Thread Number: 3449
Hamilton Dryer on e-Bay
[Down to Last]

automaticwasher.org's exclusive eBay Watch:
scroll >>> for more items --- [As an eBay Partner, eBay may compensate automaticwasher.org if you make a purchase using any link to eBay on this page]
Post# 85528   9/27/2005 at 13:13 (6,757 days old) by geoffdelp (SAUK RAPIDS)        

Not sure if anyone posted this, but here's a Hamilton dryer up for sale. Was Hamilton one of the "first" dryers that were manufactured? This one looks pretty old.

The seller also has an Easy Spin-Dryer for sale.


CLICK HERE TO GO TO geoffdelp's LINK on eBay





Post# 85717 , Reply# 1   9/28/2005 at 08:05 (6,756 days old) by tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

If you notice the flue near the rear corner, that marks this as among the first gas Hamiltons. They initially tried to keep the products of combustion from flowing through the drying chamber so they had the gas burner heat a plate that radiated heat into the tumbling dryer load. The products of combustion were vented into the surrounding air. All of the steamy air was also discharged into the surrounding atmosphere through an opening near the floor at the front. When dryers were first introduced, there was a fear that venting them to the outside would pull so much air out of the house that the house might cave in or suffer less severe structural damage due to low pressure inside. Thus they were vented indirectly:

Hey!! Open a window, yeah, the thing with all of the water running off it or we're gonna die from the fumes.


Post# 85722 , Reply# 2   9/28/2005 at 08:31 (6,756 days old) by gyrafoam (Wytheville, VA)        

Tom, you are killing me! Interesting information though!

Post# 85727 , Reply# 3   9/28/2005 at 08:38 (6,756 days old) by tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

Yes, Hamilton was the first brand of clothes dryer for the home. Ross Moore was the man who perfected the design of having the heat source above the tumbling load. There were previous attempts, but they placed the heat under the load and scorched the items being dried. He finally persuaded a sheet metal shop in Two Rivers, Wisconsin to build it. The early electric models from the late 30s were used in the laundry rooms at Greenbelt Homes, Maryland, one of the Roosevelt Administration's 3 planned towns, the other two being in Ohio and Wisconsin. The former editor of our Belchville News Review died a few of years ago and one of the things that was put out at the curb was a very ancient Hamilton dryer. I know that John took pictures of it when it was in the pickup truck in various stages of disassembly. It was too tired to save, in fact it had been dead for a long time. The first clothes dryers for GE/Hotpint & Frigidaire were obviously Hamiltons. This type of dryer used a patented "Carrier Current" to dry the clothes. They produced very soft laundry that was dried in them. Only water dryers and Filtrators ever duplicated this. Moore discovered that the moisture laden air would sink, partly because the evaporating moisture helped cool it. These dryers pulled air in near the floor, but did not actively pull it into the drying chamber. Instead it mostly pulled the air through the bottom of the machine and the vacuum of the air being pulled across the lower opening of the drying chamber pulled the cooler, wetter air out of the area above. The steamy air that was taken away was replaced by some of the cooler air being pulled into the dryer. The dryer load was kept in a hot steamy atmosphere with a very gentle air current while the faster moving air carried away the moisture, not by directly passing through the drying clothes, but by removing the moisture from the air in which the clothes were drying. After 1957, few dryers used this method. The designs went to high airflow and much lower heats which heat sensitive synthetic fabrics required.

Post# 85790 , Reply# 4   9/28/2005 at 14:15 (6,756 days old) by tlee618 ()        

Tom, you are amazing, that is such an interesting account of the first dryer. I am so glad that you are back posting on the club. Terry

Post# 85801 , Reply# 5   9/28/2005 at 16:30 (6,756 days old) by geoffdelp (SAUK RAPIDS)        

Tom ... thank you!! Can you imagine what homemakers felt when they were able to buy and use a dryer for the first time?

Now, did Hamilton just produce the dryer for a time without producing a washer? If that is true, this type of dryer must have been "cross-sold" with a conventional washer.

Thanks again Tom ... you are a WEALTH of great info!!


Post# 85804 , Reply# 6   9/28/2005 at 16:42 (6,756 days old) by maytagbear (N.E. Ohio)        
There were Hamilton washers...

I don't know if they were made by Hamilton, or if they were rebadged units.

The washers never seemed to be as popular (at least around here) as the dryers. I knew of three Hamilton dryers, two gas, one electric, and they are all long gone.


Lawrence/Maytagbear


Post# 85807 , Reply# 7   9/28/2005 at 16:52 (6,756 days old) by goatfarmer (South Bend, home of Champions)        

goatfarmer's profile picture
The thing I remember about Hamilton gas dryers was opening the access door,and looking in a mirror to light the pilot.

Post# 85842 , Reply# 8   9/28/2005 at 19:02 (6,756 days old) by appnut (TX)        

appnut's profile picture
Tom, thanks for the comments. I'm riveted to my screen and chair everytime you comment about something here or the Laundry forum. Your font of knowledge puts one in awe. You are an individual who truely eats, breathes, and lives our fascination.

