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Thread Number: 45631
/ Tag: Small Appliances
KitchenAid model 38 stand mixer |
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| Post# 471960 , Reply# 1 6/19/2024 at 13:53 by Human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
Nice save for sure!
My grandmother had a Kitchenaid mixer like that. It was blue. I have no idea what became of it. If I recall correctly, that wire whisk beater was the only one it had, or at least it was the only one I remember seeing.
When I worked at Pizza Hut in the early '80s, we made pizza dough with a Hobart mixer that was a scaled-up version of the larger Kitchenaid that held the mixing bowl on a pair of arms. It stood about five feet high. I'm not sure when Hobart Mfg. sold or spun off Kitchenaid. I've got a friend who would probably be thrilled to have that mixer, if you want to get rid of it. | ||
| Post# 472006 , Reply# 3 6/21/2024 at 14:06 by Human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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| Post# 472076 , Reply# 4 6/24/2024 at 10:43 by texaskirbyguy (Plano, TX) | ||
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Hey Edgar, Please email me again; I have your shipping quote ready. My stupid outlook deleted your message after I had closed it (common bug in this crapware). Your email is not in your profile. Thanks. | ||
| Post# 472101 , Reply# 5 6/25/2024 at 07:11 by bikerray (Middle Earth) | ||
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| Post# 472163 , Reply# 6 6/28/2024 at 12:57 by texaskirbyguy (Plano, TX) | ||
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Thanks for the correction, Ray. That B sure looked like an 8, especially after my brain was cooking in the Texas heat. This explains why I did not find any hard facts on a 38... | ||
| Post# 472387 , Reply# 7 7/16/2024 at 11:22 by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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Mixer has a new (temporary) home
The above mentioned mixer has now found a new, albeit temporary, home with me. I'll be restoring it for a friend of mine, whose dream kitchen appliance is a red Kitchenaid mixer. Needless to say, this will require considerable cleaning, sanding, and priming before it gets that new crimson paint job. I'll also be re-greasing it and replacing the cord, which is completely encased in black electrical tape. Thanks to Amazon Prime Day, I've already ordered a 4oz tub of food grade grease, and I managed to source a cord from my spare vacuum parts at no cost. I had kept a damaged cord from my Sanitaire S645, and there's more than enough good footage on the plug end to cut off about four feet and put on the mixer. Reusing that cord will save me at least $20, over buying a replacement cord, which is a really good deal, considerding that I only paid $12 for the vacuum cleaner it came from. And the gray cord will look very fetching with the red paint job. Speaking of paint, it appears someone gave this mixer a slap-dash re-spray in the past, just masking it off and having a go with a rattle can. It does not appear that any sanding or priming took place. Nicks and chips are visible under the paint, and there's a little over-spray on the handle. I'm no expert in that area, but I will be taking the time to disassemble everything and do a proper job of it with at least two coats of primer and two of paint with wet sanding in between.
My plan is to have the mixer ready to give to my friend as a Christmas gift, so I will be taking my time with it over the next few months. I'll post updates along the way, and definitely some 'after' photos once it's re-painted, re-greased, and re-corded, so stay tuned... | ||
| Post# 472424 , Reply# 8 7/18/2024 at 11:10 by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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So, last night I finally plugged the mixer in and turned it on. I only ran it for a minute, because I'm a bit leery of the tape-wrapped cord, but I was quite impressed at how smoothly it ran on all ten speeds, no grinding, squealing, chattering, etc., just whisper quiet operation. I would almost consider not re-greasing it, but since I have to take it apart to paint it, which will involve de-greasing, I guess I'll have to. Besides, I already have the grease.
