Lawn Boy &c. weekend

[helicaldrive]

Rick R took me for a joy ride in his 1955 Cadillac (left) to a relic-of-the-1950s hardware store in downtown Ft. Wayne. The owner likes to restore vintage Lawn Boys. We picked up Rick's just-serviced Lawn Boy (left). And Rick "made" me buy one too - a 1977 model (right). He made me do it.

 

[helicaldrive]

Next was a joy ride in the 1961 Oldsmobile (right) to a friend's house to see a 1919 Wurlitzer band organ. It was huge! Just before he started it, he warned me to be prepared because it would be loud. I thought I was prepared. Not. Closest I've ever been to jumping out of my skin. Awesome sound. The miracles of the machine age.

 

[helicaldrive]

Speaking of machines

The Lawn Boy mower sale was rung up using this adding machine and cash register. I'm serious! Couldn't believe what I was hearing again.

 

[helicaldrive]

And here's the store

outside

 

[helicaldrive]

And then

inside.

BTW, for those who yearn to hear that unique Lawn Boy sound again, the owner has 3 or 4 more for sale!

 

[helicaldrive]

If Rick opens his street door

You can listen to his vintage mahogany Chickering upright grand player piano. Awesome!

 

[rickr]

The devil made him do it......

Oh! What a fun weekend we had! Steve please post some more photos of Stellhorn Hardware!

 

[helicaldrive]

Like I said.

Rick made me do it.

More photos of Stellhorn Hardware coming up. Give me a few minutes to put them in a file and compress them. There must be an easier way, but I haven't figured it out. At least not yet.

 

[helicaldrive]

More Stellhorn

Here are some of the other vintage restored Lawn Boys for sale

 

[helicaldrive]

And then

Here's the other side of the store

 

[helicaldrive]

And

the lawn and garden section

 

[helicaldrive]

The scale

for weighing nuts, bolts, nails...

 

[helicaldrive]

and the hardware

bins

 

[helicaldrive]

And a Quiet Flight

The engine is covered with a heavy metal cover to dampen the sound. But it's heavy, and not self-propelled.

 

[appnut]

I don't have to yern for the noise, I hear it everytime I mow my yard!! YEE HAW!!

 

[dalangdon]

Rick, I think we had your Lawn Boy! If not, it was darn close. I'd forgotten about that - before my folks added on to their house we used to keep it in the backyard under a tarp, and if it snowed a lot it would get buried - but it always started up in the spring. It wasn't until we got the garage that it started to get picky about starting. Of course, Dad probably stopped winterizing it then ;-)

 

[tolivac]

Now THAT is a REAL Hardware store-what fun!!also love that Wurlitzer #157 band organ-the carousel on the Mall in Wash DC has one just like it! the organ shown was very nicely restored.They are very valueable operational collectors items.Only one company in the US makes band organs now-Stinsen Organ company in Belafontane Ohio.Love those vintage Lawn Boys!!The new ones are NOTHING compared to the vintage ones.I used to have a vintage LB mower-now I wished I still had it.One of the first I owned.

 

[jasonl]

Wurlitzer in your house

OMG! That has gas to be loud! Do those run off of air pressure, like is there a built in compressor the make the music work?

 

[mayken4now]

Rick and Steve:

You both had way too much fun without me their. Yo mammy made you do it.

Ok, well alright then(like steve helicaldrive always says) next time I want to go.

Congrats on the "New" Lawn Boy. How many are you up to? You may have to start the vintage mower club before long.

What about the washers? Did you all have time to play with those any? Pics?

Steve