0961.JPG
DSCN0961.JPG (1.65 MiB) Viewed 4321 times
Cub parts lists them as N.L.A.
Mine don't look too good :roll:
DSCN0962.JPG
DSCN0962.JPG (2.21 MiB) Viewed 4321 times

User avatar
BigMike
Posts: 1351
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 8:45 pm
First and Last Name: Mike Andrews
Location: Niles,Michigan

Re: Mower deck baffle

Post by BigMike »

I made my own many years ago with a Harbor Freight ring roller. 

Klapatta
Posts: 1352
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 2:25 pm
First and Last Name: Kenneth LaPatta
Location: Rockingham VT.

Re: Mower deck baffle

Post by Klapatta »

I ground enough of this rusty scale out of this deck to get sick and tired of it. Twice.
I know a guy. In process of making plans to send it off for sand blast.
DSCN0964.JPG
DSCN0964.JPG (936.92 KiB) Viewed 4291 times
The old baffle material measured around .083 thick. 14 gauge. Have not ruled out going up to 12 gauge. I am going to keep the height of new baffle as close to the blades as is reasonable, about 1 1/2" I think, will double check that before ordering material.
I fabbed up a template, this will be a big assist later on. I used the blades to swing my arcs and allowed an additional 1/8" radius.
DSCN0965.JPG
DSCN0965.JPG (977.21 KiB) Viewed 4291 times

User avatar
chzuck
Posts: 362
Joined: Tue Sep 07, 2010 2:51 pm
First and Last Name: Charlie Zuck
Location: Elizabethtown, PA

Re: Mower deck baffle

Post by chzuck »

If you like, I can get photos of my 42" CI deck baffles and measurements.
http://www.zucksrototillers.com
There is only ONE ROTOTILLER.
147 with 48" mower deck & 42" QA snow thrower
70 with 42" mower deck, 42" blade, & Brinly 10" plow

Klapatta
Posts: 1352
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 2:25 pm
First and Last Name: Kenneth LaPatta
Location: Rockingham VT.

Re: Mower deck baffle

Post by Klapatta »

Thank you Chuck, I'll keep that under consideration.
I think I've got all I need for now. And I'm leaning toward making the baffle from three sections at this point.
My first step was to get the shell media blasted. Coal slag was used.
DSCN0987.JPG
DSCN0987.JPG (1.43 MiB) Viewed 4255 times
I'm pleased with the outcome. One bag was used. It took about two hours.
That will be quite enough of that.
DSCN0989.JPG
DSCN0989.JPG (1.06 MiB) Viewed 4255 times

User avatar
chzuck
Posts: 362
Joined: Tue Sep 07, 2010 2:51 pm
First and Last Name: Charlie Zuck
Location: Elizabethtown, PA

Re: Mower deck baffle

Post by chzuck »

I do have one question.  Why did they make those baffles shorter than the ones on the 48" deck?  On the 48" deck the baffle height is up to the blade while on the 42 CI they are much shorter.
http://www.zucksrototillers.com
There is only ONE ROTOTILLER.
147 with 48" mower deck & 42" QA snow thrower
70 with 42" mower deck, 42" blade, & Brinly 10" plow

DaveKamp
Posts: 555
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:19 am
First and Last Name: Dave Kamp
Location: LeClaire, Ia

Re: Mower deck baffle

Post by DaveKamp »

Ken, if you know the dimensions of the baffles, I got a plasma cutter and LOTS of plasma on the shelf... ;)
Yes, I'm a Mad Scientist... but I'm usually happy, even when things ain't goin right.

User avatar
Tom Scott
Chief Moderator
Posts: 1763
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 9:11 pm
First and Last Name: Tom Scott
Location: Bentley Springs, Maryland

Re: Mower deck baffle

Post by Tom Scott »

Dave, do you keep the plasma refrigerated so it doesn't go bad (like this joke)? :D
1872, 46", 50C decks, Haban dozer blade, 450 snow blower
2182-1, Kwik-Way Loader, 3-pt & rear pto, 442 tiller
2182-2, 54" deck, 551 snow blower
Past tractors:  1541, 2135
<><

DaveKamp
Posts: 555
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:19 am
First and Last Name: Dave Kamp
Location: LeClaire, Ia

Re: Mower deck baffle

Post by DaveKamp »

Dang... It's Friday...  Here we go:

Actually, Tom- since mine goes from being stored for a while, to used lots, then stored for a while, I take it a couple steps further.  First, I send the fresh plasma to a centrifuge, spin out absoultely everything but plasma, then I repackage it into units, hermetically seal them into single-use hanging bags, which I then refrigerate.  When I'm ready to use it, I connect it to the machine with a gravity tube, and hang the bag up on a hook a known distance from the machine, that way, any air bubbles that happen to get trapped, travel up the tube (assuring that they don't wind up drawn into the machine)... and the feedpoint pressure into the machine is consistent and accurate.

