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Post# 52559   9/27/2008 at 15:40 (5,661 days old) by aeoliandave (Stratford Ontario Canada)        

aeoliandave's profile picture
Dear Gawd, I LOVE this Singer!!!

The one with the snapped in pieces handle. The only repair possible was to disassemble, clean up the fractures, line 'em up, lay on a film of clear packing tape, re-insert the control bits and screw it back together. Shows on close inspection of course but there is no other way short of a donor handle from a trashed S.

The reason the Belden cord wouldn't come out more than 2 feet is...the rubber had de-vulcanized itself around the cord reel and dessicated itself into a solid mass. Figured I'd have to replace it but upon pulling and chiseling it away from the reel the rubber crumbled off and I am left with a very nice supple grey cotton woven cord. The threads and inner wiring is in great shape for demonstration use! So back on the reel it went.

This S-2 must have been put away a long time ago and forgotten, likely in a hot attic, which preserved it beautifully.

The rest of the 2 speed machine is primo. It certainly puts out a strong blast of air - I'll have to seal up the bottom sometime and get a suction reading. No dents or gouges anywhere, just a few minor surface scratches on the paint. Rubber surround bumper totally unscathed, like new. After an intense Magic Eraser session, it could pass for a few years old. The lamp still lights and I was surprised to find the headlight lense is glass! Cleaned up the brushroll & bearings, put on a Hoover round belt and off she went.

It does make a different kind of sound with a harmonic whine from the two fans at either end of the motor and the double air path but I don't find it objectionable. I wouldn't say it's any louder than yer usual vintage upright.

Well, it's just so beautiful a realization of the fertile mind of Raymond Loewy. It comes apart so easily and even tho it is entirely cast from aluminum/magnesium it is not heavy at all. The only plastic on it - which I'd say is Cycolac - is the handle.

It's a pure pleasure to run over the carpets and floors.



Post# 52562 , Reply# 1   9/27/2008 at 16:02 (5,661 days old) by aeoliandave (Stratford Ontario Canada)        

aeoliandave's profile picture
Debuting in 1949, also known as the "Magic Carpet', the Singer S-1,2 & 3 (differing only in body color, cordwinder medallion and the addition of a zipper to the dust bag) were a radical departure in upright vacuum design and engineering.

To quote from Vodhin's Friendly Vacuum Cleaner Accessories site, copyright 2005 Michael G. Anderson (no longer on the WWW that I can find):

"I was fascinated at how different the machine was compared to other uprights, mostly by the odd placement of the headlight in the nose of the machine. As a kid, I couldn't appreciate the uniqueness of this impressive design by Raymond Loewy.

His design is very important in the eventual development of the power nozzle used in canister vacuums, creating one of the first vacuums to fit under furniture - and hang on a closet wall.

Loewy's design turned the motor on it's side. This was nothing new as many uprights had horizontal motors, like the Kirby. Mr.Loewy's arrangement of motor and belt, however, gave the vacuum it's sleek and low profile. His design also allowed for twin fans, and if you look at the parted view, you can see how simple and elegant the design really is.

An interesting feature of this design was the mounting of the brushroll. Instead of mounting the brushroll to the nozzle housing, it is attached by two long arms that in turn attached to the housing near the blower fans. This allowed the brush roll to float inside the housing, automatically adjusting for mnost carpet heights. The front wheels are adjustable too, with twp settings: Standard and Thick piles."







Post# 52563 , Reply# 2   9/27/2008 at 16:05 (5,661 days old) by aeoliandave (Stratford Ontario Canada)        

aeoliandave's profile picture
Less than 5" clearance under furniture.

Post# 52564 , Reply# 3   9/27/2008 at 16:13 (5,661 days old) by aeoliandave (Stratford Ontario Canada)        

aeoliandave's profile picture
Soooo purty!

I really think it's singularly outstanding in the field of upright vacauum cleaners.

There is a 6" cloth tube inside the bag which will make it easy to retrofit with a Hoover upright paper filter bag with the long tube and a soft collapsing join collar. to keep the bag shape flat at rest.

Heaven! I'm in heaven, and my heart beats so that I can hardly sleep....

Dave, in grateful delirium.


Post# 52567 , Reply# 4   9/27/2008 at 16:42 (5,661 days old) by xraytech ()        

Dave,

that sure is a beautiful Singer, I'm glad you were able to repair the handle.


Post# 52568 , Reply# 5   9/27/2008 at 16:52 (5,661 days old) by arh1953 ( River Park, in Port St. Lucie, Florida)        

arh1953's profile picture
That, and the GE copycat are two of my most favorite uprights. I've wanted the Singer since seeing ads as a child.

