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Lisa Vitale
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| Joined: | Sat Jul 19th, 2008 |
| Location: | Upstate NY, New York USA |
| Posts: | 99 |
| Favorite Fan: | Lasko 6740 EAO |
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Posted: Sat Jul 19th, 2008 10:02 pm |
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Hi everyone,
I am a brand new (as of today) fan collector and am also brand new to the forum. Attached is a jpeg photo of my "new" vintage fan which I found today at a garage sale.
It was so neat to discover this approx. 20" Aqua colored metal Lasko fan. This thing is so heavy that I figured, "Wow if this thing works, I'll bet my dogs won't knock it over!" It also seemed to me that they just don't make fans of this quality anymore and definitely, the heavy metal-ness of it impressed me. The people hosting the garage sale plugged it to demonstrate that it still works. WOW!!! Does this thing move the air! I bought the fan. Fortunately for me, the man hosting the garage sale kindly lifted it into my car because this thing weighs probably like 20 pounds. It gave me a workout hauling it inside of my house. Out of curiosity about the origins of my new addition, a google seach led me to your association.
This fan has a big motor and has these louvers that move to oscilate the air. There is a knob so that I can even set the louvres to a stationary and directed position. It seemed very nifty to me! When I had my "new" fan on low, all that air scared away one of my dogs! It was surprising that it initially intimidated the dog because it sounds much more quiet than my air conditioner. It even has a switch to let me reverse the direction so that I can have it as exhaust or direct. Today was the first time I ever got excited about a fan; I guess it was because I've never seen a fan before that was as well made and built to last such as this beauty. Plus, its aqua, turqoise greenish hue made me think "That is pretty!"
May I please ask the knowlegeable people on this forum a couple of questions about my very first vintage fan regarding its care and maintenance:
Where may I find a replacement black strap handle (it appears to be some kind of rubber) that goes across the top? The handle is starting to crack due to age and use.
How do I repair the plug because it moves because the rubber gasket that used to hold it stationary appears crumbly? If the plug cord isn't pulled taut, it hits the fan blades (which could be quite a jolting experience of the undesirable kind). Apparently, somtime back in the day, someone used masking tape on the inside of the fan to hold that cord still. and the masking tape has loosened and so now the cord is loose. I am afraid to use tape on the aqua metal outside because I do not want to mar the (probably) powder coated enamel on metal finish.
Lastly, can anyone tell me the vintage of this fan or its approximate age? As a guess, it seemed like a 1950s-1960s looking object to me. To me it seems in excellent condition -- the metal and chrome grates are all shiny and not rusted or corroded. This fan reminds me of those 50's era classic autos (but without the tail fins!)
Thank you to anyone who may help this newbie. It was so much fun to find such a neat and unexpected thing today.
Lisa
Attached Image (viewed 219 times):
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Zachary Yarnes
AFCA Member
| Joined: | Mon Nov 14th, 2005 |
| Location: | San Antonio, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 516 |
| Favorite Fan: | Lasko 2068A01 |
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Posted: Sun Jul 20th, 2008 03:52 pm |
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First off, nice fan! I've got a Lasko Window Fan (pictured under my username) and I can tell you that they are built to last forever!
Anyway, you'll have a hard time finding any new parts for this fan because it's so old (this one will have been made in the 50s or 60s). I'd suggest contacting Lasko but it'd really be a waste of time because, if they even respond, will probably not have any parts for this fan anymore...
As for the cord, I'm sure you can get a new stopper, I've never needed one so I don't know where, but you could also take the grilles off by removing the 4 screws on the front, then use some clear tape on the inside of the fan to hold it in place...or just tie up the excess cord when it's plugged in so there's no slack left to strike the blades (which is dangerous because the blades could pierce the rubber and hit the metal, which creates a whole lot of problems, as you can imagine)
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Don Whipple
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| Joined: | Tue Jun 17th, 2008 |
| Location: | Wenatchee, Washington USA |
| Posts: | 176 |
| Favorite Fan: | Lakewood XC20 Box Fan |
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Posted: Sun Jul 20th, 2008 03:56 pm |
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| Very nice fan. I'd bet late late 1950s for a production date.
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Timothy Trahan
AFCA Member
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Posted: Sun Jul 20th, 2008 05:11 pm |
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Lisa,
I have the same exact fan. My cousin bought the one I have sometime in 1956.
