Vintage box fan - bad motor?

[CougarXR7]

Vintage box fan - Restoration!

Hey folks,

I just picked up an old Toastmaster (yeah, I laugh at the name too) two-speed box fan. The motor didn't run because it sat in a wet basement for many years, but I was able to take it apart, oil it and free it up.

This thing really moves the air, and it will look kind of cool with a new paint job, but the motor makes a knocking sound at both speeds. As far as I can tell, it's brushless and has oil passages for the shaft and sleeves. There are no bearings. The shaft has minimal play in the sleeves, so I assume it was always well-oiled.

I can't figure out where the knocking sound is coming from. It sounds like the rotor is knocking against the magnet coil. Any thoughts?

 

[tensleep]

If there is minimal play in the bore, check to see if there is play end to end, as in the shaft having movement parallel to its main axis, allowing the shaft ends to bang into the end of the housings. Also, even with minimal play, the bushings could be shot.

 

[CougarXR7]

Ah, I didn't check for that before. Yes, the shaft has end-play of about 1/8". Thanks.

 

[tensleep]

If you can find a small disk to take up the slack, that should stop the knock. Oil impregnated brass, a hard plastic like delrin, etc. McMaster Carr is an excellent supplier for goofy raw materials like this.

 

[CougarXR7]

Awesome. Thanks a ton for the information.

 

[CougarXR7]

Restoration!

Update:


I took the motor in to a local shop and they are going to replace the bushings. While it's there, I decided to clean up the other parts.

You can see its original condition in the photo in post #1. I decided to repaint the chassis and grilles, replace the handle and do a mild polish on the blades. I will reassemble when the motor is rebuilt and post a photo.

The reason I'm actually spending money on this thing is because it was free, and it also moves a LOT of air; new plastic fans can't even compare to this beast. :thmbsp:

Cleaned blades

New paint

One polished blade

Dig that aluminum!

 

[westend]

Just the polished vanes are worth the effort, nice job.

 

[CougarXR7]

Thanks!

 

[Dan ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ]

Are you going to mask off the polished blades and shoot the hub with paint too?

 

[CougarXR7]

I think I should. Once the motor is rebuilt and I get it back, I will have to paint that, too. Might as well make it all look new.

 

[33&athird]

That's going to be a really nice looking fan, especially the blades...they cleaned up nice!. Pretty well-sized motor as well, that certainly looks nicer than the ones in the more recent fans (I imagine construction techniques and efficency have lowered size, but still).

Funny enough, we have an old box fan (sears)...like early 80's, doesn't move enough air to really use in any big way, but it has the same problem yours did, at both speeds it starts moving itself too much. Since it's nothing special, we have in the garage for venilation when needed (pushing exhaust,etc).

Yeah, Toastmaster is pretty funny, then again, I think toast is a funny word. My friend has a (pretty modern) toaster that is called a "sensotoast", unfortunately it wasn't made by toastmaster

Good luck finishing it up, it looks like it's going to be a hot summer:thmbsp:

 

[tmccullough]

That's going to be a really nice looking fan, especially the blades...they cleaned up nice!. Pretty well-sized motor as well, that certainly looks nicer than the ones in the more recent fans (I imagine construction techniques and efficency have lowered size, but still).

Funny enough, we have an old box fan (sears)...like early 80's, doesn't move enough air to really use in any big way, but it has the same problem yours did, at both speeds it starts moving itself too much. Since it's nothing special, we have in the garage for venilation when needed (pushing exhaust,etc).

Yeah, Toastmaster is pretty funny, then again, I think toast is a funny word. My friend has a (pretty modern) toaster that is called a "sensotoast", unfortunately it wasn't made by toastmaster

Good luck finishing it up, it looks like it's going to be a hot summer:thmbsp:

Looks like something I had in the house when I was growing up. Hopefully there are no kids to stick fingers in the grate. Those blades look sick all polished up.

 

[CougarXR7]

Well, I got the motor back but they said they couldn't replace the bushings. They tried a few old tricks on it, but to no avail. The motor actually makes more noise now, so I'm going to have to find a substitute.

As Celt suggested, I masked off the hub and painted it. I put it all together today and it works and looks decently enough, but there's too much noise from the motor to make it useful. The rotor is knocking against the stator.

 

[Dan ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ]

Maybe you'll run across a working match at a flea market or somewhere. It looks great!

 

[CougarXR7]

Thanks!

 

[uxwbill]

Well, I got the motor back but they said they couldn't replace the bushings. They tried a few old tricks on it, but to no avail. The motor actually makes more noise now, so I'm going to have to find a substitute.

Well, it's a beautiful fan and even better after you've restored it. Don't get rid of or give up on that motor. As long as it runs, there is hope.

I'm not really a fan collector, but I kinda got suckered into it, seeing many fine old fans set out for the trash collection. I couldn't let them sit there and be hauled off to the dump.

A little company history that might not be entirely correct concerning Toastmaster fans, but it will give you a point of reference: I think the beginning came with fans made by the Bersted Company. This later becamse a unit of McGraw-Edison. McGraw-Edison was, I believe, purchased by Toastmaster and the fans they made gradually changed names until they all said Toastmaster. If you watch this video, you'll see a McGraw-Edison "Eskimo" fan that is very similar to yours.

I'm not sure when the party finally ended, but I'd guess that Toastmaster probably got out of the business sometime in the 1980s. Unfortunately, it seems that a well detailed history is not to be found and what I've done is piece together facts (possibly incorrectly) based on fans that I have or have seen.

I'm thinking of asking around to see if I can find someone who might be willing to rewind the motor for my dead orange fan. It's in pretty good shape otherwise. I'm a big believer that every reasonable effort should be made to keep these old fans running--there won't be any more and there is nothing on the market like them today!

 

[CougarXR7]

Thanks a ton for the information!

I found one of those McGraw-Edison Eskimo fans on eBay and it was a dead-on match to mine, sans nomenclature and paint scheme. Very cool stuff.

I'm actually using the fan! It knocks like a helicopter with bad rotor bearings, but it works really well (when you're not trying to sleep). Thanks again for the compliments.

 

[frankxbe]

Edison fan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2Hd1ATdn24
check out these Edison fans

 

[CougarXR7]

The motor in this fan locked up on me in August. I'm still searching for a replacement motor.

Thanks for the link!

 

[josephdaniel]

since the brushings are non replaceable try to muunt the moter upside down since only the bottem part of the bearing is worn or you could just flip the whole thing upside down. And what kind of oil did you use in it? you gotta use non detergent oil because the detergents in 3 in one oil will clog up the pores in the bearing try zoom spout or 3 in one iol in the BLUE can. and if you already knew all of this sorry for th rant. you should also talk to the guys at antique fan collectors association or dt vintage fan.