The Old Lawnmower Club
Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

Ransomes Ajax Mk2 grass box, other parts and colour query

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Matt Stribley

Hi,

I've recently purchased a Ransomes Ajax Mk2 from eBay. I didn't set out to collect lawnmowers but I wanted a nice old manual cylinder mower that I could use in place of a cheap modern electric rotary. A common model made sense for choice and spares availability. The earlier Mk1, 2 and 3 appealed, visually, more than the later models.

I paid what I thought was a fair price and it's in good working order having been regularly used and serviced and clearly not left outside (wooden handle grips are still varnished). It had been in the same family from new. It quite happily cuts what's left of my very poor quality lumpy lawn.

I have three queries, which don't appear to have been covered before or, at least, not answered:

  1. Where might I find a grass box (apart from patiently waiting for something on eBay)? Ideally, I would like to find the correct pattern for a Mk2 (they appear to have L-shaped brackets onto which the rectangular mounting "rings" are attached. Alternatively, anything from Mk1 to Mk5 would be acceptable. Provided there is no penetrating rust, any usable condition is OK. A few dents and surface rust don't matter as these can be treated.
  2. The next problem is one that does hamper its usability; on the left-hand side of the cylinder, there is a steel sleeve around the axle, which sits between the axle and the casing. It falls out after every few pushes of the mower and, of course, the grease is heavily contaminated. Is it missing a circlip or some other means of holding it in place? The two cylinder halves do have a lot of lateral play. I wonder if something else is missing.
  3. The colour is a mystery. The handle and the outside of one of the castings are grey (RAF grey?). The remainder is bright lawnmower green. Where the paint has flaked off the handles, there appears to be the same green underneath, I've run my finger nail over the chips to establish which colour was painted first. I'm not sure why anyone would have gone the the effort of partially repainting an everyday piece of garden equipment in a different colour, so I'm wondering if some models were painted differently during WWII and perhaps this one was built up from assorted spares at the end of the Mk2's production (c1936-c1945?).

I don't intend to restore the mower but, instead, to conserve and use it as a normal piece of equipment. I like the fact that it has a patina without any significant damage and only one or two bolts appear to have been replaced with more modern versions. I think I can be confident that the woodworms have long since departed, so the roller (poss. Mk1 version?) will be cleaned and soaked in linseed oil.

I've attached some photos for reference so you can see the steel sleeve popping out of its location and the grey versus grey colours. Oh, and do marvel at the quality of my lawn...

I'd be grateful if anyone can help with any of the above three points.

Best wishes,

Matt.

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