Out with the old, and in with the *VERY* Old

[launderess]

As the Frigidaire ironer up and died on me last year scouted about for a replacement. Didn't really *need* another ironer as have three already, plus two flat presses, but that's me for you.

Anyway last year won an auction on fleaPay for what will be referred to as *The Beast*. More commonly known as a Super Simplex Ironer.

Have always fancied a Simplex ironer, more so after seeing Martha Stewart's layout at Skylands. That estate features a laundry room that is a mix of period and new machinery. The ironer probably came from when Edsel Ford owned the place:

http://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/martha-stewart-skylands-maine-homes-article

http://www.themarthablog.com/2013/12/

Apparently no one else was dumb enough to bid on The Beast, so won the thing for under twenty. Then came the real fun; The Beast was located in Iowa, we are in New York. How does one shift nearly 200lbs of metal (much of it cast iron), and wood safely but without causing great harm to one's purse? Well before could ponder that problem came a missive from seller. The Beast was in a home they just purchased and were anxious to begin renovating, and IT was in the way. Thus would one kindly shift the thing out of their home or else. Well couldn't reach either Samantha or Endora, and given Aunt Clara's failing powers the thing might have crashed through someone's home.... What to do?

Well someone suggested contacting a fellow member from that neck of the woods to see what could be done. The man was a true gentleman and peach of a guy. With truck, dolly and strong back over he went to collect The Beast. Little did he know what he was in for in terms of shifting the thing... When all was said and done this upstanding gentleman agreed to allow The Beast to reside in his garage until a way to ship it east could be found.

Days, week, then months passed with various U-Ship bidders either proposing insane rates, or reasonable but sent them with one hour lead time. Finally a few weeks ago a U-Shipper came through that was reliable and offered a sensible bid. Once accepted he went to collect and held until transport.

So here I am with this:

 

[vacerator]

Amazing!

I've never seen one like that.

 

[launderess]

When went out to meet the delivery truck one's heart sunk. How he got The Beast into his truck I'll never know. But now he and I must shift it up and out, across the curb and into my home. Believe me when I tell you this thing felt every bit of it's 200lbs. We couldn't push it well because the wheels are metal (or some very darn hard rubber), and were not at all happy about being moved about after decades of sat sitting in that Iowa basement. The noise!

After driver left sat and contemplated. You know that feeling; you've spent good money on something you already have, there is no room, and it looks like a dog's breakfast. Well it was no good sitting there staring at the thing allowing it to haunt me, sat down with a nice cup of tea to ponder what to do.

Happily have a copy of the original owner's manual/operating instructions. Plugged the thing in and turned it on (wanted to ensure it wasn't DOA), and the NOISE. Quickly shut things down and looked about. Turns out a screw was missing holding the back cover plate. No worries there, a simple metal screw, we can fix that.

Larger worry was that this filthy thing was blocking my front hall and thus needed shifting. This is where the demise of non-working Frigidaire ironer came in; Wednesday is recycling day for our street, you can guess what happened next. In short order that thing was stripped of motor and shoved out the door. Amazingly despite appearance otherwise The Beast slide right into the space formerly occupied by the Frigidaire ironer. Since the thing does not have a cover an old bed sheet will have to do.

Background:

Simplex began selling domestic ironers based on their commercial laundry versions around the 1910's. You've probably seen such units on fleaPay and elsewhere: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-AME...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Because of various limitations most all these early ironers were heated by gas, gasoline, or alcohol. None of which are going to happen in my home, though many such older appliances are still hooked up to gas and being used.

The other problem was the size and heft of the early devices. You needed a rather large home or at least someplace with space to put this Simplex Ironer permanently. Simplex later came out with versions that folded into walls.

In the 1920's Simplex came out with these early "cabinet" ironers. They were sold as being portable (that is debatable),easily moved (ditto), and also occupying no more space than a sewing machine (jury is still out on that one). What American Ironing Machine Company (original owner's of Simplex), did was mount the cast iron frame to a metal cabinet.

These are really basic machines. A belt attached to motor turns a pulley which in turn moves a worm gear. That device turns another set of gears which moves the roller. You operate the thing by shifting the feed board up and down. Simplex called this their "automatic operation" but am not so sure about that. It took one great force to shift the thing, but that could be from it having not been moved in some time.

Like early electric flat irons The Beast has no thermostat. You plug it in, flick a switch and wait for that huge mass of cast iron that is the shoe to heat. Longer the thing is switched to heat and not used the hotter it will get. In theory there is nothing to stop the heating process. Underwriters Laboratory would have a fit with this; they and other consumer groups did then and that is why thermostats became common on all irons.

The Beast pulls a bit shy of 1700 watts at 110v. The cord was quite warm after several minutes....

