Build this 110-Volt Automatic Clothes Dryer!

[classiccaprice]

I picked up some old magazines today and inside the October 1955 issue of Science and Mechanics I found this article about building your own dryer. I can't imagine it was great, but has anyone ever seen such a thing? Who's up for a woodworking project to make their own? Forgive the cell phone pictures.

 

[classiccaprice]

Forgive the poor pictures, I'll try again later.

 

[warmsecondrinse]

Years ago I had a collection of Popular Science magazines from the 1960's. There was a similar project for "the average handyman homeowner to make in his workshop with ease" ... or similar flowery language. What I recall is not so much the actual difficulty (or lack thereof), but the number of tools and machines needed. IIRC, one needed a larger workshop than all my friends' dads combined.

Jim

 

[turquoisedude]

Good heavens!  Were folks that much 'handier' in the good ol' days or what??  I can just imagine the shades of crimson an insurance agent would turn today when you explained to them that you built your own dryer... LOL

 

I've got some mid-50s Popular Mechanics books that detail how to build a chest freezer - I'll have to dig that out and have a look at how they suggested hooking up the cooling coils and refrigeration system....

 

[tomturbomatic]

The neatest project was a dining bar with the dishes attached and hoops that held the glasses and silverware. The whole thing flipped over to form the cover of a tank that was a dishwasher for the 4 place settings. I imagine that the man who built it was either the blessing or the bane of his neighbors.

 

[tolivac]

Those magazines-so much "DIY" things in those days-and building your own radios and TVs,Hi-Fi gear from scratch or kits.Daring in those days-but made it interesting.Wonder about the cost of the DIY dryer vs a store bought one.

 

[toploader55]

"Building your own Radios,TVs, HiFi gear from scratch or kits"...

 

Heath Kit comes to mind.

 

My Grandfather was a Big Heath Kit guy.  He had his own repair business back in the 50s and 60s repairing Vacuum Tube TVs and Radios just before the advent of the Transistor and "Solid State".

 

I had forgotten all about this stuff.  Radio shack had the "Realistic" Brand Kits.

 

http://www.heathkit.org/
 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heathkit
[this post was last edited: 10/21/2015-04:31]

 

[tolivac]

Not only Heathkit-but Allied,and Lafayette Electronics had kits.It was easier for folks to build things involving tubes than solid state-unless the critical items were on preassembled circuit boards.Then the builder wired them into the rest of the unit.I miss kits--they can save money-and were fun to build-for Hi-Fi fans Dynaco,Scott,and Fisher made kit built items.Guess manufacturers are afraid of liability issues now-so no kits.My Dad built a Dynakit Hi-fi system helpted him in a little way-handing parts and tools.Was fun anyway.Was very little at that time.

 

[arbilab]

Built an EICO ST-70 for a friend roundabout 1964. Charged him a case of Dr Pepper. About how much Dr Pepper it took to make it. Gave the empty bottles back for the deposit. Technically makes me a professional kitter.

Built several ST-40s, HF-81, HF-12, HFT-90, MX-99, several Knights, Dyna PAT-4 and ST-120, EICO instrumentation. Still have the PAT and only power amp I did NOT build, Mitsubishi DA-10DC.

Like, I had to do SOMEthing in between rebuilding the slant Westy drive train. Those went years between rebuilds.

Yeh, I can build you a 120V dryer. A shower curtain rod and one of these:

 

[tolivac]

Yes--A SIMPLE "elecric dryer" the shower rod and an electric heater!!!Most homes are all set already-they have at least one shower rod.Now add the heater!!Just don't melt or burn your shower curtains out there!
I used to build kits for other people-and for radio stations.Kit built devices for them were low cost-and gve the station engineer something else to do-esp if he was on transmitter watch.Built Heathkit and other brand "wether stations" for station studios-thats how the disc jockey could give you the temp and wind in between records!

 

[jetcone]

OMG a

wooden dryer ?? never heard of such a thing !!

I can't quite tell what they built the drum out of??

