The Bendix Arrives at Home

[elginkid]

I picked up the Bendix this evening after work. It's maybe not quite as nice as the pictures showed. It seems to have been sitting outside for awhile, and the cabinet has some rust on it. Is the door porcelain, and the rest painted? That's kinda what I surmised based on the rust. The tub however, looked immaculate at first glance. Navy Blue enamel with white speckles. The rubber around the detergent flap on the top of the machine seems to be pretty dry, and was starting to crack. (I'm guessing those are NLA) Did these have a separate ground wire on them? There was a wire coming out of the machine that I tripped on and nearly dropped my end of the machine. The power cord has been cut on the back and the hoses were crazy dryrotted. I asked the gentlemen about its history, and it (naturally) came from a little old lady's house. It was bolted down to the concrete pedestal created for it, but he removed it (at her request) because it was in the way of the HVAC work he was doing for her, and she wanted the space back. Allegedly it still worked, though she hadn't used it for a long time. Maybe she clipped the cord due to deterioration? If I can get the thing off of the truck and down to the basement by myself I'll post some pictures this evening.

Wes

 

[elginkid]

Here's the overall machine.

 

[rollermatic]

what a classic!

glad to see it in the neighborhood here in cinti!

"supreme whirlpool", melvin also has one, i saw it last summer when i visited him in hamilton. hope you get it running fine!

 

[elginkid]

It somehow got damaged during transport. I'm pretty bummed about it. Any suggestions?

 

[elginkid]

Just add soap!

 

[elginkid]

Control Knobs that separate the Automatics from the Semi-Automatics:

 

[elginkid]

It's all shiny...

 

[elginkid]

God Save the pump...

from hair and safety pins!

 

[elginkid]

I took the back off to see what was in there. It doesn't appear to be overly complicated.

 

[elginkid]

It's labeled as a model S, and next to the floor there is an aluminum plate that says "111 S 773" Is that decipherable?

Wes

 

[circlew]

Wes, that's too bad about the porcelain getting chipped at the top. Anything other than a fired-on porcelain coating will be noticable to some degree. Sending it away and having it recoated with real porcelain will be rather expensive, but the only way for it to look just right.

The wire coming out of it most likely is the ground, as the machine was made before 3-wire cords were introduced. You won't need it after you replace the cord with a grounded version, and plug it into a grounded outlet.

 

[supremewhirlpol]

What a good find Wes and Dave. It looks very similar to the one that I am holding for a person. If you do plug it in, check your wires and GROUND that machine! Electrical codes have been undated since then, I don't fool with any machine that old that has that type of wiring. BE VERY CAREFUL!!

 

[paulinroyton]

Bendix

Hi Wes.

Just to say what a great find. I bet the machines is a ton weight, as it looks so sturdy.

Good luck with restoration

Regards

Paul

 

[easyspindry]

Great find.

Those Bendix machines were work horses. The one I have was installed in 1945. I think the one you have is a bit older than that. The chrome handle and the looks of the pulley on the motor in the back make me think it is older.

Good luck. They wash well and spin at a whopping 300 rpm to damp dry the clothes. I guess that was better than a wringer which is what they were replacing.

Jerry Gay

 

[combo52]

OLD BENDIX WASHER

Hi Wes and Dave thats a fairly early model you found diffidently pre WW2 it has the early design timer and water valve. These machines still show up fairly often so you may find another front tank section. This washer will look great in your vintage house.

 

[elginkid]

Excuse my ignorance as to the nature of these, but how did most people drain them? I know they were usually mounted on specific concrete pads, but how were they drained? Is it a pump drain, or gravity drain? The drain hose is deteriorated very badly on mine, so I don't know what the drain output looked like. If any of you have pictures for the setup of your machines, that would be very helpful. What would be the best way to add a three prong cord? Run the ground to where it presently grounds on the machine? I'd at least like to get the cord replaced so that I can test to see if it works. There's a fair bit of rust at each of the electrical contact points so it may be a bit of a challenge. Do these come apart pretty easily, and what guts (particularly rubber components) do I need to be careful about damaging?

Wes

 

[cfz2882]

these are pump drain so it can be drained with a standpipe
like a modern washer.There is a solenoid valve on the pump
which could be stuck after sitting for many years,pump may
be seized and might need "cracked loose"in order for the
motor to run-could be quite a few age/disuse problems with
this bendix,but it the real thing and best of all totally
intact!
Congrats and good luck on getting it running!

 

[rollermatic]

i wouldn't worry too much about that

scratched up front. you should have seen my frigidaire after i dropped it off the truck last summer! i was devastated but it turned out pretty good and runs like a charm now!

i would concentrate on getting it ship shape mechanically, once it is running like new that scratch can be easily addressed, plus you will feel better about it after you finish it's mechanical rebuild.

the interior of the tub looks great, the drive system doesn't look bad either. the wiring may need replaced but that's all the fun part of this hobby!

and i will say that i have had very good results using rustoleum rusty metal primer and rustoleum enamel spray paint.
i just finished painting the lower cabinet on one of my frigidaires "petal pink" and it turned out beautiful. maybe not as good as a "factory" paint job but it looks great!

good luck with it's rebuild.

 

[jetcone]

Wes with that

water valve and cast iron transmission case its a 1938 or '39 model. By 40 they had a diecast transmission case.
Too bad about the porcelain, they tend to tip forward when they are unbolted. A touch up should do for now and John is right these things are still turning up so your chances of finding a good outer tub are good.

Enjoy its automatic washing and high speed damp drying!