The rubber handle cracked on mine too...I carefully took the two knobs off using a small screwdriver to loosen the setscrews, then removed the cover and took off the handle and covered it with electrical tape to hold it together.
As far as what you described about the cord, I think you are talking about the strain relief. You should be able to find one to fit the hole from any broken appliance or maybe an electrical supply company may have them. They are easy to replace using a set of pliers.
Here is a pic of my fan, Lisa......I will have to restore it one of these days.
Tim
Zachary,
You are correct about calling Lasko....Don't waste your time....I called years ago about my fan, gave them the model number and they had no idea what I was talking about.
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Duane Burright
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| Joined: | Tue Nov 15th, 2005 |
| Location: | Malibu, California USA |
| Posts: | 1376 |
| Favorite Fan: | Signal - Model # 1249 Cool Spot |
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Posted: Sun Jul 20th, 2008 05:29 pm |
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As to your cord, it looks like you've gotten good advice.
As for maintenance, you will want to blow the accumulated dust out of the motor using compressed air. It could probably use a few drops of oil, look for oil ports near the motor's bearings. You'll want to use a good oil formulated for electric motors, I personally recommend ZoomSpout (http://www.zoomspoutoiler.com).
What area are you in? There may be members nearby who can help you.
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Lisa Vitale
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| Joined: | Sat Jul 19th, 2008 |
| Location: | Upstate NY, New York USA |
| Posts: | 99 |
| Favorite Fan: | Lasko 6740 EAO |
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Posted: Sun Jul 20th, 2008 06:07 pm |
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Hi Tim,
Neat photo of your fan. Its nice to know that my Lasko fan has a "brother" from 1956 vintage residing in your part of the country!
Attached is a photo showing the cracked handle. It goes through the middle of the handle; but the metal strap underneath is still intact. Probably 95% of the handle is ok. I suspect that middle cracked area will keep growing and the rubber in that area will keep crumbling off unless and until I do something to prevent that cracked area from growing.
Will black electrical tape ruin the handle? I've heard collectors of general antiques say that you're not supposed to put any kind of tape on any kind of vintage object. Didn't know if that would hold true for this fan, or will taping it end up prolonging and conserving the life of its original handle?
Lisa
PS: When I look at this closeup photo, it amazes me how clean this fan is. The paint seems in wonderful condition to me because even the white paint labeling the settings around the black knobs and the aqua greenish paint is so intact. I think the man who owned it took really good care it because it didn't even have dust on the blades or the metal protective grille! To me it looks like someone maintained this fan over the years.
Attached Image (viewed 164 times):
 Last edited on Sun Jul 20th, 2008 06:10 pm by Lisa Vitale
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Lisa Vitale
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| Joined: | Sat Jul 19th, 2008 |
| Location: | Upstate NY, New York USA |
| Posts: | 99 |
| Favorite Fan: | Lasko 6740 EAO |
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Posted: Sun Jul 20th, 2008 06:33 pm |
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Hi Zachary,
Nice window fan.
Thanks for your idea on typing up the slack on the electrical cord; I have taken your advice. With the cord tied up taught, I used the fan in my kitchen this morning while baking a loaf of zucchini bread and washing dishes. Baking is not something I'd ordinarily do in 88 degree weather; but I figured this new fan would keep things cool. It did the job quite admirably even on lo setting. Geez, I don't know if I ought to turn it up to hi setting because it might blow all the fur off of my dogs! 
Does anyone know if I ought to have the round non-polarized plug replaced entirely. My father seems worried that it might be a "safety" concern; but, I just plugged it into a surge arrestor power strip and figured it is fine "as is." I was telling him about my fan over the telephone and he seemed worried about me saying that "maybe it isn't safe" to use such an old appliance. This fan seems to work better than any "new" fan that I have in the house and I am really enthusiastic over this vintage fan.
Do you know how to figure out the wattage on this fan? The motor is labeled "115 V 60 Cyc 1.5 Amps 1000 RPM. Dad also seemed worried that this would use "tons of electricity" because I told him the thing weighed so much probably because of the big motor.
Thanks again for your tips and help.
Lisa
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Nicholas Denney
AFCA Member
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Posted: Sun Jul 20th, 2008 06:45 pm |
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Lisa Vitale wrote: Hi Zachary,
Nice window fan.
