Video of a 1957 Philco-Bendix Duomatic!

[revvinkevin]

 

 

This stunning machine belongs to John (Gyromatic) in the Minneapolis/St Paul area.   I shot video while I was visiting last May and finally got around to editing it all together last weekend.  

 

By the way, this is an extremely rare gas model!   I believe there are only two gas models knows to exist and I'm pretty confident this the only one still being used weekly to do laundry! 

 

Enjoy!

Kevin 

  

 

 

http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=diRkZCQCZbM&list=UUUdeEsT3urdN9eVb7J1w0mw

 

[mrb627]

WOW!

That is the MOTHER of AWESOME!

Thanks for posting the video. I want one.

Malcolm

 

[hippiedoll]

very cool video....

kevin!!!

thank you for posting. i didn't think i was going to sit through the whole video, but i did. and i enjoyed watching it.
and you know me, i love the windowed doors so you can see the action as it's happening.

thank you again for posting that GREAT & entertaining video.
you did a fantastic job of recording this.

)

 

[a440]

Awesome Kevin!

Kevin,

Thanks so much for taking the time to post your video!
What an awesome machine!

Brent

 

[alr2903]

Kevin, Thank You!   This vid is really something to see!  Bendix had some excellent engineering.

 

[d-jones]

Thanks for posting this, Kevin.

It was really interesting to watch. One really has to marvel at the skill and time that must have gone into the meticulous restoration of this machine. If it were possible to go back in time to 1957 I doubt it would look much nicer than it does now.

[this post was last edited: 1/14/2015-00:51]

 

[supersuds]

I love the jittery wash-cam insanity videos, but this one does an outstanding job explaining the wash and dry cycles for us folks who haven't seen one in person. Thank you, Kevin.

 

[gansky1]

That's a wonderful video - thanks to you, and John for sharing it. John's collection is truly awe inspiring.

 

[jetcone]

Nice Video Kevin

it shows all the cycle points very well. That was the first of the "Philco-Bendix" Duomatics. Philco had just bought out Bendix Home Appliances and nothing was moved to Philadelphia yet.

 

The pause after the final rinse was patented by Bendix and was called the "anti-pasting" cycle to prevent clothes from sticking to the drum in dry after the final high speed spin.

 

John does such a great job , his chrome gleams.

 

That model has the earlier "whine" transmission that Jeff & I like, in 1958 they recut the gears and made a much quieter transmission. My 1956 screams like this machine , my 1958 makes little sound.

 

I think this full cabinet model was the best W/D ever made.

 

[combo52]

1957 Gas Duo=Matic

Wow John I would never get tired of watching that machine, as usual your restoration has this machine in BETTER than NEW condition.

I am so glad that Tom and I have three great examples of these 36" Bendix and Philco Bendix combos in the museum collection, and can't wait for John to help me get our 58 gas model running.

These were the first combos the world ever saw and diffidently the BEST combos of the 1950s, the only other combo that was also great was the completely redesigned 29" wide WP-KM combos, built from 61-71. Whirlpool was the ONLY US company that completely redesigned their combos and partly by the advantage of designing something 10 years later the 29" WP built combos are still the best overall combos to me, but that is like comparing a 1961 Chrysler to a 1952 Chrysler, not a fair comparison.

Great job with the video Kevin, did you also do one of Johns 69 KM gas combo ?.

John L.

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

Thanks everyone, great to hear you have enjoyed the video!  

 

Major kudos have to go out to John (gyromatic) for the meticulous restoration he's done on all SIX of the 36" Duomatics he has in his basement!   They are flawless and 100% functional!

 

Yes I also shot his '69 Lady Kenmore Gas Combo.   I posted it last June, but here it is again.



 

Also, the link below is the thread John posted info about all six of his 36" Duomatics.

 

Kevin 

[this post was last edited: 1/14/2015-12:04]

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?54678

 

[philcobendixduo]

REALLY enjoyed the video!

Although this Duomatic is an earlier model than the one I grew up with (like the one Robert has in his collection - a 1959 model, I think), it still makes all the same sounds I remember - especially the low speed spin shifting to the high speed spin. I spent many an hour watching that machine in utter fascination (my parents should have sent me to the shrink then!). To my dismay, the Duomatic was dumped in 1963 or so for a Whirlpool top-loader and matching dryer (Imperial models). While I could still watch the wash action, I could only peek under the lid to see the spin before the lid switch stopped it. I wasn't quite clever enough to figure out how to bypass the lid switch back then!