In doing a little research on this model, it appears to have been introduced in 1944, which I find strange, since World War II was still raging at that point, and domestic manufacturing was completely devoted to the war effort. It's sort of surprising Hobart wasn't making machine guns or something for the military, instead of turning out new models of household mixers. I also discovered that the wire whisk beater attachment was the only type available for that model, no dough hooks or paddles. And that cast aluminum bowl is the correct one for that model, although a glass one was also available. It's going to be an interesting project, much more than just a Saturday afternoon. | ||
| Post# 472435 , Reply# 10 7/18/2024 at 18:46 by Human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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I will absolutely be re-greasing it. There's no reason not to, since I'm already taking it apart to paint it, and I already have the grease. For it to run as well as it does, I'd say it's a safe bet that grease hasn't in there isn't from the '40s. Unfortunately, I don't have the facility to sandblast it; I was just planning to hand sand it as best I can, but you're right that a chemical stripper would expedite things. I'll have to look into that.
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Post# 472528 , Reply# 11 7/29/2024 at 14:11 by gottahaveahoove  (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640) |
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Have you ever heard of  | ||
| Post# 472541 , Reply# 12 7/29/2024 at 20:12 by Human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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Thanks for the tip | ||
| Post# 472705 , Reply# 13 8/10/2024 at 18:56 by Human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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It has begun...
So, I went to Lowe's today and bought two cans of Rustoleum "Gloss Apple" paint+primer in one, a roll of painters' tape, a 120 grit 3M sanding sponge and some 800 grit sandpaper. Once the sun began to set and the temperature dropped somewhere close to tolerable, I sat out on the deck and started sanding the base for about 45 minutes or maybe an hour. The sanding sponge really did the trick. It rapidly took most of the heavily nicked spots down to bare metal, leaving a relatively smooth surface. At this point, I think I've taken most of the respray coat off and have sufficiently roughed up the original paint. Interestingly, it appears the two layers of paint are slightly different shades. The respray coat is a bright white, while the original is a bit warmer, more eggshell than egg custard.
I'm not looking to take the whole thing to bare metal, so I'm skipping the chemical stripper. My goal is just to do some decent surface prep where the paint will stick and look okay when I'm done. I think the base will probably need another sanding session before it's ready to spray, but it's getting close. There's a lot more that needs to be done to the head before it's anywhere near ready for paint, but I may go ahead and finish sanding the base and shoot it, just to feel like I've accomplished something. I did make an interesting discovery, though. Before I started sanding, I put a wire brush on my drill and went over the plate where the bowl sits, exposing the ratings information and the serial number, 3B08464, which had been hidden under some silver paint, There was also some surface rust underneath the paint, which I have mostly removed. I was originally thinking I'd paint that plate to pretty it up, but now I'm thinking I'll clean it some more with the wire brush, then shoot a couple coats of clear on it to preserve the appearance 'rat rod' style, rather than cover up the lettering again. I'm also fighting the temptation to put some flame decals on the head after I've painted it. We'll see... | ||
| Post# 472717 , Reply# 14 8/11/2024 at 13:10 by Human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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I talked with my friend on the phone last night and she agreed a coat of clear was the best option for the ratings plate, so that's what I'll do. I'm thinking I'll hit it with some naval jelly first to completely remove the rust. I'm not going to have time to sand on it again today, so that'll have to wait until maybe next weekend. I've got plenty of time, as her birthday is in early January and this will be a combined Christmas and birthday gift.
Looking over my sanding job, the main cause for concern at this point is a couple of spots with multiple pinpoint nicks that are in tight places because of the contours of the base. I'm thinking I may try to get those with my Dremel. The only other ugly spot is an old paint run down the neck of the stand from the previous respray. I'll do a little more work to smooth it out, maybe scrape it off with a razor blade and sand it some more, but I could also see just letting it stay to help tell the mixer's story. I've decided to go ahead and paint the base, just to see how I like that 'gloss apple' paint. I figure three or four coats with an 800 grit wet sanding in between each coat will give it a nice finish. I figure having the stand done will motivate me to work on the head, which is going to be a lot more involved, including dismantling, de-greasing, re-greasing, replacing the cord, sanding, painting, and reassembly. I've just got to be slow and methodical about it. | ||
| Post# 472792 , Reply# 16 8/16/2024 at 22:58 by Human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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Yeah, I'm having some fun with it.