Thanks for your idea on typing up the slack on the electrical cord; I have taken your advice. With the cord tied up taught, I used the fan in my kitchen this morning while baking a loaf of zucchini bread and washing dishes. Baking is not something I'd ordinarily do in 88 degree weather; but I figured this new fan would keep things cool. It did the job quite admirably even on lo setting. Geez, I don't know if I ought to turn it up to hi setting because it might blow all the fur off of my dogs!
Does anyone know if I ought to have the round non-polarized plug replaced entirely. My father seems worried that it might be a "safety" concern; but, I just plugged it into a surge arrestor power strip and figured it is fine "as is." I was telling him about my fan over the telephone and he seemed worried about me saying that "maybe it isn't safe" to use such an old appliance. This fan seems to work better than any "new" fan that I have in the house and I am really enthusiastic over this vintage fan.
Do you know how to figure out the wattage on this fan? The motor is labeled "115 V 60 Cyc 1.5 Amps 1000 RPM. Dad also seemed worried that this would use "tons of electricity" because I told him the thing weighed so much probably because of the big motor.
Thanks again for your tips and help.
Lisa
Your father sounds like an old worrywart! Polarized plugs are a modern addition to electrical appliances, considering how long the "old style" plugs have been around.
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Jeremy Rittenhouse
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| Joined: | Thu Jun 26th, 2008 |
| Location: | Scottsville, New York USA |
| Posts: | 67 |
| Favorite Fan: | Emerson Silver Swan Imperial |
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Posted: Sun Jul 20th, 2008 07:04 pm |
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Lisa Vitale wrote:
Attached is a photo showing the cracked handle. It goes through the middle of the handle; but the metal strap underneath is still intact. Probably 95% of the handle is ok. I suspect that middle cracked area will keep growing and the rubber in that area will keep crumbling off unless and until I do something to prevent that cracked area from growing.
Will black electrical tape ruin the handle? I've heard collectors of general antiques say that you're not supposed to put any kind of tape on any kind of vintage object. Didn't know if that would hold true for this fan, or will taping it end up prolonging and conserving the life of its original handle?
Hey Lisa,
You could always just leave the handle of your fan alone, and carry it around by the sides when you need to move it! That way the handle won't deteriorate any further, and the originality of your fan will remain intact without looking "messed around with"! Then maybe eventually you can find some proper replacement material if you want to make it perfect. It's a beauty and it's great that you're enjoying it so much!
Jeremy
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William Schaub
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| Joined: | Fri Jun 6th, 2008 |
| Location: | Hornell, New York USA |
| Posts: | 230 |
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Posted: Sun Jul 20th, 2008 07:04 pm |
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I almost don't tell people in real life about my fans anymore because I almost always get negative repsonses from them. I've also heard the "I don't think thats safe" and "I'm sure running a fan costs more than running an AC unit you are watsing your money and wasting electricity get a new fan thats green instead"
I also get people wanting me to sell them to them for scrap (Not going to happen ever history is to be preserved not thrown on the trash heap or melted down to make cheap crap)
Last edited on Sun Jul 20th, 2008 07:04 pm by William Schaub
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Jeremy Rittenhouse
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| Posts: | 67 |
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Posted: Sun Jul 20th, 2008 07:17 pm |
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William Schaub wrote: I almost don't tell people in real life about my fans anymore because I almost always get negative repsonses from them. I've also heard the "I don't think thats safe" and "I'm sure running a fan costs more than running an AC unit you are watsing your money and wasting electricity get a new fan thats green instead"
I also get people wanting me to sell them to them for scrap (Not going to happen ever history is to be preserved not thrown on the trash heap or melted down to make cheap crap)
You could also tell those people who are worried about your fans being "green" that it's also good for the environment to re-use things that already exist, rather than using a lot of new materials and energy to produce new stuff that won't last! (And would also use energy to be packaged, shipped, displayed in a store, etc.!)
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Lisa Vitale
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| Joined: | Sat Jul 19th, 2008 |
| Location: | Upstate NY, New York USA |
| Posts: | 99 |
| Favorite Fan: | Lasko 6740 EAO |
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Posted: Sun Jul 20th, 2008 07:33 pm |
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Hi Duane,
Thanks for the suggestion re: maintenance. Attached is a photo showing a closeup of the motor; it looks very clean to me, but I'm not an expert on fans or motors. I can't see any dust on it -- would the dust be inside of those tear drop shaped holes? Thanks for the suggestion on the oil and I'll have to get some. I'm located in upstate NY near Syracuse.
