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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

Restoration Complete JP Maxees-14

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All,

 

Just thought I would share completion of a 1961 JP Maxees-14 Hand Push lawnmower.  Looking back this was a rather ill patient when I acquired it from Ebay.  Restoration includes:

  1. Complete strip down and new fastenings
  2. Replacement bearings
  3. Replacement handle bar grips to the original pattern
  4. Replacement front roller shaft - machined.
  5. New front rollers in beech
  6. Re-plating (Bright Zinc plated) parts
  7. Replacement second-hand cylinder blades as the original ones bought with the mower were not the original JP supplied blades
  8. Replacement cylinder blade eccentric adjustment lever and knob
  9. Complete respray
  10. Digitalisation of transfers onto water-slide transfer paper

Below are some pictures showing before and after.  The JP Maxees 14 is not as common as the JP Maxees 12" and was never produced with the plate grass deflector.  This one has its original cast deflector.  Following restoration the mower now operates extremely smoothly.  It will be used.  Other restorations nearly completed are 1 x Maxees 12" (1964), 2 x JP Minor MK2, pre-war JP Minor and 2 x JP Maxees post war.  Each machine has subtle differences between them all. Total collection now numbering 9 JP lawn mowers.  Look out for notifications of completion! - Tony

1961 JP Maxees-14 Unrestored

Antbr123 Sun, 17/02/2019

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the comments.  In answer to your question - No! and thereby hangs quite a tale.  If you look at the original "before" picture the stem and knob are missing altogether.  The eccentric was totally stuck and the adjusting stem had sheared.  In my ignorance - school boy error - I decided to get it drilled out and re-threaded - except I chose metric rather than BSF.  What I should have done is to get a helicoil fiitted with original BSF threads.  As a result, a mate of mine machined a replacement stem using M8 thread for the ball handle and I was forced into getting a replacement as close to the original that I could find.  When another Maxees-14 comes up, I shall rob it of the eccentric bar and get an original stem and ball knob.  But these are as rare as hens teeth and the only way to get the part is by robbing a derelict mower.  All in all, not a bad restoration, but well spotted - you have an eagle eye! I am highly critical myself and I will return it to originality as soon as I can - but in the meantime it has become a useable mower.

Antbr123 Mon, 18/02/2019

Hello Clive,

 

Bring it up to MK anyway! - I am sure we can come to an agreeable price.  Do you have the box? I should add that goes for anyone else with JP bits....I will take em!...and if someone has a JP Monarch....I am on the hunt to add to my collection...

Chris G Mon, 18/02/2019

The control lever and end knob looked absolutely fine so thought you had managed to source a new old stock jobbie.

Now with the Clive offer, there is the rub, looks enough to make another good one :-)

hillsider Mon, 18/02/2019

I have to agree with the sentiment that the replacement lever and knob look absolutely fine as they are, whilst it may have been hasty to use a metric thread on the new rod it is not necessarily a bad thing. Outwardly the metric thread does not detract at all from the quality of your restoration, also I think you may struggle to find a supplier of a replacement knob of the correct colour with a BSF thread.

Antbr123 Mon, 18/02/2019

Thanks Hillsider for the comments.  Its the constant pursuit of perfectionism in me. 

For those interested, the knob is bakelite and comes from a company called WDS...on Google part No WDS 8143-204R  I have tried to source an original exact copy for many months now but cannot find exactly the same as the original.  This is the closest.  The original had a knurled edge to it to aid grip - its not really possible to see this on Clives photo.  Not cheap but pretty much the same colour Bakelite RED and they also do black for the older machines as well.  There is a speciallist Bakelite company in Leicester - about 4 miles from me - yet to have the conversation - but they could even have supplied the originals to JP....fingers crossed.

Chris G - I shall probably end up taking Clive up on his offer and end up with 2 x  Maxees-14!.....

 

Tony

wristpin Wed, 20/02/2019

The red bakelite knob from the rear roller clutch on an old cast iron chassis  Suffolk Super Punch may do. Drilled and threaded 1/4" UNF. Approx 1" diameter.

Antbr123 Wed, 20/02/2019

Wristin,

Many thanks for the suggestion.  I would never have thought that a simple red/brown bakelite knob could have caused so much discussion - and all of it useful to know.  Courtesy of Clive I attach a quick drawing of an original stem and knob from a JP.  Anyone interested in a Grassbox article about mowers with Bakelite knobs.....??  On second thoughts....perhaps not!

