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Keif
Well-known member
I don’t think Curtis co is a scam. If you really want you can Zelle the $ to me I’ll buy it with a card with scam protection and see what happens. If gear doesn’t show up I get refunded then you.
Scraperman
Active member
Thank you @Keif, that is very kind of you. I am currently exploring other avenues and will let you know how I get on. Thanks again.
V8Druid
do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
how are you progressing with the bits @Scraperman ??
Scraperman
Active member
This job becomes more complicated almost every day ! Firstly, I think (!) that I have made up my mind about not buying the gears & shaft from Curtis (or what remains of the company). BUT if anyone could convince me 100% that they could be bought and that I would not be the victim of a scam then I would probably change my mind. I have had no communication from The American Cast Iron Pipe Company despite me emailing them and asking for advice and guidance about that company taking over Curtis Machine Company.
Secondly, when I purchased my Scag Turf Runner it had a Superior deck gearbox on it and I was persuaded by the U.K. importers of Scag (and I knew the man who started that company quite well) that this gearbox was problematical and that I should consider a Curtis box which they had in stock. All this happened just short of 22 years ago when I bought the mower. And so I bought the Curtis box, fitted it, and have managed to keep it running (with due diligence) since that time. But I had kept the Superior box and have re-fitted it back on the mower and done about 10 minutes mowing with it. I can't do any more at the moment, the ground is far too wet. This mower weighs 1160 lbs (527kgs) and that's before I sit on it and also before there is a box full of wet grass on the back !
And to really complicate matters I asked a local engineer 5 months ago if he could actually make the gears for me and although progress has been abysmally slow he is making progress.
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6feetdown
Well-known member
What about the guy welder fabber uses episode a few weeks ago he had a gear made up. Up Preston way I think
Scraperman
Active member
sorry @6feetdown, I couldn't find what you have suggested in your post. Could you clarify it a bit please ?
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V8Druid
do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
there's a young lad round here that hobs gears ... could ask him if you like ..... would need a good set of dimensions I can forward to him ... I've met him and I bought my Meddings bench drill off him -- have a standing invitation to visit his workshop anytime and have seen a lot of pix of it - seems well equipped ... he'd always intended to wander into mine in Aber, but never got there - too late now, by about 15 years 
Scraperman
Active member
Thank you @V8Druid. I have always thought that if anyone wanted to copy the gears they would need the existing ones as a pattern and they are currently with the chap who has been working on mine (for 5 months !) Whereabouts is your friend ?there's a young lad round here that hobs gears ... could ask him if you like ..... would need a good set of dimensions I can forward to him ... I've met him and I bought my Meddings bench drill off him -- have a standing invitation to visit his workshop anytime and have seen a lot of pix of it - seems well equipped ... he'd always intended to wander into mine in Aber, but never got there - too late now, by about 15 years
V8Druid
do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
about 12 miles from me in a place called Newton St Margarets ... can find his FB profile for you if you wanted to have a chat with him over PMs or possibly phone ... really nice young lad
https://www.facebook.com/adam.price.14811
AV Heavy Plant and Engineering | Hereford
AV Heavy Plant and Engineering, Hereford (Angleterre). 566 J’aime. We are a family run engineering business in Herefordshire specialising in mobile line boring/welding.
www.facebook.com
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DaveDCB
Well-known member
^^^ that’s deffo what I’d be doing! They look spot on! 
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6feetdown
Well-known member
V8Druid
do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
he's a very good machinist, fair play ... must find time to go have a look at his set up ..... see in one of those pix he has (or maybe had?) a Keetona Hydroform (sheet metal bender) ... very handy to know and have local (sold mine)^^^ that’s deffo what I’d be doing! They look spot on!
Scraperman
Active member
Thanks to @V8Druid , @DaveDCB, and @6feetdown, that was all very interesting. I am no machinist but from what I can gather it is the fact that the gears that I need are spiral bevel gears that determines that a lot of machine shops are unable to produce them. The chap who is attempting to make them for me has produced exactly what is needed but in plastic and I think the idea is that he has a machine that will cut the gears that uses the plastic gear as a template. I did contact a firm in Leicester who can definitely produce them for me but quoted me £2,600 !! I know it's a one-off but if they didn't want the job why the Hell didn't they say so ? 
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DaveDCB
Well-known member
Keep us updated 
Scraperman
Active member
Will do.Keep us updated
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