Thread Number: 74061  /  Tag: Vintage Dishwashers
"Home, James!"
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Post# 978421   1/15/2018 at 08:18 (2,263 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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Or perhaps I should say "a James has been re-homed".  However you want to say it, that James Sweepflow dishwasher that surfaced in New Jersey made it safely to Ogden yesterday. It was one of my classic marathon road trips to get to New Jersey and back in a day but I did it!


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Post# 978422 , Reply# 1   1/15/2018 at 08:23 (2,263 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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I apologize for the awful pictures. I was dog-tired and all I have is my phone camera. Not good with my shakes and shudders but I just wanted to give an overview of the dishwasher.


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Post# 978423 , Reply# 2   1/15/2018 at 08:26 (2,263 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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As you can see, I will want to replace the power cord before I do anything!

I was amazed to see the water softener dispenser glass still there and I did not expect there to be a silverware basket!


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Post# 978424 , Reply# 3   1/15/2018 at 08:32 (2,263 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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It may be unfounded but I can't help but think I may be missing a rack section for the upper racking setup. What I seem to have doesn't jibe with what I read in the manual found in the library here. However that could be what came with this model.  No specific mention that it is a 'Deluxe' or a 'Premiere'.  Someone here will know!!  Mine has BDL on the nameplate.


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Post# 978429 , Reply# 4   1/15/2018 at 09:19 (2,263 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)        

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YAY !!!

Made it back in one piece. (You and Phil that is) And the machine too.

Look forward to seeing videos of that baby with the already DeLuxe Glass Lid.



Post# 978431 , Reply# 5   1/15/2018 at 09:34 (2,263 days old) by pulltostart (Mobile, AL)        

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Great catch!  Looks to be in nice shape from your photos.  But, I hope this one doesn't 'break in line' and get ahead of the 1957 GE.....

 

lawrence


Post# 978438 , Reply# 6   1/15/2018 at 11:24 (2,263 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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Eddie: I wound up doing the trip alone - we had a freezing rain followed by heavy snow event here and it hit Phil's neck of the woods WAY worse than Ogden...  Well, I got to see a part of New Jersey I had not previously been to!

 

Lawrence: Ah, you know me too well... LOL  The GE is cold and lonely in the garage but the new interloper is in the 'forbidden zone' in Ogden, so it has to go the basement soon.  Poor GE.... 

 

And I think I've answered my question about the upper rack.  The section with 'loops' for glassware sits on supports to go right down the middle of the machine, like I set the one on mine.  I was thinking of ads showing the James well and truly Bob-Loaded where a large platter was face down on the very top of the well-loaded upper rack - I think such a platter could simply sit on the middle rise of that rack section.  I'll play with it at some point to test its capacity... LOL

 

And, upon re-reading the manual, I seem to think the Deluxe model did not have the 'steri-cycle dry' switch.  I could be wrong (usually am... LOL).   I told hubby about the latter feature and he assures me he won't be bringing home any vials or beakers from his lab for me to wash for him anytime soon...

 


Post# 978443 , Reply# 7   1/15/2018 at 11:44 (2,263 days old) by firedome (Binghamton NY & Lake Champlain VT)        
Nice find Paul!

firedome's profile picture
that has got to be a pretty rare machine... have fun!


Post# 978444 , Reply# 8   1/15/2018 at 11:58 (2,263 days old) by peteski50 (New York)        
James!

peteski50's profile picture
Paul this is a really great dishwasher for the size! Seems like you can get a decent amount of dishes in. Keep us posted on the performance! Best Of Luck!
Peter



Post# 978455 , Reply# 9   1/15/2018 at 13:24 (2,263 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City)        

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Wow! A rare one indeed! How long did it take you to drive one way? Just curious.


Post# 978456 , Reply# 10   1/15/2018 at 13:33 (2,263 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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Counting stops at the border, gas fill-ups, and bladder emptyings, 7 hours 15 minutes.  The return trip took 7 1/2 hours and Garmina, my passive-aggressive GPS bot, sent me over cowpaths and deer trails diagonally across New York state to upstate Vermont.  On the way down, it was more or less I91 all the way (and I got to see the renewed Tappan Zee bridge!). 


