Thread Number: 8161
Lil' different sorta mini collection
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Post# 155914   9/21/2006 at 00:40 (6,398 days old) by northwesty (Renton, WA)        

Well, not a lot of variety here but I thought they would look nice all in a row. I really like the look of these old '49-'51 Kenmores. I want to thank Greg – Gansky1 for trusting me to give the one set a good home and to Chris in St. Louis who originally saved and put together the same set. I plan on having them all hooked up and working in a now storage room soon to be altered. I think it will be most practical to have more than one washing machine.






Post# 155915 , Reply# 1   9/21/2006 at 00:44 (6,398 days old) by northwesty (Renton, WA)        
Dryers

The one dryer was originally from Washington, made the trip to St. Louis, then to Nebraska, then back to Washington, so it is quite the traveler.

Post# 155916 , Reply# 2   9/21/2006 at 00:48 (6,398 days old) by northwesty (Renton, WA)        
Lighted control

Hey, don't laugh

Post# 155917 , Reply# 3   9/21/2006 at 00:52 (6,398 days old) by northwesty (Renton, WA)        
Here are some action shots

filling

Post# 155918 , Reply# 4   9/21/2006 at 00:57 (6,398 days old) by northwesty (Renton, WA)        
Washing

Uh-oh, one is going faster than the other

Post# 155919 , Reply# 5   9/21/2006 at 01:02 (6,398 days old) by northwesty (Renton, WA)        
Spin

Clanking solenoids!

Post# 155920 , Reply# 6   9/21/2006 at 01:06 (6,398 days old) by northwesty (Renton, WA)        
Here are some process shots.

The dials were sorta beat up so I stripped all the paint off, then spray painted with appliance paint. I’m not quite done and will have to do a few over.


Post# 155921 , Reply# 7   9/21/2006 at 01:11 (6,398 days old) by northwesty (Renton, WA)        
Before and after

Rather a painstaking process of carefully applying paint with a fine brush and wiping off the excess.

That's the timer dial one on the right. Actually, one of the timers on the dryers is no good, so if anyone out there has a replacement I would be interested. It has been rebuilt twice by Midwest and they can’t fix it. Thanks


Post# 155923 , Reply# 8   9/21/2006 at 01:17 (6,398 days old) by northwesty (Renton, WA)        
One shot of the restorations.

Most of the machines are in good shape, but I do scrape and clean the inside and apply Hammerite rust stop paint to the problem areas.

One sad note. The agitator in one of the machines did have a crack in it and unfortunately didn’t even make it through this first test wash. So if anyone has a 50s Kenmore or Whirlpool agitator they would be willing to part with let me know. I have a feeling these parts are not going to be let go of by the folks that have them, but no harm in asking. Thanks and thanks for looking!


Post# 155924 , Reply# 9   9/21/2006 at 01:27 (6,398 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)        

gansky1's profile picture
Wow- these machines look great! Your painstaking work on the finer details will make them just like they were on the Sears sales floor!

For the dryer timers, the S-5143 original part number was converted to # 235380 and this interchanges with about 15 models in the parts books so that would lead me to believe that many of the dryer timers probably used the same timer-motors. There are a couple of other timer rebuild services out there, I'm sure someone here will have that info.


Post# 155929 , Reply# 10   9/21/2006 at 01:46 (6,398 days old) by agiflow ()        

Those Kenmores are beautiful!!...excellent work!

Post# 155935 , Reply# 11   9/21/2006 at 03:08 (6,398 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands)        

foraloysius's profile picture
Amazing, you did a fine job on these machines! How fun it is to have two exactly the same sets. Hope you will share pictures of the laundry room when it's finished.

Post# 155939 , Reply# 12   9/21/2006 at 04:09 (6,398 days old) by sudsman ()        
HOW NICE

You have done a super job , You would make Ma Kenmore VERY proud. I can see thoes big smiley dentures right now...

Post# 155952 , Reply# 13   9/21/2006 at 06:18 (6,398 days old) by christfr (st louis mo)        
aww

christfr's profile picture
aww how cool is that.. am so glad you like them am sure greg and i know i feel very safe in knowing that you have them and will take good care of them.. am very happy for you!! they are like jewels in the crown

Post# 155954 , Reply# 14   9/21/2006 at 06:29 (6,398 days old) by swestoyz (Cedar Falls, IA)        
A Double Date!

swestoyz's profile picture
What a fun set of machines! I love the overhead shot you took - that trademark Kenmore agitation at it again. Great job on the resto work - I'm very impressed with all the detail that went into those dials.

Ben


Post# 155961 , Reply# 15   9/21/2006 at 07:34 (6,397 days old) by westyslantfront ()        

Hi Brian. Your machines look great. Thank you for the pictures.

Ross


Post# 155966 , Reply# 16   9/21/2006 at 07:48 (6,397 days old) by mayken4now (Panama City, Florida)        

mayken4now's profile picture
Brian, wonderful machines. They are so cool, the 4 of them.

