Vintage Royal Vacuum project

[mivintagevacs]

Hi everyone,
I’m new to this forum but have been reading on here for awhile. I’m posting because I recently purchased an early Royal vacuum that I would like to restore. Unfortunately one of the wheels was damaged in shipping and the handle switch plate is not original. I’m also trying to determine whether the bag is original or if it was a later replacement. I have read that this is an earlier style fan housing but have not been able to determine the date of the machine. Im looking for any helpful input as I start restoring this machine and I’d like to put back to as close to original condition as possible. Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Ben

 

[lesinutah]

You

Bought the royal I was watching. Iirc it's a model 189. The wheels on the front should both be replaced so they match. The handle to me from the fork up looks wrong. The bag might be original but it's hard to tell. I'm guessing your vacuum is late 40s early 50s. It could be older. The model is older than my 235. You should ask around royal parts may be available. There is a thread by onery, benand Jeff have a royal model timeline and history.
I'd recommend taking the nozzle off the fan bearing plate armature and carbon brushes. Get a pressure washer but spray a degreaser cleaner soak it in and power spray it. Let it dry completely. I did this on my 235 and it saved alot of time.
The height adjustment knob doesn't look right.
Don't take my post as gospel its an educated guess from a person who owns 10-15 royals.
Good luck more pics.

 

[mivintagevacs]

Thanks for your reply, the model tag says model 148 on it but I’m not sure when it was made. I found this advertisement that shows a model 148 but it has the bag attached to the opposite side of the machine. I’m not sure when they started making the model 148

 

[lesinutah]

Duh

The vacuum is older than I mentioned. I know the early royals have the bag on the left. I don't know the model plate is correct. I'm attaching a thread about my model 98. I believe my model 98 is mid 1930's. If you look my vacuum is old and the bag is on the opposite side of where yours is. Then look at my handle it has the model patents on the plate.
Your is likely older than mine and the handle is wrong but the height adjustment is original.


https://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?36756_8

 

[lesinutah]

Thread

https://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?24405_20
That's the royal thread. You have to download the link ornery has on the first post

 

[mivintagevacs]

Thank you for providing that link! A lot of great info there. It seems like it’s safe to say that at least the fan housing and motor of this machine are pre 1928? Perhaps other parts have been switched out over the years? The bag appears to be a later bag but it does look like an earlier style closure on top. Maybe a factory replacement? It would be great to make a reproduction bag to match what the original would have looked like. I’m not sure if the model tag is original. Maybe someone can chime in and determine whether or not this is a model 148 or which model it actually is. Thanks again.
Ben

 

[hygiene903]

Hi Ben,

Your early Royal was built in 1928 or before, as that was the year they moved the bag outlet to the other side of the fan case and changed the rotation of the motor. The month and year of manufacture is stamped on the armature, but I wouldn't recommend tearing the motor apart just to verify the age. However, if you need to tear it down for repairs, then it would be OK. Since the housing is all cast aluminum, it will look absolutely beautiful once you get it cleaned up and polished! Your bag is not original, although it does appear to be a genuine Royal bag from the late 40's or early 50's that someone altered to make it fit. Your cord and switch and plate are replacements too.
Here's a couple pics of my early Straight Suction Royal from 1926 and my 215 from the late 40's-early 50's. I'm also missing a wheel from my early Royal, and I think the armature needs turned, as it sounds good but sparks badly. This pic was taken before I started working on it. The 215 is pictured to show you where your bag may have come from. Good luck with your restoration,
Jeff

 

[mivintagevacs]

Hi Jeff,
Thank you for your reply! Those are very nice vacs you have. It’s amazing that your early Royal has its original bag. Would you say that the data tag on mine has been changed? When you have time, I was wondering if you could please share an image of what the handle switch should look like. Maybe an image of your data tag as well. Thanks and I will update the thread as I start making progress on this project!

 

[human]

Just an (un)educated guess, but it looks like what you have is a 'frankenvac', made up of parts from several different machines. It's sort of like the family axe that's been in the family for 200 years and has only had four new handles and two new heads.

 

[royalsuper]

Ben ,Well the model plate is not correct ! remove it and you should find a serial number engraved on the motor housing which differs numbers from that on your plate! the switch has been replaced ! the black paint on the handle indicates that your vacuum cleaner is a royal standard marketed from 1925 ! the bag is obviously an original factory replacement bag . you are also missing the clamp to attach the bag to the air outlet nozzle . I am attaching some photos to help you.
Romain

 

[royalsuper]

a model G put on the market in 1919 with its switch like Jeff Schroff's ROYAL, the royal logo is still embossed on the bag you can also notice that the 2 small metal grease nipples on the engine are slightly higher than on the model H from 1920

 

[mivintagevacs]

I appreciate all of the helpful replies and great reference material! It sounds like I will at least need a wheel, bag, bag clip, switch and data tag to make this machine correct. I have ideas of how I could reproduce some of these parts. Hopefully I can find some of them eventually although I realize that could be a tall order. The fan appears to be in good shape and the motor spins freely with no odd sounds. I’m excited to begin disassembly and see if I can determine specific date of the machine. So that Royal Standard bag would have most likely been the correct one for this machine? I wonder if anyone has a good straight on image of the graphic used on that bag? Maybe an advertisement where that graphic was used that I could replicate. Thanks again

 

[royalsuper]

here is a photo of a royal standard property of tom gasko it seems to me https://zupimages.net/up/23/07/rtpk.jpg (direct links to the high resolution photo)
I hope this will help you .
Romain

 

[mivintagevacs]

Wow that’s fantastic! Much appreciated!

 

[royalsuper]

Ben ,I am sending you several links from an English collector who has restored a ROYAL vacuum cleaner with two incomplete vacuum cleaners for an American collector

 

[huskyvacs]

How funny, I got a Health-Mor vacuum and the same wheel broke in the same way in shipping.

You will have to glue the wheel, as there is no way to get a replacement unless you can find someone that can 3D-print replica wheels. Good news is that both yours and mine broke above the wheel hub, so it is not structurally compromised and glue will hold it.

If anyone knows a glue that would be safe to use, please tell. I am not sure what material it is made from. It looks like some kind of graphite composite or something. I'm not sure if modern glues would eat away at it.

Also for the bag connection. the good news is Royal never changed their bag connection type. I fit a plain gray bag for a Royal 801 on my Health-Mor and it is a perfect fit. It matches really nicely too. I hope to someday find the original bag but as a place-holder the replacement bag works well.

 

[lesinutah]

Funny

Uneducated guess. My health mor has the same busted wheel on the same side as both of you.

 

[hygiene903]

Hi Ben,

Thank you for the compliment, and here are a couple pics that I hope will be of help. The first is a close-up of the handle. You will notice mine has an unusual push-button switch that goes through the handle. The second is a close-up of the fan case and nozzle. That's about as good as I can do for now for a pic of the data plate. Mine doesn't have a model number, just a serial number of 483480. I agree with Romain, looks like your nameplate is from a later model. Like the other pic I posted of this Royal, these were taken before I did any work on it.
Huskyvacs, if you look at the picture of the fan case and nozzle, you will see that Royal did indeed change their bag connection type, at the same time they moved the bag outlet from one side to the other. The older style was oblong instead of round, and you pulled up on the ring on top to remove it.
Jeff

 

[mivintagevacs]

Those videos are great! That handle switch is really interesting Jeff. It sort of reminds me of a lamp switch design. I did find the piece of wheel in he box that the vacuum was shipped in. I’d also be interested in knowing what epoxy would be best for putting it back together. I began disassembly and removed the nameplate. It looks like the number on the housing is 341543.