The Air-Way 35 gets a new bag!

[air-waycharlie]

Finally, after a lot of work, my Air-Way 35, "The Chief", got her new outer cloth bag and it looks great.

I bought the bag on ebay last year. It was designed to fit the earlier straight suction models and the flat metal rods had a totally different fitting at the machine end and the handle end. The cloth was actually rivoted to the rods!

I drilled out the rivots and used a razor blade to open the seams on the new bag and the old bad. My wonderful tailor did many small repairs to tears in the new bag and modified it to match the old bag as even the cloth ends were different.

She did a wonderful job considering the fabric is from the 1920's or there abouts and INCREDIBLY durable! She mended the inner cloth lining of the bag as well. I then slid the round rods that the model 35 uses, through the new bag, replaced the screw-in ends and put it on.

I had one genuine Air-Way wood pulp cellulose paper bag designed for this vacuum left and in honor of the occasion have decided to use it. The outer bag is somewhat faded but so is anyone or anything that is left from the 1920's!

Here is a picture.

 

[air-waycharlie]

A closer look

The beautiful embroidered lettering, twin planes and edging. A work of labor and art from a time gone by.

 

[vinvac]

WOW!

What a great vacuum. The bag looks wonderful.

 

[frontaloadotmy]

That's Spectacular

Charlie. Beautiful!!!

 

[air-waycharlie]

And the wonderful thing is........

It still cleans beautifully!! The brushroll revolves, "backwards", by todays standards so it really cleans on the back stroke. When I took out the modified Hoover C bag I was using, it was full of crud.

A vacuum way ahead of it's time, but a company that has not been terribly progressive.

 

[urarachu]

That looks amazing! Looks like all the hard work to get it on there was well worth it!

Corey

 

[golittlesport]

Awesome!!!

What a beautiful machine! My grandmother had one of those...I still remember watching her vacuum with it and the sound it made.

 

[maytagbear]

Wow!

That is impressive, Charlie!

You and your tailor have achieved a real accomplishment.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[westytoploader]

Charlie, very nice, it looks brand new!

 

[air-waycharlie]

Your guys.............

Sure know how to make a vacuum guy feel good about his prized vacuum!

MANY thanks for all the kind words. I hope to bring it to the convention in Omaha in 2007 so make plans to attend and you will see it and can play with it!

I leave for vacation tomorrow on a vacuum high. Thanks again and I do really like this Air-Way and appreciate your postings.

 

[tlee618]

Charlie that is really one beautiful vacuum. You have done her "proud"!! Terry

 

[gansky1]

That really is beautiful, Charlie. I can't wait to see it next fall, what a neat bag! Do I remember you saying this bag was needlepoint, or just looked like it?

 

[tolivac]

COOL!!Really neat and innovative bag-its behind the handle bar-so its out of the way!The same idea as a rear bag lawnmower.Air-WAY-please bring this upright design back to go with your canisters!!!

 

[seamusuk]

WOW!

Thats amazing- it looks new

Seamus

 

[chestermikeuk]

Nice One

Hi Charlie

Looks a great restoration, the detailing on the bag is legendary, one to keep for best, is this the type of machine that you can stick a hose on the handle and use it for upholstery etc??

Have just been digging through some new/old literature and this model (without powerhead) was apparently sold here in 1920 under the name of " The BTH Newmode Cleaner", was this a company name used in the states, or was it likely to have been used over here only, perhaps as a distributor name??

Mike

 

[drmitch]

Charlie, Your machines are gorgeous!