Got My Kirbys!!!

Gather App
VacuumLand – Vintage & Modern Vacuum Enthusiasts

Help Support VacuumLand:

super-sweeper

Thanks for liking my chainsaw!!! That's me holding "Mr. Poppet"! I have 8 of those models so far. In all, between my husband's collection and mine, we have 115 chainsaws as of now, that changes almost daily! We collect, rebuild, and restore them! The one in the pic is my first saw and favorite! Hence, I own 8 of them! That's a Sears D-44 Automatic Oiler. There's not a lot of info out there on this model, but from what research I have done, it's mid 60's - early 70's. I named him "Mr. Poppet" because on the cylinder, there's a de-compression valve and another name for it is a poppet valve. When my husband was first teaching me about chainsaws, I was amazed by the valve and loved the name! My husband actually painted that him for me. That was the first saw I ever had and learned how to fix! I paint, rebuild, and restore them now! I restored a 1979 Homelite XL 12 that I named "Walton". I got him at a garage sale for $10.00! I did 98.9% of the work on him by myself. I only needed help removing the flywheel, clutch, and reassembling the oil lines (they're a little tricky on that style of saw). The pic is of "Walton". A nice before and after for ya to see, plus a pic of me painting him! Thanks again! :) -Michelle

luxy1205++4-4-2014-07-57-53.jpg
 
BikerRay

Thanks for the info on the bearings!!! That will make my life easier now!!! I got so many hobbies and interests! I'm just trying to take off with fixing and collecting vacuums. Thanks again! :) -Michelle
 
KirbyClassicIII

Thanks! I will enjoy my vacuums forever! Once I get something to add to my collection, I will fix it and use it forever! There's nothing like old vintage stuff!!! Everything that is old that I collect, I will use and enjoy forever! I use a 1961 Sears Kenmore electric can opener everyday, a 1205 Electrolux everyday, old mixers ranging from the 30's to the 90's, and get woke up everyday to a vintage tube clock radio! Life to me can't get any better than that!!! :) -Michelle
 
super-sweeper

Thanks a lot! Ha Ha Phyllis!!! The Kirbys especially will look the nicest. My husband restores antique cars for a living. That in-tales painting, metal fabrication, and the general knowledge on how to restore stuff. He's not into vacuums, but he wanted to take my DS50 apart last night and fix the bearings and polish them both up! He's kinda taken a liking to the DS50! I told him it's because they're the same age! Ha Ha! He wants to find the original bag for it, but if we can't find one, we could make one. We wouldn't be able to recreate it exactly, but we could at least try to find a material that would fit more into the beige/rose family. I actually read a thread on here yesterday about someone sewing/making their own bags. Now I have to remember where and who it was! Anyways, I've got my mom's 1205 basically into shell form. I gotta sandblast him and have my husband match the paint. I got a thread on him. It was my mom's and she passed away recently so I demanded it because it was in their garbage heap! It's quite toasty, to most wouldn't be worth fixing. I love him and his name is "Lux". How original I know! Ha Ha! My "Lux" is missing his back wheel, top handle, and castor. We have this vacuum that was in the basement for years that someone left here and I know it's a Eureka, looks like a Princess, but I know it's not. It's missing everything and is too far gone to repair, but it has 2 good back wheels on it and I'm thinking about using them temporarily for "Lux" until I can find his correct ones. What's cool is, for the shape he's in, rusted, and missing everything, he still runs great and the cord winder works perfectly!!! Go figure! I'm done rambling for now! Ha Ha! :) -Michelle
 
Michelle:

You & your husband are a lot like me & my "accomplice". I am a cabinet maker who specialized in restoring 19th century buildings, she is a farrier/blacksmith. When I saw her repairing chaps with two needles & waxed thread, I offered the use of one of my 1912 vintage Singer industrial sewing machines. She now has a sew shop capable of harness making, and I have a rather nice 19th century machine shop. BTW, I am the cook, she likes collecting firewood with a chainsaw & a tractor.

