Greens Monitor

FAQ#s

1. How can I get the cutting plate off the cast aluminium backplate? There's 5 flathead screws but are quite shallow and extremely tight.

   I have myself just bought a Greens Monitor and on a passive  ad-hoc basis restoring it at snails pace, in between other jobs! 

   I suggest soaking in rust penetrant then try a good fitting in the screw's slot - screwdriver, that is the same diameter as  the screws, i.e.  minamalizing the risk of slipping out and damaging the screw and try slowly by hand, if screwdriver has a square shank, use a spanner on it for more purchase.   80% of the time it won't come.  Often in cast iron you can be more forceful, but in this case as the casting it's screwed into is aluminium, I would remove it from the mower and try a bit of heat, not on the screw but on the casting,  naturally the paint will come off.

   on some mowers where the heads have rounded off, my father has welded on hex heads then heated and removed, but this is a lot of effort, and I find removing the cutting plate  / sole plate is the most arduous bit of an old mower restoration.

2. How do I get the bearings off each side of the 6 blade cylinder?

   There is a manual I believe, I will see if I can attach or send to Admin for publication.

3. Does any repainting/spraying of green parts HAVE to be RAL 6001? (I've got RAL 6002)

   Funny you should mention RAL6001, I have just used this to spray my Monitor box after shot blasting and phosphoric acid treatment and etch priming.   The colour you wish depends on whether be as the faded colour the mower is now after 60 plus years or the colour under the chain guard, which you will note very contrasting  or bits of metal where oil and grease has corrupted, i.e. inside the chain-case.

4. My first job is the name badge. Does anyone have any pics of the correct colour of the badge please.

   From previous Forum Posts there was at least three styles of Monitor badge, see other posts on the Forum.....Which is your one like?

5. Finally (for now 😊) where can I get a grassbox and a rubber chain tensioner as mine must have stopped turning at some point so has a massive flats spot.

   As I say, I just got a Monitor myself, the Grass-box is the first thing I have  restored / conserved, as its the most fragile and costly / time consuming bit to replace.  They rust where the steel spot welds / joins meet.  And naturally get based by running into objects! 

   Unless a member has one, finding one is like Rocking Horse Flowers,  see also Clive's info on Monitors on different box designs.   A skilled Metalworker can make a box, but costly.

   Please send photos of the chain and sprocket condition.  Quite a few Green's  Monitor 's seem to be coming out the woodwork currently, how far you go depends on your spend criteria.

   I bought my Monitor to use, knowing from previous experience of mower-money -pits, what to expect.   As I say, please post some photos...

6. 

My Monitor (as per posts a few weeks ago)   has the same cast iron badge as your one.

With painting you are free to do what you like, as you own it, as per previously mentioned and on other Forum Posts on the said Mower, it seems there were several different badges on the Green's Monitor.   The badge on My Monitor appears to have been green, with red lettering.

I haven't had time to look at my one, but it doesn't have a tensioner.   I did notice there isn't any freewheel mechanism on mine either, and the chain is slack,   whether a tensioner is original or a retro fit doesn't matter as its not seen under the cover.

Now, I'm sure I found a Monitor parts diagram.....

Hi all, it's me again, the newbie trying to restore a Monitor.  😊

In between dismantling and wire brushing etc I've been sourcing paint ready for when I spray and/or paint but I've run across a issue with paint colour's and shades.

Using the RAL chart I have got RAL 6002 in a spray and also bought a RAL 6002 paint pen but they are completely different in shades.

How can 2 shades of green be so different when both say RAL 6002 on the can/pen? Has anyone else had this issue before? 

Yes its true.

Manufactures of paint often have their get out clause, proviso's  on the lines of "these are not an exact colour match"    or   "exact shades are not guaranteed."   etc...

When  manufacturers mix up paint colours;  the  primary colour pigments are weighed / measured, then put into the mixing tub / or tin if its a very small bespoke batch order, then minimally stirred.

You have to stir very well, as per manufactures instructions,  prior to using,  so the pigments mix to the desired pigment.

I'm guilty of poor mixing prior to use;  as if I buy a tin of brush paint,  I will stir it for less than 30 seconds, which is not long enough! 

No doubt; like myself, you have seen a shade you like or think matches the  original or desired colour  for a mower restoration in this case,  so you look online with that colour code, then see all the vast variations.

I did personally consider ordering paint to be superficial  on a project, when considering   all the other hard tasks to be undertaken on a restoration;  such as cleaning, sanding, machining, fabricating, repairing castings,  sorting cutting blades, bearings and bushes, find missing parts etc..... 

but in reality I find these are easy, just work, and not a cause of frustration, unlike  by buying various shades of paint, just to get the one you are happy with.