Craftsman riding mower blade balancer

thingiverse

This thing is a remix of a blade balancer by timskloss. There are several great balancer designs here on TV but I started working with this one first so here it is. Basically I wanted one specifically for craftsman blades which is all we have and none of those others had an adapter for that. And I wanted one with a base to make it a more integral unit. Other parts needed: two #4x 3/8" or 1/2" screws (optional), one M8 70mm hex bolt, one M8 nylon lock nut, 2 skateboard bearings, 22mm OD, 8mm ID, 7mm height. two 12.5mm x 5mm magnets. Edit: I picked up some 12mm neodymium magnets from the hardware section of the Home Despot, .47" diameter (12mm). Fit perfect. They were 3mm thick so I stacked 2 per side. Applied a little JB Weld Clear bond to keep them from getting knocked out. The hub I made accepts the same skateboard bearings as the original design. I made the hub a little longer to allow the bearings to have some space when installed on the base. I also included some internal stops to locate and secure the bearings in their proper positions. Print the 3 pieces, preferably in PETG for strength. Press the bearings into the hub and tap them gently down to the stops. The one on the blade end of the hub should sit flush, the one on the other end should sit recessed about 14.5mm. Screw and/or glue the adapter head to the hub with #4x 3/8" or 1/2" screws. Mine is just glued with JB Weld Plastic Bond. Assemble the balancer by inserting the bolt through the adapter and hub and thread it into the captured nut. I couldn't find a nice 70mm bolt with round head and inside hex so I got a generic external hex head cap screw and ground it round with a 4 1/2" grinder to fit the adapter head. Then cut a slot in the head with a Dremel. If you do this make sure there is clearance all around between the bolt head and adapter so it will spin freely. Tighten the bolt to take up play in the hub... fine tune it to your liking and the nylon nut should hold that position. Mount it to your workbench, wall, or any handy place with a couple of wood screws keeping the hub horizontal. Thank you guys for having some great designs up already so I didn't have to recreate the wheel. I've got some blades to sharpen this weekend so this will come in handy!