Just won on eBay...

[jmurray01]

A 1950s HOOVER Dustette in the original box!

Better still, I managed to get it for the starting bid of £5 because nobody else was interested.

The pictures are quite poor but I can make out the cleaner, which needs a good clean and maybe a lick of paint (can you buy the correct colour ?) and it comes with the original bag, which looks worn out but a good clean should bring it back up to a good standard.

Needless to say I'm chuffed!

So, has anybody got any information on the 50s Dustettes ?

 

[turbomaster1984]

(can you buy the correct colour ?)

I have no idea, can you?

 

[hooverboy81]

Color

What color is the machine? Is it the gold hammertone?

 

[hooverboy81]

OH!

Congrats by the way! I am completely addicted to ebay! lol!

 

[jmurray01]

"(can you buy the correct colour ?)

I have no idea, can you?"

To quote your good self Robert: Is that all you have to contribute?

A bit of double standards going on here I think.

Anyway, the Dustette should arrive next week and when it does I'll be sure to post some pictures in this thread and make a video which I will upload to YouTube.

 

[turbomaster1984]

No double standards here.

Read your original post again.
Now you might agree my points.

1)You ask for info about 50's Dustettes implying you know very little about them.

2)As you know very little about them you may have no idea what colours or how many colours they came in.

As far as I am aware there was 2 colours this cleaner came in during the 50's.

An earlier Gold/Black Hoover 119/612 colourway

Later Blue Hoover 1224 match.

You mention no actual colours, include no pictures of the auction or even a link to the completed listing.

Are you requiring us to ask questions and go finding expired ebay listings to answer your queries?

More info is usually required on the basics before anyone can answer.

 

[jmurray01]

I take your point and apologise for the lack of information, but you could have made it a bit more clear to me what you were getting at and I would have posted a link.

Since you've brought it to my attention, here is a link, as before, any information would be greatly appreciated.



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190690703275?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

 

[vacbear58]

Dustette

Jamie

The link was very useful. The dustette was a design that changed very little in its lifetime starting production in 1930 and I think it carried on until the mid 1980s. There was a later Dustette but that was a completely different design. The main change occured in the mid 1950s when the colours were updated and the introduction of a version which allowed interchangable tools and even a hose and wand - US members will know that as the Pixie, although in my opinion the suction is too limited for these to be much use. The fixed head version continued along side it for some years though.

Judging by the serial number yours was manufactured in 1952 or perhaps late 1951, its nice that you have it in the original box too, that gives it more value.

Picking up some comments made in another thread I am afraid you will find this of limited value as a supplement to your Ranger as it has the fixed head on it, so its really only suitable for upholstry or stairs. But its still a nice little cleaner and yours looks to be in reasonable condition.

Al

 

[jmurray01]

Al, thank you so much for the information you've given!

I will mainly use it on the stairs anyway, so I'm not too bothered about it being a fixed head.

Did these models come fitted with a BS1363 plug, or will I probably have to update it from the BS546 ?

 

[vacbear58]

Plug

Jamie

Most definatly not a BS1363 plug! You must rememeber that most cleaners of this time did not come with a plug at all, these had to be fitted by the dealer or the householder - and often not well either.

Hoover were an exception, all Hoover cleaners and polishers were supplied with a colour matched two (round) pin plug, up to around 1962 with an option of a bayonet adaptor. It is most likely that this plug had been removed and replaced with a three pin plug. You would be well advised to open up the plug and check the wiring and fuse. Check also the flex to make sure their is no stiffness in it for if their is it will have perished and will not be safe to use.

On a slightly side note I was discussing woth Doug (Collector2) an Electrolux 64 (from September 1960) I recently obtained which had a somewhat contrary arrangement with a bayonet plug fitted to the cleaner with a bayonet to two pin adaptor - the exact opposite to Hoover. Doug has an amazing knowledge about even UK cleaners and he was able to send me a picture from the packaging of a Lux 62 which showed and aperature of such an adaptor and the adaptor resting in it, so perhaps Electrolux also fitted a plug as well

Al

 

[turbomaster1984]

Not a complete reccomendation but I do have a fondness for fitting either MK plugs or the Ashley plugs to older collection items.

Modern Marbo, Duraplug, LeGrand, Volex, <asterplugs etc.

Always worth looking out for at carboot sales but ensure they are in good condition with no chips cracks or scorches.

I never pay more than 20p a plug either,

 

[turbomaster1984]

My Personal favourite,

These Ashleys were fitted to almost every appliance in my grandparents houses with exception of the Hotpoint Twin tub with its Hotpoint MK plug.

Perhaps they were cheaper and more available than most others, they seem to frequent more often than MK and others on our pre 1980 collection items.

(Modern Marbo, Duraplug, LeGrand, Volex, -should of also added - im none tokeen on theseyounger plugs on vintage appliances.)

