Travels with Terry

Grass Deflector:
The Jacobsen Eclipse 322 Triplex Mower is used for the tees and fairways at the Wamego Country Club in Wamego, Kan., where Trampis Nickel is the superintendent and Randy Eichelberger is the equipment manager. Since grass catchers are not used, the center reel was used to spray a 4-to-6-inch pile of grass clippings all over the operator’s feet. Not anymore, as this unique grass deflector was designed and built by Eichelberger. It is built using 3⁄4-inch angle iron with a piece of 1⁄4-inch industrial rubber that is bolted in place, which is the width of the reel. The 5⁄8-inch steel couplings, which are welded to the angle iron, slip over the grass catcher brackets to hold it in place. It took about an hour to build and it costs less than $50 for parts and materials.

Welding Table:
The top portion was formerly a storm drainage grate with 1⁄2-inch steel slats spaced approximately 1.5 inches apart.

The legs, support frame and top edge around the grate are 3-inch angle iron with 1⁄16-inch flat steel – all welded in place – with a 4-inch vice bolted on. Two-inch caster wheels are welded onto each leg for portability. There is a removal "catch pan" placed over the intersection of the support frame that is filled with water to cool the slag from the welding operation as a safety measure, which is held in place with 1-inch angle iron. The materials were either purchased or were recycled and the total cost was less than $200. The labor time took about five hours.

Former equipment mechanic Fred Pickering designed and built it. Jason Bazuin is the superintendent and Tim Berner is the head mechanic at The Club at Seven Canyons in Sedona Ariz.