Post# 52589 , Reply# 6   9/27/2008 at 22:57 (5,661 days old) by williamr1248 (USA)        
Back to Raymond Loewy's Future

Dave,
That machine looks just as modern to me today. I am sure that my aunt's had some type of hanger that came from Singer to hang the machine. I was pretty young but I think it had a place for the upright and hooks for a hose that went to her hand vac. It also seems like her Singer got louder as time went by. I saw it when it was new and then not again for many years. Seems like she a problem with the brush roller. Yours is sure beautiful!
Rob


Post# 52598 , Reply# 7   9/27/2008 at 23:22 (5,661 days old) by aeoliandave (Stratford Ontario Canada)        

aeoliandave's profile picture
Sam, I am so lucky nothing was lost from the handle mechanisms - the repair is not all that visible, I'm told, but to me of course, it's a unsightly rupture.

Thanks Rob. I just keep staring at it from any angle, its lines and functional forms blow me away into a rapture. I took it in to work tonight. Just about everyone thought it was fairly new and from Europe...Switzerland, Germany, Finland and Denmark were the top guesses. They wanted to know where they could get one. LOL

Now the word is really out about the type & quality of vintage vacuums I collect i was asked several times if I could hold an open house sometime. No, not really, it's kinda warehouse-y around here still but one at a time might be ok.

I work at a Theater and so there are a fair share of backstage Design & Engineering Freaks around who were bowled over that it was from 1949.

Alan, can you find a picture of the GE Copycat? I don't know what that is...


Post# 52605 , Reply# 8   9/28/2008 at 06:28 (5,661 days old) by arh1953 ( River Park, in Port St. Lucie, Florida)        
GE's Singer Copy

arh1953's profile picture
Dave, the GE was featured in the POD about three times, I will describe the ad though, it had a lady in Capri pants holding it, and there were other identical vacuums showing it going under low furniture, hanging up, etc. and it was in color. I don't know if the ad may show in eBay, but I'll post it if it does.

Post# 52613 , Reply# 9   9/28/2008 at 14:32 (5,660 days old) by aeoliandave (Stratford Ontario Canada)        

aeoliandave's profile picture
I do remember that ad as a pod and can't fathom why I can't find it saved in my POD file. Oh well, it will come around in rotation again.

Post# 52616 , Reply# 10   9/28/2008 at 15:20 (5,660 days old) by williamr1248 (USA)        
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Dave,
I found my brouchure that I had from the department store on the GE. It was sandlewood color and had a tool set option that connected on the front. It is a cool looking vac with an "elevator" revolving brush. No light or cord winder. There was a pocket in the bag to drop the cord. They lost me when it didn't have a floodlight! It came out during the time that canisters ruled with all types of machines from GE,Westinghouse,Eureka,Elecrolux,Air-Way. Hard to imagine a time when the stores showcased all those different canisters. I wish I had a scanner I would sure make a copy and send it your way.
Have you ever seen the fold out brouchure for your Singer?
My grandmother took a trip to Seattle in the early 50's and brought it back to me. I was more excited about the Singer brouchure than the special toy she brought me!
I can't tell from the photo but is the bag grey and is it a dust bag without a disposable liner? I am sure my aunt's did not start out with a paper insert.
Rob


Post# 52633 , Reply# 11   9/28/2008 at 17:46 (5,660 days old) by constellation86 (Roy, UT)        

pod #79

Post# 52635 , Reply# 12   9/28/2008 at 17:49 (5,660 days old) by constellation86 (Roy, UT)        

pod #105

Post# 52636 , Reply# 13   9/28/2008 at 17:51 (5,660 days old) by constellation86 (Roy, UT)        

pod 55

Post# 52638 , Reply# 14   9/28/2008 at 18:20 (5,660 days old) by arh1953 ( River Park, in Port St. Lucie, Florida)        

arh1953's profile picture
Thanks Nick, the Golden Glide is my favorite Singer canister, and that great GE ad too. And that great revolving brush attatchment.

Post# 52640 , Reply# 15   9/28/2008 at 18:55 (5,660 days old) by petek (Ontario)        

Geeze it looks like Samsung from my other thread stole the design shape from the early Singer golden glide

Post# 52642 , Reply# 16   9/28/2008 at 18:55 (5,660 days old) by aeoliandave (Stratford Ontario Canada)        

aeoliandave's profile picture
Gosh no, I haven't seen the fold out brochure or any other paper ephemera other than this margin ad from a magazine. Wouldn't it be nice if someone would scan such paper goods and post them?



Post# 52643 , Reply# 17   9/28/2008 at 19:02 (5,660 days old) by truckerx (Palm Springs, CA)        
Dave...

truckerx's profile picture
That model Singer is extra special. It was so ahead of its time. ...great find in that condition too.

