can this be fixed?

[jrdavis]

i believe it had a chain switch a long time ago. i thought i remembered the chain coming off. i decided i wanted to see if i could fix it. i remember taking it to a guy thats worked on these motors like this since 1959(about 15 years ago) he's gone now. i think he robbed me! this is what if found when removing the switch cover

 

[bikerray]

Is this an Ohio Vacuum?

 

[jrdavis]

no but close

i havent seen too many of these

 

[hoover300]

Huh

I saw the printing block for that on etsy.
~K

 

[jrdavis]

for real?

when? what it look like?

 

[hoover300]

It was a while ago

It is unfortunately no longer there. It had the vac chasing a mouse or rat or something. It was either wood or brass.
~K

 

[jrdavis]

?

the vac chasing? lol i'd like to seen that. i did figure out a temporary switch

 

[huskyvacs]

You can buy replacement pull chain switches. There's many different styles and types, and I'm not sure if they are rated for an electric motor operation.

Here's an example;
https://www.zoro.com/zoro-select-pu...MIjIipzdmk5gIVhobACh2eywK9EAQYAyABEgJgCfD_BwE

 

[gregvacs28]

One of those touch lamps that has 3 dim settings might give you a deluxe three speed vacuum, right?

Just an idea.

 

[madman]

:/ Running a motor through a thyristor type of dimmer switch is not really a good idea.

Anyhow, what's that little lever-looking thing sticking up on the left side? If it had a pull chain switch, it almost looks like a fork to hold the chain so you could 'pull' the chain with your toe.

 

[jrdavis]

yes

this was a long time ago- when the switch still saw there maybe the switch no longer worked? anyway, whenever it was wired without the switch it ran. ok-see the metal ball? that would go between the fork and theres a metal bar you step on and that pulls the chain

 

[huskyvacs]

The contacts in the switch are likely just dirty or bent apart, probabaly needs a good cleaning. I'm sure the foot pedal was just a way to make it easier to pul lthe chain, still works without it. I've never even heard of a vacuum that has a pull chain to turn it on, but a lot of the early vacuum cleaners were the wild west - everyone was trying every possible thing to see what worked and what didn't.

 

[bikerray]

I think the Ohio vacuum also had a pull chain or it was a switch the was triggered by the handle bale.

Huskyvacs - his problem is that the switch is gone

Here's a picture of the switch parts for an Ohio from a 1936 Buckeye catalog.

 

[jrdavis]

switch pics

i found a pic with it when it had a switch. i think what happened was the switch chain broke-therefore it wouldnt work

 

[madman]

I knew it, that's pretty cool. Honestly, it looks like a totally ordinary pull chain switch. Maybe the length of the chain will need to be adjusted, and a big ball end put on it, but other than that, it looks like a totally ordinary, run of the mill pull chain switch. Go to the lamp parts section of the hardware store and buy one. They may have a couple different types, I would buy one of each and return what you don't need.

 

[jrdavis]

that would be neat

i plugged it in yesterday for the first time in years. sounds good. had that strong electrical smell-maybe the motor had some dust in it or something? anyway i never saw so much dust fly from a bag without holes in it when it came to life.

 

[gregvacs28]

Hope you did it outside so the dust could just blow away.

 

[jrdavis]

nope

i started it up on the foyer rug. it never did that before but then i never left it dormant for so many years before. it only blew dust for a few seconds probably because when i first plugged it in the handle fell against the dust bag on the floor and gave it a good bump