 

[jmurray01]

Thank you again Al, the listing says it is working so I presume it has a BS1363 plug fitted, or how else would the seller have known it worked ?

Even if it has no plug fitted, I've got plenty spare plugs hanging around the house (when an electrical appliance fails or is replaced, I always keep the plugs!).

Of course I'll check the basics for electrical safety before switching it on, I learned my lesson after discovering the neutral wire on my 1977 HOOVER Ranger's plug was being held on with three strands of wire! After that I check all fitted plugs.

 

[jmurray01]

Nice plugs Robert! I personally like the Nettle ones, I have one fitted on my Ranger (aforementioned) and on my extractor fan above the cooker.

 

[turbomaster1984]

Nettle?

Never heard of or seen one of those before.

 

[jmurray01]

I will take a picture of one of mine sometime and post it.

 

[turbomaster1984]

Sometime? talk about keeping the audience waiting.

 

[jmurray01]

Don't blame me, blame my crappy batteries.

 

[vintagerepairer]

Nettle are a very old company who were bought up in due course by Delta and MEM. I have seen a good deal of their plugs around, especially the design which continued under the Delta name. They had a large 'N' printed between the two cord grip screws and had a hole so you could see the colour of the fuse from the outside of the plug.

 

[vintagerepairer]

A brief mention to Nettle is made in this link.

http://www.bewdirect.co.uk/home/p/88/id/32/page/1/

 

[jmurray01]

Right, got one more question!

Did those Dustettes require paper bags, or was the cloth bag the primary dust collection and filtration method ?

I see you can buy bags for the Dustette, but the illustrations look to be more modern.

Also, even if they didn't originally require bags, could you put a paper bag in it to increase filtration ?

 

[vacbear58]

Bags

Jamie

Bags seem to have come and gone with the dustette. It appears that they were introduced with the model following yours (and this was more or less the time when Hoover were introducing paper bags across the range, and I think this bag used teh satin like material used on the 638 1334 etc) only to be dropped again later on - presumably they were not popular and a heavier weave cloth bag was used.

I would suggest using a bag from your ranger although you may need to cut it down in length. Having given the bag from your dustette a good vacuuming push the papetr bag in and try and open it out as much as possible - if you have small hands and wrists you may even manage to get your hand inside the bag - I would have thought you could more or less line the cloth bag. Fold the bag back over the bag opening and trim off the excess paper. It wont look tidy but it will improve filtration and help protect the cloth bag. Dont let it get too full otherwise you wont be able to get it back out again without ripping, although thinking about it, if you empty it after each use in the recommended manner (upending the bag over a sheet of newspaper) you would not need to change the paper bag that often - I would have thought with the low power (and the restriction to the airflow will reduce that power anyway) the pores of the bag wont get blocked that quickly.

The only bags for a dustette I have seen recently were for the last model dustette which was of a completely different design and for which paper bags were mandatory

Al

 

[jmurray01]

Thanks for that piece of information Al, I think I'll just use it with the original cloth bag if that was what was standard at the time.

Right, now to the main point of posting this - the Dustette came this morning!

When I first took the box out of the box (if you know what I mean) I found a very good condition original, but dusty, box.

Inside, what did I find ? A HOOVER Dustette Model 100!

Also very dusty I may add.

The first thing I did was the most important - safety. I checked the super long flex (to think I was worrying about it being too short!) for damage, of which there was none (not even a nick!). I then checked the plug which was fitted and although it looked alright on the face of it, under closer inspection it looked to have been pushed in too much where the Neutral and Live prongs are.

I took the plug apart to find the wiring very untidy and relatively dangerous, the copper wires were protruding from the terminals. Not excessively, but enough to require rectifying.

I decided, just to be on the safe side, I'd replace the 1950s plug, which had no British Standards stamp on it, thus rendering it risky in my books to use, especially with the "dents" in it.

So I got another black plug I'd taken from an old aquatic Air Pump which failed and fitted it. It blends in because it is black but is more importantly safe because it is only a few years old and has the British Standards stamp. I also replaced the original 13 Amp fuse for a 3 Amp one, thus increasing the safety in case of an electrical failure.

Then I plugged it in and tested that it worked, which it did, very quietly to my surprise.

Now that I knew it worked, I took the bag off, cleaned it thoroughly in soapy water and stuck it in the Bendix 7414 to dry (it was threatening to rain outside and the tumble dryer would bring it up better anyway).

While that was in motion I got a bowl of soapy water and cleaned the Dustette, which looked very neglected and thus I thought possibly in bad condition.

FAR FROM IT. With a good wipe the gold and dark grey bodywork looked next to new!

It improved further when I sprayed it with some furniture polish and buffed it up with a duster, how ironic...

Better still, it has a lovely shiny ratings plate on which it states the motor is compatible with both Direct-Current and Alternating-Current (why is this ?), it has a 140W motor, is the Model 100 and has the Serial Number: 191003. If I could get a definite age from that I'd be grateful.

