Back in 2016 Arlee found a Model 444 Hoover Constellation at Goodwill for $7.99!
It has sat in a corner of our hallway on display pretty much ever since then, rarely taken out to use. I do most of the vacuuming and prefer to use one of my Electroluxes.
The other day he decided to use it. We discovered, to our horror, that LoLo had been using it for target practice. Half of the base had become deeply rusted and corroded. I decided to do the best I could to remedy that unsightly mess.
I went to Lowe’s with the handle to get a paint match. An employee in the paint department showed my several cans of paint, until he found Rustoleum Professional High-Performance Enamel #7570 Almond – literally a perfect match. You can see for yourself in the photo of the handle lying on top of the base. (I didn’t paint the handle.)
I wire-brushed as much of the rust and corrosion as I could from the base, using the Kirby Handi-Butler with flexible shaft. Some of the corrosion was so deep that it just wouldn’t come out.
Overall, the base came out really nice. I gave the entire machine a clean-and-polish.
I decided to get out my Constellation, a Model 454. It’s in beautiful condition; all I had to do was give it a quick going-over with Jubilee Kitchen Wax.
I also used to have a model 853, the yellow and tan model that’s tilted downward. I’ve always liked the way that looks and I toyed with modifying my 454 to make it tilt. It would be a simple alteration but decided against it.
It has sat in a corner of our hallway on display pretty much ever since then, rarely taken out to use. I do most of the vacuuming and prefer to use one of my Electroluxes.
The other day he decided to use it. We discovered, to our horror, that LoLo had been using it for target practice. Half of the base had become deeply rusted and corroded. I decided to do the best I could to remedy that unsightly mess.
I went to Lowe’s with the handle to get a paint match. An employee in the paint department showed my several cans of paint, until he found Rustoleum Professional High-Performance Enamel #7570 Almond – literally a perfect match. You can see for yourself in the photo of the handle lying on top of the base. (I didn’t paint the handle.)
I wire-brushed as much of the rust and corrosion as I could from the base, using the Kirby Handi-Butler with flexible shaft. Some of the corrosion was so deep that it just wouldn’t come out.
Overall, the base came out really nice. I gave the entire machine a clean-and-polish.
I decided to get out my Constellation, a Model 454. It’s in beautiful condition; all I had to do was give it a quick going-over with Jubilee Kitchen Wax.
I also used to have a model 853, the yellow and tan model that’s tilted downward. I’ve always liked the way that looks and I toyed with modifying my 454 to make it tilt. It would be a simple alteration but decided against it.
