1945 GE Roaster Oven

[rp2813]

Are you going to use this for Christmas dinner?

Not likely this year.  It's going to be low key, and we've been invited to a friend's house that day for prime rib.  We've already told Dave's daughter and son-in-law that we'll just wing it to get together with them at some point on the 24th or 25th.

 

It's also going to require some time to make the roaster presentable, and I may not have much between now and Tuesday.  We're throwing a New Year's Eve party so it could possibly come in handy then.  If not, I'll just have to come up with a reason to use it sooner rather than later!

 

[polkanut]

I don't know what your instruction book says, but our says to pre-heat the roaster for 20-30 minutes before using.  If that's the case with yours as well then the temp variations shouldn't be much of a problem while it's in use.

 

[tomturbomatic]

Vinegar

Wash skin exposed to fiberglass with vinegar and it will remove the itchiness. Don't rub vigorously as that will force the glass fibers deeper. Gently applying it to the skin dissolves them and the itching goes away. This might have to be repeated a time or two for best results.

 

[rp2813]

Thanks Tom.  It wasn't too bad, and there's no itching today.  I wore gloves for everything except to remove and re-fasten wiring to the heat control and power connectors.

 

Tim, I agree that once the cavity is pre-heated, the variation in the heating element shouldn't be a big factor.

 

[sudsmaster]

Vinegar shouldn't be able to dissolve glass, however, it probably softens the skin so that it releases the tiny glass fibers more readily.

I'll have to remember that remedy the next time I have to install more fiberglass insulation under the house (which is about now).

Ralph, I think the only long term solution would be to replace the heating element. I wonder if bulk heating element is available on-line somewhere.

I used to "fix" broken electric toasters when I was a kid by hooking the broken ends of the heating element together. It would work for a while, then the element would break again. Probably from erosion/corrosion due to age and repeated use.

 

[rp2813]

Rich, I think repeated use would for sure cause the mend to fail, but the wire is actually thick and sturdy and took some strong-arming to twist together, so it might hold up for a while.  I rarely used my mom's old Westinghouse roaster so, as with so many other things, I let it go at the estate sale.  It didn't have any of its original racks or pans, but it did have the handy window in the lid.  This GE will probably be pressed into service only when the main oven is booked solid, and that rarely happens, or I can see it being used as a warmer in certain situations.

 

As I mentioned above, I wouldn't be surprised if an element for the modern versions of this type of roaster oven could be used as a replacement, presuming the general design hasn't changed and connections would be the same or could somehow be adapted.  That would be the easiest fix, but I wouldn't be surprised even if such an element could be purchased, that it would be nearly as expensive as a whole new roaster.  I think I've seen them for $40 or less at Target, etc.

 

As for the surround, upon closer examination I think it's going to require a whole new coat of heat-proof paint.  It's too rusty and pitted in too many spots, and new paint would be an easier option.  I've seen vintage Nesco roasters with tan/buff paint, so maybe I'll customize this GE with something other than stark white.

 

[sudsmaster]

Ralph,

You might also try this trick with Borax...

(From: Dan Sternberg ([email protected]).)

Another old trick for nichrome repair is to make a paste of Borax, twist the two broken end together, and energize the circuit. A form of bond welding takes place. I've have used this on electric clothes dryer heater elements with good luck.

(From: DaveC.)

Here's a "quick fix" that sometimes works for a long time and sometimes fails quickly (depending, I think, on just how old and brittle the nichrome wire is).

Mix some ordinary "Boraxo" powdered hand soap with a little water to make a thick paste -- and you don't need much.

Take the broken ends of wire, bend a small loop into each, and interlock the loops so the wires stay together.

Pack the Boraxo paste around the joint, and turn on the heater.

Keep your eyes on that joint. As the coil heats up, the hook joint will be the worst connection, so it'll naturally get the hottest.

When it gets hot enough, the nichrome wires will melt, and, being fluxed by the borate, will fuse together into a blob. The blob, now being *larger* than the rest of the wires, will immediately cool down, and will never again get as "red hot" as the rest of the heater.

Allow the coils to cool down and, using pliers, carefully crush any glassy flux deposit that remains on the joint.

If the joint doesn't behave as I describe, or if the wires are too brittle to be formed into hooks, the wires are likely too old to produce a long-lasting joint. If the joint behaves as I described, it may last for a good long time.

http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/sam/appfaq.htm#afheatelem

 

[rp2813]

Rich, thanks for the research!  That's some good information that could come in handy.