The Duomatic in the video is absolutely beautifully restored - like new!
Video VERY well done with the captions, just the right amount of time for each action, etc.
Thanks SO much for posting it and I hope someone does a video of the 1959 (whatever Robert's is) some day soon so I can REALLY relive my demented childhood.

BTW - the link in Kevin's email to a collection of Duomatics brings up only a blank page.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Love the videos Kevin!!!! These are absolutely beautiful machines.

 

[peteski50]

1957 Philco-Bendix Duomatic!

Kevin this is absolutly awsome - I wish they made machines like this today!
Best Wishes,
Peter

 

[revvinkevin]

Oops.

 

 

Thank you Bill, Robert & Pete, I'm very happy to hear you enjoyed them!

 

OK the other link should work now, I corrected it.

  

Kevin

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?54678

 

[toploader55]

Thanks Kevin

I LOVE that shot of the Burner Igniting on the DuoMatic.

Way Cool and glad you thought of that.

 

[wringingwet]

Fantastic and fun to watch .. Thanks for putting this together Great video
Philippe

 

[revvinkevin]

I LOVE that shot of the Burner Igniting.....

 

 

Thanks Eddie.   Yeah the burner lighting was really a "OH, COOL!" moment for me, so getting video of it was a must!! 

 

Kevin

 

[gyromatic]

Nice Video Kevin

Glad you could take a recording of all the combos when you were over.Keep in mind that the fan is on all the time when the machine is running.The only time the air enters the tub is when the dampers open at the start of the drying cycle.

 

[norgeway]

DUOMATIC

Is it not amazing how a well engineered quality product could be designed and built in the USA...with very little or no help from a computer...today we cant even come close to this product with all the technological know how we have!!!and if it was built exactly like this it surely would cost a fortune!

 

[golittlesport]

Great videos

Thanks, Kevin, for posting your videos. Great documentation of the operation of John's beautiful machine. Very enjoyable entertainment.

 

[ovrphil]

I HATE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

..another gorgeous machine that has the bomb of a panel - in fact, it reminds me of a bomber throttle cluster in the cockpit. Well done, John and thanks a lot for sharing your video Kevin.

If I had the wherewithall and I don't…I'd replicate this, just like people replicate cars in scale. Now there's a 3D printer challenge in the future. Maybe I'll live long enough to recreate my own favorite appliances.

And…this combo reminds me that I'd be tempted to turn on all the washer lights in my collection(which wouldn't be much right now), sit in the dark and listen to the light years of American appliance history….how do you guys sleep owning shooting star examples like this?

Phil

 

[ovrphil]

Lady Kenmore

love that video - the music was excellent accompaniment and …is the round glass door window flat or slightly curved outward? It's another way cool machine, but I like the Duomatics.

Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm on video and thanks John.

 

[ovrphil]

Kevin - what is that music from - album / artist, please. Thank you again and those are some of my favorite vintage machines, I think.

 

[a440]

Hi John!

Are your gas Duomatic's standing pilots or automatic pilots?
Also just curious as to is it a Modulating burner or does it cycle on and off?
I bet you have so much fun on wash day!!!!
Beautiful Machines!!
Thanks
Brent

 

[alr2903]

Yes John thank You!  for having  your beautiful machines ready for Kevin to film.   Your machines are beautiful.

 

[alr2903]

 I see where the water enters the kenmore,   what clock number at the door does the combo fill in.  Are all fills sprays or is water entering different areas?

 

[gyromatic]

Standing pilot/ water entry

The 57 Gas Duomatic has a standing pilot. and the flame does cycle on and off by the thermostat.Another question was where does the water enter the 69 Kenmore combo.It enters from the upper right back of the tub,behind the cylinder.It is nice to see that people are so interested in these GREAT MACHINES.

 

[a440]

Thanks John for the information on the Bendix pilot.
Do you turn it off when it is not in use?

 

[revvinkevin]

Do you turn it off when it is not in use?

 

 

I can answer that one.... yes he does!   He turns off the gas (and water?) when not in use!  

 

Each time we went to run the machines, he had to turn on the gas (water too?  Yeah I think he turned off the water too.)

 

The water fill on the Lady Kenmore combo goes in through hoses at the back of the blower housing.  I'm told the idea of this was to keep the blower house clear of excess lint.

 

See pic #1 below, I (poorly) traced the red line below the inlet house.  Pic #2 shows one of the two fill points on the blower housing.   This is my '69 Lady Kenmore Combo when John Lefever was inspecting it during my "Big Spring" April 2012 Wash-In.

 

Kevin

[this post was last edited: 1/15/2015-23:58]