More than strange: The Airway 55 arrives

[petek]

This is almost too strange and it's not the only one in the last couple of days.
Charlie W's posting about his Airway in another thread and Dave chimes in with questions about his Airway 55 canisters etc.
This morning I go to the Habitat Restore and what do I find. An Airway 55 in remarkably great condition for $10.
The hose is stiff but useable with some tape near the end, the floor brush and felt pad and the never used sprayer with instructions and cardboard wrapper. There doesn't look to be a scratch on the vacuum itself.

 

[petek]

And a closer upper. Now I have to say it is so unbelievlable to have found this today after looking at the other thread. I don't think Airways were ever that popular or common around these parts.

 

[petek]

btw what years were these 55 made? I've no clue

 

[crevicetool]

Look out Pete.......Dave's coming over here to this thread.




Teheheheee.....

Nice machines! You're right! It looks like it saw little use, or at least well taken care of.


Rick

 

[aeoliandave]

Some fascinating and question answering definitive email came in today from a certain someone who is fast becoming a good vacuum bud.

"Dave:

In the pictures you posted on Vacuumland, you have model 66 and model 77 attachments. The model 55’s rug tool was unique to that model, it went on upside down and locked (like a Rainbow rug tool). The upholstery tool slid onto the floor brush and felt pad that you do have. The blue ones you do have were for the post war model 55 only – I have the correct upholstery tool that slides on (I’ll give it to you when you visit). The floor brush was changed when the model 66 debuted in 1950, as was the felt pad. The floor brush and felt pad for the model 66 had a latch that held it to the bottom of a separate attachment that was ONLY used with those two interchangeable ‘bottoms’. The purple pre-war model 55 (I have one in the collection) used purple painted slide on felt pad and floor brush, the post war blue model used the two you have."

Thanks for sorting this out for me and others who care to know.

Now what about these 'older' 66 wands with tools that do not use the spring-loaded Easy-Lok latch?

 

[aeoliandave]

The Easy-Lok system gets featured in the 66 Users Manual.

So where does the simple screwed tab latch come in?

 

[aeoliandave]

Closeup of the tool lock tabs in question.

 

[petek]

the floor tool I got is like the one at the bottom of the above pic.. how do I attach the felt that came with it to that?

 

[aeoliandave]

Incidentally, FROST KING makes an Xtreme Rubber half-round self-adhesive hollow weatherstripping that is ideal for crumbled Air-Way (and similar brands) tool bumpers. Available in White, Light Gray, Black and Brown. I find the Black and Brown to be thicker walled and less compressible. Comes as a 1/2" wide dowuble tube strip and is easily torn into individual 1/4" strips, making it a nice 'period look' bumper replacement.

I found it at a USA Home Depot and suppose it must be available in Canada by now; I must get in some more black stock.

Dave

 

[aeoliandave]

Rats! I've torn Air-Way Towers to bits and cannot find the Upholstery tool I thought I had to go with these 55 nozzles. :-(

I suppose I might have put it with some other machine or in a bin, not knowing it was Air-Way.

Needle in a haystack comes to mind...

Btw, Very nice hardwood floor, Pete!

 

[air-waycharlie]

Air-Way etc........

The first model 55 was introduced in 1937 bringing Electrolux some fierce competition. It was purple in color much like the like the 2000 Signature vacuum.

The model 55A, was introduced circa. 1945 in light blue. This vacuum used a GE motor with two fans creating more suction than anything else on the market. Unique to the this, "cannister", was the fact the bag cage had over 36,000 pores, (or openings), and allowed for unclogged continuous suction. The bag had equal pressure on it's entire surface.

Dave,
Your new bud has explained the floor tools very well and totally correctly. I'm glad you got answers to your questions.