charles~richard
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2006
- Messages
- 3,021
561 manual
is the one depicted, and it was the same for the 560 as well. When the 560 came out it had a number of small aesthetic change and a slightly revamped instruction manual with a new cover. Contents were, as per Kirby, still pretty much the same.
Anyone ever noticed that on the "early-late" 500 series, e.g., the 516, 517 and maybe the 518, when you push the power switch the motor would not engage until you release the switch! Ditto for turning it off. You would press the button but the motor would not stop running until you left off the switch.
I always thought that was kinda neat but it apparently threw some people off because somewhere along the way, but before the 560, the switch was changed so that the power would come on as soon as you drepressed the switch, and ditto for turning it off.
Talking about this has just jostled loose yet another early Kirby memory! I have talked in the past about the large Baptist church where my mother was the organist, and how they had THREE Kirbys -- either 516s, 517s or 518s, I am not sure which now but I do recall they had the round red belt lifters.
The custodian's closet was a large room, the furthest end of which was under a stairwell. He kept the Kirbys lined up in a row in that sloping back corner with the handles tilted down at an angle.
Anyway, I suddenly had a vivid impression of the custodian standing on the carpeted aisle of the church getting ready to vacuum and him looking at me as he pressed the switch with his toe and making, you know, a sort of grand pause before releasing the switch by removing his toe and letting the machine start up!! I had TOTALLY forgotten about that until just now.
The custodian was kind of my pal. He was an older Black man, well probably in his 60s [not so "older" to me anymore, haha]; he was very tall and slim with gray hair. I'd always go run and "play" with him while my mama was practicing the organ. I remember one time him taking me into the sanctuary and showing me how he had buffed the hard tile floor under the pews. It was very shiny and beautiful.
I wonder how many other old memories are lodged in bad sectors on my internal hard drive!!
is the one depicted, and it was the same for the 560 as well. When the 560 came out it had a number of small aesthetic change and a slightly revamped instruction manual with a new cover. Contents were, as per Kirby, still pretty much the same.
Anyone ever noticed that on the "early-late" 500 series, e.g., the 516, 517 and maybe the 518, when you push the power switch the motor would not engage until you release the switch! Ditto for turning it off. You would press the button but the motor would not stop running until you left off the switch.
I always thought that was kinda neat but it apparently threw some people off because somewhere along the way, but before the 560, the switch was changed so that the power would come on as soon as you drepressed the switch, and ditto for turning it off.
Talking about this has just jostled loose yet another early Kirby memory! I have talked in the past about the large Baptist church where my mother was the organist, and how they had THREE Kirbys -- either 516s, 517s or 518s, I am not sure which now but I do recall they had the round red belt lifters.
The custodian's closet was a large room, the furthest end of which was under a stairwell. He kept the Kirbys lined up in a row in that sloping back corner with the handles tilted down at an angle.
Anyway, I suddenly had a vivid impression of the custodian standing on the carpeted aisle of the church getting ready to vacuum and him looking at me as he pressed the switch with his toe and making, you know, a sort of grand pause before releasing the switch by removing his toe and letting the machine start up!! I had TOTALLY forgotten about that until just now.
The custodian was kind of my pal. He was an older Black man, well probably in his 60s [not so "older" to me anymore, haha]; he was very tall and slim with gray hair. I'd always go run and "play" with him while my mama was practicing the organ. I remember one time him taking me into the sanctuary and showing me how he had buffed the hard tile floor under the pews. It was very shiny and beautiful.
I wonder how many other old memories are lodged in bad sectors on my internal hard drive!!
