1958 lady Kenmore gas dryer

[combo52]

A few weeks ago, Tyler brought this up from North Carolina for me, I’m going to use the cabinet from it to turn my 1959 lady Kenmore electric dryer into a gas dryer when I rebuild it.

This machine actually still works. We hooked it up and ran it. It needs a good servicing to be sure but it’s going to get parted out really only going to use the cabinet and a few parts from it if anybody happens to need control panel parts or something specific to this machine speak up now.

Late 50s top-of-the-line appliances were quite rare because of the economy being so bad in the United States at this time and the manufacturers of both cars and appliances had sort of gone out on a limb with these really fancy models that were also quite expensive in their day, so there weren’t many takers, which makes them very rare today.

 

[vacerator]

Looks like my grandma's did.

 

[stainfighter]

Beautiful

 

[DADoES]

What's the function of the Air Flow lever and opening of the console panel?

 

[maytag85]

What's the function of the Air Flow lever and opening of the console panel?

It was more so of a built-in room heater feature, the previous room heater slid in place of the lint screen, unfortunately there was no lint screen and had a potential of getting lint and dust into the area it was vented into. This on the other hand, allowed you to vent the machine indoors when the weather was cooler without the hassle of lint and dust getting everywhere.

 

[DADoES]

It was more so of a built-in room heater feature, the previous room heater slid in place of the lint screen, unfortunately there was no lint screen and had a potential of getting lint and dust into the area it was vented into. This on the other hand, allowed you to vent the machine indoors when the weather was cooler without the hassle of lint and dust getting everywhere.

I expected that may be the function but it seemed an odd method regards to opening the console panel.

There'll be some lint released even with a screen ... no lint screen can catch 100% of it, thus the need to clean the exhaust ducting on a recurring schedule.

 

[maytag85]

John, what parts are you saving? Might be interested in the blower wheel incase if something were to happen on mine. Believe it’s made out of the same Bakelite material Maytag used for their blower wheels.

 

[appnut]

What are the drying temps--soft heat or designated by the cycles available to select. I cann't see well enought what it all is.

 

[maytag85]

The drying temps are set by the cycles I believe, possibly by the temps on lower end models.

 

[DADoES]

There's a "Heat Selector" rotary knob on the left at base of the console but the settings aren't discernable. Maybe just a choice of Heat or Air. The timer legend references Normal (or maybe Regular), Delicate, and Wash N' Wear cycle choices.

 

[combo52]

1958 lady Kenmore gas dryer

The airflow feature has to be one of the most bizarre features that ever made it into production. It was designed to use the dryer as a room heater. You were not supposed to be drying clothing while using this feature, they did a similar thing on 1957 lady Kenmore‘s. Where you removed the lint filter and inserted an air deflector to just shoot all the air out into the room instead of going into the exhaust system and going outside.

Yes, hi Glenn, the heat selector switch is just heat or air settings, this dryer has only a high and low operating thermostats. The heats are selected by the cycle. There is no modulating heat yet that didn’t come out on whirlpool built products until 1961. The dryer whenever it was heating was firing at the full 37,000 BTU heat input. In spite of the inefficient airflow of these early whirlpool dryers this would’ve been a very fast dryer just because of the sheer amount of heat.

The electric version of this dryer and my current 1959 lady Kenmore offered either 5600 W of heat on a 30 amp line or if you connected the dryer to a 50 amp line you could get 8400 W of heat.

Here are some additional pictures that did not make it onto the last post.

John L

 

[frigilux]

A few weeks ago, Tyler brought this up from North Carolina for me, I’m going to use the cabinet from it to turn my 1959 lady Kenmore electric dryer into a gas dryer when I rebuild it.

This machine actually still works. We hooked it up and ran it. It needs a good servicing to be sure but it’s going to get parted out really only going to use the cabinet and a few parts from it if anybody happens to need control panel parts or something specific to this machine speak up now.

Late 50s top-of-the-line appliances were quite rare because of the economy being so bad in the United States at this time and the manufacturers of both cars and appliances had sort of gone out on a limb with these really fancy models that were also quite expensive in their day, so there weren’t many takers, which makes them very rare today.

Love the consoles on the ‘58s. Very distinctive.

 

[pstehle]

Seem a shame to part out a 67 year survivor... I'm a product of 1959, never knew the economy was in the tank. I sure hope nobody parts me out before my time, though nobody in their right mind would want any of the components!

 

[appnut]

John thank you. I"m assuming the only difference between W'n'W and normal was the longer cool down on W'n'W..?? When we moved into our new house September 1961 the next door neighbor on the bedroom side had the gas LK Combo with this style control panel. I could lay in my bed at night and monitor the cycle progress based upon the change in pitch of the exhaust sound when it went into spin balance.

 

[neptunebob]

If the dryer still runs why part it out? Seems like you could take parts from other dryers to make a good dryer.

 

[combo52]

Parting out the 1958 lady Kenmore dryer

It’s being parted out because I need the very rare cabinet that’s necessary for a gas model, the chrome on the control panel is not as perfect as it should be and the timer linear band is not working properly, although I think that could be fixed.

I’m going to get rid of a perfectly good white cabinet from my 59 dryer and if somebody wanted, they could take all the parts and make a 1958 lady Kenmore electric dryer. Out of what’s left over. I would even consider restoring the 1958 dryer into an electric dryer for somebody if they want it, but it would be quite expensive but if somebody wants the whole pile of parts to make a 58 electric dryer, they can have it for 100 bucks.

The goal is to have a matched pair of 1959 LadyKenmores. The first belt drive whirlpool built washer I ever rebuilt was a 59 Lady Kenoore that our family used for several years, and the 59 pair is in much better shape cosmetically anyway I don’t have a matching 58 washer for example either.

It’s always a shame to recycle something this old, but nobody’s stepping up to get this stuff. I’m getting rid of all kinds of stuff in the next couple years as we work on the museum project. There’s just too many machines and not enough people that want them and have the ability to do anything with them.

John L

 

[maytag85]

What is the burner ignition sequence like on these older Whirlpool style of gas dryers? I imagine it uses a pilot which is electrically lit, then the main burner opens up shortly afterwards.