...actually a Montgomery Wards. Fresh off the U-haul:
My first Norge!!!! Well, sorta...
- Thread starter bajaespuma
- Start date
Now, were I a technician at Consumer's Reports, I would have to note that you need to be less than forty years old with perfect 20/20 vision to read the controls on these things. The photo isn't too far from the truth, the lettering is so fine and the reflection off the control panel make it very hard to know what button you need to push, what knob you need to turn and where:
OK so already I'm kvetching. Here's what I really want to know: is it, or isn't it?
It is!!!
My very first burpalator!!! (Hoping it was going to be a black one, but I'm not disappointed. And yes, the movie Private Benjamin was really about me).
Another plastic lint filter pan and fabric softener dispenser(was hoping for blue) to add to my collection. Complete with the previous owner's lint ball. Oh boy.
My very first burpalator!!! (Hoping it was going to be a black one, but I'm not disappointed. And yes, the movie Private Benjamin was really about me).
Another plastic lint filter pan and fabric softener dispenser(was hoping for blue) to add to my collection. Complete with the previous owner's lint ball. Oh boy.
Do any of you know how to disassemble these Norge/Wards agitators? Seems to be a lot of junk inside this and, of course, I'm curious about the innards.
Time for a bath. The Maytag top loader makes a really handy little "ware washer" for all the stuff I want to clean like garbage bins and all sorts of parts.
The machine comes apart pretty easily. Nice to not have to wrestle another vintage agitator off of a vintage drive shaft.
And there's lights!
That you really need with a dial that's as hard to read as this one. The dryer is gi-normous:
It's probably going to cost me a small fortune to hook this up. I believe it's preset to natural gas, so I'll need to buy a conversion kit, plus I'm going to have to have the gaseous come in and plumb in the supply. The drum on this thing is huge; it's as big as my big-boy GE dryer:
Can one repaint these things? If anyone knows about this I'd appreciate information on what kind of paint to use and how to do it.
I've always wanted one of these:
I've always wanted one of these:
Oops!
Will be doing a serious cleaning very soon. Fortunately, the top comes up and off as handily as a Filter-Flo's:
The detergent dispenser is solenoid-controlled but the bleach dispenser, alas, is from the looks of it, just a bleach "funnel". Somebody tied a sneaker lace between the cabinet and the top; home servicing? Not sure what this is all about:
Now I know where the engineers at GM got a lot of their ideas for putting together the 1-18's; the tub set-up, cap, clips, tub itself(size and shape) are all too similar. Will post more pics when I give her the maiden spin. Very curious about the sounds and sights of a Norge, never seen one in action before.
gyrafoam
Well-known member
Great find! You should be kveling!
Great and aggressive washers! Beware your dainties!
Might be a good idea to sand down that spin-tube and coat with POR-15 or a good couple of layers of a Rust-o-Leum anti-rust spray paint, before re-installing that aggravater.
Great and aggressive washers! Beware your dainties!
Might be a good idea to sand down that spin-tube and coat with POR-15 or a good couple of layers of a Rust-o-Leum anti-rust spray paint, before re-installing that aggravater.
peterh770
Well-known member
Great find! Congrats!
Seems to me you cannot take the agitator apart. The innards are pressed in and you cannot take them out without breaking it.
Seems to me you cannot take the agitator apart. The innards are pressed in and you cannot take them out without breaking it.
NORGE WASHERS
The shoe lace is a factory part it holds the top when opened for service. I think the lettering is some what faded on the control panel. Peter is correct the agitator cannot be easily disassembled. Norges weren't built for long term durability or ease of repair, they were very good performers however, this is why so few survived. Fun machines hope you have lots of fun with them ,keep us posted.
The shoe lace is a factory part it holds the top when opened for service. I think the lettering is some what faded on the control panel. Peter is correct the agitator cannot be easily disassembled. Norges weren't built for long term durability or ease of repair, they were very good performers however, this is why so few survived. Fun machines hope you have lots of fun with them ,keep us posted.
whirlcool
Well-known member
What is all that pink stuff around the top of the machine when the lid was removed? Looks like a great machine. But I imagine it was not fun to schlep home with it!
turquoisedude
Well-known member
Whoa! Great find!!
