This "sucks"... the Hoover And Other Vintage Vacuum Cleaners

[RetroToday]

Rottonstone powder, rubbing compound, polishing compound, Mother's polish, and Back to Black and it looks terrific...

You can say that again! A wonderful job scotrace. :eusa_clap

I want to give my Beatty vacuum another polish to get out the tarnish on a few problem areas - maybe I'll try a few of the ones that you used.

 

[Forgotten Man]

The bag has got to go. It says something like "Made for the H Cleaner." It seems too small for the machine and is constructed oddly enough that it doesn't allow a free flow of the air stream at the connecting point.

I know the bag; my vacuum collecting friend has a bag just like that! It's narrow and tapered, has streamlined lines and a big H cleaner on it. Now, this was an early replacement bag for a model 700 or most early pre-40s Hoover's. The original bag I have for my 700 is shaped the same; it's kind of narrow and not very full in cut. When inflated the shape resembles that of a coffin... you know what I mean?

I'm sure it would hang much better with the scissor brace bag clip. The brace would be attached to a "Y" strap that had a hook on it that would attach to the handle. If there are no holes in the bag, hang on to it since it's a period replacement bag... if not, send it to me, I'm sure I could use it!

Other than that, it's looking sharp! I'm glad you like it, they are very quiet as far as vacuums go!

 

[scotrace]

Aha! So it's more legit than I'd assumed. I should know better by now than to make such assumptions! I'll hang onto that bag. Thanks!

I still need to find an original one. I have the scissors bag support but it doesn't seem to be original. I think it may have come with this replacement bag, as the attaching points (torn off on the bag) match. I also need a wheel!

 

[Forgotten Man]

Take a photo of the scissor brace, I'd like to see it... my "original" bag for the 700 is missing the tabs at either corner of the bag too... but no bag brace of any kind came with it... just twine holding it to the handle by the middle tab on the bag. :eusa_doh:

The scissor brace only was used up till 1929; the model 575 was one of the last model vacuums Hoover offered that came with the scissor brace. Chances are its original, they only were two stamped pieces of aluminum with a spring inside and little hooks at each end with a cloth strap at the top.

Post a photo or two of the scissor brace Scott, I'd like to see it!

 

[dhermann1]

I've been seeing this thread get bigger and bigger over the last couple of weeks, and resisting it mightily! I just KNEW I'd get sucked in! p )
But seriously, this has turned into such a fun and interesting discussion.
Many years ago (like 1984) I had a girlfriend who had one of those babies. She claimed it was broken, and couldn't afford to take it to a repairmen. I turned it upside down and looked, and the darn thing was utterly totally clogged with cat hair. I spent about an hour sitting on the floor, prying the thick wads of hair out of it, and pretty soon I plugged it in, and VOILA! She roared into action. I think my GF was more annoyed at me for showing her up (in her mind) than she was grateful to me for fixing it. Anyhow, from that time on it worked like gangbusters. I always wondered whatever became of both GF and vacuum cleaner.
I've resisted the thread because I'm already gonzo over old radios and Telechron clocks. I need another mania like a hole in the head!
However . . . . I think I'll see if my mom's old 40's vintage Electrolux is still in my brother's old garage upstate.

 

[Forgotten Man]

I turned it upside down and looked, and the darn thing was utterly totally clogged with cat hair.

lol I know all about that! We don't have a house cat, but I know when I vacuum the girl friend's room, and the other rugs, the machine will start to slow down some and then I pull off the back plate and see her hair spun around the belt spindle from the motor! I try and check that once in a while so it won’t get too out of hand.

Yeah, like any of us need another hobby or vintage interest, I was sticking to radios and stuff like that but, so much of this old stuff is neat or interesting that I can't seem to stick just to one thing... I have however decided to only keep a select group of each thing I like to collect as a measure to keep the house from being overtaken by collectables.

Keep an eye out on the classifieds section

 

[Forgotten Man]

Any news on your restoration Scott?

 

[scotrace]

Just a bit! I removed the handle and cleaned it completely, got the remaining corrosion off of everything. I made doubly sure the air stream was free and wide open, and polished up the insides everywhere I could reach. Unimpeded air travel means better suction. So now it really does look like new except for a few scrapes in the metal here and there.
And I cleaned up the bag spreader. I'll photograph it tonight. Now I see how it all goes together.

 

[Forgotten Man]

Sounds good Scott! Can't wait to see the photos!

Also, you mentioned once about pushing it on thicker carpet... don't forget that the height of the brushes can be adjusted by the little part at the back of the machine that connects to the back wheels. Just turn it either way and you'll see the head of the machine change height.

 

[dhermann1]

The thing is, it's not only neat and interesting, it often is built better and works better than stuff available in stores today. That's one of the reasons I get such a charge out of all this "vintage" (I hate that word) stuff.

 

[Forgotten Man]

The thing is, it's not only neat and interesting, it often is built better and works better than stuff available in stores today.

Oh I know, I agree with you 100% on that score! That's why I buy this stuff, it donesn't only look neat or is interesting, but the darn stuff works and works well!

"vintage" (I hate that word)

lol lol lol ME TOO! It's burned out, I choose old fashioned, antique, classic or obsolete.

