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Thread ID: 43391 2004-03-13 07:13:00 Hugely OT: How to avoid unmowed corners? Winston001 (3612) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
222218 2004-03-13 07:13:00 Just mowed the lawn. On a ride-on mower. Luxury.
Anyway, can any of you engineers and geometrists out there help?

Since I were a lad, I've noticed that turning corners while mowing, whether in a hay paddock or on a lawn, there is always a thin half moon of unmown grass.
Consequently the operator compensates by swinging a bit wider on each turn and a square area rapidly turns into some Euclidean nightmare. Bulges develop at each corner. Or else there are little curves of uncut grass.

Have a look at a cut hay paddock the next time you pass one.

Why?

Winston001
Winston001 (3612)
222219 2004-03-13 07:44:00 > Consequently the operator compensates by swinging a
> bit wider on each turn and a square area rapidly
> turns into some Euclidean nightmare. Bulges develop
> at each corner. Or else there are little curves of
> uncut grass.
> Why?
You have a problem of too many dimensions, and some are curled up in the corner. See Calabi-Yau as in
www.popsci.com
so you have to adjust your corners to compensate.
Clear ?? Of course not ....
TonyF (246)
222220 2004-03-13 07:46:00 Can't wait for Godfather to give an answer to this - he would be the expert. :p :D


Winston, you could always rope off the offending corner/s and put some four-legged lawn mowers to work on it. ;-)
Susan B (19)
222221 2004-03-13 07:51:00 or you can have one of those pusharound mowers and attach that to the side of the big lawn mower and at the tousch of the button, it will come out and it is remotely controlled and ....

There! No more uncut edges!
ilikelinux (1418)
222222 2004-03-13 07:57:00 Maybe it depends on whether you are using a reel mower or a rotary bar mower?

Must say I have never seen any half-moons, I'll have to ask my "Jims Mower" friend if he has ever encountered this phenomenon.
Terry Porritt (14)
222223 2004-03-13 08:04:00 >half moon of unmown grass.

Do they light up at night?
ilikelinux (1418)
222224 2004-03-13 08:09:00 I know exactly what you are talking about.
My theory is this - it is because you start the turn early as you can't turn a tight 90 degree angle. If you drove right up to the corner with the rear inside wheel the correct distance from the edge, then turned with leaving that inside wheel on the spot, you would not have the crescent shape left.
wotz (335)
222225 2004-03-13 08:12:00 No, those half moons are the beginnings of crop circles.

Rather than lighting up at night, they form special markings which scientists claim look remarkably like the coded messages we sent out in those space mobiles.
agent (30)
222226 2004-03-13 08:19:00 OK Winston, is my lawn is bigger than yours anyway? (1.5 acres)

If you start the area by mowing 2 strips foming an X from corner to corner of the area to be cut, then the area that is missed in each corner can be ignored as you have already cut it.

Or, water the lawn using Speights (new, not second hand) and the lawn will come up half cut anyway.
godfather (25)
222227 2004-03-13 08:31:00 And this would be the best use for Speights anyway, you certainly wouldn't want to drink the stuff.... godfather (25)
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