 

[gus]

Ralph, let me tell you, here we are not use to have those types of ovens, but I assume you can join those two wires with a dado but only made of ceramic and inside the metal must be brass. They are very cheap, and sometimes bulky but If you need just to join the cable and are not worried about insulation, because there is already insulation in the area, you just take the couple metal with the little screws and just fasten them with the wire. In this way you've get a firm fastening of the two wires, a join that won't be bothered by temperature and very long lasting. Unfortunately I don't have a picture to show, but I hope you can understand what I mean. Be sure it's a safe way to join cables, specially if they are conducting high voltage and high temperature. They have been in use here for room heater and electric ovens. My two pence. Good luck with the oven, Gus

 

[tomturbomatic]

If the Borzx fails, you could try Thermite. They use it to weld train rails together. The major disadvantage would be that the heat generated would melt the appliance. John showed me how to use a bolt and nut to hold the two sections of wire together. It works without the overheating where the two pieces are twisted together. [this post was last edited: 12/23/2012-09:40]

 

[rp2813]

Well, if the mend should fail, I'll first look into a replacement heating assembly.  I think the type used on a new roaster should be adaptable and would employ a safer form of insulation.  If not, I'll either use a heat-proof crimp/solderless connector, give the borax a try or just get rid of the thing.  I don't think using screws would work because due to the bulkiness of the mend it would eventually break through the asbestos envelope.  The heating wire is very sturdy so I'm wondering how it broke in the first place.  It looked slightly corroded on one of the broken ends, so it may have been a production defect.

 

[sudsmaster]

You're welcome, Ralph. The borax trick was new to me too.

The link I posted also discusses using high temperature crimp connections. Apparently standard crimp connectors won't last for a heating element application, but a high temp one will. Apparently even a strip of stainless steel from a nicad battery pack will also work, if one can crimp it adequately to the two segments of the heating element.

Bulk heating element wire is available online but the trouble there could be figuring just what gauge to get. The older stuff like the GE roaster probably uses the most common type, which is nichrome wire. I wonder if Orchard Supply Hardware carries it...?

 

[rp2813]

I don't have much faith in OSH anymore, but even if they did carry the correct wire, there's no way I could ever form it into the original configuration, which is about 20 oblong loops, ten down each side.  If my mend goes bad, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

 

Considering the potentially tenuous nature of my repair, I decided it's not worth investing a lot of time in cosmetics.  I got out the Meguiar's Car Cleaner & Wax and it removed everything that was just surface dirt.  There's still some minor rust spotting on one side, but it cleaned up and buffed out well otherwise.  I hit the nicks and scrapes with appliance touch-up.  It may discolor from heat, but that remains to be seen.  The biggest scrape on the left is still apparent, but the small nicks disappeared.  I gave the lid a quick pass with Wenol and it shined up fairly well.  I think it's presentable now, and with its substantial appearance it will have credibility as a viable appliance whether in the kitchen or out on the patio.

 

Here's a shot of it after today's treatment:

 

 

 

[sudsmaster]

Looks very nice, Ralph.

If the mend fails, you could always try the boraxo/borax trick. It sounds relatively safe and does not involve thermite (which is an uncontrolled and dangerous reaction).

I have some mystery wire in my workshop (came with the estate) and it MIGHT be heating wire; I'm a bit leery however to hook it up to line voltage to find out. And it's not ribbon, it's more like piano wire.

 

[westingman123]

So Handsome!

She cleaned up right nice. With what did you polish the dial? The bakelite just shines!

 

[polkanut]

She looks very imposing indeed!  It cleaned up very nice.  What is the overall current draw?

 

[rp2813]

So Handsome -- I Agree!

I prefer the design and more solid look of this GE over its gray & white Westinghouse contemporaries, even if the GE lacks the handy window in the lid that a Westinghouse offers.

 

I used the same bottle of Meguiars cleaner/wax for the temp control knob as well as the bakelite side handles (which can't be seen in the photos).  I was careful to avoid the painted temperature markings.  I also re-created the white dot in the center of the control knob since I had the bottle of appliance touch-up handy.

 

The current draw as stated on the bottom panel is 1350 watts.  The giant receptacle end of the fabric-cased cord has the typical rattle to it, but it still grips the prongs firmly and doesn't get hot to the touch during use.  The cord looks brand new.

 

Rich, that piano wire stuff sounds like what this roaster uses, although what I encountered was almost a spring steel sort of resistance to bending when I fixed the break.  That's why I think it would be impossible to re-wire the thing myself.  If the mend fails, I do intend give the borax(o) a try.

 

[sudsmaster]

Back in the mid-1960's, I recall our SF landlord giving us a roaster similar to that GE, although I don't remember the brand. I was interested in it but we never used it. Either it didn't work, or my mother refused to plug it in because she thought it would use too much electricity. Or she was angry at the landlord. Take your pick, lol.

I don't know what happened to it. Probably went into the trash.

 

[rp2813]

Borax

I bought some borax today.  I'll use it for laundry, but have decided to perform the borax flux/fuse operation.  If I don't, I know reliability will always be questionable.  Since the wire looped and twisted together fine, that's a good indicator it's not brittle and compromised.  I'll have more faith in the roaster if the mend can be fused into a relatively cool blob.

 

So all I need to do is connect the A/C cord's leads to the terminals at each end of the heating element, right?

 

[sudsmaster]

Never tried it before, myself, Ralph, but that sounds about right. I'd want to be able to observe the mend as it heats up with power applied, just in case.

PS-I wouldn't be too worried about the asbestos - if it's in a sheet form, and not abraded or machined, chances are the particles released will be minimal to nonexistent. I'd keep a damp towel or sponge handy to collect any stray fibers if they occur (with power off, of course).