Lux nozzles part two. Again, etc., et.al., revisited, section "B", "They're Back!"

[luxg]

Amazing!!

Wow Rick, I can't believe that you were able to bring these back to life. They look almost new. What in the world did you use to polish the plastic part of that XXX nozzle? I hope someone can tell us what the mystery nozzle might be!! Thanks for sharing!!

Terry

 

[crevicetool]

Terry, I scraped off the debris, rubber bumper parts that adhered itself to the plastic, and cleaned off the rust with 0000 steel wool. Also cleaned the body of the nozzle with steel wool. Then I sat for about an hour and hand polished the plastic with Megular's (sp?) automotive scratch/swirl remover. Then - went over all of it with Maas metal polish. I've used it on plastic for a while now, and it always works well.

 

[aeoliandave]

"Don't ya wish there was an erase button? Dyed not died." Well, logic dictates that one must be newly died before a ressurection can take place, eh?

Spelling typos under the time-sensitive gun of posting such magnificent pictures of a thoughtful thorough essay on tool restoration are understandable but perhaps 'we' are taking the 'magnificence' too far? Clearly Rick, your polished nozzle is a mere 10" long, not the claimed 10.5", mmm?

But let that pass. I believe that the all aluminum slim mystery nozzle is for the 1931 thru 1939 Goblin cylinder.

The Electrolux logos would have to be stamped in to the steel while the aluminum would have had the logo as part of the mold. I don't know when the change was made but I wonder if it was somehow connected with the war effort and perhaps the plastic nozzle came about for the same reasons? Btw, that is a beautiful piece of nozzle resurrection whatever 'M' polishing products you used. I get the same results from Mothers and steel wooling. I luv your detecting and noting the color of the rubber and the little detail about the gray paint...

Dave, running, ducking and dodging down prairie dog burrows for opening references to man's predisposition for misreading 12" rulers.

 

[crevicetool]

We're BOTH wrong.......

It's 10 5/8Th's inches! Must be another one of those camera/smoke mirror doohickeys.

 

[crevicetool]

I hope this is a clearer picture.....can't seem to focus today! I can't imagine it not being an early Lux nozzle. I think it looks just like the ones on Charles' display board for the V or XI. There were other Lux nozzles in the "exchange". It might be wishful thinking!

Rick

 

[crevicetool]

Here's the products....

It's Meguiar's. Irvine CA. I've used this stuff since I used to machine polish the lacquer finishes I applied to pianos.

 

[aeoliandave]

Surely it is obvious at this juncture that we need to see the entire length...er...width of the tool in question, parallel to the tape measure in the photograph to prevent accusations of creative embellishment...

 

[crevicetool]

And the MAAS. I had no idea it had a scent. "French Lavender"...they have a website. www.maasinc.com.

 

[aeoliandave]

You may be right, Rick, if it does indeed measure over 10" side to side. Faced with no identifying marks it may be an early Goblin or other import nozzle. I propose that until more humorously opinionated folks join this wise and wonderfully perplexing thread we'll accept all answers as correct...

My 10" Goblin has a Bakelite insert sporting the Hopping Goblin Imp with a sawtooth 'gleaner' comb completing the rim edge.

 

[crevicetool]

Maybe?

 

[aeoliandave]

OK, you win this one at 10.5". I'm so ashamed...

Now, to make up in a fast approaching hallowe'einie fashion I submit the devilish Imp that made me do it...

 

[crevicetool]

Dave, let's not fight over how long our nozzles are. Besides, it's not the size that picks up dirt.....it's the air flow.

 

[luxg]

Thanks for the information Rick. I will have to be on the look out for the Meguiars products. I got one of their products from Charlie once called Color X polish. It was suppose to help restore orginal colors. It worked well as a polish but didn't produce the kind of results you have on the plastic. I have used Maas for a while now but sure have never seen it in Lavender scent!!

Dave, you little Goblin you!!!

Terry

 

[aeoliandave]

Speaking of vacuum related Hallowe'en costume ideas...

An interesting page - Swedish Electrolux's competition, if not inspiration was the British Vacuum Cleaner Company that swept Queen Victoria's dirt from under the Palace carpets.

In a presaging echo of the Dyson Legend, in 1900 a young 19 year old London fellow attended at St Pancreas Station for a demonstration of how much cleaner the railway carriages would be if you could blow the debris from one side of the carriage to a dustbox on the other side. Unfortunately the billowing clouds of dirt would not accommodate and he left the Station mulling over a problem he knew was well worth thinking about.

