This is the top of a mower. A pin slips through the two bars to attach it to a tractor. The pin slipped part way out one time, the bar on the right got bent, and the pin won't go through now. The U-shaped piece looks like it can be removed. Any suggestions on how to straighten it? ..@Frank Sanoica ? Will just pounding on it with a hammer work?
Do you have a heavy vise, @Nancy Hart? If I have to straighten something like this, I put it into a heavy machinist's vise and crank down on it until it is straight. If you don't have a vise, you could find a heavy flat surface like an old rail and pound it with a heavy hammer.
There is a big old vise here. Belonged to my father. Not sure if it's considered heavy, though. I'll give it a try first, before I start pounding on anything. Thanks, Don. One more question: . Let's say I get it straight enough to get the pin through, but not perfectly straight. Would it be OK to use the mower like that?
Probably, if there isn't an abnormal vibration with it. If it is too heavy for you to get straight, you could also take it to a machine shop of an auto frame shop. They could straighten it for you, but it would cost something.
Maybe I could order just that U-shaped part, if straightening it doesn't work. I'll check. Thanks for the ideas.
@Nancy Hart Straightening it by any squeezing means, such as a vise or big C-clamp will bend the opposing bar inwards while bending the one already bent. I would get a long bar several feet long which will fit the hole in the offending piece and use the leverage of it's length to bend that back to straightness. Might take two people, one to stand on the platform to hold it stationary. An old "tire iron" might just do the trick, looks like the hole might be about 3/4" diameter? Frank
That makes sense, too. I'll try to get that part off tomorrow if I can remember to take the tools. I'm afraid leaving it on might bend the mower frame, if it's not bent already. I have 2 old pry bars. Will see what I can do with it. Probably not much. It just occurred to me with all the new flat roads out there now (and only one goat), I could mow the roads this summer. A couple of passes every few weeks might keep the brush down, without spraying.
An anvil would be perfect if you decide to pound it more. I assumed you didn't have any way to heat it hot enough to soften it, but then you need to make sure it doesn't stay too soft and lose necessary temper after cooling. You would probably need a small sledge, blacksmith's hammer or engineer's hammer.
I was joking around with the lady blacksmith picture, Don. I don't think I could do that, but thank you for thinking I might. Really. I'll try a few things, maybe I can get it at least straight enough so the pin goes through. The mower has just been sitting there for years, taking up space. It may not even work anymore. I can at least find that out.