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Thread Number: 17353
Just won on eBay... |
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| Post# 186846 6/23/2012 at 11:01 (4,323 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
A 1950s HOOVER Dustette in the original box!
Better still, I managed to get it for the starting bid of £5 because nobody else was interested. The pictures are quite poor but I can make out the cleaner, which needs a good clean and maybe a lick of paint (can you buy the correct colour ?) and it comes with the original bag, which looks worn out but a good clean should bring it back up to a good standard. Needless to say I'm chuffed! So, has anybody got any information on the 50s Dustettes ? | ||
| Post# 186850 , Reply# 1 6/23/2012 at 11:14 (4,323 days old) by turbomaster1984 (Ripley, Derbyshire) | ||
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| Post# 186951 , Reply# 2 6/24/2012 at 02:01 (4,322 days old) by hooverboy81 (Myrtle Place) | ||
Color | ||
| Post# 186952 , Reply# 3 6/24/2012 at 02:04 (4,322 days old) by hooverboy81 (Myrtle Place) | ||
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OH! | ||
| Post# 187556 , Reply# 4 6/29/2012 at 12:42 (4,317 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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"(can you buy the correct colour ?)
I have no idea, can you?" To quote your good self Robert: Is that all you have to contribute? A bit of double standards going on here I think. Anyway, the Dustette should arrive next week and when it does I'll be sure to post some pictures in this thread and make a video which I will upload to YouTube. | ||
| Post# 187687 , Reply# 5 6/30/2012 at 07:21 (4,316 days old) by turbomaster1984 (Ripley, Derbyshire) | ||
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No double standards here.
Read your original post again. Now you might agree my points. 1)You ask for info about 50's Dustettes implying you know very little about them. 2)As you know very little about them you may have no idea what colours or how many colours they came in. As far as I am aware there was 2 colours this cleaner came in during the 50's. An earlier Gold/Black Hoover 119/612 colourway Later Blue Hoover 1224 match. You mention no actual colours, include no pictures of the auction or even a link to the completed listing. Are you requiring us to ask questions and go finding expired ebay listings to answer your queries? More info is usually required on the basics before anyone can answer. | ||
| Post# 187729 , Reply# 6 6/30/2012 at 11:28 (4,316 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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I take your point and apologise for the lack of information, but you could have made it a bit more clear to me what you were getting at and I would have posted a link.
Since you've brought it to my attention, here is a link, as before, any information would be greatly appreciated. CLICK HERE TO GO TO jmurray01's LINK on eBay | ||
| Post# 187731 , Reply# 7 6/30/2012 at 12:02 (4,316 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield & London) | ||
Dustette
Jamie
The link was very useful. The dustette was a design that changed very little in its lifetime starting production in 1930 and I think it carried on until the mid 1980s. There was a later Dustette but that was a completely different design. The main change occured in the mid 1950s when the colours were updated and the introduction of a version which allowed interchangable tools and even a hose and wand - US members will know that as the Pixie, although in my opinion the suction is too limited for these to be much use. The fixed head version continued along side it for some years though. Judging by the serial number yours was manufactured in 1952 or perhaps late 1951, its nice that you have it in the original box too, that gives it more value. Picking up some comments made in another thread I am afraid you will find this of limited value as a supplement to your Ranger as it has the fixed head on it, so its really only suitable for upholstry or stairs. But its still a nice little cleaner and yours looks to be in reasonable condition. Al | ||
| Post# 187737 , Reply# 8 6/30/2012 at 12:39 (4,316 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 187809 , Reply# 9 7/1/2012 at 08:37 (4,315 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield & London) | ||
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Plug
Jamie
Most definatly not a BS1363 plug! You must rememeber that most cleaners of this time did not come with a plug at all, these had to be fitted by the dealer or the householder - and often not well either. Hoover were an exception, all Hoover cleaners and polishers were supplied with a colour matched two (round) pin plug, up to around 1962 with an option of a bayonet adaptor. It is most likely that this plug had been removed and replaced with a three pin plug. You would be well advised to open up the plug and check the wiring and fuse. Check also the flex to make sure their is no stiffness in it for if their is it will have perished and will not be safe to use. On a slightly side note I was discussing woth Doug (Collector2) an Electrolux 64 (from September 1960) I recently obtained which had a somewhat contrary arrangement with a bayonet plug fitted to the cleaner with a bayonet to two pin adaptor - the exact opposite to Hoover. Doug has an amazing knowledge about even UK cleaners and he was able to send me a picture from the packaging of a Lux 62 which showed and aperature of such an adaptor and the adaptor resting in it, so perhaps Electrolux also fitted a plug as well Al | ||
| Post# 187812 , Reply# 10 7/1/2012 at 09:10 (4,315 days old) by turbomaster1984 (Ripley, Derbyshire) | ||
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Not a complete reccomendation but I do have a fondness for fitting either MK plugs or the Ashley plugs to older collection items.