anachronism++4-4-2014-21-42-0.jpg
 
Anachronism

WOW!!! I'm totally blown away by both of your capabilities and totally jealous!!! I love the simple archaic way of using tools and basically using yourself as a tool! It's a true art form! My husband does metal work and I do shrinking and tucking by using a log with a concave circle carved into it. So far all I've made is a bowl. It was made from a flat sheet of 20 gauge galvanized steel that I beat the bejesus out of with different body hammers strategically. Hence, I was shrinking and stretching the metal to form it into a bowl. There are no hammer marks in it either. It looks like a metal bowl you would buy at the store! I want to get into making different three dimension flowers as well, plus this summer I'm gonna start learning how to do chainsaw carvings! I love watching WYCC channel 20 it's a PBS station out of Chicago and the show is called "The Woodwright Shop", he makes stuff with treadle machines or foot powered. It's amazing!!! I'm really drawn to wood and I want to learn how to do wood carvings, but do it the old school way, no electric power tools!!! I used to live in Minnesota and my parents' are friends with a guy that makes his own harnesses for draft horses. I know he makes saddle bags, probably anything that's leather related. Very cool!!! I would love to see more pics of the stuff you guys do!!! Thanks for sharing!!!! :) -Michelle
 
chainsaw carvings!

Looks like Mr.Poppet (Phyllis!
smiley-wink.gif
) Will be getting a work-out! Have fun and be careful!
 
Interesting you mention Woodwright- I rarely watch T.V., but I saw him once or twice, and his shop & tools are virtually identical to mine. I got into the furniture making trade when my uncles threw away my grandfather's tools & I retrieved them in 1958. He bought them from the son of their original owner with his separation pay from Roosevelt's cavalry in 1898. M.K. (my accomplice) has steel swedge blocks for making shovels, etc. She makes a lot of iron flowers, Leaves & ornamental hooks at the shows, along with sample horse shoes and an occasional gag chicken shoe. If you are into carving & make your own designs, then you are much more creative than I, I admit to being a supreme plagiarist, able to copy ANYTHING, but not prone to create on my own. Sinking a bowl with no dents or pimples takes a lot of patience: Congrats! As you may have noticed from the pics above, we use power saws for firewood that pre-date chainsaws, and don't require picking up the pieces fron the ground.
 
Anachronism

Wow amazing that you have pre-chainsaws!!! I would love to see pics of those!!! Very cool history you have about your tools!!! That is so interesting and neat! I am still totally jealous of your tools! I'm hoping to have my husband make me some that look like the Woodwright Shops got! I'm just blown away by the black smithing skills!! We are both really into that!!! My husband always jokes around with me about how he was born in the wrong time! Ha Ha! It's just amazing what you guys do! Good job! :) -Michelle
 
super-sweeper

Thanks, but is there suppose to be a picture attached with your last comment? I feel like I missed something??? :) -Michelle
 
Alex

Thanks so much!!! I actually got an email from a Kirby guy on VacuumLand that sells NOS Kirby parts. I can't remember if he said he used to work for Kirby, or if he acquired or bought all those parts. He's pretty reasonable, within the realm of Ebay prices. I think once we take both the Kirby vacs apart, then we will know for sure what we will need. Until we go thru the DS50, I don't want to start buying bearings for front and rear if I don't need them. I do know I need a rug plate for Mr. HII! That little Kirbage is missing a lot of his goodies! Ha Ha! :) -Michelle
 

Similar threads

kirbyman65
Dream Kirby acquired!
Replies
14
Views
589
centralsweeper63
centralsweeper63
mariotron
Original emptor for Kirby G4
Replies
1
Views
234
human
human
kirbyuser
almost all my 500 series kirbys
Replies
1
Views
295
hygiene903
hygiene903
KirbyCollector01
Early Kirby Generation 3
Replies
0
Views
291
KirbyCollector01
KirbyCollector01
L
Offering free Eureka Roto-matic Power Team model 1279, Minneapolis, MN (Twin Cities area)
Replies
6
Views
962
cheesewonton
C

Latest posts

Sponsored
UnlistMe
Back
Top