The Miracle of the Blackstone Hydractor

[mickeyd]

One with suds

HI FRED

The Model Number is 330P. The manual says to turn the screw on the pump's oil cup a quarter turn every year, and to refill with cup grease as required. Pump was running fine but I gave it a turn anyway. Interesting how hands-on they expected the user to be, when they say to remove the 3 wing screws to check for lint or "foreign matter". The screws are impressively long. Everything works so well, including and most surprisingly, the timer.

Only the wringer needs something. If not careful, a thick towel sometimes causes it to snap open. Adjusting the infinite chrome pressure selector from high to low--just like WP/KM's water leveler-- hasn't stopped the snapping. Doesn't always mess up on really thick stuff--I got the terry bathrobe thru without a hitch, but you never know. Do you know what makes a wringer snap open: springs too wet, springs need oil--What ?

 

[launderess]

Am not a wringer expert (yet)

Sounds like some items trip the safety system, others don't.

 

[mickeyd]

Will wait for Cimberlee to get up to speed

One of my Maytag wringers does the exact same thing. So it's a generic thing common across all brands. The Norge, the Visi, the Lady K, the Speed Queen, and the Canadian Easy have all wrung without a hitch, so have never tinkered much with wringers, except to open up to peek and remove removables, but that's it--lots of stuff goin' on in there, a sophisticated engineering miracle, much evolved.

 

[blackstone]

Service info

I have an 8-page parts breakdown, and a 24-page parts price list. I also have 2 service bulletins for the 330P. The parts price list is for multiple models of Blackstone appliances, dated 1958.

Would it be better to scan everything and upload? Or I could copy and mail to you.

Parts list for 330P notes that agitator is superseded by Plastic. Do you have the diecast agitator?

 

[blackstone]

Model 330 Sell Sheet

Here's the front and back of a sell sheet for your wringer, which I had scanned in a few years ago.

 

[mickeyd]

Appreciate you guys & gal immensely!

Mikey, missed you in DC. Wasn't the same without you. You would seriously and devotedly love the Hydractor.

Jim, please do enjoy the vids, couple a good close-up porns for ya. Wish I could have talked to you more in DC.
Too many people, too little time. Be sure to check out Jeff's balcony shot, who had the same idea about a wash-in.

Pete, we forgot to charge John for our slave labor in the junk corridor. What fun it was sprucing' up that room.

HI Art, would have missed the rainbow had I not left for Verison to get Youtube set up. All good. Thank You.

Guy, Thank you, I'll honor your compliment, with tons o' TLC.

Steve & Steve, you're both named Steve, and you both remarked on the aggressive thrashing.

Thinking of doing the rag load over to really show it off-- the capacity and the power. You're welcome Steve Gyrafoam.

Eddie, Thanks, glad you're still around. Enjoy your season away from the kitchen. Looking forward to your winter washer work.

Mike, my first thought was: old wooden butter churner.

Dave, Thank You, I wonder who it was then, when we were standing around the testing station at the museum.

Fred & Cimberlee, go farther up the thread.

Love, love, love having Aworg Fouder Jeff as a new friend.

 

[blackstone]

Service Bulletins from 1950

Two service bulletins relating to the 330P.

 

[mickeyd]

Thanks, Fred !

Interesting fascinating stuff! Page 2 of the service bulletin mentions the 6 ounce grease protocol. Do you think the popping release mechanism is a result of a grease issue, or something else entirely?

 

[blackstone]

It's been many years since I worked on a wringer, so I don't have any good suggestions for you. Probably one of those trial-and-error processes, after which you still might not be sure that you actually solved the problem.

I like the instructions for cleaning the rollers with carbon tetrachloride. Good luck finding any of that. I used to have a carbon tet fire extinguisher. It was never put to use, fortunately.

 

[launderess]

Am no expert

Each vintage appliances have their ways about them, in this instance it seems the Blackstone has a touchy wringer. I'd run it in for a while then see how things go. If the wringer begins to constantly pop open even for things it really shouldn't, then I'd worry.

Does the owner's manual speak to oiling/greasing any parts of the wringer? Maytag suggests oil (a drop or two every month or so (to the customers) or a bit of center seal grease (in service manual) to the bearings.

 

[mickeyd]

Here's the last wring

of 4 big beach towels, all wrung without a hitch. She must have sorted herself out, at least FOR NOW..... ;'D
Made a vid of such, but the publish button on the Youtube app is not working again. Thought Verizon fixed that on Saturday . It's always something!

Thank you both, Fred and C. for the empathy.

 

[mickeyd]

Gave 'er a couple kisses

of touch up paint, starting to look brand new.

The cool thing about the faucet is that for kitchen use, there is no struggling with draining over wide counter frames in front of the sink the way there often is with a hose; that and the fact the faucet is flexible and you can pull it up and over any reasonable height. But you still can't "Trow duh hose on duh floor Myykeee!" as Mary Wydro used to tell me, to get all the water out of the pump, thus insuring its health and longevity.

 

[turquoisedude]

Wow, Mike that is one impressive washer! I have never seen anything quite like it before. Thanks for posting the videos!!

 

[mickeyd]

Hey funny man!

Thanks, Paul. I got somethin' brewing that turned out pretty funny. Paul Francis & I filmed the wringing of towels at Sunset, and one towel started wrapping around the rolls which I did not expect. Hard to see, because we're in the dim of sunset, but the audio may make you-- and everyone else here-- chuckle. It's queueing now on Youtibe. The way it turned out is an unexpected and delightful surprise.

I hope you all like this. Goin' out on a limb showing it. Don't care.

It'll be up as soon as Youtube quits smoking' the gange and gets back to work.

 

[sambootoo]

All I can say is W O W!! That's so fascinating. Thanks for sharing and again, congratulations.

Sam

 

[mickeyd]

Sunset Wringing in the Blackstone 330P Hydractor

Thanks, Sam, hope you like this one as much.

OKAY PEOPLE; THIS IS IT, THE FINAL ACT. The wringer is fixed; it should have sprung open twice if still in the defective mode. I was tweaking because I thought it WOULD, a vexation to the spirit when it does.

Do enjoy this. Thanks. Michael Mickey Mike

http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfOOMzszISo