Hi,
Any excuse to use my lathe. My restored Howard Bulldog petrol rotavator has proved extremely heavy and difficult to control on our steep garden; it's tipped over and pulled me to the ground twice the second time breaking the exhaust off; possibly entertaining to watch but highly dangerous for a 77 year old dinosaur to put up with. The problem was having to remove one hand from the handlebar in order to operate the pull/push control rod which lifts or lowers the engine on an hinged base plate to engage the drive belt. This allows the Bulldog to quickly get out of control so I either sell the Bulldog before it put me into hospital or make it more friendly to use.
I bought a handlebar clutch lever through eBay and at first converted it to cable operation but I wasn't happy having such a thin control cable so I cut away the front of the handle base allowing a new rod to be installed via a pair of ball joints and linkages. At the engine end I removed the original lifter and made an entirely new lifter.
The new linkage at the handlebar lever.
Installed.
Another view.
Under view.
Rod adjustment coupler.
New parts.
Click on images to enlarge.
I used the lathe to turn two new steel bushes; having done the modification I was delighted it worked extremely well indeed; I can now disengage the belt drive using the handlebar lever hence rotavating using this Bulldog is now a pleasure and safer.
Just a small but interesting lathe project.
Kind regards, Col.
Any excuse to use my lathe. My restored Howard Bulldog petrol rotavator has proved extremely heavy and difficult to control on our steep garden; it's tipped over and pulled me to the ground twice the second time breaking the exhaust off; possibly entertaining to watch but highly dangerous for a 77 year old dinosaur to put up with. The problem was having to remove one hand from the handlebar in order to operate the pull/push control rod which lifts or lowers the engine on an hinged base plate to engage the drive belt. This allows the Bulldog to quickly get out of control so I either sell the Bulldog before it put me into hospital or make it more friendly to use.
I bought a handlebar clutch lever through eBay and at first converted it to cable operation but I wasn't happy having such a thin control cable so I cut away the front of the handle base allowing a new rod to be installed via a pair of ball joints and linkages. At the engine end I removed the original lifter and made an entirely new lifter.
The new linkage at the handlebar lever.
Installed.
Another view.
Under view.
Rod adjustment coupler.
New parts.
Click on images to enlarge.
I used the lathe to turn two new steel bushes; having done the modification I was delighted it worked extremely well indeed; I can now disengage the belt drive using the handlebar lever hence rotavating using this Bulldog is now a pleasure and safer.
Just a small but interesting lathe project.
Kind regards, Col.
Happiness is a wreck of a cabinet to restore.