Or, how about "quality" as a replacement for the worn-out term "Vintage"?

 

[scotrace]

The Brace

Quickie Photos.

Hoover seems to have marked every part, and this one has no markings at all. After market piece? This is the way I got it. Hooks at the ends missing, the strap torn.

 

[Forgotten Man]

Ah, you've got an original!

Hoover did mark many parts of theirs with "HOOVER" on the wheels, the chassis of course, the "H" on the switch, and even the plug! But, they knew when too much was too much! lol

My scissor bag clip isn't marked with "HOOVER" either. The strap looks pretty old; the strap on mine is pretty tired too but is still in one piece. The little hooks at each end would have been the exact same ones that hold the strap to the clip. Go to a hardware store and see if they have any small gage clips like that. They may have something close to it.

By 1930-31 the scissor set-up was gone. HOOVER went with a standard clip with a cloth strap that would retract on a spring-wheel in the handle. It's very possible that they did offer aftermarket parts for these earlier models of HOOVER but, it most likely didn't last many years. Since most "reconditioned" HOOVER's of this vintage have 40s-50s bag clips and cloth bags it's safe to say that they didn't offer many '20s replacement parts past the 30s.

When you have time, run to a yardage store and pickup some cotton herringbone cloth that will come close to the strap... you may find it in white, this is ok... buy some, cut out a few strips, fold them and sew them on the two top corners of the bag then, fashion a new strap for the scissor brace. When you've done that, just take a black marker and color them black. They'll be dark but have an aged appearance to them.

 

[RetroToday]

Hoover Canada "Junior" model 118 vacuum

Hi guys,

I bought this 1951 Hoover Canada vacuum cleaner at a local contents sale, nobody else really showed any interest in it.
These photos were taken before I began to clean the dirt away.

Promised myself I wouldn't take another vacuum cleaner into my collection but this one seemed like it was doomed for the garbage if I didn't 'rescue' it.
Also, I'd never seen a vacuum cleaner quite like this until I saw it, and the industrial design qualities just 'spoke' to me. Another bonus was that I plugged it in and it worked very well!

The main body of the cleaner seems to be made of some form of cast iron, probably aluminum, but the entire back wheel section is made of nicely finished brown plastic.

A few famed industrial designers such as Henry Dreyfuss worked on vacuum cleaner designs for Hoover, I wonder if this is one of his creations?

More photos of the "Junior" here

 

[Forgotten Man]

Say, I've seen those little guys on eBay now and again. Isn't sad that something that has been in storage for a wile will be the first thing to be tossed just because it's covered in dust and people are too lazy to see if the thing works? So funny to pick something like that up and plug it in and hear it come to life! Then, to clean it up and put it to use... very rewarding I must say!

I'm kicking myself that I didn't take any "Before photos" of the model 700. My friend that gave it to me couldn't believe it was the same vacuum! lol

Hope to see more photos after she's all cleaned up Retrotoday!

 

[RetroToday]

Say, I've seen those little guys on eBay now and again. Isn't sad that something that has been in storage for a wile will be the first thing to be tossed just because it's covered in dust and people are too lazy to see if the thing works? So funny to pick something like that up and plug it in and hear it come to life! Then, to clean it up and put it to use... very rewarding I must say!

I'm kicking myself that I didn't take any "Before photos" of the model 700. My friend that gave it to me couldn't believe it was the same vacuum! lol

Hope to see more photos after she's all cleaned up Retrotoday!

Sure, I'll be happy to post some 'after' photos here.

I'm dreading to clean it because I don't want to damage the painted finish, polishing the bare aluminum of the other vacuum now seems so much easier.
Also, somebody in the house must have painted the room while this vacuum was nearby. There are several white paint flecks on top of the paint and plastic that I'm going to have to gently pry off with a razor blade.... one by one.

Since I bought the Hoover 118 I've done some searching for it on the net, found absolutely nothing at all!
Have only found the very similar model 119, maybe the 118 was the Canadian designation of the 119?

I think one of the reasons we don't take 'before' photos is that it's so tempting to just start cleaning the filthy old things right when we get it in the door of our home. To get out the camera is just another roadblock to getting it up to the state you see in your mind's eye.

Many opportunities have been missed by myself to show people what the things I've restored looked like when I found them, because of that desire to clean it. So, I do my best now to fight that urge and start clicking away.

 

[Forgotten Man]

I think one of the reasons we don't take 'before' photos is that it's so tempting to just start cleaning the filthy old things right when we get it in the door of our home. To get out the camera is just another roadblock to getting it up to the state you see in your mind's eye.

Oh my, did you ever hit it on the nose! lol

Yeah, I just feel sometimes it's too much of a hassle to take photos when all I want to do is sit on the floor and polish up parts! lol Also, sometimes things are just so dirty I don't care to remember what it looked like in the start... but, after I'm finished, I wish I had a comparison.

On that painted area, you can use some mild soap and water... should take off most of the dirt. The Bakelite will clean up really nice! Mother's works great on Bakelite too!

 

[scotrace]

Can't Resist

Did someone say B&A?

 

[Forgotten Man]

Try it again Scott, the photo ain't showin' up!

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Did someone say B&A?

It's very pretty!