Modern Marbo, Duraplug, LeGrand, Volex, Always worth looking out for at carboot sales but ensure they are in good condition with no chips cracks or scorches. I never pay more than 20p a plug either, 
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| Post# 187813 , Reply# 11 7/1/2012 at 09:18 (4,315 days old) by turbomaster1984 (Ripley, Derbyshire) | ||
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My Personal favourite,
These Ashleys were fitted to almost every appliance in my grandparents houses with exception of the Hotpoint Twin tub with its Hotpoint MK plug. Perhaps they were cheaper and more available than most others, they seem to frequent more often than MK and others on our pre 1980 collection items. (Modern Marbo, Duraplug, LeGrand, Volex, -should of also added - im none tokeen on theseyounger plugs on vintage appliances.) 
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| Post# 187815 , Reply# 12 7/1/2012 at 09:25 (4,315 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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Thank you again Al, the listing says it is working so I presume it has a BS1363 plug fitted, or how else would the seller have known it worked ?
Even if it has no plug fitted, I've got plenty spare plugs hanging around the house (when an electrical appliance fails or is replaced, I always keep the plugs!). Of course I'll check the basics for electrical safety before switching it on, I learned my lesson after discovering the neutral wire on my 1977 HOOVER Ranger's plug was being held on with three strands of wire! After that I check all fitted plugs. | ||
| Post# 187816 , Reply# 13 7/1/2012 at 09:26 (4,315 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 187818 , Reply# 14 7/1/2012 at 09:35 (4,315 days old) by turbomaster1984 (Ripley, Derbyshire) | ||
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| Post# 187819 , Reply# 15 7/1/2012 at 09:43 (4,315 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 187820 , Reply# 16 7/1/2012 at 09:45 (4,315 days old) by turbomaster1984 (Ripley, Derbyshire) | ||
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| Post# 187822 , Reply# 17 7/1/2012 at 09:47 (4,315 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 187824 , Reply# 19 7/1/2012 at 11:55 (4,315 days old) by vintagerepairer (England) | ||
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A brief mention to Nettle is made in this link. CLICK HERE TO GO TO vintagerepairer's LINK | ||
| Post# 187889 , Reply# 20 7/2/2012 at 05:07 (4,314 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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Right, got one more question!
Did those Dustettes require paper bags, or was the cloth bag the primary dust collection and filtration method ? I see you can buy bags for the Dustette, but the illustrations look to be more modern. Also, even if they didn't originally require bags, could you put a paper bag in it to increase filtration ? | ||
| Post# 187890 , Reply# 21 7/2/2012 at 05:31 (4,314 days old) by vacbear58 (Sutton In Ashfield & London) | ||
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Bags
Jamie
Bags seem to have come and gone with the dustette. It appears that they were introduced with the model following yours (and this was more or less the time when Hoover were introducing paper bags across the range, and I think this bag used teh satin like material used on the 638 1334 etc) only to be dropped again later on - presumably they were not popular and a heavier weave cloth bag was used. I would suggest using a bag from your ranger although you may need to cut it down in length. Having given the bag from your dustette a good vacuuming push the papetr bag in and try and open it out as much as possible - if you have small hands and wrists you may even manage to get your hand inside the bag - I would have thought you could more or less line the cloth bag. Fold the bag back over the bag opening and trim off the excess paper. It wont look tidy but it will improve filtration and help protect the cloth bag. Dont let it get too full otherwise you wont be able to get it back out again without ripping, although thinking about it, if you empty it after each use in the recommended manner (upending the bag over a sheet of newspaper) you would not need to change the paper bag that often - I would have thought with the low power (and the restriction to the airflow will reduce that power anyway) the pores of the bag wont get blocked that quickly. The only bags for a dustette I have seen recently were for the last model dustette which was of a completely different design and for which paper bags were mandatory Al | ||
| Post# 187897 , Reply# 22 7/2/2012 at 08:39 (4,314 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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Thanks for that piece of information Al, I think I'll just use it with the original cloth bag if that was what was standard at the time.
