'63 Lady K rides again!

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roto204

roto204

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After EXTENSIVE scraping of silicone and lots of epoxy and lovin', the '63 Lady Kenmore rides again. Repairs were made to the check valve that had broken in half along the mold seam (and then made again, when it broke after the first attempted repair), and then I had to "build" a new hose when the hose from the filter to the check-valve ripped (ARGH).

A new 15W light bulb for the tub, and repairs to the heat shield, and we're up and Kenmoring!

I *LOVE* the Super Roto Swirl, even though I thought the Vari-Flex on the '70 was nifty and did a good job. This agitator whips denim into shape!

A huge THANK YOU to Steven (wigwag) for this wonderful machine! Its mate has been drying clothes perfectly for a few weeks now :-D, and now the two can be, well, "So Happy Together..."

4-10-2007-21-04-43--roto204.jpg
 
Lil' old ladies

Steven said that the little old lady had a Sears service contract on this machine.

With the exception of a few hoses and the check valve, water valve, and cabinet/control panel (and agitator), everything is brand new, including the...

- base
- centerpost
- doughnut seal
- inner basket
- outer tub
- spin tube
- transmission
- motor
- belt

WOWZERS!

4-10-2007-21-08-1--roto204.jpg
 
Boogers

The only booger is the dispenser unit--it's crumbling from within. We cleaned the dispenser tank and solenoids, so they're fine--but the white part is crumbly and the posts for the screws that hold it together are turning to dust.

I'll have to keep an eye peeled for one of those.

That notwithstanding, I'm very much looking forward to having this as the daily-driver...I guess the 1-18 will have to go chill in the shed, which will be okay, because I still need to put the new water valve and old fill hoses back into that :-P
 
It's beautiful, Nate! I'd grown up with a 1960 Kenmore and completely lost interest in them before seeing all the great Kenmores/Whirlpools you guys have resurrected. They made fantastic sounds and really rolled a load over well.
 
Fantastic that the turquoise Lady is back in service again! When I was there, I did see that it was in excellent mechanical condition so I knew you'd have it washing in no time. I love that huge lamp on the console...I bet it's one hell of a nightlight!

Beautiful, just beautiful!
 
Nate it is just beautiful!!!!!!! I am so glad that you decided to get this beauty and keep the set together as they should be. (Do I feel a slap coming??)
 
Hi Nate. Congratulations on a beautiful machine. I love turquoise...it is such a soothing color. This Lady K makes up for the evil Kenmore which is probably reincarnated as a Toyota or a Whirltag.

Ross
 
I didn't know they used tublights into the 60s. -- Me either! Of course, this is my first tub-light machine. The only glow that came out of the tub of the '61 was the shimmer of pure evil.

I'd grown up with a 1960 Kenmore and completely lost interest in them before seeing all the great Kenmores/Whirlpools you guys have resurrected. They made fantastic sounds and really rolled a load over well. -- They ARE great!! I was amazed at how the different agitators really transform the wash action...

...and the suds-locking :-|

I love that huge lamp on the console...I bet it's one hell of a nightlight! -- LOL It is! For the first few days that we had the avocado set, Frank and Will kept wondering what light was coming from the laundry room (if everyone went to bed and the machines were going). At least this model has a simple, 15W tube, rather than the unusual 28" tube on the '70 set that I had to hunt around for.

I am so glad that you decided to get this beauty and keep the set together as they should be. (Do I feel a slap coming??) -- LOL No, Terry, but there were times (especially when I reinstalled the check-valve and it broke after the first epoxying) when I thought about shipping it right over to you :-) I'm glad you did encourage me to keep them together in the end, though. I'm thrilled with the way that both of these machines perform.

Do you have any pictures of the matching dryer? I would love to see it close up! -- Sure, when I get the washer installed next to the dryer, I'll document both better :-)

That's really cool! That was one amazing lady under the skirt, you'll have fun with this set for a long, long time! -- Well, Greg, you do know how I abhor ladies who are oily, leaky and noisy. This was a refreshing change :-D

Congratulations on a beautiful machine. I love turquoise...it is such a soothing color. This Lady K makes up for the evil Kenmore which is probably reincarnated as a Toyota or a Whirltag. -- The turquoise has grown on Will, who likes it now (at least as a laundry-equipment color). And yes, this is a nice change of pace from what I've experienced in the past in terms of Kenmore repair...
 