Now as for consumables,  I keep all my plasma tips in a jar... 

And to keep the machine in tip-top health, I always bathe it in positive ions, using copper soap and a loofa... :lol:
Yes, I'm a Mad Scientist... but I'm usually happy, even when things ain't goin right.

User avatar
Tom Scott
Chief Moderator
Posts: 1763
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 9:11 pm
First and Last Name: Tom Scott
Location: Bentley Springs, Maryland

Re: Mower deck baffle

Post by Tom Scott »

Well, I guess you can do it that way if you want to take short cuts...  :lol:

We better stop spamming up Ken's baffle thread before he sics his cat on us!  At least I think I remember he has an attack cat...
1872, 46", 50C decks, Haban dozer blade, 450 snow blower
2182-1, Kwik-Way Loader, 3-pt & rear pto, 442 tiller
2182-2, 54" deck, 551 snow blower
Past tractors:  1541, 2135
<><

User avatar
dag1450
Posts: 2356
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 3:16 pm
First and Last Name: Dave Gibson
Location: Chalfont, Pa

Re: Mower deck baffle

Post by dag1450 »

I've never had a plasma cutter so not even sure what you guys are talking about but it sounds way too involved. But...as ken has been going though this thread what i have had in the back of my mind for....probably decades now. Get rid of the baffles an cut off the back lip of the deck the whole way across. Make a rear discharge! How sweet would that be, no ugly windrows of heavy grass clippings. AS per your updates Ken.....its not too late?
127, 1650, 1572, 1872, 2072 . A mower, blower and blade for each.

Klapatta
Posts: 1352
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 2:25 pm
First and Last Name: Kenneth LaPatta
Location: Rockingham VT.

Re: Mower deck baffle

Post by Klapatta »

I need to get myself over to Tractor Supply and pick up 3 four foot  strips of 1/8" x 1 1/2" C.R.S.
This project is not at the top of my list, the 38" refurbished deck with those shortened up 42" blades on the 128 is doing a great job.
And all the bending sizes that I need will come directly from off my template.
DSCN0994.JPG
DSCN0994.JPG (911.11 KiB) Viewed 4187 times

User avatar
chzuck
Posts: 362
Joined: Tue Sep 07, 2010 2:51 pm
First and Last Name: Charlie Zuck
Location: Elizabethtown, PA

Re: Mower deck baffle

Post by chzuck »

dag1450 wrote:
Sat Jun 17, 2023 8:26 am
I've never had a plasma cutter so not even sure what you guys are talking about but it sounds way too involved. But...as ken has been going though this thread what i have had in the back of my mind for....probably decades now. Get rid of the baffles an cut off the back lip of the deck the whole way across. Make a rear discharge! How sweet would that be, no ugly windrows of heavy grass clippings. AS per your updates Ken.....its not too late?
I think he is trying to "pull our leg".  Every plasma cutter I have ever seen used plain old compressed air.

On cutting out the back of the deck:  I have a Rototiller Mow-Tiller and that is how that deck is.  It is a small cut rotary with the back open and when I used it just to see how it worked, the grass was spread evenly behind the deck.  Not sure how a deck with multiple blades would work.  The two CI decks I had really spread out the grass nice as well.
 
http://www.zucksrototillers.com
There is only ONE ROTOTILLER.
147 with 48" mower deck & 42" QA snow thrower
70 with 42" mower deck, 42" blade, & Brinly 10" plow

Klapatta
Posts: 1352
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 2:25 pm
First and Last Name: Kenneth LaPatta
Location: Rockingham VT.

Re: Mower deck baffle

Post by Klapatta »

I see no point in conducting experiments using a perfectly good deck. They don't make these things any more.
I did however place a hydraulic jack along with some sturdy wooden blocks directly inside of the discharge chute to maximize the opening.
DSCN0997.JPG
DSCN0997.JPG (1.03 MiB) Viewed 4162 times
Regarding tools and the usage of tools attached is a photo lift taken directly from the L. S. Starrett tool catalogue.
DSCN0996.JPG
DSCN0996.JPG (925.4 KiB) Viewed 4162 times
I used to actually believe that this was true. What a load of nonsense that last line really is.
MAN makes the tools.
Tools don't make the MAN.

DaveKamp
Posts: 555
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 10:19 am
First and Last Name: Dave Kamp
Location: LeClaire, Ia

Re: Mower deck baffle

Post by DaveKamp »

I agree... a man without the creativity and discipline to make tools is merely food for other links in the food chain...

But a man who HAS such creativity and discipline, will build a fire and make a shelter, then find materials to make the tools needed to make tools to recover capacity to build proper tools.

But even without tools, Human is the most dangerous genus and species in the wild.  Wild animals have good reason to avoid us at all costs...

"Man, through the power of his convictions, can move mountains"  - Linus (Charles Schultz: You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown)

 
Yes, I'm a Mad Scientist... but I'm usually happy, even when things ain't goin right.

Post Reply