Right, now to the main point of posting this - the Dustette came this morning! When I first took the box out of the box (if you know what I mean) I found a very good condition original, but dusty, box. Inside, what did I find ? A HOOVER Dustette Model 100! Also very dusty I may add. The first thing I did was the most important - safety. I checked the super long flex (to think I was worrying about it being too short!) for damage, of which there was none (not even a nick!). I then checked the plug which was fitted and although it looked alright on the face of it, under closer inspection it looked to have been pushed in too much where the Neutral and Live prongs are. I took the plug apart to find the wiring very untidy and relatively dangerous, the copper wires were protruding from the terminals. Not excessively, but enough to require rectifying. I decided, just to be on the safe side, I'd replace the 1950s plug, which had no British Standards stamp on it, thus rendering it risky in my books to use, especially with the "dents" in it. So I got another black plug I'd taken from an old aquatic Air Pump which failed and fitted it. It blends in because it is black but is more importantly safe because it is only a few years old and has the British Standards stamp. I also replaced the original 13 Amp fuse for a 3 Amp one, thus increasing the safety in case of an electrical failure. Then I plugged it in and tested that it worked, which it did, very quietly to my surprise. Now that I knew it worked, I took the bag off, cleaned it thoroughly in soapy water and stuck it in the Bendix 7414 to dry (it was threatening to rain outside and the tumble dryer would bring it up better anyway). While that was in motion I got a bowl of soapy water and cleaned the Dustette, which looked very neglected and thus I thought possibly in bad condition. FAR FROM IT. With a good wipe the gold and dark grey bodywork looked next to new! It improved further when I sprayed it with some furniture polish and buffed it up with a duster, how ironic... Better still, it has a lovely shiny ratings plate on which it states the motor is compatible with both Direct-Current and Alternating-Current (why is this ?), it has a 140W motor, is the Model 100 and has the Serial Number: 191003. If I could get a definite age from that I'd be grateful. So, by then the bag was dry and looking brilliant with little fading on the logo and after reattaching the bag cuff to the bag it was complete. I gave it a wee test on the rug and the suction is amazing for something its age. I will now post a picture of it. 
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| Post# 187920 , Reply# 23 7/2/2012 at 15:18 (4,314 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 187933 , Reply# 25 7/2/2012 at 16:11 (4,314 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 187938 , Reply# 27 7/2/2012 at 16:20 (4,314 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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| Post# 187949 , Reply# 29 7/2/2012 at 16:37 (4,314 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland) | ||
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I didn't know that, interesting indeed!
I understand why some people may feel the need to pull it out from the inside, as I have a couple of plugs which are obstinate to remove. One of which being the Nettle one on my Ranger, that is a bugger to get out sometimes, even though the pins are fine. Luckily it has good grip slots at the sides which counteract this. | ||
| Post# 190449 , Reply# 30 7/18/2012 at 09:38 (4,298 days old) by uksausage (eastbourne east sussex UK) | ||
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adams and jarret adams and jarret is on norman road in st leonards (hastings) i used to be in there all the time they used to give me the old vacs they taken as trade ins many years ago and the collection of machines in there was out of this world almost every model that was on sale. the place is still there today and does an amazing trade dave x | ||
Post# 265032 , Reply# 31 1/27/2014 at 22:46 (3,740 days old) by KirbyClassicIII  (Milwaukie, Oregon) |
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| Post# 265098 , Reply# 32 1/28/2014 at 16:34 (3,739 days old) by guido (ITALY) | ||
Colour impossible to match, I fear...
I think the last thing you should ever try to do, is repainting it ! I have a DUSTETTE like yours - also with few scratches - and :
- the front is gold-hammer-color quite DIFFICULT to match - the main body is brown with ( crazy ) wrinkle-finish, IMPOSSIBLE to match ( and tricky to polish too ! )exept in case you want to create a fake. That's why I would suggest you to give it a good polish and leave-it as is. If it can be of any help, BRASSO-cottons for SILVER - sometimes also sold as DURAGLIT ( but don't buy the liquid one ) are very useful to remove old spots and much dirt from such items. Every hardware store has it and - even if it smells gazoline for while - it's the best product for polishing both metals and plastics without causing any damage or leaving powder traces. Brasso is often used to polish plastic screens such on cell-phones ond other sensible plastics so...you risk no damage at all. I suppose they kept this colour scheme - typical of other Hoover upright cleaners from the late 30's like the 160,262 or 612 until the new generation of cleaners ( 652 Deluxe Cleaner, etc ) were introduced in the late 50's, even if I have no precise dates for the DUSTETTE. But it's very nice to display them together, as the DUSTETTE looks like their "little sister" ! And 5 pounds certainly IS a great deal ! Cheers, GUIDO | ||
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