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Thread Number: 16115
The Beggining of a Project |
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| Post# 268792 , Reply# 1 3/10/2008 at 18:09 (5,890 days old) by timonator () | ||
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The Dryer Control Panel Not only Does it have to be "Elevated" from the Top of the Dryer the colors have to be changed to match the washer... 
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Post# 268949 , Reply# 4 3/11/2008 at 09:11 (5,889 days old) by bajaespuma  (Connecticut) |
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More than you probably wanted to know
The best answer I can give you about raised control panels, is that they started out as a marketing design feature. GE and Frigidaire were among the pioneers of what Frigidaire labeled "The Sheer Look" and to get away from the dumpy old "air-stream" design look of the early fifties, everything got squared off, cabinetry and control panels. To emphasize the "space-age" design of their goods, many manufacturers raised control panels on posts, GE took this to an extreme using this trick on stoves as well. I imagine that some design wag pitched that it would remind consumers of friendly anthropomorphic robots familiar from sci-fi movies of the day and grab attention to their models on showroom floors where they had to compete with hundreds of other similar appliances. In the beginning, GE used the raised control panel as a premium feature of TOL models. Your dryer, I'm betting, was a MOL of 1959, probably a DA720S, essentially similar to the DA620S pictured below, and didn't have the price tag to warrant the lift: 
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Post# 268950 , Reply# 5 3/11/2008 at 09:17 (5,889 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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Your washer was part of the 1960 GE "Golden Anniversary -T" line and GE's marketing was apparently working for them and so everything got a lift. Your washer panel is painted gold and it is essentially an iteration of the 1959 version (the following illustration is the best I've been able to come up with so far from memory, research and this club. I've seen the 1055 T and the 855T on this site, we owned a 650T, neighbors owned the 550T; the 950T and the 750T are extrapolations from repair manuals and consecutive model year lines):
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Post# 268952 , Reply# 6 3/11/2008 at 09:22 (5,889 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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By 1963, GE doesn't quite know what it's doing. Consumer's Reports had criticized GE, Norge, Wizard and lots of others who make washers and dryers with raised control panels. By next year, nothing will have a raised control panel because GE will totally redesign their machines and feature a control panel style that they will have until the 1990's with some small changes along the way. I remember this vividly because my Mother bought my Grandmother the (I assume)WA750X which was the 1963 version of our raised panel WA750W.
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Post# 268954 , Reply# 8 3/11/2008 at 09:31 (5,889 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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What this all means is:
Your washer and dryer, although very similar, weren't a pair. Even though it is NONE of my business, I'd leave the colors as they are. By all means restore it and spruce it up, but don't change it. Consider the possibilities that someday you may find the respective mates for your washer and/or your dryer. Also, if you ever want to sell the machine(to me, for example--not kidding), it might have more value in its original scheme. At any rate, enjoy them. I've more than enjoyed the pictures you've posted of them on this site. 
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Post# 268966 , Reply# 10 3/11/2008 at 10:20 (5,889 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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Do me one favor, please | ||
| Post# 269123 , Reply# 11 3/11/2008 at 21:09 (5,888 days old) by timonator () | ||
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Model Number 823T3W Not sure how well this picture is going to come out but take a look 
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| Post# 269125 , Reply# 12 3/11/2008 at 21:12 (5,888 days old) by timonator () | ||
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Things Are Getting Serious Now The point of no return... 
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| Post# 269128 , Reply# 14 3/11/2008 at 21:18 (5,888 days old) by timonator () | ||
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Opps! Model Number Again I left off some numbers 1DA823T3W | ||
| Post# 269181 , Reply# 16 3/12/2008 at 03:08 (5,888 days old) by filterflo (Chicago Area) | ||
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Good progress Tim. Did you find anymore critters on the inside of the cabinet? FYI, GE sells a kit to convert those two front black rubber rollers to nylon glides, the same as in the later model dryers. Doing the glide conversion will make this dryer run a lot smoother........ | ||
| Post# 269221 , Reply# 19 3/12/2008 at 09:13 (5,888 days old) by lesto (Atlanta) | ||
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Are you sure you want to paint that control panel? The turqoise was used on the 1959 model as their timers did have the bluish glow. We had the two cycle, one speed MOL 59 washer that had that identical panel. You might find a 59 washer to match one day and then you'll be sorry! | ||
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Post# 269228 , Reply# 20 3/12/2008 at 09:58 (5,888 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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Tom, I've only seen one GE 950 listed with someting called a "rotary fabric dial" and it was a '61 V model. I think I once saw its dryer mate years ago, before my interest in these things had returned, and I'm still KICKING myself for not grabbing it when I had the chance. Do you have any pictures or brochures on it?
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Post# 269331 , Reply# 22 3/12/2008 at 22:15 (5,887 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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Post# 269566 , Reply# 24 3/14/2008 at 08:34 (5,886 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut) |
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Sweet's catalogues
Two years ago, about the time I joined aw.org, I went to every library in my area, including the Yale Art and Architecture library, where I spent many a happy afternoon decades ago, going through pages and pages of the current Sweet's catalogues, and discovered that, as you said, nobody seems to keep back issues of them, they're just too big to store. I even called Sweet's corporate offices in NYC and was told to forget it. If you know anyone with a collection that goes back to the late fifties, let me know where they are, I'd love to look at them. My next attempt is going to be to GE's museum of electrical innovation in Schenectady NY. I was told they have archives there. We'll see.
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| Post# 269757 , Reply# 25 3/15/2008 at 13:18 (5,885 days old) by timonator () | ||
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To the Non..Believers....its Happening The Control panel is turning GOLD 
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| Post# 269759 , Reply# 26 3/15/2008 at 13:20 (5,885 days old) by timonator () | ||
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Pictures Heres the way it happened 
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| Post# 269764 , Reply# 27 3/15/2008 at 13:27 (5,885 days old) by timonator () | ||
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Step Two This took a couple of times 
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| Post# 269766 , Reply# 28 3/15/2008 at 13:29 (5,885 days old) by timonator () | ||
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Getting Closer Step Three... The major Transformation is complete Ill work on the Details Tomorrow after the paint is nice and dry! 
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| Post# 269779 , Reply# 29 3/15/2008 at 13:56 (5,885 days old) by golittlesport (California) | ||
wow!  | ||
| Post# 269808 , Reply# 30 3/15/2008 at 15:47 (5,885 days old) by filterflo (Chicago Area) | ||
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Great work Tim, I knew you could do it! | ||
| Post# 269834 , Reply# 32 3/15/2008 at 18:47 (5,884 days old) by filterflo (Chicago Area) | ||
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Mike, I emailed you the listing for the GE glide conversion kit. Wanted to make sure you had first choice at it....... | ||
| Post# 269835 , Reply# 33 3/15/2008 at 18:56 (5,884 days old) by rickr (.) | ||
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Post# 269858 , Reply# 35 3/15/2008 at 21:19 (5,884 days old) by appnut (TX) |
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