Congratulations!! A matched set, too!! I remember staring longingly at a washer just like this years ago in the Montgomery Ward's store just across the border in Plattsburgh, NY! I think the indicator lights on the washer are sooooo cool!! Great score!!
Congratulations!! A matched set, too!! I remember staring longingly at a washer just like this years ago in the Montgomery Ward's store just across the border in Plattsburgh, NY! I think the indicator lights on the washer are sooooo cool!! Great score!!
How fun - congrats on the MW's!
So very 70's - there was a set just like this (but gold) five years ago at St. Vinnie's that was ignored for a long time. I debated every time I saw it there but never brought it home. Peter would have teased me with the gold color anyway as it seemed that was all I ever found ;-)
I'm surprised your agitator came out - all the ones I've had here never would budge.
So very 70's - there was a set just like this (but gold) five years ago at St. Vinnie's that was ignored for a long time. I debated every time I saw it there but never brought it home. Peter would have teased me with the gold color anyway as it seemed that was all I ever found ;-)
I'm surprised your agitator came out - all the ones I've had here never would budge.
mrb627
Well-known member
Kick-Ass Dryer!
We had a Norge version of this dryer. That fan blew so hard, often the door would pop open on its own. But it would dry clothes like nobody's business.
Malcolm
We had a Norge version of this dryer. That fan blew so hard, often the door would pop open on its own. But it would dry clothes like nobody's business.
Malcolm
Congratulations. When you can, I hope you can take pics of the dryer's control panel. I hope, despite all the glare, you can take good photos of both the washer & dryer's timer knobs so I can see the detailed cycle sections.
Thanks
All the "pink stuff" is my digital camera acting up. Talk about vintage; I love this camera so much, it's given me such great service that I can't bring myself to get rid of it even though every knowledgeable geek tells me it's going to cost much more to repair it. Oh well.
I've been cleaning the dickens out of it. My hands are red and raw from oven cleaner, Mr. Clean, Lime away, boiling water and the like. This is a hazardous hobby. Dr. STupid(moi) of course, dropped a piece of a wooden skewer into the outer tub whilst cleaning, so know I have to find a ratchet part to unscrew the wash basket to lift it out. The more I look at this thing the more I think I'm working on a 1-18. Has the same plastic washbasket cover complete with clips to the outer tub and lots of hoses leading into and out of it just like the late Frigidaires. Not only is the washbasket the same size and shape, but it's as light as a 1-18 basket. Not too well fabricated either: very uneven spun metal under that porcelain and the perforations look like they were done by hand. The drain hose is as thin as a garden hose and will need to be replaced before I try it out. On the positive side, the control knobs and buttons are incredibly solid and definitive. The lettering and numbering is not at all faded; just badly designed. They were not paying as much attention to ergonomics as they were to aesthetics. Can't wait to see those pilots light up. Now I'm wondering if there are any end of cycle bells and/or whistles. Not complaining, just observing. Part of me wants to tell you the story of how difficult it was to get it from the seller who did so little to help my buddy who came to pick it up...but that's another thread.
Funny you mentioned the dryer door popping open; it does! The door latch assembly is missing a screw; I hope that will solve the problem. My Gas man came today to repair my propane tanks and was very helpful in walking me through the process of converting the dryer to propane and hooking it up. Will have to wait until I win Powerball, though. Does anyone have any ideas about painting the dryer drum? Or is that a waste of time? I wonder if I could take it to a powder coating place? I remember seeing a couple of Norge dryers in my youth that had drums that were peeling and rusty.
All the "pink stuff" is my digital camera acting up. Talk about vintage; I love this camera so much, it's given me such great service that I can't bring myself to get rid of it even though every knowledgeable geek tells me it's going to cost much more to repair it. Oh well.