 

I bet it had a nice wood smell on Cottons and Bulky settings.

 

[warmsecondrinse]

When I was a kid I went on a kick of fixing up relatives' old radios. Radio Shack used to have a tube tester in the back corner of every store. You could order tubes through them as well.

I remember there was only one place I could get tubes for my great-grandmother's 1929 Atwater Kent, Model 55. To call them I had to dial "0", get an operator, and ask for "Enterprise 0027". There was no way to call them yourself.

Jim

 

[scoots]

I'd LOVE to see these at full resolution

But I'm also sure I'd want to install a CO2 fire suppression system inside that wooden beast.

 

[volvoguy87]

Performance?

I'd line the cabinet with sheet-metal!

I wonder how well, or poorly, it performed. Being 110 volts, it was at a significant disadvantage, but I'd imagine that the air leaks and loose tolerances in the average home-build, as opposed to a factory built unit, would render the dryer's performance pretty terrible.

Dave

 

[lordkenmore]

I wonder how well, or poorly, it performed.

Only one way to find out! Someone here needs to volunteer to build one of these.

Although, yes, I do suppose it probably wouldn't be the greatest dryer ever. If poorly built, it might make WCI products look like Miele.

Still...I can imagine people of that era interested in these plans. "We can have an electric dryer! Just like the Jones!"

 

[lordkenmore]

Oh, yes, if someone does build one of these, do make sure the smoke alarm batteries are good, that the fire extinguisher will work, and have fire department on speed dial!

 

[lordkenmore]

Electronic kits

I still see kits available, although I suppose the variety is nothing like it once was.

I think it would be interesting to try building something. That said...one concern is the cost. My main interest would be audio equipment, and it would be hard to hear the finished item before building it oneself. Resale is an issue. And getting used equipment (not from a kit) would be faster, and have a more guaranteed resale value.

 

[lordkenmore]

Tube testers

I remember seeing those when I was growing up. I think our nearest Fred Meyer (one stop shopping) had one as late as the mid 1980s in their electronics department.

 

[dartman]

have several pro grade tube testers.

I used to repair tvs for a profit making hoby. I have a Sencore mu-150 suitcase version a TV shop I got leftovers from gave me, a 1953 military i77b multi box testor that can test accurately almost any tube made if its in the manual, that did get updates. A 30's beautiful wood cased tester that can test all the old antique stuff current when it was new.
I also have two Beltron picture tube rejuvinaters that were very handy in making dead CRTs come back to life and show a good picture again. I have thousands of tubes too.
I started doing this in high school in the early 70's so having lots of spare used tubes helped me fix the sets I usually ended up with and I could sell a barely working one for 50 bucks, nice ones were 150.
I did tubes, hybrids, and solid state as that was what was common.
Oldest color set I fixed was a 61 Sylvania, my favorites were the Zeniths, they always looked good and were somewhat easy to find parts for, plus they held up forever.
It's not worth it now, nobody does board level repairs, and used sets don't sell anymore with all the throw away flat screens.
I hate to toss this stuff though even though most of it is useless now, nobody makes a old school crt based TV anymore.

 

[tolivac]

I still have a RPTV Hitachi CRT TV that I bought in 2000.Still works Great!!1080 HD BluRay movies look nice on this set.When it dies-since CRT RPTVs are no longer made-the CRT's for them no longer made either-will have to buy a modern flat screen set at that stage.I am going to see how long the set lasts.Another problem for these sets-the CRTs often had the projection lenses built into the tubes.I have some older Heathkit TV repair stuff,too-just sits on a closet shelf.And found a few boxes of TV type "pulls" tubes f rom sets that I scrapped-customer didn't want them fixed.So saved their tubes.Thought I got rid of the tubes-but found them after a move!Same with a couple boxes of VHS tapes!!Got rid of those to someone that still used them.-So they didn't get thrown out.also same with analog TV transmitters-repaired a few of these.But digital came along and the mostly RCA analog transmitters got scrapped!!Sad.Have a few parts and transmitting tubes from them.