Qualcast model E1

Remind me to tell you about my new Qualcast model E1 60 year old mower. I do not believe how good it is.

 

Hows your new Qualcast model E1 60 year old mower then Robert?

Love things like that.

Spent ages doing up an old bike, had a chain guard. Can't remember the make other than they made Motorbikes too. Could have been a Humber?

Then some scumbag nicked it out of the garden, probably only for scrap too

 

We'd like a picture of it too please Capney.

Zigs, I thought Humbers were cars of the Hillman sort.

 

Yep they probably were, not sure what the make was, just know it had rod brakes & a propper leather saddle.

Took me ages to restore, took it apart, had the frame sandblasted, loads of re spraying in a British Racing Green paint, just for some dogsbreath to nick.

 

Zigs the bike probably was a Humber, I can remember seeing them when I was a kid, big heavy things usually with an enclosed chain from what I recollect. Many still had a white painted rear mudgard as a legacy from the blackout during WWII.

I can well believe Capney being chuffed with his 60 year old mower. The best one I ever had was a Ransomes of similar vintage. Big heavy roller at the back with about six or eight full width blades which could easily be sharpened by 'back lapping' using valve grinding or lapidary paste. I'd still happily use it in preference to a modern Qualcast but had to chuck it as one of the cogs wore out and I couldn't source a replacement

 

Ransoms, mmm

 

Ok as requested heres some piccies of my Qualcast model E1
I should have taken some before I started the refurb.. never mind
The wooden roller was probable the most worn part of it and I had a struggle to source one and then I had a eureka moment and thought of a wooden rolling pin. One local shop had one at a sale price. Just had to cut it to size, drill and install the pins and a final coat of oil. After a strip down to remove all the old grease and oil and good sand down and degrease and a final coat of green Hammerite. Theres a grass box for it as well which I had to made a repair on with some sheet steel and pop rivits.
The two rubber handles were well shot and a replacement was simple a couple lengths of hose.

The picture above is near completion. just the rear roller to source and replace.



You can see the state the old roller was in and the new length of beech waiting to fit.


Not much work required to remove the old roller pins


All finished. Serviced, repaired, sharpened and set up all ready for another 60 years.
Those five blades do a remarkable job.
How much I hear you ask....lets just say...not a lot.

 

Excellent job robert Good idea about the rolling pin.

 

If anyone wants it ive got a qualcast suffolk punch ggoing spare in need of a bit of a refurb and putting back together...

 

Looks as good as new Capney.