Bob


Post# 85870 , Reply# 9   9/28/2005 at 21:12 (6,756 days old) by brent-aucoin ()        

Tom,
You are such a wealth of information!
I love reading your post!
Thanks for your comments and giving to the group!
Where in the world did you learn all of this stuff?
I have a question for you.
The gas Hotpoint that is in the DC warehouse, is that a drying principle of the early Hamiltons?
I remember looking into it, and thought that the drum was so different. It was only a strong mesh, with tumblers.
I would love to see a dryer like this work.
I have a thing for dryers. Especially the early gas and electric models.
Thanks again.
Brent


Post# 85872 , Reply# 10   9/28/2005 at 21:15 (6,756 days old) by brent-aucoin ()        

Peter,
Is this the same as your ABC O Matic Gas dryer?
Brent


Post# 85880 , Reply# 11   9/28/2005 at 21:47 (6,756 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)        

toggleswitch's profile picture
Way cool and fascinating, thank you Mr. Tom!

I always wanted to hear about the first dryer!



Post# 85882 , Reply# 12   9/28/2005 at 21:56 (6,756 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)        

toggleswitch's profile picture
I am going to have to read that awesome description a few times to visualize it, ---but humor me here--

It appears perhaps that there was no fan pushing air through the durm. I gather it was an induved convetion air-current? Is this possible?

Reading the above, knowing how today's dryers work, is like trying to to visualize why self-cleaning gas stoves were a challenge to creat and build. Once you know how the issues were resolved and know how things adn engineering generally work now, it is hard to go backwards in time and "see" the engineering challenges.


Post# 85894 , Reply# 13   9/28/2005 at 22:47 (6,756 days old) by spiralactivator ()        

Did the later Hamiltons (like the '60s models with the big half-moon window) have the same drying principles as the early models? The dryers turn up occasionally, but the washers seem very rare. Has anyone here ever used a Hamilton washer?

Post# 85968 , Reply# 14   9/29/2005 at 11:36 (6,755 days old) by tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

Your effusive thanks received and greatly appreciated, but stop. Thanks.
Last first; Those half moon window dryers were Franklin built things and had a lot of GE in the design.

Norge made Hamilton washers with those poor aluminum pumps that did not hold up at all. The first dryers were the original "goes with anything" because there was no washer made to go with them. A lot of them were teamed up with Bendix Automatic Home Laundry washers for the very latest in pre and immediately post WWII home laundering. The early models with the controls on the front are actually taller than a washer because what did Hamilton know from automatic washers? It still was not as tall as a Bendix sitting on a hunk of concrete.

Brent; The little old Hotpint is an electric dryer, in fact it is the one with the squiggley Filtrator heating elements from the "bend to fit" school. It's the one where almost all you hear is the air from the blower. These early dryers used perforated drums so that the radiant heat could get in from the side. The Hamilton has a galvanized drum. Filtrators used a porcelain one. That funny Westinghouse dryer with the red auto-dry dial with the numbers from 1 to 10, (Bake to Broil) I think, has a white perforated drum. The old Blackstone, the pre-1957 GEs, Maytags before Halo of Heat and old ABC-O-MATICs were perforated drum style dryers also. Manufacturers quickly learned that if you used a solid wall drum, you did not have to have an outer tub around it so that saved steel and weight.

Toggle; you deduced correctly. The main air current was actually drawn past the drying chamber, but there was a way for make up air to enter. It would be a necessity for the later gas models to have some air come in around the burner to support combustion.

I have a late 50s / early 60s electric Hamilton still with the rectangular door window that needs some parts. If anyone finds one in decent shape, I need the drum clean out plug and the slider bar for the pulley in back and a couple of other things, but I will buy the complete dryer and do what's necessary to move it. Mine looked really nice and had the back screwed on so we never thought it had major parts missing, sort of like the 1956 Philco dryer with the funny shaped door and that big timer in the middle of the contol panel. It looked great, but when we opened the back, it had no pulley, no belt; so sad. Really sad because we were at one of those "filled it wall to wall and bottom to top" points in our long relationship with Public Storage and John was weeding the collection.


Post# 85992 , Reply# 15   9/29/2005 at 13:51 (6,755 days old) by peterh770 (Marietta, GA)        

peterh770's profile picture
My ABC Dryer is a 1952-53 model...

Post# 86114 , Reply# 16   9/30/2005 at 06:13 (6,754 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)        

toggleswitch's profile picture
PH:

Do we on the site have pics available?

HUH HUH HUH?


Tks,
Toggle


Post# 86115 , Reply# 17   9/30/2005 at 06:15 (6,754 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)        

toggleswitch's profile picture
Thanks Tom-

I am truly intrigued and have to play my "Mystery Guest" routine on someone that has one.


Post# 86145 , Reply# 18   9/30/2005 at 10:50 (6,754 days old) by peterh770 (Marietta, GA)        

peterh770's profile picture
It's been there all along... :)

CLICK HERE TO GO TO peterh770's LINK


Post# 86198 , Reply# 19   9/30/2005 at 15:53 (6,754 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)        

toggleswitch's profile picture
Cool, but take it's back panel off and show me the money !
or maybe stick the cam in the port hole.


