Again a small project round the homestead. My mower was getting very noisy when I engaged the blades, so I dropped the deck to take a look. I checked the spindles which were quiet when spinning. I had rebuilt all 3 of them a few years back and they were still fine. I found the noise in the belt tensioner idler wheel. I proceeded to find one locally and online and there were so many variations it got ridiculous.
I did find a bearing but the pulley was two halves spot welded together to hold the bearing. So I took it to the lathe and carefully cut off the part that holds the bearing on one side to get it out. I did not want to drill the spotwelds and have to try to get the two halves to run true again. I recessed the bearing hole in the pulley a little deeper to make up for the material I had cut away on the other side. I then installed the bearing and carefully welded the retainer back on. It was a case of spot weld a little, let it cool, and repeat so as not to cook the new bearing seal. After the welding was done I chucked it back up in the lathe to smooth out my embarrassing looking welds.
As is my norm, I have no before or during shots, but here is shot of the completed project. All in all it cost me a bearing and a little time and it was completed in a mornings work/play. I wonder what the rest of the world does when stuff breaks and you can't get replacement parts easy.
Making progress slowly but surely . Oh , and scrap some stuff out , not burying anything any more ! 