Post# 978469 , Reply# 11   1/15/2018 at 15:37 (2,263 days old) by cuffs054 (MONTICELLO, GA)        

Paul, how does the "water conditioner" work? Never saw anything like that.

tom


Post# 978471 , Reply# 12   1/15/2018 at 15:51 (2,263 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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Tom, I am not 100% sure, but I think the way it worked was that the glass was loaded with Calgon (the water softener additive) and the spray-fill would drop water into the glass and siphon it out as the water continued to flow.  I've seen the feature referred to in ads for the James("No more hard-water spots" was the blurb used) but I haven't seen one in action...yet!   

 

I will swear that I have seen a detergent dispenser glass for the James, too, but I'll be darned if I can find anything about it.  The manual I downloaded instructs the user to sprinkle detergent directly into the wash tub.  

 

This is going to be an adventure!!  


Post# 978491 , Reply# 13   1/15/2018 at 18:47 (2,263 days old) by jamiel (Detroit, Michigan and Palm Springs, CA)        

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I grew up when I was very small (4-7 years old) with one of these. It was the lower-end model (no Sterile-dry; no dispensers). My parents' plates (Centura) fit in slant-ways, glasses fit on the racks on both sides. I don't recall how cutlery was handled. My mom definitely put the detergent in the bottom of the dishwasher (I remember feeling comforted that the Sears Kenmore they bought in about 1970 did indeed have a dispenser). The drain hose (which was separate from the fill hose--i.e. no unicouple) had a wire hook on the end to hook onto the drain grate so it wouldn't dislodge when it pumped out). The D-shaped "JAMES" timer knob was definitely the same...the straight section was how the glass lid popped up to dry. I don't recall whether you could close the lid fully without turning the knob--I seem to recall my mom running the dishwasher right after dinner.

Post# 978494 , Reply# 14   1/15/2018 at 18:59 (2,263 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)        

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Congrats Paul! I hope I’ll see this in person next week!

Post# 978514 , Reply# 15   1/15/2018 at 22:39 (2,263 days old) by potatochips ( )        

Congratulations, Paul! Nice, RARE, find too. That rinse aid dispenser is very cool. Show us the maiden wash as soon as you can!

Post# 979175 , Reply# 16   1/20/2018 at 15:35 (2,258 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        
Inside the James...

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Over the years I actually have learned a few things about a test plan for vintage appliances ( usually the hard way). Instead of just plugging them in and hoping for the best, I try to do a least a little investigating first now....

And here's what I found with the James!


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Post# 979176 , Reply# 17   1/20/2018 at 15:39 (2,258 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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First, someone had saved me the bother of replacing the fill and drain hoses and not all that long ago either.  The connectors were replaced most professionally!


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Post# 979178 , Reply# 18   1/20/2018 at 15:43 (2,258 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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I was surprised by this - it's a timing mechanism run off the drive motor that puts James through his cycles. Shades of early GE fully automatic dishwashers.


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Post# 979180 , Reply# 19   1/20/2018 at 15:46 (2,258 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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A Packard motor! Fun!!

And a separate drain pump - didn't expect to see that.


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Post# 979181 , Reply# 20   1/20/2018 at 15:47 (2,258 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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I changed the power cord and hooked up the water supply.... wahoo!!


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Post# 979182 , Reply# 21   1/20/2018 at 15:51 (2,258 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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It was worth a test cycle just to flush the crud from storage out.  I was glad I did a pre-wash inspection of the tub, too. A nail file?? Eeesh!


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Post# 979184 , Reply# 22   1/20/2018 at 15:55 (2,258 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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Like the GE with the timing mechanism that runs off the motor, the James cycle is short.  I learned during a dry test that there is a water level switch which must be closed in order to start washing. Fortunately it worked!  Main wash was about 5 minutes, a first rinse was about 3 minutes then the heater kicked in for the "sterile-dry cycle". 


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Post# 979185 , Reply# 23   1/20/2018 at 15:57 (2,258 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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The dishwasher paused for about 12 minutes and the water got good and hot.  It was real steamy in the tub!!


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Post# 979187 , Reply# 24   1/20/2018 at 16:02 (2,258 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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A shortish final rinse and the cycle ended.  I realized when the lid popped what an odd piece of metal I had found in the tub was: the optional lid support....


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Post# 979189 , Reply# 25   1/20/2018 at 16:06 (2,258 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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I shot some videos on my phone but I am not sure how to upload them to YouTube. I'll try that tomorrow.  

But funnily enough, the person I bought the dishwasher from asked me if I knew what year the dishwasher might be from. I had a gut feeling it was 1954 or 1955.

Damn, I'm good... 1954 is very poorly represented in the collection!


