Aluminum Frame Members Handed Over to Frank Glatzl

Brought the two new aluminum frame members and one old member over to Frank Glatzl's place in Cedar Park today, along with a graph paper showing the arrangement of the holes for the new frame members.  The new frame members are 7 feet, 8 inches long instead of 6 feet, 4 inches.  And the new frame will have a wheelbase of 48 inches, instead of 36, to allow at least 30 inches between the wheels for the mower deck.  The numerals "22" on the side view of the C-channel below correspond to the relative positions of the axles.  The view of the top of the C-channel shows holes to be drilled to accommodate the new cross frame members, three inches high, needed to raise the mower deck sufficiently to clear the railhead.  And of course all the holes on the bottom side of the C-channel frame members are to bolt cross members and other parts of the trailer.

Here's a detail from the trailer:

Frank is going to do the holes on a drill press, which is a good thing since otherwise it would take me forever to do them by hand.  Plus they will be placed exactly where they need to be and be cut as close to round as possible.  He will also try to straighten the bent frame member for possible future use.

Learned something interesting from Frank about aluminum.  If it has straight edges, like the C-channel I bought, it is "architectural" aluminum.  If it has rounded edges, like the Fairmont aluminum C-channel, then it is called "structural" aluminum.  So now I know to ask for structural aluminum when replacing Fairmont C-channel.  

Meanwhile, I have sent off for a carburetor repair kit for the Walbro carb on the Bolens 1250 tractor that I hope to mount on the trailer.  Am sure the carb will have to come off and get cleaned out thoroughly and then reconditioned.  But once it does, we will have a fighting chance at getting the engine to work.

Stay tuned.