If you ever wondered how a 1950 Camfield toaster works...

[turquoisedude]

I've had this Camfield 'Tête-a-tête' toaster for years but never did anything with it...  

 

It worked but wouldn't pop up; this past Monday down in Ogden, I decided to take it apart to see what was wrong. I found it has a very different timing/pop up mechanism - I was able to get it working again, but I wanted to reveal what had been previously forbidden to see - the heating and pop up cycle in this toaster. 

 

It's kinda neat....



[this post was last edited: 3/30/2016-11:07]

 

[toploader55]

Great Paul.

So cool. I still say some of these engineers from back in the forties and fifties were smoking some awfully good stuff to think up some of these designs.

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

Granted there was no bread in the toaster and you may have had it on the "lightest" setting, but it sure seemed to cycle very quickly (30 seconds?).  Oh wait, I forgot those toasters from the 50's actually used power, heated up and toasted the bread pretty quickly, compared to the anemic toasters that take 4-5 minutes today.

 

Very neat seeing the "inner workings", thanks for posting Paul!

 

[stricklybojack]

.
Like you said RK...if only my POS toaster was 1/2 as fast!

 

[davetranter]

Fast toaster

My toaster is quite fast. I also don't like modern toasters which 'toast' by simply (and slowly) drying the bread until it's like a biscuit. My 'home-built' toaster is a single-slot device, built from two thirds of the 'series connected' element from a two-slot toaster. Result?? It cooks toast 'properly'... Brown outside, light and fluffy inside. Cycle time about 1 minute, depending on type of bread used.

All best

Dave T

 

[a440]

What a cool mechanism. 

How good of a toaster is it considering your taste? 

Are both bread slots lined with heating elements like a regular toaster?

Thanks for sharing this.  I have never heard of this brand. 

 

 

[turquoisedude]

Well Kevin's observation was correct - that 'toast' cycle was actually a 'stale' cycle... It was a wee bit too short, so I did some more tinkering and got it to a point where it does now toast bread.  

 

All in all, it's a pretty good toaster now!

 

Brent, the toast slots are lined with elements as with other toasters.   

 

Next up - the Dormeyer Toastswell.... 

 

 

[norgeway]

Re Camfield

Camfield had some connection with Dormeyer, what I don't know, but Camfield mixers were just Dormeyers with a different name.

 

[turquoisedude]

That's true!

The Dormeyer and Camfield percolators were clones, too.  I still don't get why they did that...  Regional marketing perhaps?

 

 

 

[sarahperdue]

And the rest of the toaster

Very cool video. Would you please post pictures of the rest of the toaster for those of us who have never seen one?

Thanks,
Sarah

 

[turquoisedude]

Sarah, sorry for the delay in getting these (and if I'd been thinking I'd have taken some pictures and posted them with the video...) but here are some photos of the toaster.  I gave it a good cleaning and I'm pleased at what great shape it's in.  It's one of  my few vintage toasters with the original cloth-covered cord and plug!  After a couple of further tweaks, I'm pleased to say it's toasting nicely now too.  

 

I don't know if any other toaster at the time or since featured the two-ended controls.   And note the CSA certification plate tacked onto the bottom - this was definitely produced for the Canadian market but I can't say that I see Camfield appliances up here very often.  That being said, I'll bet I start finding them this year... LOL

 

 

 

[philr]

Interesting toaster! That's not the one you got at Lachute when we went there?

 

[turquoisedude]

Yep, that's the one, Phil!  We have to get back up there again this summer.

 

[sarahperdue]

Thanks for sharing

That's a pretty cool looking toaster. Do the dual controls control different slots? Also, you can brighten up the lettering with white model paint if you get the inspiration. I know folks who swear by white crayons, and I've used them successfully but like the paint better. Paint it on, then wipe it off. The paint stays in the engraved letters.

 

[norgeway]

I have one just like it

That wont pop up either, I haven't had time to tear into it yet, also have a 50s Hamilton Beach that wont pop up ...

 

[norgeway]

I cant get mine

To pop up, it the cog will turn to the second notch, then hangs up????

 

[jetcone]

Based on this videoI just switched to

Camfield Toast! Lets see how good this Blue Ribbon Buy REALLY IS !!!