Message on the answering machine "Dave, there's a vacuum with a hose at the Restore. It's in really sh***y shape but its only $5"

So off I go and there it is, caked in mud & paint splatter & clogged with plaster dust and the crevice tool is rustwelded in the hose. I feared the worst but have this thing about potential diamonds in the rough.

On closer inspection a bit of spit polish on the chrome appears to show it to be a rust, ding & scuff free Model 700. Lifting off the motor we find, no paper cone and the pot half full of plaster dust, sawdust and metal nails & screws. Other than looking sadly abused it's different from my other two FQs which have the 'woodgrain' tub label strip. This one has the foil marbleizing, the crown is over the Q and the cord & plug are original. Included is the wand with the power cord and the floor tool appears to have never been used - not one scratch on the mirror polish, just white latex paint splatter.
An all too typical situation with Mom's or Gramma's old vacuum - final use as a wetvac or to clean up renovation debris. They figure when it stops working, well, throw it out or donate it.

For $5 home it comes. Clearly this one will need to be dismantled down to the motor and given the full Magic Eraser Treatment.
The results? It's the center Filter Queen in all its sparkling majesty. Best one I've got. The Magic Eraser is a miracle product at removing paint splatter and spray - I used it to polish up the hose, too. The hose was plugged with a Bic pen and wood chips easily cleared with a long pole poke. Removed the rubber collars from the hose, injected some Liquid Wrench to soften the cement, the hose unscrewed easily. More elbow grease and the crevice tool came free, its spring clip rusted away. Replaced the disintegrating metal nozzle with a clean spare one and the hose is restored. The motor filter was in place utterly plugged with plaster dust, which saved the motor. I used the 'Alien Baby Podvac' with the HEPA filter to clean up all the deposits of plaster dust, washed everything in the sink, dryed it all out over the furnace registers and added it to the bedroom Vac Rack.
Note the pristine floor tool is on the left FQ. The new FQ has a FQ clone nozzle with a baby blue rubber bumper found at that famous Pete & Dave Scroungefest a few weeks back. It just helped balance the picture. Somewhere I have 2 other tool rings and of course, that Accesory Box behind the vacs stuffed with double tools. I knew there was reason to grab 2 of everything. :-)

The bedroom Vac Rack is filling up nicely.

Its great having my days free now - like being temporarily retired for 10 weeks. The vacuums are coming off the floor onto shelves, house is getting organized into visitor-worthy shape and more vacuums are coming out of boxes in the basement. Wheeeeeeee!

These two throwaways I hauled home last summer on the Stratford Free Garbage Day. They too were similarly sacrificed by uncaring owners to clean up after renovations. Both were liberally scarred with paint scuffs & splatter and chock full of plaster & sawdust, hoses blocked with wood chips. But I was drawn to their cute unearthly forms. They cleaned up real good and both have speed controls. Both suck at 35" to a maximum 85".

The Electroluxs have welcomed all cylinders to the Tower of Power.

There's a furnace floor register under the rack - converted two duct fittings to direct the heat out into the room. They look like the rear end of an AVRO Arrow. I think I'd like to insert some free wheeling turbine fans for added enjoyment. :-)

Those mystery orbs have proven to be dust motes in the air caught in the flash.

Fantastic reorganizing rackage Dave! I've got to see what's available in our hardware stores here, as I haven't got a great deal of floor space. And it never ceases to amaze me what these cretins do to vacuums, cars, other neat collectables that people like us have to salvage. Good happy ending for the new Filter Queen! Oh, and haven't those people ever heard of brooms and dustpans?

...while patiently awaiting their own soon to be revealed display location.

After all, pianos are for playing, not hiding under blankets.

Hey Pete, fitted all those blue Kirby pieces to the Tradition. All that's needed to complete it is a blue hose, a brush roll for the carpet groomer, and a tray for the shampooer. I think there might be a red tray out at the ReStore...

I've got an Owner's Manual On Videotape I never watched til now - it's for the G4 Powerdrive. Do you have it...the video manual, I mean. Yours if you want it - gonna dub & edit this one on to a dvd with chapters. Anyway, it gave me the clue how all these parts fit and function.

Folks, that's this week's labours & triumphs. Oh yeah, also located and snapped up a nice clean Fairfax with a solid red hose. It should arrive late next week. Months ago I bought cheap a box of red Kirby nozzles and tools that I thought might look good with my first Kirby, the Heritage II, long before I cleaned it up and came to appreciate Kirbys. I understand that Kirby tools fit the Fairfax.

Alan, the 72 h 48 w 18 d cylinder rack came from Lowes in Port Huron MI. They also stock single extra shelves. With 2 extra shelves it came to ~$110.

Other places - Target, Home Depot, Walmart, etc - have similar units but none of them stock extra shelves.

Thanks Dave, I'll check that out. I'll be needing a few, the ones in my laundry room are rotting plastic.

Lookin good Dave.. I was in Petrolia today but alas nothing new old vacuum related.. did get the little mixer I posted on the other thread though. Oh and the instruction book for the Sunbeam Mixmaster Jr. and the owners manual for a 52 GE stove. My big 5 dollar day LOL

WOW, nice collection of machines! Do you have a Electrolux LXI in that group? I see plenty of LX's. I could die happy if i could ever find and VG Electrolux LXI with chrome halo! Keep up the good work! Paul

Thanks, new guy Paul, who lives a mere 2 hours away in Buffalo, and welcome to this group of balmy persons. :-)

I have only the one LXI with the wheels and opening to the side cordwinder. Most probably passed on it on ebay but if you looked close you could just make out the axle, so I went for it 3 weeks ago. It's the one I drove to Port Huron to pick up in person. That completes the LX series group for me. See thread #2157 url.

Dave

Dave, noticed the taxidermy in your photo. Today we are having an auction with respect to an estate of a deceased taxidermist. Thought you might get a kick out of these pics. (see the link).

Very cool, Mark. Got two buck heads up in the attic that should be up on the wall - ah, an afternoon project. :-)

There's a lunch counter Deli here in town that is known for its 4 glass boxed tableaus made up in the 20s, now kept safely high on top of the cabinets behind the counter - they feature squirrels in domestic settings, including 4 of them playing cards at a table, mimicing that famous Dogs painting.

I posted a vid on youtube demonstrating the Filterqueen POW-R-Polisher..I got from ebay. Check it out. Go to you tube, enter "filterqueen" and clik on Filterqueen pow-r-polisher and enjoy.

here is a pic of the pow-r polisher.

here is a pic of my F/Q model 700. I have the big chrome pwer nozzel, rug nozzel, and all the accessories. I bought this vac about a year ago from an older lady for 50 bucks.. it runs like new.

These Filter Queens look better and better every day. I bet you could drop one off a building and hardly dent it. Nice chocolate trim and accessories.

Fantastic! I didn't know Filter Queen had a Pow-R Polisher all its very own, Brad. I do like how FQ brands everything with that radiating grid.

Dang, something else to tune my antennae for. And I'm reminded I need a FQ power hose...I have to wrap a cord around mine. :-(

Nice collection Dave. I was curious about the connie (white with red trim). Is it a canadian model?
Thanks
Nicholas

Yes, Nicholas. Tom Anderson says it's a Canada only model made in Hamilton Ontario from 10.23.63 to 10.21.64. Read all about how it was rescued in thread #2024, now in the 2007 achives.

I'm bumping this up, before it slides into the archives. It's so loaded up with neat things.