Am quite pushed busy wise the next few days so won't be able to give The Beast a deep cleaning so badly required. Tested a few substances on various areas and found the back cover of ironing shoe is aluminum. Know this because used a metal polish that contains ammonia and it at once mottled the small test area. So that's me for you... Happily have plenty of aluminum polish so there's no worries there. Will probably just use a wash leather wrung out well from a bucket of water and Simple Green. Once all the muck and grime is gone can see what am dealing with. Am thinking a good polishing will help stop further corrosion/rust.

 

[launderess]

Another thing

This thing has more oiling points than a Lima steam locomotive!

Before starting things up a second time thought it best to have an oil around as possible cause of all the noise may have been dry bearings/gears. From the owner's manual knew what to do so got out my white Lithium grease and Zoom oil...

Like my Ironrite am going to simply grease the various gears with white Lithium grease instead of oil. Saves from having to regularly oil those areas and think it will give better protection. Haven't been able to see from the dirt where each oiling port goes, but anything that remotely could come into contact with fabric will get sewing machine oil. That substance washes out easily as opposed to WL grease or Zoom. Oh and the motor (GE)has an oil cup as well. Gave it a drink of the Zoom oil, but not so much, didn't want to flood.

Have the service manual for later Simplex cabinet ironers. These are the later white things most of you are used to seeing. Simplex used belts there as well instead of direct gear drives. After seeing the rather short life of the Frigidaire can't say I blame them. Took a peek at the belt on this machine and it says "Made In America" quite clearly. Am thinking it thus could be of a rather new vintage and not the original.

 

[gansky1]

That's an impressive piece of equipment there, you'll definitely feel like you've had your daily workout moving that around the house.  I'm surprised there is no high-limit cutoff thermostat in it, UL would certainly condemn it to a long vacation on a boat to Korea seeing that today.

 

Best of luck with it, keep us posted on the restoration and first batch of ironing.  I've always found Marshalls a good place for finding decent quality new sheets ;-)  

 

 

[turquoisedude]

Wow!  That really is a Beast!  I had seen what I thought was an early ironer in an old home in Bellows Falls VT (where I rescued my '47 Bendix) but this one has to be even older than the Graybar unit I saw there.

 

What year could this be from?  I'd guess 1920s, but that's just a guess. 

 

No wonder you had no interest in the Whirlpool ironer my pal Tony has been trying to coax into my collection for a few months now!!

 

[launderess]

Safety Limit Cut Off

To my knowledge this ironer does not have such a system, though am not keen to find out by testing extremes. Know my Knapp-Monarch "flatwork" irons that do not have thermostats are quite capable of burning through things and starting fires. Those old cartoons/films of an iron left horizontal burning its way through an ironing board and or causing flames is not fantasy. Consumer Reports by the 1950's or perhaps early as 1940's condemned irons without built in thermostats.

This particular Simplex ironer was introduced in early 1920's (1924 IIRC), not sure how long production ran. Here are other versions:

http://www.instappraisal.com/iron

http://www.instappraisal.com/appraisal/super-simplex-ironing-machine

You can see over the years American Ironing Machine swapped positions of control box and motor. Looks as if the motor used when on the right is sealed and thus required no oiling. Moving motor to left also allowed for shorter distance and more direct access of the belt to pulley. Instead of going across the back and up as with all earlier Simplex ironers. Cabinet ironers that came later shared this arrangement as well.

Here is another version of Super Simplex ironer. Called the "Junior" it featured a tabletop that folded up and down providing a work surface. This was the forerunner of modern cabinet ironers that followed. This unit was on eBay for ages and like other Simplex ironers never sold IIRC. Likely because it required a gas connection.

 

[mattl]

Quite an interesting piece.  I was surprised you plugged it in, I would think after all these years the cord would be in poor condition, or was it replaced?  I'd guess it's pulling 15 amps, so if you replace the cord I hope you use a #12 cord...

 

Looks like you have some work ahead of you, but it certainly will be interesting and worth it.

 

[launderess]

Cord is fine, perfectly intact.

When cleaning will see how and where it connects to motor. Am not keen atm about dismantling another ironer motor from mounting (the Frigidaire was enough, thank you very much)to install another cord.

None of my vintage ironers were or are grounded including the Ironrite. If needed however do have grounded "adapters" that fit at outlet, but will light that firecracker later.

Biggest job will be cleaning, then dealing with the padding and roll cover. Having a rather vast collection of ironing/pressing equipment am not short of various covers, padding, cleaners, etc...

Aside from attending to parts that come into contact with laundry the rest of cleaning is more for aesthetics than anything else. Of course won't know what is what until have tackled things with a wash leather.