elderly hotpoint Empress

[anthony]

yes .the oil

certainly has a smell all of its own and its a Bxxxer to get rid of . Now im retired i have the time to do things like this .After a lifetime of fixing machines for a living [getting them working as quickly and cheaply as possible] its great to just get up and think i will do some work on that Empress today . No information on the oil im afraid but your right about that smell . Oil and Persil mixed together makes me feel like a kid again.I will refill it with some decent car oil and see how it goes .Great to see that exploded illustration . When i worked for Frigidaire we had a Jetamatic in the showroom with a perspex cabinet and a window in the tub ,The machine had a special motor that could be slowed down so that you could see everything it did in slow motion that illustration reminds me of it.

 

[anthony]

looking

again at that diagram everything is the same as this machine but without the pump.this one also had a steel plate across the corner where the wringer post it [that's what's stopping me getting it out of the cabinet] I wonder if this one was the base model the pump version being more expensive?. The good thing here is there is no perished rubber hoses or corroded pump to worry about and when emptying the machine there would be no water at all left in there

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hotpoint Empress

Morning Anthoney

"A Frigidaire Jetamatic Cut Away Demonstration Model " OMG what to find one of those , amazing what was about and at at time when we didnt have cameras on or phones , or phones for that matter ha ha ..

I think yours is one of the first new streamlined cabinet models pre war , am sure Ive seen an old Ideal Homes book with it in, thats the next search,, but agree from the next style with pump and outlet hose 1950`s onwards it looks like Hotpoint designed the model for ease of repairs by making the tub bowl removable much easier .

Well you thought you were just fixing your New To You old Empress when in fact your giving us all a history lesson in Hotpoint Empress history !!

Cheers, Mike

 

[anthony]

that tub looks lovely

I can assure you its a lesson to me as well .I saw the rag and bone man this again this morning and as a result i have managed to find out who the machine belonged to [ one of my neighbors who passes my house most days with her dog] When i see her next i will ask her about the washer . I have finished the wringer today .its been stripped cleaned and resprayed .the cream spray is a really good match or it was till i sprayed clear paint onto it and it went slightly darker but that's not a problem . Will stash it somewhere safe while i get on with the machine . hers a few pics of it. I decided to do the quick release bars and the forward reverse lever black to match the bakelite knob on the side . the nylon bearing on the bottom roller is badly worn so that may be a job for my partners works 3D printer

 

[slowspin66]

Brilliant work

Getting the back history of the machine makes all the difference as it puts the machines life in context. It’s clearly meant a lot to the previous owner as it would have gone years ago . What are your plans for when you’ve completed the project ? Regards Darren

 

[anthony]

Hi Darren

I haven't seen the lady yet[ she is quite elderly] but when i do i will ask her all about the machine. As for what am i going to do with it well i intend to use it now and again coupled with a spin dryer what more could you want?.Although i would like a more recent Empress with heater and pump. One of the other great wringer machines would be nice A parnall or a Servis Superheat[ had one of those given back in the 70s .It served us well till i could afford an auto] perhaps.My problem is once i have finished a project i am straight away looking for another .Today i have primed the machine ready for some cream paint tomorrow.
cheers Antony

 

[anthony]

Loverly Bendix

machines there Darren .they look brand new

 

[anthony]

Sprayed the

cabinet today[might need another coat] and renewed all the flaky rubber wiring [while the mains lead was just beginning to perish the internal wiring was shot]

 

[slowspin66]

Lovely paint job

Anthony it looks so good and coming along really well . What colour is the paint ? Where did you buy it from because it looks so original . Darren

 

[anthony]

Hi Darren

the paint is called Cottage Cream and it came from Ebay .really good value at £14 for 6 cans . Its almost an exact match . Once undercoated it took three coats of cream to get it covered .Yesterday i put the motor back on and replaced the electrics [what there is of them ] I need to polish up the old girls jewellery before i put it back .As you can see from the pics i forgot to mask off the castors before painting .Will have to sort that out . Found a new gland in my box of junk to replace the missing one on the cable entry also the switch had bare connections on the back so i put the switch in a plastic bag and covered it in duck tape just to be on the safe side.I also fitted a vintage MK plug [modern plugs are rubbish] . I am going to put a rubber car mat in the cupboard underneath to stop the wringer and the cabinet bottom getting scratched again although as a kid i don't remember my mum taking the wringer off hers and i can understand why .Its heavy and awkward to pick up . The machine is now almost silent when running [if only modern autos were like that]

 

[slowspin66]

Brilliant job

Hi Anthony it’s looking like new … really brilliant job and she will work of ever … the paint job is superb … just to think that machine will be 70-80 years old . !!! Loving the updates Darren

 

[anthony]

