Kirby Model C Bags

[vacuumkid3]

Hi Everyone!

I am pleased to announce that "Kyle's Vacuum-Related Alterations" and what not is opened for business. I have (so far) two items that I can make: Air-Way filters for removing carbon dust and Kirby model C/505 bags. I am going to be doing the silk-screening myself. I will take pictures of my first bag when I get it completed. However, I do have pictures of my Air-Way filter. I consider my prices to be reasonable considering how much time is needed to make these items. Once I get the hang of silk-screening, I may lower my prices for the bag.

Kyle's Vacuum-Related Alterations and Creations:
Air-Way Bonnet-$10
Kirby Model C/505-TBA

Anyways...I hope I can serve this vacuum community with my services. I will update this every now and then to share my progress. Thanks!

~~K~~

P.S. I forgot to add! I can also mend torn bags. So if you thought those old cloth bags were no good, think again! I do my best on patching, but of course, it will never EVER look as good as the original. These prices are based on the size of the tears and holes.

 

[ian88]

Bloody good idea Kyle!

I for one am worried about what will happen to the collection when *gasp*

THE SPARES RUN OUT

 

[tolivac]

Another great idea-less hunting for orig bags.The Kirby C-for me the one that got away.Still looking.One of the Kirby salespeople JUST ABOUT got me one.The owner didn't want to give it up-even at 50% off on the new machines price!

 

[kc_kirby]

What a great idea. I was just recently thinking about trying to make my own Kirby 505 bag as I have two without the original bags and that is about all I need to complete them. I was thinking about finding someone to do the silkscreening like you are going to do, so you beat me to it. I'm definitely going to be interested in seeing the finished product.

 

[eluxomarty]

Material

Kyle, What material are you using for the bag? I wouldn't even begin to know what to start with! I have repaired a rip on a hold Hoover bag simply by sewing a straight seam across the top of the bag. The bag now has two top seams but it doesn't look too bad. I did replace a zipper on one of my Singer uprights. I had never done such a thing before so I don't know what got into me. It was before a got a zipper foot for my sewing machine so the bag looks a little funny. But the zipper works!

Good luck with the bags! Post pics of them when they are finished.

Marty

 

[tolivac]

Didn't kirby get a special fabric to make their bags from?I mean something custom made for their standards for their vacuum bags.Just a question.I was wondering if the material was something special Kirby had made up for them.

 

[ian88]

Or there's the Kirby Sanitronic bags which were sprayed with Radon or something like that ;p

that'll kill the bacteria..

 

[tolivac]

PowerFlite treats their cloth commercial shake out bags with something called "Vacucide"supposed to kill germs and suppress odors.I beleive the Kirby bag treatment on the Sanitronic bags was something similar.Neither tell you what it really is.The PowerFlite bags on on their commerical vacuums-built for them by Sanitaire and Koblentz,and they sell the bags as replacements for Sanitaire vacuums,Koblentz vacuums..

 

[ian88]

Well this one on Charles Lesters website had the original tag saying what actual chemical the bag was treated with, it sounded industrial and harmful, lol..

probably not far removed from agent orange or something.

 

[frkirby511]

I was hoping someone...

....would venture into making vintage bags for Kirbys. I had thought about it myself, but then thought not because I don't have any sewing experience at all so it would have been a real shot in the dark.

Charles-Richard says [I feel sure he's right] that the Model C bags were made of duvetyne fabric, but the later ones were made of a heavy corduroy, I have listed a link for where to get the duvetyne, but I don't know for sure if it's the same stuff. I imagine you could get gray corduroy somewhere. My hunch is that it would be more like drapery or upholstery weight fabric.

If you can't get a fabric that will actually reasonably filter the dust, the other possibility is to do your best to replicate the bags for display purposes and try to fit a second saniemptor with an after market useable bag for vacuuming purposes.

In any case, I am very interested in the final product.



Good luck, Kyle!!!!!!
Bruce Cinquegrani


http://www.magnafabrics.com/category/540.htm

 

[vacuumkid3]

Well...I just got back from band camp (it was exhausting!!), but that's beside the point... :-D

Okay, let's see here. I am using some cotton twill, I believe. My rule is if I can see tiny holes of light when I hold it up to a ceiling fixture, it won't filter well. However, that's just my rule. Sure enough, the original Kirby C bag has few light holes in it. Thus, I consider it a fair filter. When I went to pick out my fabric, I simply held it up to the light and found the most tightly spun fabric, I guess you could say. I am using black, not gray. In fact, the spots that haven't faded on the original Kirby C bag is indeed black. However, this fabric is neat because it has alternating vertical stripes made of diagonal lines. Very cool looking, in my opinion!

Now, as for the silkscreening...this is going to be difficult, I am sure. Firstly, I must carefully trace the pattern from the original bag on tracing paper. Then I must transfer that to a thicker paper and cut it out negatively. This way the ink will transfer to the bag positively as it's supposed to. I must also order some gold ink. I think I already have red, so I should be good on that. Man I hope this will turn out!

Oh, and yes, Kirby did treat their bags with a chemical agent called KGF-40, which is .1% "Ziram" and Zinc something or another...I am too tired to type it all out! Here is the website for those interested in seeing Charles' Kirby Sanitronic 50!

http://www.137.com/kirbyd50/page3.html

 

[ian88]

Zinc Dimethyldithiocarbomate 0.09%
Zinc 2- Mercaptobenzothiazole 0.01%

and the mystery "inert ingredients" mmm yes quite ingenius if a little primative ;p


mmm, oooh I take it you are referring to the intellikettle? an early triumph..

 

[tolivac]

The mystery is solved on the bag additive-will see if the tag is on my dual 50 or 80.

 

[ohio_tuec]

Wonder if KGF-40 is anything at all like Wex-cide?

http://www.opacity.us/image237_wexcide.htm