upside down?

[ygmir]

ok
I think I got all the pertinent info and pics in my gallery under "plastic, HDPE, welding"......I'm not sure how to put the link to the gallery here, sorry......

My friend is laughing hysterically, reading my text, knowing the brand/model of my machine, and, using his imagination on the pics......
You can be the judge.....I think he's twisted......hahaha

anyway,
I'm not sure if I need to or can post more details at to the techniques I sort of developed doing this, I think I got most of it in the text of the photos.
I'm sorry, I think the order is somewhat mixed up, but, it's all there.......
I hope this can be of help to someone.......

I did note a few things:

HDPE will burn quite well if you don't pay close attention while using a torch to braze........

it also blisters when sticking to skin........

I found a great source for HDPE:
plastic 5 gal buckets, at least the ones I have....it says "HDPE" on the bottom......worked great....I used a square one so I'd have flat pieces to work with, and, corners if needed. But, a regular round bucket would work just fine since I cut it in pretty narrow strips.

making the grooves and or seam welding seems to work best in short lines.
melt your groove, or, both materails to be joined with the tip, then, go back and fill before it cools. only an inch or two at a time seemed to work best.

That's all I can think of for now.

good luck
Henry

[LarryW]

Looks like you did a Good Job. Great info. too.

[ygmir]

Thanks Larry,

[boncrshr]

Very cool...thanks for going through the trouble of documenting everything. So once you completed repairs, do the patches feel stable/good??

[ygmir]

yeah, I poked and prodded them, they seem solid...and, when I turned the rig back on its wheels, I went inside and melted/folded edges that were sticking through over the edge of the hole as a lock.........and filled any voids existing therein........
Also took advantage of the rig being over to use air and blow dirt/grime/ leaves etc out.

Henry

[boncrshr]

Hey YG,

Good timing on this article, I may fill some bolt holes that are cracked. So, I could use a 5-gallon bucket for donor HDPE?

BTW, I was looking at your Hustler pics and I have seat envy for yours, they look more comfortable than my couch. Are those the stock ones? So now you are in the company of Whipper, Meinfeld, JPSwift and others I have AATV envies of!

[ygmir]

Hi Bncrshr......
I'm glad the info will be of use.
Yes, as I see it, if the bucket says "HDPE" on the bottom, it's compatible. And, it worked for me.

I'm not sure how comfortable I am with you envying my seat, though.........hahahaha

If stock means they came with it when I bought it, yes, but, I bought it used.......
They are quite nice, though. I have a bad back, so, need all the help I can get.

I made another nice discovery the other day.
I had bought an engine to put in my coot, when ever I get around to restoring it........
It turns out to be an 18 h.p. B&S I/C, totally complete.

I got it from a guy at a military vehicle show, he had about 300 of them, for, 250 bucks.
He said approx. 200 hours....even has a cooling fan on the end of the crank, I'm not sure I can addapt it over the cluth though.....
They were used for referigeration unit pumps in the Gulf War, and, he got them.....I wish I'd have bought more, now.....I don't know if he has any left.
seems like a fair price?

Henry

[boncrshr]

I didn't know you had a Coot, I've always thought they were pretty cool. That sounds like a good price for sure for an 18 HP, I think JP was telling me they usually go for 350-400..Didn't Coots originally come with a 14 HP or so?

[ygmir]

I don't really know much about Coots, it has an 8 h.p. Kohler, installed sloppily by the P.O.......I've had it for years, drove it around a little. Now, it just sits.......
they do have a neat thing, I'm wondering why I've not seen them (I'm new, rememeber....) in AATV's..
the high, low, reverse trans the goes after the driven clutch.
makes for a nice, wide driving range........