At this point, I have a fairly clear idea of what I want to do to it and how I want to accomplish it, including a couple of custom touches, like spraying the decorative plate on the handle with red, then wet sanding it to both shine the metal up and restore the lettering (see photo 3 in the initial post), which was originally black and is now mostly gone, but will look mighty sharp in red. I've got the ratings plate looking almost like new after a treatment with naval jelly and a couple coats of clear. Although it looks nice all cleaned up, I sort of wish I had skipped the naval jelly and just cleared it to preserve the patina. If the temperature is tolerable outside tomorrow, I plan to do some more sanding on the stand and the rear cover of the head, and maybe even get the first coat of red on them. There's not much to see right now, but I'll definitely be posting some photos as progresses happens. Seeing parts of it in red, even if it's just the first coat, I think will give me a clearer idea of what the finished product will look like and will help motivate me to keep moving forward on the project.
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| Post# 472802 , Reply# 17 8/17/2024 at 13:22 by Human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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First coat of red!
So, I got out on the deck with the stand and rear motor cover and did a little more sanding, then I gave those pieces their first coat of red. I'm doing very light coats, so right now, the spots that were sanded down to metal are showing through a little darker, but I think after another couple of coats, maybe three or four total, it will be less obvious. I'm really pleased with how the paint is going down so glossy. I'm thinking the need for wet sanding between coats will be minimal, just spots where there's a little texture that shouldn't be there. The color is a bit more vibrant than what Kitchenaid uses on their current red mixers, but it'll be fine. The sun is nice and bright today, so the paint is drying fast. I may be able to put on a second coat in a couple of hours.
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Post# 472833 , Reply# 18 8/19/2024 at 10:41 by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640) |
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Let's take a moment to say...................... | ||
| Post# 472834 , Reply# 19 8/19/2024 at 11:39 by texaskirbyguy (Plano, TX) | ||
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Wow - I would sure like to take a bite out of that apple! Looking great so far. Sure fun to watch something I saved from the trash being restored half way across the country. Keep up the good work! | ||
| Post# 472836 , Reply# 20 8/19/2024 at 13:40 by Human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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Thanks for the encouragement...
I am very pleased with how it's shaping up, although I had a minor setback. After I took those photos, I got a little excited and tried to put on a second coat of paint, but it sort of crinkled up in spots. I'm going to have to sand it smooth and shoot it again, but I'm going to wait a few days for it to cure. It's going to be nice when it's finally done.
I think I've worked out a viable order of operations for restoring the head unit: 1. Disassemble 2. Remove the old cord 3. De-grease and thoroughly clean 4. Sand, mask, and paint 5. Replace the cord 6. Re-grease and reassemble. It's a complex operation, definitely not something that be done in a single afternoon, but I've got plenty of time to take it in small increments. | ||
| Post# 472852 , Reply# 21 8/20/2024 at 15:35 by Human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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Third coat's the charm...
I did some sanding on the mixer stand and rear cap Sunday and yesterday, just taking my time with it. I just shot the third coat onto it, and I'm feeling led to acknowledge I've gotten to a point of "enough" with it. The rear cap looks damn near perfect and the stand is about as good as it's going to get. The paint has a bit more texture than I'd like, but the color coverage is nice and even. I feel that any further work will probably be a case of diminishing returns, so I'm going to let it sit and cure for a few days before I put the bowl receptacle back on it. Then I can call that phase of the project 'done' and set it aside to look toward beginning work on the head unit.
While the paint was drying, I started taking the head unit apart. I haven't started doing any heavy duty de-greasing yet. There's more to come apart. One thing's for sure, nobody's been inside that machine for a very long time. I'll continue to post updates and photos as I reach what could be considered further milestones in the project, so stay tuned... | ||
| Post# 472866 , Reply# 22 8/21/2024 at 16:33 by Human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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Just a quick note. My friend came by yesterday and when she saw the pieces drying in the sun after the third coat, she pronounced them "gorgeous". She really loves the color, and that's good enough for me. I'm thinking that since I have a can of clear, I may shoot a coat of that onto it, just to protect it.