Post# 52645 , Reply# 18   9/28/2008 at 19:19 (5,660 days old) by aeoliandave (Stratford Ontario Canada)        
Thanks so much, Nicholas!

aeoliandave's profile picture
Something to print for the hard file.


The dust bag on this Singer is the same color and material as a fawn coloured XXX bag, except maybe fuzzier on the inside. At work in the Wardrobe they call this heavy grade Moleskin. It is double woven like blue jean denim with a brush nap side, still available in a range of brown shades.

From the various photo sources I can say this is an original Singer bag, from the bottom darts and sewn fold lines.

You can see the twin rectangular ports from the twin fans and the bag fitting - the rubber gasket is still spongy but eventually I will replace it.

Sealed off the brushroll earier and got a reading of 20" suction on high speed, 10 on low. There is no doubt leakage along the perimeter seam where the two brush housing halves mate and around the fan inlet sockets.


Post# 52646 , Reply# 19   9/28/2008 at 19:20 (5,660 days old) by aeoliandave (Stratford Ontario Canada)        

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Inside the bag is an inner short cloth tube, meant to keep dirt grit from falling inside the fan ports (?)

Post# 52648 , Reply# 20   9/28/2008 at 19:23 (5,660 days old) by aeoliandave (Stratford Ontario Canada)        

aeoliandave's profile picture
I knew I had some paper bags with a long up-tube in the bag bin that might fit nicely. I have 4 of these labeled for a Premier upright. Felix-approved, naturally.

Post# 52649 , Reply# 21   9/28/2008 at 19:33 (5,660 days old) by aeoliandave (Stratford Ontario Canada)        

aeoliandave's profile picture
So I took a 3"D section of vinyl wire coil tubing (organ partz bin), squashed it into a flat oval, ran the black tube inside and over the collar lip, slipped the paper tube on and secured the thing with a rubber band.

Works great! though the bag does not deflate flat, losing the folded lines of an empty dustbag.

Eventually I will fabricate a long 1" thin, 3" wide hard tube so I can use readily available better sized upright topload paper bags and get that folded profile back.


Post# 52654 , Reply# 22   9/28/2008 at 20:33 (5,660 days old) by crevicetool (GA )        
Great machine Dave!

I tried and tried but see no repairs to the handle. Exemplary work. Reminds me of a fellow who reconditioned - nay - re-manufactured a Haley's Comet with equally great results! Can't think of his name....

Rick

P.S. is there nothing you won't use piano or organ parts on?..So resourceful!


Post# 52664 , Reply# 23   9/28/2008 at 23:21 (5,660 days old) by aeoliandave (Stratford Ontario Canada)        
Thanks Rick & everyone. We scratch our noggins and do whatev

aeoliandave's profile picture
Our vacuums deserve everything we can throw at them so they can once again handle anything we throw at them.

When it was apart I also figured out that at some service point the brushroll arms had been switched to the wrong sides. The brushroll goes in only one way for the round belt groove. The arms have a rubber tapered arrowhead tip, longer at the top than the bottom. This kept the brushroll from fully descending to contact the carpet. So for who knows how many years it was truly floating - waving cool breezes at the carpet 1/4" below it. This explains the super condition of the bristles. Now, the bristles can extend below the floor plate and do their job.

As for the repair, I laid a 4" wide band of strong clear packing tape over the front and back halves and trimmed out the openings. This presents a glossy surface to the naked eye at a distance which ignores the jagged crevice beneath...if it knows what's good for it. LOL.


Post# 53939 , Reply# 24   10/24/2008 at 23:12 (5,634 days old) by aeoliandave (Stratford Ontario Canada)        
Damage Claim update

aeoliandave's profile picture
I would love to post the complete 'correspondence' between Ms Bareford and I, and Ebay and Paypal over the past two months, however the posting of her name and Ebay identity will be sufficient.

In the first phase of Dispute Console negotiations I had suggested a 50% refund of the price minus the shipping would be fair and reasonable. When she huffed & puffed and I was forced to escalate I was pissed enough to ask for $100.

The end result of my perseverance and her obstructionist attitude as judged by PayPal are:

"Dear John David Kerr,

We have concluded our investigation into your case and have decided in your favor.

You have indicated that a partial refund of $100.00 USD would be satisfactory.

If the seller's account has insufficient funds to complete the refund owed to you, please be assured that we will take appropriate action against the seller's account, which may include limitation of the seller's account privileges.

-----------------------------------
Transaction Details
-----------------------------------

Seller's Name: brett bareford
Seller's Ebay Identity: fivebears58
Seller's Transaction ID: 3PA05361VY105245N
Transaction Amount: -$115.00 USD
Transaction Date: Aug 26, 2008




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