P.O.D. 01.18.11 A rare treat!

[bajaespuma]

Wow!

Where did this come from? A Blackstone brochure in all its glory! Unique machines although a far cry from the iconic "Tin Men" that have come to mean "Blackstone" to a lot of us. Loving this. And check out her hair-don't. Cool machines and by the hair, I'm guessing these were among the last of their kind. The last CU washer ratings I remember with a Blackstone was in a 1969 issue.

 

Does anyone remember how well these worked?

 

[frontaloadotmy]

They look kind of

"GE" ish.... Big old cabinet doors on the dryers.

 

[joe_in_philly]

What is behind the huge dryer door? I have never seen such a door on a dryer. I certainly am intrigued!

Joe

 

[miele_ge]

The BOL washer with the plastic control panel/backsplash

<span style="font-family: helvetica;">looks a lot like a BOL Kenmore we had in the 70's.  I HATED that washer, but my dad wanted to save money so he talked mom into that one.  Was so happy when it finally died in the 1980's and we replaced it with a MOL GE Filter Flo which mom had until a couple of years ago.</span>

 

 

 

[blackstone]

What's behind the dryer door? Behind the bottom part of the door was a removeable panel, almost as wide as the door. This opening allowed access to light the pilot, or to reach in to tension the belt, or to insert the vacuum hose for cleaning lint. The panel just slid into place, without screws. There was also a small hole in this panel, so you could see if the pilot was on.

 

[mayfan69]

Hoover's in Australia were based on Blackstone's

Great pic of the day.

Hoover in Australia introduced their top loaders in 1969, which were based on these Blackstone designs.

We actually had two of them. Hoover dominated the Australian market for many years with this design, which were eventually phased out in about 1990.

Here's two pics: control panel and money shot: will post an interior shot of the mechanicals later today.

Cheers
Leon

 

[mayfan69]

Money shot

Money shot: showing the spiral agitator and recirculating lint filter.

 

[appnut]

Triple Fabric Care Filter

IS someone able to explain how pouring liquid bleach into the filer pan (before you started the waher) still allowed the bleach to be dillueted and mixed with water without damaging fabrics in the wash tub?  (that's the impression I got for the intended purpose of this). 

 

[DADoES]

 
The lower section of the filter pan to contain bleach appears to not be perforated, so the LCB remains there until recirculation begins to dilute and flush it through.  I suppose when agitation/recirculation is paused or ends before spin, water remains in the lower part of the filter until spin throws it out.

BTW, I had this full brochure for some years back in the 1970s.  The local butane/propane service company sold Blackstone.  There was a display of them at the county fair one year (1973 or 1974?).  I convinced my dad to take me by the gas service to see the machines, and got the brochure there.

 

[steved]

Blackstone brochure

I got this when I sent away for a gyroscope packed in a miniture cardboard Blackstone washer. Both long gone....

 

[Unimatic1140]

That's a cool brochure Steve, I love the shiny new porcelain basket pictured.

 

Speaking of the "big door" dryer ...

 

[stainfighter]

re: POD, down under aka Hoover....

there is one quite similar to this Hoover that shows up on another POD...

 

[blackstone]

Gyroscope

I still have some of those gyroscopes, packaged in miniature washing machine boxes. I'll have to post a picture tomorrow.

 

[jetcone]

Fred

Cool picture of outside your store! What models were those they were unloading?

 

[jetcone]

That sure looks like a GE agitator

Who built these? Hamilton? That looks like a Hamilton tub.

 

[mayfan69]

Hoover mechanicals

Here's my Hoover 565 with the panel removed

 

[combo52]

BLACKSTONE WASHERS

Jon Hamilton never made automatic washers them selves we might have to bring back the Slap LOL.

 

[macboy91si]

Blackstone Dryer

Where was the electric heating element in the dryer? I'm curious because I am trying to make a relation to something else, which is becoming more confirmed with time.

 

-Tim

 

[joe_in_philly]

The removable panel sounds like a great idea to help keep the dryer lint free as well as an easy way to check and light the pilot light.

Growing up, I remember one time my aunt, who used a shared washer and dryer in the apartment building basement where she lived, opened up the dryer and it was full of cold, wet clothes. She explained that the pilot light of the dryer was out. That was my first experience with a gas dryer.

 

[blackstone]

Responses...

Jon: The picture shows us unloading Blackstones delivered from the factory, sometime in the 1960s. It was definitely before 1969, since the flow of traffic on the one-way street was at that time reversed, due to nearby highway construction. Not sure of the particular models, but it was later than the 350s.

Leon (mayfan69): I noted a few differences between your Hoover and the Blackstones I know. Blackstones did not have the sliding motor mount; did not have the selenoid on the left; had a different agitator cap; and I had never seen a white plastic pump, only black.

I've been following the floods on the Courier Mail website. Hope you made it through OK.

Tim (macboy91si): The Blackstone heating elements (gas or electric) were on the right side. The red button that you had to press in to light the pilot was on the front of the valve, squeezed in between the valve and the inside front cabinet. Hopefully, the pilot remained lit before the pain in your thumb became too extreme.

 

[macboy91si]

Fred

What was your favorite thing about the Blackstone's?

 

-Tim

 

[gansky1]

Here is the Hoover washer we brought back from a dealer's stash in Iowa back in '04.

 

[gansky1]

Money shot of Hoover washer

 

 

[gansky1]

Hoover Dryer

 

 

[gansky1]

Dryers can have money-shots too...

 

 

[gansky1]

Looking into the Hoover - right before he broke it.

 

 

[mayfan69]

Broken??

May i ask how it was broken??

Leon

 

[gansky1]

Well, he didn't break it actually

The mechanism on this machine was seized up tight and trying to get it free, we broke a key on the drive pulley.  The washer was really pretty far gone when we pulled it out of that warehouse.   The pair was later traded to John L (combo52) in Maryland.

 

[bajaespuma]

What John said! Hear hear! LOL!

Those Hoover control panels alone deserve an award for design in and of themselves. I've always thought that Hoover's emblems and the industrial design of their early products were wonderfully designed both with the color palette they used and overall simplicity. The innards of those machines obviously belong to Blackstone or to whoever owned the Blackstone design.

 

In what year did Blackstone fold?

 

[blackstone]

I seem to recall that Blackstone stopped manufacturing appliances around 1975. We received them directly from the factory to our store. There might have been a few leftovers after that time. The company itself remained in business, making ultrasonic cleaners, etc.