Just for fun, I've added a link below to one of several YouTube videos that have proved to be an invaluable reference as I tear this mixer down. Putting what's in this video into practice makes me feel like more of an expert than I really am. Truth be told, I've watched this one about four times so far and it's gotten me through a couple of rough spots on the disassembly that I would otherwise not have known how to handle. Interestingly, there doesn't appear to be a phillips screw anywhere on this mixer. Only slotted screws are used, even though phillips screws had been in existence for about a decade when this mixer was introduced. I guess Hobart was still doing things 'old school' in the mid-'40s. CLICK HERE TO GO TO Human's LINK | ||
| Post# 472884 , Reply# 23 8/22/2024 at 17:59 by Human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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Digging into its guts...
Well, I just got finished taking the old cord off of the mixer, and what a chore that was. I literally had to take the motor halfway apart to do it. The good news is that aside from being grimy as hell inside, the motor is in good shape. Plenty of life left on the carbon brushes, and the commutator looks good. Interestingly, the motor is not a self-contained unit. The body of the mixer IS the motor housing. Yeah, they just don't build 'em like they used to--and more's the pity. I just hope I can get the thing back together properly. As I have been disassembling things, I have been putting components into Ziplock baggies to keep straight what goes where. Thank goodness for those YouTube videos. I'm sure I'll be watching them a few more times.
As you may recall, the old cord was wrapped entirely in electrical tape, Just for fun and to satisfy my curiosity, I unwrapped all the electrical tape from the entire length of the old cord. It appears that it had gotten melted in three or four spots in the middle of the cord from laying across a burner on the stove. Yikes! It's definitely too scary to go back on the machine, so I'm debating between two replacement candidates I've found in my spares, both from vacuum cleaners, imagine that! I had originally thought to use a gray one I had removed from my Sanitaire S645, but I've also got an off-white one from an Electrolux Discovery II. The gray one would definitely look better, but it's about 30 feet long, and it's been on my to-do list for several years to cut it off where it's damaged, losing about four or five feet in the process, and making a nice 20-25-foot extension cord out of the remainder. The Electrolux cord wouldn't look quite as nice, but not bad, and of course I'd clean it thoroughly. But as that cord is much shorter already, at about 20 feet, so it would result in much less wastage. Besides, it would probably be the only KitchenAid mixer in existence with the Electrolux brand name embossed on its plug. | ||
| Post# 472908 , Reply# 24 8/23/2024 at 14:19 by Human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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Extension Cord Side Project...
I've decided I'm going to move ahead with my extension cord project for the Sanitaire cord. It's a better use of resources and I've been meaning to do it ever since I took it off that vacuum cleaner. I found more damage on the Electrolux cord than I had first noticed, so I don't feel bad about cutting it off and salvaging the last few feet of the plug end for the mixer. The light gray cord will look fine on the mixer, and will give it a better, safer cord at no additional cost.
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| Post# 472931 , Reply# 25 8/25/2024 at 13:16 by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada) | ||
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| Post# 473329 , Reply# 26 9/22/2024 at 17:01 by Human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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Getting back on track...
So, I've let this project lie fallow for a few weeks now, while life has taken me in other directions, as I've been waiting for a heat gun that my friend was going to borrow from someone else. I now that I have it, so I'm feeling the need to get started again, so I can get that tool back to its owner. I just don't like keeping other people's stuff an longer than I need to. I wish I had an indoor workshop where I could do projects like this, because as it is, I'm somewhat at the mercy of the weather. Between predicted rain and getting a bathroom remodeled on Thursday and Friday, I don't see it happening this week, but I will be very glad to get the thing re-greased and partially reassembled so I can finish painting it and get on to the final reassembly so I can call this project done.
Photos to follow... | ||
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