Conceived in 1900 and patented in 1901, Mr Hubert Cecil Booth mounted his machine on a horse drawn cart, trundling it around London doing the dirty deed for homes, apartment lodgings and stores.
"While Westminster Abbey was being prepared for the Coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, Mr Booth was invited to prove the cleaning powers of his new invention on the Coronation Carpet. The Royal Household were very impressed by this demonstration. The King and Queen instructed the Lord Chamberlain to request Mr Booth to do a further demonstration in their presence at Buckingham palace. This time his demonstration was so successful that his first two machines were sold to Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle."

 

[caligula]

That little tool is a rare gem made for the equaly rare model XX (20), Electrolux's latest model to replace the XXX (30). Problem was that the US went into war production and the model XX was scrapped. After the war, the XXX was brought back and the XX was never seen again. (Except for a few collectors). There were suposidly two styles one was a dusting brush, and the other an upholstry tool. I think it's from 1943.

Alex Taber

 

[williamr1248]

Lux Nozzles Part Two

Rick,
That all aluminum rug nozzle is the one that came with my grandmother's model XX. I still have the paperwork. They bought it new in 1941. It came with that rug tool,gray painted floor bush,dusting brush,fabric tool for $49.95 and she bought the crevice tool as an extra. The Lux was grey with red electrolux lettering and hose was grey with orange threads. No one has ever been able to find out what the stainless spring lever was on the top of the machine. I do remember that is was very quiet.

 

[caligula]

Spring lever on top of the XX?

That was a cord holder. You know how there is the little thingy to hold the cord on the model E, AE, L and a few other models that have the cord winder as an optional tool? Well it was also on the XX.

Thank you for the info, I'm glad to know the exact year, and that fits! 1941 would be about three years after the XXX was introduced. As I said, the war stopped all vacuum cleaner manufacturing, and Electrolux went into 'war production' making the "motors that fight!"

You are right about the colors too. I have a model XX, very quiet, great suction. Some of the attachments like the dust brish, and upholstry tool were gray bakelite. It was a good machine, but very few are around. That one is definetely a keeper!

Alex Taber

 

[collector2]

Hey Rob:

Could you post the paperwork and a picture of the xx please? I have one but I know the parts arent correct with it and would love to see what they actually should be.

Doug

 

[crevicetool]

Thanks for the responses. I still have trouble imagining that Electrolux would have reverted to tools with the one inch opening that they had abandoned when they introduced the Model XII. I HAD a Model XX a long time ago – (over twenty years) – and while my memory is fading a bit, didn’t it have the same machine end connector as the XXX and subsequent models?

So much mystery surrounding the XX. It is my feeling that Lux introduced it as a first time economy model. By what you have described, that just enforces my belief. The Bakelite, or painted tools, the simpler design, the standard “two clamps” on the bag cover…the XXX was SO much more deluxe. It is hard for me to think that the XX was to replace the XXX.

Electrolux publications such as the “Star Performers” sheet that shows most of the models past, don’t include the XX. It’s almost as if it never existed to them. They do show some lesser models such as the S, R, and the L. They don’t show the thrift model T either, but at least after market bag manufactures list that the common “C” bags will fit all models made since 1952 except the Thrift “T” and the (non-converted) XXX. You can still find “T”s on EBay, too!

It’s obvious that we all have to search everyone’s attic of every one we know to find a Model XX is un-used condition complete with box and manual! Perhaps this will answer some of our questions!

Alex, do you remember the “Junk Shop” in Michigan City? That’s where I got my XX. The place is still there, although he had a huge fire several years ago, and lost all of his old stuff!

Thanks again.
Rick

 

[caligula]

Hi Rick

That junk shop in Michigan City is where a lot of my first machines came from, so yes, I remember it very well.

As for the XX, as it was more less an afterthought, Electrolux didn't want to admit they introduced it. When I wrote for info to the company back in 1979 asking for info on the C-A Electrolux's only wet/dry comercial model, they said it didn't exist, never had. I told whoever it was that I'd used it. "Was never sold!" was the answer. About two weeks later I got a letter from Charles McKee, the President of Electrolux. He included the instruction book for that model and a nice letter thanking me for my interest in their company. He told me I know more about their history than the top brass did. So for whatever reason, poor sales, the war, or just that the previous model the XXX was way too popular (pick one) they dropped the XX.

Great machine, as I say I have one and love it!

Alex Taber