Steve


Post# 155969 , Reply# 17   9/21/2006 at 07:52 (6,397 days old) by danoz74 ()        
Wow

They look beautiful and all shiny new.. I can just picture a lovely 50's housewife, valium'd off her tree, ready to process her family's washing ;-)
BTW, I noticed the whitewalls on the covered car outside your garage...? You restore cars too?



Post# 155992 , Reply# 18   9/21/2006 at 09:20 (6,397 days old) by jasonl (Cookeville, TN)        
Yay for early Kenmores

What beautiful machines you have.

Post# 156004 , Reply# 19   9/21/2006 at 10:02 (6,397 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis)        

unimatic1140's profile picture
Brian the machines all look factory fresh. I love the work you are doing on the control dials! It's just fantastic.

Post# 156012 , Reply# 20   9/21/2006 at 10:13 (6,397 days old) by retroguy ()        
In a word....WOW!!!

Looks like they couldn't be in a better home!

Post# 156073 , Reply# 21   9/21/2006 at 13:58 (6,397 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

frigilux's profile picture
Brian--- The four machines look great together in a row like that. You've got your own little laundromat with vintage machines! Hope you're able to find an agitator soon. Excellent work; they look fantastic!

Post# 156083 , Reply# 22   9/21/2006 at 15:36 (6,397 days old) by brastemp (Brazil)        

Congratulations...

Post# 156141 , Reply# 23   9/21/2006 at 19:32 (6,397 days old) by rickr (.)        
Talk about a matched set....

rickr's profile picture
Or am I seeing double?? lol! Great job restoring these Brian! They will be lots of fun! Thanks for the photos, and enjoy those "Frog Eye" Kenmores

Post# 156147 , Reply# 24   9/21/2006 at 19:45 (6,397 days old) by pdub (Portland, Oregon)        

pdub's profile picture
Great work Brian, and what a score getting 2 matching complete sets. Unbelievable! So, you're saving room for other things too, right?!!!

Patrick


Post# 156150 , Reply# 25   9/21/2006 at 19:53 (6,397 days old) by northwesty (Renton, WA)        

Yes Patrick I still have the laundry room proper to take care of.

Rickr - I think the "frog eye -- one eyed frog" Kenmore is the one after these, or is it?. Is there a slang name for these? I did see "bull nose" (as in tile lingo?) used once, I think.

Brian


Post# 156168 , Reply# 26   9/21/2006 at 20:56 (6,397 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY)        

toggleswitch's profile picture
GAWGEOUS, just GAWGEOUS!

Post# 156179 , Reply# 27   9/21/2006 at 21:50 (6,397 days old) by westytoploader ()        

Wow Brian, what beautiful Kenmores, pretty soon you'll be setting up a vintage Sears showroom! Those timer knobs came out very neat.

Post# 156182 , Reply# 28   9/21/2006 at 21:52 (6,397 days old) by rickr (.)        

rickr's profile picture
Hi Brian, the models you have were called (slang) "frog eye" and the model after those was (slang) "target" or "bulls eye" I like all the Kenmores from the 50's and 60's. And you have some very nice early examples there.


Post# 156228 , Reply# 29   9/22/2006 at 00:49 (6,397 days old) by eddy1210 (Burnaby BC Canada)        
Great!

eddy1210's profile picture
Hi Brian, these are really nice Kenmores. You need an agitator? I have a spare black bakelite one for you. One trip to Seattle, I will take it down for you.


Post# 156277 , Reply# 30   9/22/2006 at 08:41 (6,396 days old) by northwesty (Renton, WA)        
Thank you Eddy!

Is there going to be a get-together here in Oct. anyway? I haven't heard anything more about it.

Post# 156373 , Reply# 31   9/22/2006 at 16:07 (6,396 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)        
How nice

mickeyd's profile picture
Warmed my heart to see the "SUDS" cycle on you shiney dial. Younger folk don't like to hear that almsot everyone had a "SUDS" on their Kenmore or
Whirlpool back in the day. Your machines are beautiful. Give youself the joy and pleasure of installing at least one of them where you can use the suds-return. In those early models, it operates at the fast-- aka, only-- speed. In later years the suds-return worked only at the slow speed. Kinda boring. But in your machines, watching the water gush through the holes with the agitator in full swing is something to see.


Post# 156391 , Reply# 32   9/22/2006 at 16:49 (6,396 days old) by customline (pennsylvania)        
They're Greeeaaaaaat!!

You did a nice job. I've never seen so many vintage Kenmores in one day. As for the timer, try Reeco timer in Palm Bay Florida. The number is (321) 952-1889.

Post# 156443 , Reply# 33   9/22/2006 at 21:54 (6,396 days old) by drmitch ()        

These are so cute and look great! Do I spy a classic car under that cover outside. It looks like a wide whitewall sticking out! :)


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