So, by then the bag was dry and looking brilliant with little fading on the logo and after reattaching the bag cuff to the bag it was complete. I gave it a wee test on the rug and the suction is amazing for something its age.

I will now post a picture of it.

 

[jmurray01]

I forgot to mention, it was originally purchased from Adams & Jarret in Sussex, according to the original delivery sticker on the top of the box.

 

[vintagerepairer]

Jamie may I congratulate you on your diligence and attention to detail over the plug. Well done. The absence of a BS 1363 stamp on a 13 amp plug does not necessarily mean the plug is dangerous or didn't ever meet the standard, because often the case was that such a design of none-BS 1363 plug would later go one to be accredited with this status as time progressed. So you may yet come across an identical plug which has the BS 1363 stamp.

One of the biggest changes to 13 amp plugs and adaptors was back in the 1960's and maybe even earlier, when what you might call slimline plugs were found to be very dangerous as the user could easily slip their fingers around the back of the plug when removing it from a socket or adaptor. As a result manufactures began making much wider, chunkier plugs, and even the more streamlined plugs were very wide on the outside edges of the live and neutral pins. If you can find yourself an Ever Ready or Crabtree plug you will see just how large some were in order to make a good, solid, safe plug.

Some adaptors were very, very compact and this too presented problems, because those which tapered in towards the pins allowed great access to live parts. Insert a slimline plug into one of those and you have a recipe for disaster. Another disadvantage of compact adaptors (though no doubt seen wholly as an advantage by those who did such things) was that it was easier to double-up two or even more adaptors in a single socket outlet. This was easier still if an extension lead was used as the very design of the trailing socket outlet allowed greater physical freedom to at attach even more adaptors. One of the selling features of MK adaptors was the large lump of hard plastic on the front of the adaptor, which prevented other adaptors being plugged into it. I saw new version recently, well in the last 10 years or roundabouts, and even that retained the original idea of a plastic moulding on the front.

But by far the greatest safety improvement on a standard 13 amp plug was the introduction of the part insulated pins. Crabtree offered this as an alternative to their standard none-sleeved plug, but MK were the ones who led the way. This was the early 1970's. There safety plug as we know it today was around 2 to 3 times the price of a cheaper alternative, but they were so incredibly popular. Indeed many shops like mine would have a box of MK plugs alongside a box of cheaper alternatives. Even though both conformed to BS 1363, you always got someone who wanted an MK plug and someone who didn't want to pay quite that amount. In 1977 My father had something to do with the decision made at Morphy Richards to supply all their new appliances with an MK safety plug already fitted as standard.

During the earlier part of the 1980's Morphy Richards discontinued the use of the MK plug as Volex had introduced their Pencon moulded plug which was a good deal cheaper, and appliance flexes were delivered to the factory with plugs already attached. This cut down on assembly costs as well, because if my failing memory is to be believed I think the girls on the production line at Morphy Richards used to have to fit plugs either as part of the assembly of a new appliance or as a separate activity. The Pencon plug did not have the insulated pins which the MK was famous for. However, when House of Carmen took over the company the very idea of attaching a plug to every new appliance was scrapped altogether.

As for plugs on sale in shops, by the late 1980's it was necessary for all 13amp plugs on sale to have the part insulated pins.

 

[jmurray01]

That was very interesting Benny, but what exactly do you mean by insulated pins ? What insulation ?

 

[vintagerepairer]

Sorry. The live and neutral pins of modern plugs are part insulated in plastic. It is usually black or white, but it can be any colour. I have seen blue & brown to correspond with L and N and for a long while Hotpoint moulded plugs had orange pins. The idea is that if the user puts his or her pins around the plug whilst there is enough pin in the socket for the plug to be live, they will touch the plastic insulation on the pin.

 

[jmurray01]

I think I know what you mean! I have noticed that in a few plugs. Good idea I suppose, but I always pull the plug out by gripping the sides and switch the socket off first so it is pretty redundant for me.

 

[vintagerepairer]

Ah well you see, you're alright then. But getting a good grip on a plug is not always an easy matter, particularly if the plug is slim in design as I mentioned to you earlier, and if, God forbid, the user had wet hands. So sometimes fingers slipped behind the plug very easily and of course water is easily dripped.

Now I can appreciate that wall sockets without switches are not commonplace today, but it wasn't until the 1980's that every new home had switched sockets in all rooms as standard. Though it would obvioulsy fall to the builder as to what switchgear was installed, all too often it was only in the kitchen areas where switched sockets were used, if at all. Un-switched wall sockets were originally a good deal cheaper, but as the benefits of switched sockets became recognised, prices did fall as switched socket outlets led the way. So, if you consider the number of un-switched sockets in daily use in previous times, and no doubt to this very day, it is not uncommon for 13 amp plugs to be removed from the wall socket whilst still live.