aeoliandave
Well-known member
Message on the answering machine "Dave, there's a vacuum with a hose at the Restore. It's in really sh***y shape but its only $5"
So off I go and there it is, caked in mud & paint splatter & clogged with plaster dust and the crevice tool is rustwelded in the hose. I feared the worst but have this thing about potential diamonds in the rough.
On closer inspection a bit of spit polish on the chrome appears to show it to be a rust, ding & scuff free Model 700. Lifting off the motor we find, no paper cone and the pot half full of plaster dust, sawdust and metal nails & screws. Other than looking sadly abused it's different from my other two FQs which have the 'woodgrain' tub label strip. This one has the foil marbleizing, the crown is over the Q and the cord & plug are original. Included is the wand with the power cord and the floor tool appears to have never been used - not one scratch on the mirror polish, just white latex paint splatter.
An all too typical situation with Mom's or Gramma's old vacuum - final use as a wetvac or to clean up renovation debris. They figure when it stops working, well, throw it out or donate it.
For $5 home it comes. Clearly this one will need to be dismantled down to the motor and given the full Magic Eraser Treatment.
The results? It's the center Filter Queen in all its sparkling majesty. Best one I've got. The Magic Eraser is a miracle product at removing paint splatter and spray - I used it to polish up the hose, too. The hose was plugged with a Bic pen and wood chips easily cleared with a long pole poke. Removed the rubber collars from the hose, injected some Liquid Wrench to soften the cement, the hose unscrewed easily. More elbow grease and the crevice tool came free, its spring clip rusted away. Replaced the disintegrating metal nozzle with a clean spare one and the hose is restored. The motor filter was in place utterly plugged with plaster dust, which saved the motor. I used the 'Alien Baby Podvac' with the HEPA filter to clean up all the deposits of plaster dust, washed everything in the sink, dryed it all out over the furnace registers and added it to the bedroom Vac Rack.
Note the pristine floor tool is on the left FQ. The new FQ has a FQ clone nozzle with a baby blue rubber bumper found at that famous Pete & Dave Scroungefest a few weeks back. It just helped balance the picture. Somewhere I have 2 other tool rings and of course, that Accesory Box behind the vacs stuffed with double tools. I knew there was reason to grab 2 of everything.
So off I go and there it is, caked in mud & paint splatter & clogged with plaster dust and the crevice tool is rustwelded in the hose. I feared the worst but have this thing about potential diamonds in the rough.
On closer inspection a bit of spit polish on the chrome appears to show it to be a rust, ding & scuff free Model 700. Lifting off the motor we find, no paper cone and the pot half full of plaster dust, sawdust and metal nails & screws. Other than looking sadly abused it's different from my other two FQs which have the 'woodgrain' tub label strip. This one has the foil marbleizing, the crown is over the Q and the cord & plug are original. Included is the wand with the power cord and the floor tool appears to have never been used - not one scratch on the mirror polish, just white latex paint splatter.
An all too typical situation with Mom's or Gramma's old vacuum - final use as a wetvac or to clean up renovation debris. They figure when it stops working, well, throw it out or donate it.
For $5 home it comes. Clearly this one will need to be dismantled down to the motor and given the full Magic Eraser Treatment.
The results? It's the center Filter Queen in all its sparkling majesty. Best one I've got. The Magic Eraser is a miracle product at removing paint splatter and spray - I used it to polish up the hose, too. The hose was plugged with a Bic pen and wood chips easily cleared with a long pole poke. Removed the rubber collars from the hose, injected some Liquid Wrench to soften the cement, the hose unscrewed easily. More elbow grease and the crevice tool came free, its spring clip rusted away. Replaced the disintegrating metal nozzle with a clean spare one and the hose is restored. The motor filter was in place utterly plugged with plaster dust, which saved the motor. I used the 'Alien Baby Podvac' with the HEPA filter to clean up all the deposits of plaster dust, washed everything in the sink, dryed it all out over the furnace registers and added it to the bedroom Vac Rack.
Note the pristine floor tool is on the left FQ. The new FQ has a FQ clone nozzle with a baby blue rubber bumper found at that famous Pete & Dave Scroungefest a few weeks back. It just helped balance the picture. Somewhere I have 2 other tool rings and of course, that Accesory Box behind the vacs stuffed with double tools. I knew there was reason to grab 2 of everything.
