Hi Cory! Thank you VERY much for sharing this video. I watched it twice in an hour. It is, for me anyway, thoroughly entertaining.
Back then, my father was selling the St. Joe factory chemicals to etch the metal on tops, baskets, and lids in preparation for the porcelain coatings.
If what I was once told is correct, the St. Joe plant (at least later on) made lower volume production runs, while Clyde made the high volume output. What I have seen myself in machines since hearing that, would seem to support this. 1980s belt drives with suds savers (not common) seemed to often have a J serial number. Not sure I have ever seen a J serial on the huge output KM 70 and 80 series non-suds models from 1984-1986, etc. Many low-end and BOL models (aka not huge sellers) often have a J serial also.
One of the many fascinating things in the video, for me, is the KM and WP models being made side by side. Most if not all of the Kenmores I saw were the 600 series models, as Bob/appnut pointed out. I see a few different WP models, one which appears to be Coppertone with the right sided control box, and another WP model with a different shaped console as compared to the rest. At one point a basket/agitator combo went by suspended on a conveyor with a Bakelite agitator, but none of the machines we see should have had this. We must have missed the machine that went into.
I was also surprised about the volume of round motors, and find it a bit ironic, for us anyway, that they were Delco motors. It was neat to see the push carts loaded with them — with the mounting brackets already installed I am not certain when the transition happened to the square motors, but it must not have been too far down the road. Maybe John knows?
Anyway, this was very fun to watch!
Gordon
