Another one bites the dust....

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It just seemed cruel. To post it the way it was posted. I am not one to restore appliances. Don't have the space or the time. But I see so many others here that do their best to make sure product they can't use gets passed around. If it were me and I couldn't wait, I would have quietly scrapped the stuff at that point. I wouldn't be bragging about it. I got caught up in how hurtful the post felt to some. I'm sorry. :-(
 
I was pissed off when I made the original post, for sure! With that being said, I am glad that I no longer have this project "on my plate" I do use my 1966 Custom Imperial weekly for towels, and love the way the drying time is cut due to the 1010 spin speed. So Robert, that is very true. Mine has been in service for about 15 years, without any problems. Can't say it is my favorite, but it does have advantages, 52 weeks a year. 780 trouble free loads, is not bad!
 
Oh am I gonna get mean-mouthed for this...

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">As I've bored everyone with my teenage memoirs many times, the very large store I worked in as a "kid" was primarily a Frigidaire dealer...and it's still there but closing soon (edited). As far as working on trade-ins for resale, no Multimatic machines were allowed, and the store's parts department stocked just about anything you'd need. They just weren't dependable like Unimatics or belt-drive Whirlpool/Kenmores, and there were a lot of Multimatics traded  in. All the used appliances were guaranteed. It seems a vintage major appliance can easily become similar to a classic car...a money pit. </span>

 

<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">Merry Christmas to all members. </span>

[this post was last edited: 12/25/2019-14:23]

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Joe, per the thread I posted a few days ago, the store where you worked isn't going to be "still there" as of April 2020.

 

I've witnessed some '50s and '60s Frigidaires washing and was impressed by their quiet operation.  I thought they all were thumpers that were problem-prone.  It seems that only applies to Multimatics, which sound like they were worse for reliability than anything Norge ever turned out.
 
not restorable or fixable...

doesn't mean not usable for parts, some of which could have saved another machine or two...bottom line. I've fixed/restored many vintage cars over 40 years, something can always be saved and put into other grateful hands so that another machine may live, and many of these parts will never be made again, what a waste.
my $.02
 
I spotted Swear words in some of the posts

I'm not trying to disrespect or argue with a adult member but I noticed swear words in the first posts. I noticed the S word and the P word. the TOS says No swearing in the public forums. Again I'm not trying to disrespect a Adult member I'm just saying I think this should be moved to DL because of swear words.
 
There is no sense losing sleep over scrapped rare and vintage parts. Sure its sad, but its not the end of the world. Sometimes machines can become so frustrating. I reckon there is little market outside of us who want these parts and machines, and I often wonder if anyone is really willing to take machines from other members who are offering them. For instance, I have an HA806 and HA808 set, mostly fully restored. Anyone want them?
 
When it comes down to it we each have the right to do with our possessions as we see fit.  Sometimes, when we've put a lot of work into something.... and money.... and time..... and it still doesn't work...

 

It feels pretty good trashing it.  Perhaps taking a sledgehammer to it and venting, then ditching the bits in the metal scrap bin to be remade into something nice.

 

I've only found it necessary to do this maybe 4 times in my life.  Just remember, always wear safety glasses, long pants, long sleeve shirt, and don't smash stuff where flying bits will hit other things like cars.  

 

Wishing you the best successes with your other projects RickR.

 

 
 
Sounds like that Frigidaire got on your last nerve.
That happened to me with a VCR back in the day. It was an early one, and heavy as all get out. It started doing weird things but I found if I gave it a kick (It sat near the floor) it would fix itself. As time went on it needed more kicking. Finally one day in the MIDDLE of a movie I was extremely interested in, it took a dump. I ejected the video and re-inserted... it played for a minute and took another dump. I went through this several times before I dragged the VCR from it's perch, got my hammer out and "adjusted" the hell out of the damm thing. Beating that thing to death was SO SATISFYING. Afterwards I dragged it out for the alley-hounds to scanvenge. It was gone in a day and I breathed a sigh of relief.
 
Sounds like that Frigidaire got on your last nerve.

Yes, it really did! I was SO sick of messing with it! I did not smash it, or anything. I saved the parts I could use, and scrapped the rest. It was intact at the edge of the alley, but not for long. The scrap metal scavengers are "on it" around here. I have done many other laundry machines, jukeboxes, electronics, homes, you name it. But this thing, was just too much. For one thing, I had ended up installing a Rollermatic transmission in it, when it was designed for a Multimatic. So the wiring was different, etc. It did run for about eight years, but the spin part of the Rollermatic was giving out. I tried another Rollermatic transmission in it, and had it running, but the motor shorted out. I was DONE! Here is a link to when it was working, with the first Rollermatic transmission.

 
Acceptance and Understanding

There was a time when I just didn't get it--mostly with house parts--why would someone trash knotty pine paneling, pink toilets... then I started doing small appliances...

The more i began to work on things and learn about construction, appliances, fixtures, whatever, the more accepting I became of people who put things on the curb. If it's not functional enough for the thrift or ReStore, it's taking up physical and psychological space and you just need to get rid of it, let it go and let the guilt go with it.

One of my close friends was one of the worst to rant and criticize people who trash tongue and groove flooring, paneling etc. instead of salvaging it. But when it came time for me to rip out the knotty pine paneling and tongue and groove flooring in the country house kitchen, she couldn't make time to salvage it. I trashed it. It takes 5 times as long to reclaim and salvage as it does to demolish. It may be valuable and someone may want it, but no one is going to pay what your time is worth to buy it. You're on schedule, your contractors need to get in to run plumbing, pull wire and sheetrock. And you know what, there's still a lot of reclaimable wood in that pile, but she hasn't come down to get it.

Architectural salvage may seem like a bigger deal than appliances, but it's not. It may be sad to see something go on the curb, but it made a lot of sense to the person who put it there.

As some have already said, the time it takes to harvest parts, the space they take up until they find a home and the time it takes to pack and ship can be more than someone wants to deal with, and, yeah, there are some things that have been so much trouble that beating it with a hammer or torching it is extremely satisfying the person who has been trying to make it work.

So, this is a long way of saying, be tolerant. I think we can work with the assumption that everyone who has joined this forum and participates has some respect for preserving old things.

Sarah
 
My brother loves to do woodworking projects with salvaged floor lumber and paneling.when someone is doing a renovation he is right there to salvage the old lumber.Some of the floors in his house came from an old downtown hotel lobby!BEAUTIFUL!!!!
 
Rex

I hope your brother is more careful than I seem to be. I was pulling nails out of trim Saturday when a piece kicked back on me and drove a rusted nail clean through my right ring finger. It missed the bone, and my carpenter friend was there so I didn’t have to deal with it by myself. I went all helpless female, handed him finger with the nail and board attached. Jerry, I said, take care of this, and he did.

It’s not too bad really (and, yes, I got a tetanus shot. If had gotten one a month ago, I probably would have gone in for a booster.

Sarah
 

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