madman
Well-known member
Legit looks like stamped steel. And it's rusty. Where're you getting the notion that it's pot metal? It would show evidence of casting, and it wouldn't rust.
The Hurley Thor!
- Thread starter myvacsrock
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huskyvacs
Well-known member
That's definitely pressed steel, the bubbling on the finish is from humidity and moisture damage where the metal has corroded under the paint or to the surface of the metal iteslf and is lifting it off from underneath. I have a few steel vacuums that have rusted in this way - not from my house - but from others. If I took a wire brush to it, it would likely knock a lot of paint off. It's basically rusting from the inside out and tearing the paint or layers of the metal off with it. It's pretty brutal.
Example of humidity damage and rusting to an old rifle:
Example of humidity damage and rusting to an old rifle:
oreck_xl
Well-known member
Chrome plating is not cheap, but probably worthwhile in a case like this. And, some sundial cloth covered wire so it looks period correct. I wonder how many of its sisters were melted down during the metal scrap drives of World War II?
Trust me it’s definitely chrome plating
Photos if extra parts attached as well. Obviously not plated.
Photos if extra parts attached as well. Obviously not plated.
huskyvacs
Well-known member
Yeah that's really strange, reminds me of how they paint BBQ parts with fake chrome and after so many years it starts flaking apart. I'll bet they didn't have the resources to polish out the metal and make it chrome to begin with so they went for a painted topcoat, and then combined with moisture and dampness damage over the decades - it peeled off.
They likely had too much competition from Eureka, Bissell, and Hoover so they couldn't afford to go all out on manufacturing and went a cheaper route.
I'm sure someone with knowledge of turn of the century metalwork would be able to explain better what they did and why it was done that way.
They likely had too much competition from Eureka, Bissell, and Hoover so they couldn't afford to go all out on manufacturing and went a cheaper route.
I'm sure someone with knowledge of turn of the century metalwork would be able to explain better what they did and why it was done that way.
It springs to life
So when I received it the wires to the motor were completely gone. After some soldering I was able to save her!
Here is the first glimpse of the Thor springing to life and sounding like new after a full motor rebuild!
Cosmetics and final handle rewiring to come in the following weeks.
So when I received it the wires to the motor were completely gone. After some soldering I was able to save her!
Here is the first glimpse of the Thor springing to life and sounding like new after a full motor rebuild!
Cosmetics and final handle rewiring to come in the following weeks.
brando_husky
Well-known member
What a great sounding vacuum
madman
Well-known member
It's stamped steel. You can see the spot welds, and where the metal is rolled, and the rust. Not pot metal. I'm guessing it's nickel plated. Peel some of the plating off and observe if it is magnetic, nickel is. Chrome plating will also be, but only because chrome uses nickel as a base plate. 99% chance it's nickel plating. Chrome was expensive and uncommon at the time, whereas most steel parts that had to be pretty were nickeled. Nickel also oxidizes and dulls, and looks exactly like that. Chrome pretty much doesn't dull over time.
dysonman1
Well-known member
I had an ad for the "Maytag" version, which was made for Maytag as a private labeled Thor. In the Maytag ad for that vacuum, it claimed it was made of stamped, nickel plated steel. I gave up the ad to Tacony when they were coming out with their Maytag line, for use in their advertising, and never got it back. Thor (and Maytag) called the brush inside the nozzle "the flexible besom".
madman
Well-known member
Besom = broom.
Soldering…
And here we have it
Too bad this thing is nickel plated; not much can be done about the finish. But, full motor restore and a total electrical rip out. Resoldered into the motor, new runs and all good to go!
Too bad this thing is nickel plated; not much can be done about the finish. But, full motor restore and a total electrical rip out. Resoldered into the motor, new runs and all good to go!
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opelgtkarl
Well-known member
Here’s mine
ohiovacuums
Well-known member
Nice !
You do excellent work...the only other parts I might clean up a little would be the screws, washers, bolts. I run them under a brass wire wheel and they polish very well. If you sell it and I can rob a bank to buy it, I'd be tempted to have it re-plated. It's old enough and rare enough that (I think) it would be worth it.
You do excellent work...the only other parts I might clean up a little would be the screws, washers, bolts. I run them under a brass wire wheel and they polish very well. If you sell it and I can rob a bank to buy it, I'd be tempted to have it re-plated. It's old enough and rare enough that (I think) it would be worth it.
opelgtkarl
Well-known member
Mine is indeed a model “Number 5”
My apologies about the link. I wasn’t trying to upload one.
My apologies about the link. I wasn’t trying to upload one.
you did a wonderful job restoring that Thor impressive.
human
Well-known member
Indeed, a beautiful job. If it were mine, I would not bother having it re-plated. Its condition is a testament to its authenticity and besides, it's only original once!
madman
Well-known member
Plating's not that hard. Though the size of it might be a little problematic. It's polishing it prior to plating that'd be the real work.
The size is precisely what makes this particular plating hard. Lol
