Recent content by d-jones

As Gareth says, plastic can be sent out and re-plated. Guys into classic car restoration have been having it done by small specialty shops for many years. If authenticity is important to you then it's an option well worth considering.

The 350 and 500 are nearly identicle in appearance, the only noticable difference being the color. Both machines have hammertone finishes, but the 500 is a gold color while the 350 is more of a pale bronze? I don't know how else to describe that color. Anyways, the model number appears on a...

I seem to recall that the model 200 had two locking lugs on the tanks hose fitting placed directly opposite each other for the hose to lock on to, whereas the later machines all had three lugs spaced 120 degrees apart. If that's correct then the modern replacement hoses won't fit without...

There are likely a good number of poeople here that would be interested provided the price is reasonable. But you'll need to post a few photos so everyone can see what condition it's in before you'll get any offers.

Have you inspected the brushes on this motor yet? If they're in good servicable condition then a new set probably won't help, so I'd start there if you haven't already. You'll need access to them anyways to replace them if it comes to that, and once you have it taken appart that far you'll be...

Isn't the model number there on the data plate below the motor? That's where it should be. The 505 is my favorite of all the Kirby's. I can't really say why, it just is. I wonder how hard it would be to track down the parts needed to make this one look original?

Is this thing a real vacuum? It looks like a toy. What was Dyson thinking? With the overuse of primary colors here it looks like it should come in a box labeled Fisher Price or Playskool.

Years ago when I did a major renovation, I swept all the joint compound dust into piles that were picked up with a dust pan and thrown away, then a damp mop was used to get the finer stuff that the broom left behind. The only thing I ever used the shop vac for was to blow the airborne sanding...

By the way....... I forgot to mention that though the power nozzle was an option beginning with the model 31, not all model 31's or 33's will have the power nozzle outlet, so if you want a power nozzle you'll need to make sure the outlet is there before you commit to buy a machine. You can see...

What year was the 33 released? I read somewhere that the model 31 came on the scene in 1961, but I have no way to confirm that, and all I can say about the model 33 is that I believe it came along somewhere around the mid 1970's, but the model 33 and 31 were both in production simultaneously...

For power nozzles I believe you'll need a model 31 or newer. I personally prefer the two tone machines like this model 33 I picked up for my folks last year. Machines from this period(Like the brown one you're looking for) are funtionally identical to their newer counterparts, but better built...

eBay is your friend! Everything this Filter queen needs can be found there with a little patience, and not too much money. A number of the missing parts are listed at this very moment, including the correct cream colored tool caddy and the proper exhaust cap that fits under the handle. I'm a...

"the Bakelite hood is all cracked" And he won't go lower than $150:00? Good Lord. The cracked hood alone makes this little more than a parts doner. This guy sounds like he's dumber than a bag of hammers.

Just bear in mind When you sand the surrounding metal all the way down to the bottom of a deep scratch you're very visibly altering the contour of the metal. For deep scratches it's worth considering the option of welding an aluminum bead into the sratch, then sanding the bead down to match the...

As I've said before when this subject came up(which it seems to do with regularity)I use both a Filter Queen canister and a Hoover upright, it just depends on what I'm doing. If it's just the carpets then the Hoover deals with it, but if I'm doing the whole enchilada then I bring out the Filter...