elderly hotpoint Empress

[anthony]

i got this today from the scrap man [rag and bone man ] I already have my mums old empress from around 1959 and i have repaired quite a few others over the years but i have never seen one like this . Its clearly quite an early model .its the one with the hexagonal tub but what's unusual about this one is not only does it have a metal agitator but it also has no pump .As you can see from the photos there is a tap arrangement for emptying straight onto the floor or into a bucket .I would imagine this may interest the UK experts .would be interested in any information anyone has on this machine .It runs and is very quiet but the wringer needs some attention as its stuck in the on position and wont switch off .I would imagine a good clean and a lube job will sort that out .Anyway guys here's a few pics to be going on with .I will take more as i start to dismantle the machine

 

[anthony]

more

photos of the tap arrangement

 

[qsd-dan]

I wonder how much Hotpoint paid Maytag for use of that agitator?

 

[chestermikeuk]

Early Hotpoint Empress

Morning Anthony - Wow now thats one I havnt seen before, must be a 40`s model, I`ll check the leaflet stash later. Can see how all the parts are different, wonder if it had a fitted pipe that you would have lowered like the Servis models hooked inside the cabinet ?

PS Ive added the old Hotpoint Empress link of Andys for quick reference and follow on .

https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?49750_23~1

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hotpoint - Maytag

Hi Dan yes indeed , Hotpoint UK had a legal alliance with Maytag USA , the first British Hotpoint Gyrator wringer washer is your Maytag Model E I`ve been told ?

This is another one for total restoration, prob be a while as its right at the back of storage !!

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hotpoint Empress Countess Princess

I wonder if they had these in the Royal Laundry in The Palace ?

 

[christfr]

very cool

 

[anthony]

made a start on the wringer

Today. As its not working properly .Stripped it down and cleaned as much of the old grease as i could out .the old grease had turned into something that resembled soft toffee.I washed the gears with turpentine and then stuffed the gearbox with as much fresh grease as i could .Its working as it should now both forward and backwards. Next i dismantled the quick release mechanism [it was seized ] some lubrication was all it needed to get it moving again . the rollers are ok although the bottom one has a small crack in one end [their having a well earned soak in a sink full of hot water] So the whole wringer has been cleaned and lubricated and is working as it should but while its in bits i thought i might as well spray it .Wilkinsons do a cream paint that's almost the same shade as the original. will take more pics once its done. Some more photos to be going on with. the last one is of the bottom drive roller .As you can see there is a split in the metal is it meant to be there or is it broken?

 

[anthony]

more photos

There is a knurled bolt just under where the mains lead exits the machine .i have no idea what its for.Perhaps it was for an external earth [a lead with a clip for attaching to a convenient tap maybe] When our family empress was in use it stood in the same place for years next to the washhouse sink but it was plugged into an extension lead that went into the main house and in turn was plugged into the electric cooker socket. the mains lead on this machine is a sight to behold and a testament to how things used to be made .While the outer rubber covering is just beginning to perish the inner cores are fine .Under the outer rubber theres is the usual string winding then the red black and green cores which are fine but when i tried to strip one of the cores to fit a plug there was even more string wrapped around the wire core.In the last photo of the greasy wringer you can see a spring .under that spring is a ball bearing that keeps the chrome handle in place so if you ever strip one of these wringers look out for the spring [its easily lost]

 

[slowspin66]

The split

Hi Anthony brilliant work
. The split on the roller drive is meant to to there . The clip holds it together as secures the bushing .. keep up the brilliant work Darren

 

[anthony]

cheers

darren
I thought that might be the case when i saw the clip. It was seized onto the roller but i soaked it overnight and it came loose .I think it causes the drip tray to tilt in the right direction when the wringer is on

 

[slowspin66]

Wringer bearing

That’s right Anthony it’s a clever little device …

 

[vacbear58]

The earliest reference to the Hotpoint Empress I have seen is from this catalogue from 1939, a sad prediction of appliances which were never to come. The On/Off switch on the right of the machine seems somewhat different to the one on Anthony's machine above which is the version we are familiar with - which indicates that this machine may be post war

Lovely job, good luck with the restoration

 

[anthony]

thats an

interesting Booklet .Wouldn't it be great to come across one of those Vactric washers. Hi vacbear Its an interesting read and yes the on off arrangement is different to the later models the Hotpoint logo on this one is in red enamel so different to the chrome joined up letters version .Well today i have started to strip down the main machine because at some point oil has leaked out and the revolving motor has sprayed it everywhere .the oil is the consistency of treacle and its really sticky and almost black in colour so well past its best .I have undone the four bolts holding the gearbox to the cabinet and i have removed the shaft that drives the wringer but still cant get the thing out of the cabinet .the wringer post is causing the problem I even took the motor off thinking that might help put no I think the only way to get everything out is to remove the tub first and i really don't want to do that.I don't stand a chance of getting that centre nut off so ive called it a day and am now studying an old book i have that has some exploded diagrams of the innards of one of these machines .heres a few more photos

 

[anthony]

more photos

showing the wringer post jamming on the cabinet .Also the T shaped tap arrangement.It seems to be more than just a simple tap as on the side it says pull to open.I am soaking it at the moment hopefully it will free up and we can see how it functions . there's also a couple of photos from the old book.

 

[ozzie908]

Antony picture number 6 is that book

A large blue one called How to repair tv's radios's and other appliances?

I have a copy that was my Dad's I read it from cover to cover when young and although I did not understand a lot of the words used it sparked my interest in appliance repairs

Austin

 

[anthony]

yes

ozzie908. its the same book I found it at my uncles house in a bookcase 50odd years ago . I too read it from cover to cover and like you i didnt understand a lot of it but over the years its been invaluable .

 

[anthony]

Did a little more today

there's no way i can get the gearbox out without removing the tub. Even with the motor off it it wont come out and i really don't want to disturb that big nut so i decided to clean everything as best as i can and leave well alone .I have removed years of old oil and grease with turpentine and everything has been washed with degreaser .the inside of the tub is coming up nicely with the aid of the humble Brillo pad .I removed the castors and cleaned everything on the bottom and then sprayed it black [there was a bit left in an old can ] saving on the cream paint .After all no one is going to see it . Will spray the inside of the cabinet tomorrow and then concentrate on the outside .there is now no oil in the gearbox .I will fill it with fresh when everything is finished . I also stripped the motor cleaned it put it back together and gave it a fresh coat of paint so that is ready to go back on. time for tea now so will do a bit more tomorrow . Here's a few more pictures . the cream paint is not quite the same shade but once its done unless its standing next to another cream machine you wont be able to tell the diffrence

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hotpoint Empress

Morning Anthony, youre doing a great job with the restore on your Hotpoint Empress and great to see a rare earlybird model, now if only we had "Smell Aroma" that Hotpoint oil smell is so so distinctive across all the range of washer oils we have ever come across, you can tell it a mile away, and it sticks to your fingers . Any ideas if it was a special oil / grease etc ? and what type will you use to re-fill it ?

Have included a 1950`s cutaway of a later Empress from " The Electrical Association For Women" Booklet.

Enjoy , looking forward to the next chapter !!

 

[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