I've been cleaning the dickens out of it. My hands are red and raw from oven cleaner, Mr. Clean, Lime away, boiling water and the like. This is a hazardous hobby. Dr. STupid(moi) of course, dropped a piece of a wooden skewer into the outer tub whilst cleaning, so know I have to find a ratchet part to unscrew the wash basket to lift it out. The more I look at this thing the more I think I'm working on a 1-18. Has the same plastic washbasket cover complete with clips to the outer tub and lots of hoses leading into and out of it just like the late Frigidaires. Not only is the washbasket the same size and shape, but it's as light as a 1-18 basket. Not too well fabricated either: very uneven spun metal under that porcelain and the perforations look like they were done by hand. The drain hose is as thin as a garden hose and will need to be replaced before I try it out. On the positive side, the control knobs and buttons are incredibly solid and definitive. The lettering and numbering is not at all faded; just badly designed. They were not paying as much attention to ergonomics as they were to aesthetics. Can't wait to see those pilots light up. Now I'm wondering if there are any end of cycle bells and/or whistles. Not complaining, just observing. Part of me wants to tell you the story of how difficult it was to get it from the seller who did so little to help my buddy who came to pick it up...but that's another thread.
Funny you mentioned the dryer door popping open; it does! The door latch assembly is missing a screw; I hope that will solve the problem. My Gas man came today to repair my propane tanks and was very helpful in walking me through the process of converting the dryer to propane and hooking it up. Will have to wait until I win Powerball, though. Does anyone have any ideas about painting the dryer drum? Or is that a waste of time? I wonder if I could take it to a powder coating place? I remember seeing a couple of Norge dryers in my youth that had drums that were peeling and rusty.
Those flocking dryers.
If you're going to have it even near the inside of your home, you should check, clean and replace the seals all around. I had a MW/Norge dryer for only a couple of weeks in my basement and out it went - literally to the recycler. I've never seen anything like it. Granted, it was old and the felt drum & ductwork seals were tired and leaky, but the amount of fine lint uniformly distributed on every surface was uncanny! The coarse lint screen material was useless for all but the longest of threads and hair. It was a beautiful dryer, had a 'yes, size matters' drum and was fairly fast from the large volume of air billowing through the load. If you didn't have to have a (symbolic) vent, it would be a great super-fast dryer at 170 cu ft per min. Do you know what the BTU input rating? This slightly earlier Norge is 22,000. It's a good idea to convert the dryer to propane, that way you can have the dryer out in the yard tethered to a grill bottle flocking real X-mas trees instead of your entire basement, house, etc.
If you're going to have it even near the inside of your home, you should check, clean and replace the seals all around. I had a MW/Norge dryer for only a couple of weeks in my basement and out it went - literally to the recycler. I've never seen anything like it. Granted, it was old and the felt drum & ductwork seals were tired and leaky, but the amount of fine lint uniformly distributed on every surface was uncanny! The coarse lint screen material was useless for all but the longest of threads and hair. It was a beautiful dryer, had a 'yes, size matters' drum and was fairly fast from the large volume of air billowing through the load. If you didn't have to have a (symbolic) vent, it would be a great super-fast dryer at 170 cu ft per min. Do you know what the BTU input rating? This slightly earlier Norge is 22,000. It's a good idea to convert the dryer to propane, that way you can have the dryer out in the yard tethered to a grill bottle flocking real X-mas trees instead of your entire basement, house, etc.
gosh, they're so pretty
without spoiling a Norge scan post - but they're just so pretty.
cfz2882
Well-known member
nice!-i had a norge built wards dryer from 1980 till 1998
when i junked it because the motor seized and a replacement
was not readily avalible at the dump. One quirk it had was
the motor would overheat and shut down if you did not pull the
front of the dryer and clear lint from the motor every year
or so.
Also in my 1982 wards catalog,a coin op commercial version
of a norge based washer and dryer were offered.
when i junked it because the motor seized and a replacement
was not readily avalible at the dump. One quirk it had was
the motor would overheat and shut down if you did not pull the
front of the dryer and clear lint from the motor every year
or so.
Also in my 1982 wards catalog,a coin op commercial version
of a norge based washer and dryer were offered.
Nice Catch!
Very nice find Ken,
They look to be in very good shape and I would say a very rare find. When I see these in Georgia they are usually rusted out. Both dryer and washer. It seems like you found a pair that was not used very much.
I like the dryer! When you looked at the burner was it a flat cast iron burner or an In-shot burner?
Thanks for the pictures.
Brent
Very nice find Ken,
They look to be in very good shape and I would say a very rare find. When I see these in Georgia they are usually rusted out. Both dryer and washer. It seems like you found a pair that was not used very much.
I like the dryer! When you looked at the burner was it a flat cast iron burner or an In-shot burner?
Thanks for the pictures.
Brent
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