Does the control dial light up as well? I remember seeing some models from 63, 64 that did. Is yours just burned out?
 
HA!!

A man after my own heart. I wondered the same thing. On investigating, I found no lights behind the timer. Go figure!

I think I might add one later on just for sport. You'd think there would be lights there, wouldn't you?

:-|
 
Lady Kenmore

This is the machine I grew up with. I don't rember mom using anything but cycle A and B. The off balance buzzer would scare me to death. When I heard the spin selonoid shift I would run out of the room until it was spining and I knew it was not off balance. Loved the way the timer knob stops at the cycle selected when you turn it. jeb
 
PURTY !!!

Very 'Searsy' in the first pic! This style of washer demo-ing at the store would mezmerize me."I wanna watch some more"..."Come ON,Billy!" Anyway,COOL machine!
 
Nate, I'm drooling Nate!

~Steven said that the little old lady had a Sears service contract on this machine.

When I worked for sears part-time at night selling appliances after my day-job as an accountant, I use to HATE selling Maintenance Agreements.

Bur NOW I know what they are good for. Buy yourself something collectible in the appliance section of Sears and have it
forever!

(And don't tell the old lady how many times over she paid for that machine!)
 
Nate, that is one absolutely gorgeous washing machine

People can have their "PAAAANK." I'll take turquoise every time; it's so much more vibrant.

Speaking of color: what is that beautiful orange creamsicle light on the right?

So so beautiful--good for you, Dude !
 
Nate I'm so glad you were able to get those up and running. They are such a beautiful pair.

Be sure and keep them waxed with a good automotive wax (such as Meguires) to protect that beautiful paint!
 
Thank you so much, everyone, for all the nice posts!

This style of washer demo-ing at the store would mezmerize me. -- Me too! All I can think of when I watch it is poker chips :-) (I've heard that old clear-tub demo units with Roto-Swirls had poker chips to underscore the water circulation...)

I'll take turquoise every time; it's so much more vibrant. -- I agree! I love pink, but turquoise just BEGS to live in the laundry room. It's AquaGroovy!

Speaking of color: what is that beautiful orange creamsicle light on the right? -- A tiny rectangular light with vertical letters that says "FILTERING" to remind you that, while there is no waterfall, the water is still being filtered.

On this machine, a plastic filter module full of tiny glass marbles does the job. When it backflushes the filter as it drains, you can hear the marbles scatter!

Be sure and keep them waxed with a good automotive wax (such as Meguires) to protect that beautiful paint! -- Thanks, Steve! I sure will. Roger cleaned the paint up beautifully, and I don't really think I'm going to repaint them yet. Just protect it, and "keep it real" :-)

Great job once again! -- Thank you, Robert!! :-D

And the spot scrubber cap too. Although has anyone ever seen anybody use that tie scrubbing feature?? -- Not I (I think that any scrubber cap I'd found would leave a grey racing-stripe on any fabric you dared grind against it), but with the amount of worn ones we find, you'd think they did. Neat idea--but I think I'd skip the SpotScrubber feature myself. Can you imagine trying to scrub a spot, having the article of clothing dip into the water, and then playing tug-of-war with the Roto-Swirl? Eep!

Looks like it still has the bakelite surgilator no? I swear bakelite moves water better than styrene plastic! -- Yes, it does. The bakelite Super Roto Swirl, running off a nylon drive-block that presses over the splines on the newer transmission's agitator shaft.

We may be biased, but I have a soft-spot for Bakelite, too. Well, actually, more like a rigid, easily-cracked spot.

Neat feature of this machine--use any standard capacity agitator you want!! :-)
 
This is the machine I grew up with. I don't rember mom using anything but cycle A and B.

I'll come right out and say that I'm an A/B/G boy myself. Bob will slap me :-)

The off balance buzzer would scare me to death. When I heard the spin selonoid shift I would run out of the room until it was spining and I knew it was not off balance.

I look forward to my first off-balance load. I tripped the lever for show the other day, and was transported back to my grandmother's Kenmore, which did the same thing, and sent everyone hurtling for the machine whenever it did that. Not because disaster had struck, but because nobody liked the sound of that @$#@! buzzer!
 

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