Hello, I’m new, and just dug out my late grandmothers mod. 94 electro hygiene up-right. It’s been sitting in my basement for years, thought I might somewhat re-store it. Any tips appreciated. Bag is shot, still has the dirt in it from 50 years ago! What can I use to clean the hammered finish on this machine? I’ve restored cars, but this will be my 1st vacuum.
Winter project. What do I do for a bag? Are there any parts sources? I’ve not plugged it in yet, working up some courage.
Welcome aboard Doug! I also replied to your other post in the New Member's Forum. Electro-Hygiene is kind of a specialty of mine, and I'll be glad to help you if I can. For the hammered finish, a little Mother's Mag, some green 3M scrubbing pads or fine steel wool, and some "elbow grease" will make it look beautiful! The 94 was the ONLY model that had that finish, the models before (80) and after it (230) had smooth finishes. As for the bag, just about any Royal or Electro-Hygiene bag will fit, but I would recommend keeping the original bag, unless it is far beyond repair, as the original bag for the 94 is quite rare. I actually found a generic gray Royal or Electro-Hygiene shakeout bag on ebay a couple years ago that I intend to dye black and have the logo silkscreened on it for my model 80 which was the first model of Electro-Hygiene and also my first restoration project. VacPartsPlus, which is the online store of the Henry Company, might carry them, as they have a good variety of Royal parts. Jimmy Martin, who is rugsucker here in Vacuumland, might also be able to help. And if you happen to live in the Canton area, you might want to check with Morrison's Sweeper Place on Wertz Ave. They used to have a lot of parts for all makes, but it's been quite a while since I've been there.
Glad you haven't plugged it in yet, as there are a couple things you should check before you try it out. First check the cord. If it's bad, you can bypass it by unplugging the pigtail coming from the motor and plugging it into an extension cord. Next, remove the nozzle and check with your finger to see if the fan turns freely. If it's hard to turn or doesn't turn at all, you will need to use either WD-40 or Liquid Wrench in the oil ports along with working it back & forth until it turns freely. If the fan already turns freely DO NOT use WD-40 or Liquid Wrench in the oil ports. Instead, put several drops of either SAE30 motor oil or 3-In-1 Electric Motor Oil in each port. It is a special blend they make for electric motors up to 1/4 HP. DO NOT use regular 3-In-1 oil, as it is too thin. Next, check the motor brushes. If they are not at least 1/4" long, I would recommend replacing them before you try to run it. Fortunately, MOST Royal and Electro-Hygiene uprights use the same motor brushes, so finding replacements shouldn't be a problem. After making these checks, you should be ready to cross your fingers and fire it up! Hope this info helps, and here are a few pics. first one is the generic bag I told you about, next is my model 80 Electro-Hygiene, and the 3rd is one of 2 94's that I have. Original bag on the 94 was beyond saving, so the previous owner saved the section of the bag with the logo and sewed it onto one of the gray generic bags. Good luck with your restoration,
Jeff