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Post# 979204 , Reply# 26   1/20/2018 at 17:50 (2,258 days old) by akronman (Akron/Cleveland Ohio)        
Amazing

akronman's profile picture
And thanks for the pics and explanations. These are so rare, most of us will never see one live.

THANK YOU


Post# 979320 , Reply# 27   1/21/2018 at 12:00 (2,257 days old) by appnut (TX)        

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Paul, I'm so thrilled you were able to land this rare beauty and got it up and working so quickly!!!


Post# 980029 , Reply# 28   1/26/2018 at 16:46 (2,252 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        
Time for a test wash!

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I was itchin' to try a test wash and having a fellow collector visit really made me want to show off the 54 James Sweepflow dishwasher.


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Post# 980030 , Reply# 29   1/26/2018 at 16:51 (2,252 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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Full disclosure - most of the dishes in this test load were just dusty.  I did pull a couple out of the 56 GE to make a full load. 

It's pretty snug in there!  I used the rectangular cutlery basket instead of laying it in the wells of the bottom rack.  However I could see needing to do this with a bigger dish load.


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Post# 980031 , Reply# 30   1/26/2018 at 16:53 (2,252 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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And away we go!


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Post# 980032 , Reply# 31   1/26/2018 at 17:02 (2,252 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        

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I apologize for the lack of video - I'll upload the video footage I have taken next week when I have a better internet connection.  

James ran through his cycle fine. The water splash on the lid was considerably less than when I ran the machine sans dishes. Still sounded like a B52 though.  And during the final sterile rinse, the machine paused to reheat the water.

Results?  Well....

I didn't show the before picture but the bowls had severely dried-on oatmeal. I am kinda surprised only a little shmutz was left. Plates, cutlery, and cups seem just fine. The glasses are still drying as I write this - we'll see how they turn out.

I think I have a new 'dinner party' dishwasher here.  The Inglis will be sad but c'est la vie!


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Post# 980075 , Reply# 32   1/27/2018 at 06:04 (2,251 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)        

toploader55's profile picture
That Glass Cover will provide extra entertainment for your guests.

Looks Great. Hey Phil.


Post# 980082 , Reply# 33   1/27/2018 at 07:41 (2,251 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)        

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I was quite thrilled to see this!

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Post# 980087 , Reply# 34   1/27/2018 at 09:19 (2,251 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        
James' report card...

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And it's not great...  I would have to give the machine a 'C' based on the first test wash.  The dusty plates and cups were fine but the cutlery did not clean very well and it as well as the glasses were surprisingly spotty.  And I have soft water in Ogden!  The water left on the glasses was no doubt the culprit.  I seem to recall a Consumer Reports style rating from the mid-50s that ranked the American Kitchens (D&M) as a better performer than the James. The 64 Inglis would definitely out-perform it....

To be fair, I would like to try a load of dishes where food soils have not dried on.  Next time I have a gang for a dinner party will be the test.

In the meantime, James can stay in the basement and keep the 47 Bendix, the sick 55 Frigidaire and 56 Norge washers, and the 57 ABC company.


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Post# 980088 , Reply# 35   1/27/2018 at 09:32 (2,251 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

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Excellent work, Paul!  Glad it was an "easy" one to get working.  They are really fun to watch but do leave a bit to be desired in the scrubbing.   That's ok, forgiveness comes easily with vintage technology ;-)


Post# 980089 , Reply# 36   1/27/2018 at 09:34 (2,251 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)        

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A small video...






Post# 980090 , Reply# 37   1/27/2018 at 09:38 (2,251 days old) by PhilR (Quebec Canada)        

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Paul, if you don't like the results, you know who likes poor performing dishwashers!

As long as they have an interesting washing action or they make funny noises, I don't care much about the actual washing results! As long as they don't leak too much water on the floor, it's fine for me!!

;-)


Post# 980091 , Reply# 38   1/27/2018 at 09:43 (2,251 days old) by toploader55 (Massachusetts Sand Bar, Cape Cod)        

toploader55's profile picture
Very Nice Phil

Thank You.


Post# 980423 , Reply# 39   1/29/2018 at 13:46 (2,249 days old) by Jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers)        
that’s a fun machine

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To watch and hear run!

Post# 980444 , Reply# 40   1/29/2018 at 15:39 (2,249 days old) by turquoisedude (.)        
Some video

turquoisedude's profile picture

I threw together a kind of documentary about the James dishwasher along with some video footage I shot while testing the James.  I gotta get a new camera... hopefully by the time I attempt to complete the '57 GE washer and dryer set restoration!  

 






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