Who luvs ya baby?


Post# 88434 , Reply# 20   10/12/2005 at 09:29 (6,742 days old) by peterh770 (Marietta, GA)        

peterh770's profile picture
I HAVE THE BEST SISTER IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO peterh770's LINK on eBay


Post# 88445 , Reply# 21   10/12/2005 at 10:14 (6,742 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
Wow Peter, is your sister planning on drying in her new Hamilton Dryer?

Post# 88447 , Reply# 22   10/12/2005 at 10:20 (6,742 days old) by peterh770 (Marietta, GA)        

peterh770's profile picture
LOL!!! I kinda doubt it! She sent me a very loving email this morning, saying "Merry &^%$# Christmas, you @*&#^! Now, what the *&^%$ do I do with it."

She got it for $20. The last dryer I got this inexpensively was lost in a hurricane. I better get this one shipped to me quick!

If someone can look up the weight and measurements of this dryer for me and post them here, I would greatly appreaciate it.


Post# 88461 , Reply# 23   10/12/2005 at 13:26 (6,742 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)        
I guess my

jetcone's profile picture
Email too you did not spoil the surprise! YAY!

I thought it was you bidding!

jet


Post# 88462 , Reply# 24   10/12/2005 at 13:28 (6,742 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)        
AS Jacke Benny would say

jetcone's profile picture
"I mean really...how many Haritatos washer collectors can there be in the world today? Really!"



Post# 88463 , Reply# 25   10/12/2005 at 13:28 (6,742 days old) by westytoploader ()        

YAY! Congratulations Peter on the Hamilton! I know you'll be able to restore this beauty and get it away from "fire-hazard status"! Happy vintage drying!

Post# 88513 , Reply# 26   10/12/2005 at 16:48 (6,742 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        
Oooooh, congrats on the dryer!!

gansky1's profile picture
This dryer is 8 feet wide, 6 feet tall, 5 feet deep and weighs 8794 pounds! Craters and Freighters will certainly have a merry christmas..


Post# 88552 , Reply# 27   10/12/2005 at 19:58 (6,742 days old) by filterflo (Chicago Area)        

Great dryer Peter, so glad to see you got it. I have an owners manual for one of these in case you need it......Christmas came early for you this year!

Post# 88676 , Reply# 28   10/13/2005 at 09:48 (6,741 days old) by peterh770 (Marietta, GA)        

peterh770's profile picture
Thanks everyone!

Greg, helpful comments like that will never get you a Timeline. While I call C&F to get my dryer shipped, I'll cancel the order to sent you the Norge. Hrumph! That'll larn ya! ;)


Post# 88693 , Reply# 29   10/13/2005 at 10:47 (6,741 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)        

toggleswitch's profile picture
Congrats....

What a cool gift!



Post# 88822 , Reply# 30   10/14/2005 at 06:34 (6,740 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)        

toggleswitch's profile picture
and you know perfect PH, we will REQUIRE MANY photos
up, down sideways, through the back etc.

MAZEL-TOV.

I personally CAN'T WAIT to see this thing up close.

You DO have gas service don't ya? LOL






Post# 88860 , Reply# 31   10/14/2005 at 13:09 (6,740 days old) by peterh770 (Marietta, GA)        

peterh770's profile picture
Yes, I do have gas service, but not to the laundry room. I was going to have a line or two installed when I had my house replumbed 2 years ago, but my plumber skipped town when the police got after him, and I haven't gotten around to it since...

Post# 89351 , Reply# 32   10/17/2005 at 20:43 (6,737 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)        

toggleswitch's profile picture
All kidding aside, have you not considered doing it yourself?

(We are a manly lot, are we not?)

Since I usually detect leaks better than anyone, I tend to do great leak-free work, .....and to code.

I actually had to connect my own gas dryer in my early 20's and survived. Progressed from there. Have thread sealant, will travel. (BTW, there is now teflon tape for this!!!)




Post# 89357 , Reply# 33   10/17/2005 at 21:02 (6,737 days old) by fixerman ()        

Actually I don't think teflon tape is recommended for gas pipes. Use the paste type redommended for gas hookup. If using copper with flare fittings do not seal the threads on the flare nut. the seal is made by the flare tightened against the fitting.


Forum Index:       Other Forums:                      



Comes to the Rescue!

The Discuss-o-Mat has stopped, buzzer is sounding!!!
If you would like to reply to this thread please log-in...

Discuss-O-MAT Log-In



New Members
Click Here To Sign Up.



                     


automaticwasher.org home
Discuss-o-Mat Forums
Vintage Brochures, Service and Owners Manuals
Fun Vintage Washer Ephemera
See It Wash!
Video Downloads
Audio Downloads
Picture of the Day
Patent of the Day
Photos of our Collections
The Old Aberdeen Farm
Vintage Service Manuals
Vintage washer/dryer/dishwasher to sell?
Technical/service questions?
Looking for Parts?
Website related questions?
Digital Millennium Copyright Act Policy
Our Privacy Policy