Well

You weren't far off Darren . I spoke to the old lady this morning [she is 90] She was enthralled when i told her i had her old machine . She and her husband were married in 1953 .That year they bought their house round the corner from mine .The washing machine and a television set were wedding presents from her parents.She used the machine till 1990 .That year the house was rewired and a new kitchen was installed .She told me there was a new auto washer and dryer installed in the wash house [both Hotpoint] and she could no longer use the Empress because its round pin plug would not fit any of the new sockets. so it was left in the corner [where it had spent all of its life] and forgotten about until two weeks ago when it was reluctantly given to the scrap man to make room for her new scooter . She was over the moon when i told her the machine was not only still in one piece but that i was busy doing it up and when its finished she wants to see it . I did ask about the tap drain set up and she told me they bought that particular model because the wash house had a drain in the floor that the belfast sink drained into so she could just turn on the tap and let the water run down the drain while she was pegging out in the garden.So now we know the machine is 70 years old this year

 

[slowspin66]

It just makes it all right

Anthony I’m chuffed to bits that you’ve made contact with the previous lady owner . It will have made her day to know it’s been saved and being restored . The Empress I have was gained in a similar circumstances. When I was a district nurse I visited an old couple who were clearing out the kitchen to make way for a new washer and the empress was in the garage and they knew I had moved into my first house and offered it to me!!
When I collected it they stood at the end of the drive crying !!!! Over 30 years later I’ve stil got it and love the old machine !!!!
Having the history and background makes all the difference . Really good work Anthony looking forward to seeing the machine working again ..

 

[anthony]

yes

its great to know the history of the machine and its only had one owner all its life . Well i finally managed to get this tap thing apart [The machine has a slight drip when there's water in it] The rubber washer is rock hard and needs replacing it just a run of the mill tap washer so no problem but i am intrigued by the rest of it .After soaking for a few days i managed to get the bullet shaped end off and as you can see there is a screw on the side allowing a small adjustment but i cant understand why or what purpose it would serve. earlier i said the writing on the side said PULL OPEN but after a bit of a clean you can see it clearly says FULL OPEN .It was full of water when i opened it so i thought once the washer is replaced i would fill it with silicone sealer in an effort to stop it filling up again . Any thoughts on this thing will be most appreciated
cheer Antony

 

[anthony]

more photos

3

 

[sesteve]

Wow. Love the back story and great to see the work you are doing.

I’m pretty sure this was the model our next door neighbour had but she didn’t have the wringer. Not sure if there was a wringerless version available or if it had just been ditched as it wasn’t in the storage area and this machine went under a shelf/worktop arrangement when it wasn’t used.

She’d wash for a family of 7 with it and use a Hoover spinarinse with the turquoise lid and a leaky drain arm she’d wrap a cloth around to stop it spraying everywhere. I remember the tap behind the door and it being emptied into buckets to tip down the outside drain. I can close my eyes and still remember all the smells. I must have only been around 6 when I used to sneak round to help and no scared wringer alththis might have been pre-incident.

One of her sons bought her an Indesit automatic not long after and both machines were probably scrapped although the spinarinse would have been useful given the spin speed of the Indesit!

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hotpoint Empress Restoration

Morning Anthony,

Great you got to speak to the lady owner, I best will be really pleased to see it in use after full restoration.

Interesting that she gave the date of purchase as 1953 as a wedding present, can you ask her which store she got it from ? or I wonder if it was it a hand me down present for a new home as many people did back then . Reason asking if it was brand new this must have been old stock or if it was a Special Factory Request with the manual drain and produced from previous parts , my gran purchased her Hotpoint Empress in 1952 and has the later Hotpoint metal design logo and pump but with black bakelite / phenol agitator ?

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hotpoint Empress Restoration

Great work on the drain valve Anthony

I wonder if that screw and slide insert was to slow down the water pressure of the waste water exiting to a bucket ? as opposed to a long hose into a drain ?

Am sure a tub full of hot water being emptied into a bucket has quite a force ?

Just my thoughts , probably something completely different Lol.

 

[anthony]

Hi all

i will ask her when i see her again. As for the tap well there is a slight drip when the tap is open but its fine when closed. I have no idea about the adjustment on the end maybe there was originally a bolt right through the whole thing with the rubber washer attached to the end so as the washer wore down you could adjust the rubber washer by moving the bullet end further in [hope that makes sense]. I would love to know exactly how it worked .I am thinking of fitting an electric pump from an old auto .It could be done without doing anything drastic to the machine . I did it many years ago to my mates grandmas Empress whose pump was badly corroded .I fitted a bathroom pull switch for controlling the pump with the cord coming out through the slot where the agitator start lever is .Just pull the string and the pump started .my early effort to make the thing safe no wet hands in contact with the switch

 

[slowspin66]

Pump

I was going to ask Anthony where would you put the discharge hose ? On the pumped models it’s in the tub ..