Royal Canister model 231 & General Electric upright questions

[vacman117]

Hi all! It's been a while.

I had a few questions regarding a few new vacuums that I've recently acquired. First being this Royal canister model 231. This has been the vacuum at the top of my list ever since I can remember. I was perusing Facebook Marketplace one day and stumbled upon it in Cleveland. The seller was nice enough to ship it to me that week! It was a little scary when it arrived with absolutely no packaging, however, it made it to Chicago in one piece. It didn't come with any of the attachments other than two original hoses, however, I do have a ton of the baby blue attachments from previous Pony canisters that I've owned, as well as a 497 and 597 power nozzle.

The only information that I can really find on this model is from the pamphlets that came with the Royal and Dirt Devil cleaners in the 80s and 90s.

Questions about the Royal:

1. Does anyone know what the separate wheel carriage to the right of the vacuum is for? It arrived with it, with the pot sitting inside of it (fits perfectly). Did they offer a model that did not have wheels already attached to the base? The only use I can see for this is a place to store the attachments onboard.

2. Was this model offered with an electric hose? I have an electric hose for my 401 canister, so it would make sense that they also made one for this? I do believe these were significantly less popular than the Pony though. Having the power nozzle cord strapped to the hose just makes it so cumbersome.

3. Has anyone had any experience with chrome spray paint? I am thinking about sanding down the chrome ring at the top and applying a chrome spray. I'm not sure what else to do, seeing that most it has peeled off.

 

[vacman117]

General Electric

I recently picked this up at an estate sale and it was too cool not to grab for $10, especially because it will work great on a deep shag rug that we have in our living room.

I know that the bag has to somehow come off from the base somehow, but I can't seem to figure it out. I can't tell if it's supposed to twist off like a Royal bag or not. Does anyone have any experience with these? Not my usual cup of tea, but again, too neat to leave there.

 

[vacman117]

Just for fun..

I also picked up this Power Center, along with a Sears record player, for $20 at an estate sale. I'm a sucker for these and can never leave them behind. When I come across them they are always in near perfect condition because if they were used they ended up in a landfill soon after. It only came with the stretch hose and no other attachments (I searched everywhere in the house for them). Haven't seen one in this color before! I grew up using my grandparents' gray model with a plastic hose and no bag zipper.


Thanks in advance!

Chase

 

[fantomfan57]

Congratulations Chase...

I too acquired a Royal like that one. It had been on my top list also. I think the extra carriage is designed to allow you to hook on the attachments. Can't tell clearly from the picture, does it also have casters?

 

[madman]

In my experience... 'chrome' spray paint is garbage, and only ever winds up looking like silver paint. If you wanna get technical, you could spray it several coats and wet sand each one, and get it to such a perfectly smooth surface, that it should look chrome-ish, once you coat it with clear gloss polyurethane. But if you ask me, that's a lot of work to go through for a half-assed impression of chrome. Sadly, it looks like the ring thingy looks severely rusted.

You know, short of actually repairing it and replating it, you can go on ebay and order some chrome vinyl wrap. It's very cheap, would be pretty easy to apply, and it'll look better than chrome spray paint. And if you hate it, it'll only take a second to undo it.

 

[pr-21]

On your General Electric Upright. To twist off, twist left and pull out. You will see a nub where 


you twisted it off. To attach align the cutout in the bag adapter with the nub and twist right.


 


 


PR-21


Bud

 

[hygiene903]

Nice Finds Chase!

The Royal Canister is one that's been on my wish list too! I have Royal and Electro-Hygiene tanks and uprights in my collection, but no canisters. I see from the pic you posted of the data plate that it was made in Oct. or Nov. 1985. Royal started offering power nozzles in 1974, so they were available when yours was made. Does yours have a receptacle to connect the power nozzle cord? If so, then the electric hose was available. Otherwise it might have been a different model canister that had them.
That GE is a nice one and it will shine up beautifully with a little Mother's Mag and some elbow grease.
Jeff