Beauty must be in the eye of the beholder because yesterday when I bought the fan, the couple hosting the garage sale were putting stuff away off the tables and putting unsold clothes and bric a brac into boxes to be hauled to the Salvation Army. The man told me I was the only one who expressed any interest in it and he seemed amused when I told him I thought the color was pretty and that it reminded me of a four leaf clover. The Lasko fan sat there unpurchased from 7am-2pm yesterday and the local general antique dealers and the crowds of people had passed it by; the man had it priced at an "outrageous" $10. I thought $10 was quite the bargain!
I could never find a new fan constructed as well as this one. I didn't even try to haggle and happily paid the man $10. It will have a good home with me.
Lisa
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Duane Burright
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| Joined: | Tue Nov 15th, 2005 |
| Location: | Malibu, California USA |
| Posts: | 1376 |
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Posted: Sun Jul 20th, 2008 08:24 pm |
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Lisa Vitale wrote: Does anyone know if I ought to have the round non-polarized plug replaced entirely. My father seems worried that it might be a "safety" concern; but, I just plugged it into a surge arrestor power strip and figured it is fine "as is." I was telling him about my fan over the telephone and he seemed worried about me saying that "maybe it isn't safe" to use such an old appliance. This fan seems to work better than any "new" fan that I have in the house and I am really enthusiastic over this vintage fan.
Do you know how to figure out the wattage on this fan? The motor is labeled "115 V 60 Cyc 1.5 Amps 1000 RPM. Dad also seemed worried that this would use "tons of electricity" because I told him the thing weighed so much probably because of the big motor.
As long as the wiring doesn't show any bare spots and you don't smell a "hot" smell emanating from the fan as it runs it's likely safe. Your fan probably takes 140-160 watts to run on high, but low is likely under 100 watts. You can get a "Kill A Watt" tester and plug the fan (or any appliance) into it and get the amperage/wattage draw and how many kilowatt hours the fan takes in a day of running.
The old fans really aren't inefficient at all, they may use a little more electrcity but the performance difference versus a new fan is dramatic (new fans don't have the power or the durability.)
Another note on new fans, some of them are so cheaply made they catch fire. That's what we get for buying China made crap.
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Delmar Crickmore
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Posted: Sun Jul 20th, 2008 09:08 pm |
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i suspect that handle is a strip of spring steel with slots in the ends.
if so take it apart and apply heatshrink tubing.shrink with heatgun.
or maybe a length of hose slipped over it to serve as a grip?
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Tripp Robbins
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| Location: | Albany, Georgia USA |
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Posted: Tue Jul 22nd, 2008 07:48 am |
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nice fan, how much for the dog? LOL kidding good news is, great find! bad news is now you will be hooked on old fans
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Lisa Vitale
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| Joined: | Sat Jul 19th, 2008 |
| Location: | Upstate NY, New York USA |
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Posted: Tue Jul 22nd, 2008 12:47 pm |
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Tripp Robins wrote:
nice fan, how much for the dog? LOL kidding good news is, great find! bad news is now you will be hooked on old fans
Thanks Tripp.
Is that a pointer pup in your avatar? The English pointer dawg standing next to the Lasko fan is PRICELESS!  Especially priceless since I paid to get him cruciate ligament surgery to repair a torn ACL and meniscus last year; some might say he is now worth more than 2 ounces of GOLD at current market prices! He hurt himself running around like a silly chasing snowflakes like a puppy during a blizzard; he slid and wiped out. Ouch-eees! All better now. Anyway, at 8 years of age, he is a golden oldie, but a goodie.
Ok, back to the topic of fans and fan collecting: I think the pointer dawgs here will dictate my future selections of collectible fans. One of the reasons I bought this 1950s Lasko was that the fan guard spacing is close enough that it wouldn't cause dog injuries to extremities such as paws and tails.
You're probably right about the collecting of fans and becoming hooked. Now that I am aware that people collect and restore fans like the one next to the AFCA masthead, I will be on the lookout when I visit future Garage Sales such that if I see one of those fans, I'll buy it. However, I would soon post it here on the "For sale" section of the forum because I wouldn't want my doggies to be injured. 
Lisa
Attached photo shows my english pointers asleep on a dog bed (prior to Lisa becoming a fan collector):
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Tripp Robbins
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Posted: Tue Jul 22nd, 2008 01:45 pm |
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| Love the dogs. mine is a lab-fox hound mix. got him at a local shelter and wouldn't trade him for the world!
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