 

kind regards to all

Clive1997 Thu, 21/02/2019

What a great idea, an article re 'Bakelite Knobs' would have to include my Shanks Drake Bowling Green mower, 18in, 10 blades & Bakelite Knobs for easy hand control, many assume they were a later modification, but they are original, mower from the early 1950's.

Antbr123 Thu, 21/02/2019

Because of my specialism on JP's - I am not volunteering.  I rather think it would need someone with a more rounded knowledge on the history of mowers.....and someone with recent demonstrable writing skills........Mmmm I wonder who might fit that bill?

Triumph66 Thu, 21/02/2019

Tony, that is a fabulous restoration with great detailing too. Both yours and Martin has inspired me to crack on with sorting one of mine out....

Incidentally, there was a JP 10" Mini Mower down in Cornwall that was missing the Bakelite knob too which is why I did not get it plus the seller would not budge on the price sadly. 

Lee Smallwood Sun, 05/01/2020

I'm adding to this thread almost a year after its original posting as I have just acquired my second 14 inch maxees, admitting i thought it was a 12 inch being in an open space and without the cast thrower plate depicting the width as my original one, in which lies my question. 

Although in great condition, and cut all the grass back to the car I could find,  the thrower plate doesn't have Maxees cast into it, no side transfer and no other markings. Would the thrower plate have changed at some point from cast to sheet metal or vice versa, I'll add photos if required. 

Lee

Antbr123 Sun, 05/01/2020

Hi Lee,

A picture would certainly help but to answer your question.....

The answer is yes the grass deflector plate did change.  My researches suggest that the changes or appearance of the Maxees-14 inch stem from developments of the Maxees 12".  Confused? - Well here goes! 

Ignoring Pre-war Maxees, the Maxees 12" MK1 was superceeded by the Maxees 12" MK2 and JP introduced the Maxees-12 which superceded the Maxees MK2.  All of these had cast iron or early post-war aluminium grass deflector plates. Then Henry and I believe the reason why they introduced the Maxees-12 and didn't carry on calling it the Mk2 (they are identical apart from the lettering on the grass deflector plate) was because they were introducing the Maxees-14 or 14 inch version around 1957/1958. This too had a cast iron grass deflector.  Around 1960 JP introduced the JP Maxees MK3.  This had a sheet metal grass deflector plate, held on by 2 right angle clips.  The eccentric adjustment clip was also changed to be longer. At the same time JP introduced the Maxees MK3 14" again with a sheet metal grass deflector.  But the lettering was a transfer.

The Maxees 14" is less common than the Maxees 12" but essentially the same as the Maxees-12 and Maxees Mk3-12" - just bigger.

I have all models and I am shortly to post articles on all of the Maxees Models post war on restorations I have completed. The paint is drying on all 3 other variants, Maxees MK1, Maxees MK2, Maxees-12. This posting will be complete with before and after pictures. I cannot remember but I think I have posted previously about a Maxees MK3 restoration. But there are enough articles about this variant already and plenty of pictures on the internet.

If you have any question - feel free to ask.  Have you advised the serial numbers to Henry.  If not let me know and we will record your mowers in the database.

 

Tony (Leicester)

 

Lee Smallwood Sun, 05/01/2020

Where would I find serial no? I'll nip to the garage for a smoke once kids asleep and take some photos. Thanks for the info.

Antbr123 Sun, 05/01/2020

Thanks Lee for the pictures.

It is a Maxees MK3 - 14" and probably post 1960. It looks complete.  You can always tell the 14" version because the cylinder blades have 2 central spiders. The red knob also suggests it is post 1960 - but should not be used as a definitive guide as I have come across mowers dating 1959 with a red knob, which is removal anyway.

The serial number will be found in two places.  One the main chassis and on the cutter unit.  JP did introduce an aluminium foil label in the 1960s and this may have peeled off.  Earlier models had it stamped into the side frames of the main chassis and detachable cutter unit.

I attach a picture of a JP Minor to show where the number may be stamped.  If there is no evidence of stamping (you may need to rub the paintwork back to reveal it) then it was probably on an aluminium label glued which has come off.

The aluminium labels can be found (if they are still present) on the Rt Hand Side of the cutter unit,

If you have any question feel free to come back to me or drop me an email.

Tony

Lee Smallwood Mon, 06/01/2020

Thanks, I will have a look later and update the forum. Interesting stuff.