I found a Jacobs Launderall!

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turquoisedude

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You know when you find something that you never thought you'd ever find, weren't actively looking for, or even sure you'd ever want one?  Do you find that you can't resist getting it?   Yeah, well, this where I'm at... LOL

 

I saw this ad on the Plattsburgh, NY craiglist for an old washer and freezer.  I nearly fainted when I saw the washer was a Launderall and before I caught my breath, I had contacted the seller for more information.  The machine was found in a home that was being renovated for resale following the demise of the owners.   The contractor who saved the machine could not believe that it was a 1940s model that had to be bolted to the floor. 

 

The machine looks a little rough, but is largely intact.  

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The mechanical bits were in good shape, but it looks like this washer lived in a very damp basement. 

 

Check the motor - I have never heard of the Jack & Heintz company...  

 

The coin trap reminds me of an old vaudeville-era megaphone.

 

And although original, the power cord was in bad shape and had to go.  Note that 'pigtail' for the ground connection - although not a molded-on plug, it had a hole for the ground wire and according to the Jacobs manual, this was the plug supplied.  

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The glass lid was in good shape and so was the wash tub.  

 

Inside was the obligatory dead mouse and a souvenir of the former owner.  That handkerchief looks like it was part of a 1950s wash load for sure!  It was actually stuck to the tub, so it must spin pretty well... LOL 

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Full disclosure, the person I bought this from had tried the machine, so I already knew it worked... BUT what I didn't know was that it would run a cycle all the way through!  I got the manual from the doctrine available here on the board and had read up a bit about it - I got to see first-hand the washer going through it's wash, drain, spin, rinses, and final spin.  And bonus - it shut itself off!  I was over the moon, to say the least.  

 

Here's a longer video showing what would be the wash drain and spin portion of the cycle:

 



 

More coming soon... I actually did a water test yesterday!
 
Wow Paul.  Don't know what to say as I'm kinda speechless.  But you omitted on step through the cycle, didn't it also clean itself before it shut off? 

 

I have Christmas table linens that remind me of that handkerchief. 
 
Oh Paul Congratulations

You are probably the only living collector that has seen one of these machines run [ without catching on fire ] now the big question does it leak.

You might consider converting it to a dry-cleaner.

 

In any case if you get it to run through a full cycle with clothing and laundry be sure to video tape it as I dough this machine will become a daily driver [ and people wounder why FL and H axis machines did not catch on in this country ] LOL
 
Bob - I didn't know the Launderall cleaned itself at the end of cycle.  Did it do some kind of a purge?

 

John - I actually did a water test and filmed that; I'll post that as soon as I can.  But you're right, I can't see this machine becoming a daily driver.  Not even a Sunday driver... LOL   The way it shakes during spin I'll definitely want to bolt this beastie down for any laundry tests!
 
Paul, in many of the marketing literature pieces of the late 1940s and early 1950s it was mentioned the machines also cleaned them selves.  I guess that was a selling point because wringer users I'm sure had to clean out their washers after wash day. 
 
Neat machine-works well for its age!!You figure when that machine was sold-like others of its era-the new machine was delivored to the customer by a knowlegeable delivoryman installer-and he showed you how to operate it,what to do and what NOT to do.Today the machine is handed to you in a big box store-they may help you load into your pickup and away you go.YOU have to read its book and install it yourself.And the machine was built to last-and not made of cheap tinny metal and plastic.Note how this machine survived and still works!!!!Like the "hankie" that was inside!!!Wrinkled--but CLEAN!Where was the mouse found?Surprized there wans't more than one adn some still alive.Same with roaches-these critters love abandoned appliances!
 
Congratulations on a great find!!

Will be neat to see when you get it to the point to put it thru an actual test load.

I'm sure you'll be making a video of it when it happens and everyone here will be anxiously waiting for it.

Best of luck with everything on this machine.
 
That's really cool. Never much liked front load machines from that era, but this one is truly unique! Consumer reports sure gave it a bad review back in the day...
 
Paul, what an awesome find!

Never thought that I would see one of these in any type of operation.
It does run quite smooth for sitting for so many years. Would be so interesting to find out how the transmission shifts the wash tub into the opposite direction so fast!

What were the issues found with these machines when they were in use back then? John, what caused the fires? Leaking outer tub?

Thanks for the videos! Fun machine!
 
This is beyond cool.

Especially because Paul is one of the few people on this planet who has the skill and patience to make this work.

There's a lot to be said for TL H-Axis machines, pity they've never really caught on on this continent.
 
Wow Paul, what a cool and unusual find... and it's amazing it still works! I look forward to the results of the water test. Once you know it holds water, do you think you might try doing an actual "test load" of laundry?

CONGRATULATIONS!

Kevin
 
Very neat. How many washers made today will still be operating 68 years from now? Like I even need to ask.
 
Very Amazing

I had one for a short time, got it to spin and cracked it open a bit, boy did it look complicated. It is truly amazing that yours works. I would say it is in very good shape from the pictures. Congratulations!
 
All righty then,  here's a video of the first water test, showing the fill portion of the cycle.  I was sure those solenoids were dead, but nope!

 

Rick - about the handles - one is a selector for hot or warm wash (it moves a cable that activates a lever on one end of the tranny unit to power on the water solenoids) and the other is just a 'starter' button that activates a relay to get the motor running.  Interesting thing about the Jacobs - it doesn't have a conventional timer.  It's kinda like the 50s Blackstone (especially that Charcoal Gray BA250... *giggle*) in that the motor drives a series of cams that run a sequence of fill, wash (oscillating back and forth), drain, spin, fill, rinse, drain, fill, rinse and spin.  Once you start a Launderall ya can't stop it and the default wash time is 10 minutes.  Definitely not for the really delicate items in your wash!

 

The video is unedited and shows there are a few leaks.  The ones coming from the supply hoses are probably just because I didn't have an appropriate clamp to attach them properly; as for the leaks observed from the pump housing and what I think may have been from the coin trap, I'm hoping that these are the good old cork gaskets and will swell with further testing.   Yes, I am the eternal optimist... LOL 

 

 
And of course I had to film the spin...  Yes, I think we're all now convinced whoever built that mock-up washer on the famous I Love Lucy episode where Ethel gets slapped in the face with a wet towel was inspired by a Launderall... LOL 

 

This video also proves the following:  the machine really should be bolted down, weak wooden floors will not be your friend with this washer, and Canyon is smart enough to get the hell away from leaky vintage washers.  

 

And although my marketing degree served no useful purpose in my so-called career, the tag line I thought of while witnessing the Launderall spin was:  "Yes, the Launderall by Jacobs is the machine you want if you really, really hate your downstairs neighbours...."  LOL 

 

 
Lovely washer drama! A pity these machines didn't have suspension, perhaps it would have been more popular. On the other hand, one cycle and two temperatures isn't a big selling point.

Ten minutes of tumbling in the wash isn't very long for an H-axis machine. I presume it didn't do very well on cleaning.

I guess the next H-axis toploader that saw the light was the Swiss V-Zug Unimatic in the fifties.
 
Paul, you just made the NIB Launderall a bit more desirable now that we have proof that these machines can work without going into flames!

Maybe God had something to do with the possessed evil burning machine that Jon used to have!

;-)
 
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