608KEB 795 #1 Posted December 13, 2018 (edited) I'm putting together my 48" mower deck. I was looking for a few opinions on a idea I have. I wanted to try a 30 year caulk between the deck and the support plate. Caulk around the outside edge and the spindle openings. Has anyone tried this with success? If you look at the deck. You can see all the pitting that is underneath the support plate. The deck was bead blasted and painted with a gun. Edited December 15, 2018 by 608KEB Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pacer 3,168 #2 Posted December 13, 2018 Um.... could we maybe get a clarification on what you are asking? By "chalk" I'm, thinking you mean "caUlk" maybe? If so, I think I would hesitate to caulk around it. With all the flexing/twisting a deck gets I would think it would get a few 'holes' here and there allowing water to get in and surenuf be 'trapped' . Have to wonder what the engineers were thinking when they sandwiched those two parts together, just inviting rust. I've lost some half dozen decks because rust has eaten out most of that area. I do as you have done and clean/sandblast/wire wheel that area and paint with a good rust primer followed by the red, my thinking is to allow as much water as possible to get out of there. When I wash my decks I use my compressor and with a blowgun go around as much as possible and blow the water out. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cleat 5,809 #3 Posted December 13, 2018 What I did was grease the top of the deck and the bottom of the support plate then bolted everything up (I used a cheap paint brush for this). Then just wipe away any grease that gets squished out. Don't know if this will help but I figure it can't hurt. Cleat 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,336 #4 Posted December 13, 2018 41 minutes ago, cleat said: What I did was grease the top of the deck and the bottom of the support plate then bolted everything up (I used a cheap paint brush for this). Then just wipe away any grease that gets squished out. Don't know if this will help but I figure it can't hurt. Cleat 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
608KEB 795 #5 Posted December 13, 2018 I'm going to try silicone caulk. I'll post a couple pictures. It should flex somewhat. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lee1977 6,643 #6 Posted December 14, 2018 I have been told that silicone causes metal to rust, I don't know it's true. I do know that windshields are put in with a urethane rubber .When put the front fenders back on my Toyota truck I used 3M WINDO - WELD Urethane. It was around 32 dollars for a caulking tube. They had the urethane cord but it over 40 dollars. It's not the easiest thing to work with and I did not want it to get all over my newly painted fenders. When I took the fender off they had a black sealer under them. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peter lena 8,583 #7 Posted December 14, 2018 mower decks are like mushroom central, used and put away wet and neglected. I like your idea of a grease footprint on metal to metal. Having done regular oil down and scraping regularly feeding of metal with lubricant saves mower decks. sealing them off will probably increase the chance of rot .I drop and clean my decks as needed , usually 3 times a cutting season, after cleaning them out I lubricate with " lubriplate chain and cable spray ", and leave them upside down in the sun to heat up and dry out. heat and sun breaks the rot/ mold cycle . done this for years , with zero rot. looks like you have a save able deck, I would take advantage of it. my decks are now upside down ,clean and soaking in that oil over winter , this is what I do , pete 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
