Starting a reel grinding and lapping regiment Cancel The title field is required!

1. West Christopher

   
   12/15/2015 11:12 AM

   When I look through the forum I see a lot of guys grind reels as frequently as every 3 weeks. When I started at my course I learned from an old school mechanic who loved lapping and facing but he only liked to grind reels once a year.
   
   I have 4 toro 3300 triflexes, 2 toro 5510 fwys, 5 flex 2100 walk mowers. Plus carts, 2 cycle, workmans, rough units...etc
   
   my reels stay sharp and always cut paper as long as I backlap almost every day but i'm hoping somebody in a similar situation can help me start a good sharpening program.
   
   Additional info- neary 555 spin grinder and neary bedknife grinder
   Im the only mechanic so my sharpening program cant take too much away from my routine maintenance/repairs
   we top dress very frequently

   
   
   
   
2. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   12/15/2015 1:12 PM

   Do you have a lift also? When I have seen guys talk about grinding and not lapping, they usually have a lift as well. They might have additional staff. Is it just you?
   
   I am from the old school (Lake City class of 88 which seems old now) and that was the common practice with the old grinders, before lifts, before crazy heights of cut and regular topdressings and everything else new since then.
   
   We have increased our topdressings here at our course but we still grind once a year because our 3 courses share 1 older spin grinder and it is at another course. We might back lap every other week (I wish we did it maybe a little more often or at least front faced bedknives) we replace once per season, but we are mowing at .156" and use standard bedknives so they will last use longer.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
3. West Christopher

   
   12/15/2015 2:12 PM

   I do have a lift and yeah i'm all alone in the shop. We cut greens at .125. I'm glad I'm not the only one that doesn't get to grind very often. After reading the grinding practices of some of the other guys I always want to do more with my reels. How important is facing to you? I back lap every day sometimes every other day and they usually cut paper just fine. I only face if I can't seem to get it cutting paper. If my mowers cut paper is that good enough or should I be striving for more? Now that I think about it, I can't even use my rr facer on the greens mowers because the blades seem to get in the way.

   
   
   
   
4. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   12/15/2015 3:12 PM

   My opinion is if your cutting paper, your sharp enough to cut grass and don't need to backlap, but that is my opinion. One question I have is how long do you backlap?
   
   Before I went to Lake City I worked at a course that the guy would backlap a reel for it seemed hours, we used to run carts up to the clubhouse in the morning and he was our shuttle, he would come back after a couple of trips and spread the compound around again. When I got to Lake City a lapping compound represenitive told us is we had to lap longer then 10 minutes we were wasting metal and time, and if it wasn't sharp we need to grind.
   
   Once out on my own, I use to have our mechanic lap greens mowers 2 times per week, on Monday and Thursday, and if a service was do he did that as well. We did tees and collars every other week and fairways once a month. Other courses since that first one, we checked reel to bedknife after each use and if we didn't cut paper we would backlap, but greens still were done about once per week.
   
   At our current facility, I don't have much say in that, but I know back lapping does not occur very much, but it will get done when not cutting paper, it seems to be working ok until late in the season when bedknives start to really wear.
   
   But I am not even close to being an expert on the subject.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
5. West Christopher

   
   12/15/2015 3:12 PM

   I back lap for 2 to 3 minutes. I do the same thing for the walk mowers, t.c.a mowers, and fwys. I like to use 180 grit for greens. 120 grit for tca's and 80 grit for fwys. We cut greens almost every day, we might skip the day after a topdressing and just roll. We mow fwys twice a week in winter and 3 times a week in the summer and t.c.a is usually every other day.

   
   
   
   
6. John Moore

   

   0 posts
   
   12/16/2015 5:12 AM

   Chris, it sounds like you are lapping correctly. Remember to keep your compound moving by brushing from the leading edge of the reel back to the trailing edge for the 2 to 3 minutes of the lap. As far as grinding, there are too many variables to tell someone exactly when they should be grinding. I grind reels and bedknives when it becomes necessary to replace the bedknife. Don't get hung up on the frequency. I have people ask me "How often do you grind reels or replace bedknives". Simple answer is when necessary. Cutting units should be checked after every use. Check for HOC adjustment and sharpness. It should cut and not tear paper. Take a look at your cut out on the course often.

   
   
   
   
7. Henry Heinz

   

   0 posts
   
   12/16/2015 5:12 AM

   I ran 27 holes, 9 was a short par 3. I use to lap but when I started lapping I would have to do it every other time out, maybe two times. By the time I setup to lap, dry, set my reels I found I could grind triplexes in a day and have them go for 4 to 6 weeks if not longer with just simple adjustments and facing the bedknife. In most cases its just running a file across the knife 2 to 6 quick passes to keep the edge crisp. Much faster than lapping everyday, giving me more time for other needs. I am one now that's on a 3 to 4 week rotation of grinding, I am in a larger operation with help. When I was solo it was faster for me to grind, plan when I would verses lapping. I could just pull equipment in and do a fast check and set. When doing a heavy facing I would watch how long the quality on the paper lasted before declining then would line up grinding. I only did relief once a year on fairways, put about 95% relief on it and made grinding more of a touch up and was really fast. My test/study showed me I could grind as fast as I could lap, the cut lasted much longer without the need to worry about lapping everyday or other day. In some cases if the reel looked good I would drop the knives and grind them and then the next time do both. I know a guy that does knives every 3 weeks and on the 6th does reels & knives. Hope this helps you out

   
   
   
   
8. Christopher Thuer

   

   101 posts
   
   12/16/2015 6:12 PM

   I do the reel and bedknife grinding myself, once per year, no relief grind on the reels. Our tech checks for paper cut about once a week or more often if needed. He will back lap about every other week or as needed. If we see something not looking right he will check for paper cut and backlap if needed before the machine goes out again. We do not front face bedknives. As our staff reductions have necessitated him having a morning job outside about every day this strategy works well.
   
   We have 1 triplex greens mower and will replace the micro knives around July 4th.
   
   We do have sand units for the greens that we mow with for 3 or 4 days after monthly topdressing.
   
   18 holes, bent, 2 acres greens, 4 acres tees and aps, 19 acres fairways. Greens mowed 7 days a week. Tees, aps, and fw 2 days a week.

   
   Chris Thuer, CGCS, Bear Slide Golf Club, Cicero, IN
   
   
9. Bob Pruneau

   

   5 posts
   
   12/17/2015 7:12 AM

   I have a lift .Also only one working on equipment on 18 hole course. Grind as needed .4 Tee /approach walkers 3 to 4 times a season ( April -oct.)I have 2 triplex and 5 flex for mowing greens . Triplex when short staffed and walk in full swing . Sharpen them as needed 2 -3 times . 3 fairway units at least once possibly twice . After grinding I mainten cut with backslapping as needed for no more than a couple of minutes . If it doesn't cut the first piece of folded cut strip I grind . I have Bernhard grinders so it's just as easy to touch them up . When I had the foleys I would front face knives as needed and backlap instead of grinding all the time , Also put full relief on reeks to speed up on touch up grinds . Every golf course is different type of grass/ maintaince practices to turf / equipment (type of grinders) weather etc. The list could go on and on .
   Another thing I do is hope for a rain day mid season to grind the fairway units . Get way more done when the guys /gals are gone for the day . Years ago all I had was a single blade grinder and no lift and made do the best as possible . Lifts and good grinders double production in maintaining cuts . I can maintain cuts on equipment as they come off the wash rack .