Wow, Well Done!!!
She looks a beauty, congrats on a wonderful find...and PANK in the process.....cheers, Mike
She looks a beauty, congrats on a wonderful find...and PANK in the process.....cheers, Mike
WD-59 and its PANK!
- Thread starter panthera
- Start date
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Wow another model I have never seen that someone has. Very impressive looking thumper. Why were these called diaper machines? I know my mother had a mid 50's frigidare and a mid 60 frig also. They both did alot of diapers back then along with a lot of other clothes towels and sheets.
Awesome!
Hey Panthera, congrats on finding a great machine! I have a WD-60 that is pretty much the same as yours except in white. They are great machine and the turn over is great! Mine is so quiet that i can't believe it is actually running sometimes....have fun with her! Now if i can only find the deluxe name plate to go on the front like yours mine will be complete.
Mark
Hey Panthera, congrats on finding a great machine! I have a WD-60 that is pretty much the same as yours except in white. They are great machine and the turn over is great! Mine is so quiet that i can't believe it is actually running sometimes....have fun with her! Now if i can only find the deluxe name plate to go on the front like yours mine will be complete.
Mark
"By the by, the condenser (a big whopping monster) is also from 1959...works great, but should I replace it?"
If it isn't leaking and the motor is getting up to speed correctly like it should, then it's fine for now.
I had to replace the capacitor on my 63 WCI multi-matic (it was leaking and motor wasn’t quite getting up to speed correctly) and had a heck of a time finding one made in the USA (almost all of them are now made in China). The new ones are much smaller than the original, so I gutted out the old capacitor and custom fit the new one inside. This prevented me from having to modify the holder and it looks factory original to boot.
If it isn't leaking and the motor is getting up to speed correctly like it should, then it's fine for now.
I had to replace the capacitor on my 63 WCI multi-matic (it was leaking and motor wasn’t quite getting up to speed correctly) and had a heck of a time finding one made in the USA (almost all of them are now made in China). The new ones are much smaller than the original, so I gutted out the old capacitor and custom fit the new one inside. This prevented me from having to modify the holder and it looks factory original to boot.
cehalstead
Well-known member
why were they called diaper washers...
IIRC from other posts about this fine machine, these were basic washers, very affordable by new young couples who soon had lots of diapers to wash and were on a budget.
IIRC from other posts about this fine machine, these were basic washers, very affordable by new young couples who soon had lots of diapers to wash and were on a budget.
Very nice find - and pank too! I've always had a weakness for the lower-end models, they're so utilitarian but still beautiful! Congrats and enjoy!
Keven, that is a totally cool find!!!! Very rare to begin with and in pink no less. I didn't realize that the deluxe model was available in colors in '59.
Can't wait to hear about the few "tweaks" that are necessary.
Can't wait to hear about the few "tweaks" that are necessary.
Keven nice find
Pink on a low end model, what were they saving? But thats the 50's, standard shift cars with rubber floor mats but A/C installed with dark tint windows! A complete jumble!
Are you moving back from Munich now?
jet
Pink on a low end model, what were they saving? But thats the 50's, standard shift cars with rubber floor mats but A/C installed with dark tint windows! A complete jumble!
Are you moving back from Munich now?
jet
I just came to realize last week that not all of Frigidare cycles were the same back then. I guess this pank thumper has 2 rinses without the overflow rinse after the wash? I have seen one in Roberts collection of the timer with 2 rinses. I thought they all had overflow rinse then a deep rinse, with maybe if I remember my mothers, a continuous overflow rinse after the tube filled for the rinse cycle.
Jon
Jon
Hi Jon
Sorry for the delay - I was on the road again, so to speak.
Parts of me are still somewhere over the Atlantic, but I hope, eventually, all of me will be in one place.
There were various programs and cycles at that time, this beautiful machine uses the following pattern.
From 'OFF' to the beginning of the 'heavy' wash cycle, the knob is lifted about 3/8 inch. I believe this is to reset the water fill function as it is timed. Regardless of which cycle you chose, the water fill function must be satisfied. After a certain point in the shortest wash cycle, it can no longer be activated. Kinda neat, really.
Anyway, you chose among three cycles - heavy, normal and light. A few minutes before the end of the wash cycle, the overflow begins. This is followed by a surprisingly long and quite thorough spin. Anyone who has ever watch a thumper spin a full basket out in a few seconds will understand my disdain for the 'neutral' drain inferior machines use.
The balance in this beauty is fantastic - quality had nothing to do with BOL, MOL, TOL in those days.
After this spin, the machine refills for a very very thorough rinse, followed by overflow. A final, very long spin leaves the clothes drier than a dependable care Maytag, certainly one of the few decent 'modern' US washers of the late 80's.
I am sensitive to detergent residue, thumpers are the only TL machines I have ever used which I do not need to reset for another series of deep rinses.
One of my projects for the summer is to convince my partner to let me install a time-out on the hot water solenoid. She doesn't need to rinse with warm water and the water heater is drained pretty quickly by her. Whether I will get my wish is doubtful, he is even more of a purist than I am.
But I have my fingers crossed, he can be pretty generous when the mode moves him.
(Kudos to Rocky Horror).
The timer mechanism is quite different to the later ones, for which I am grateful. Either there are no thin rubber 'dogs' to fail or we have been enormously lucky. One of my questions for you good folks will be how best to lube the timer.
To answer your earlier question, I am still working on getting back to the US as quickly as possible. There are three steps to the Green Card. The first, application and acceptance of valid grounds (my parents are American Citizens, so that was easy.) normally takes several months to years. Their Senator, after examining their medical records, expedited that one.
The second step, a thorough check by Federal agencies was expedited by that agency, my parents' great need was determined and I was cleared very quickly.
So now the 'Green Card' is sitting in a file cabinet and there it will sit until my number comes up. The third and final step can only be expedited by a civil servant who is politically appointed, unfortunately, the party in charge, while admitting the need, only chooses to serve people who are of value to their political party. Since my parents were active in the civil rights movement and have both taught in programs for the poor and disenfranchised, that individual does not feel them to be the sort of people one should help.
So we are making the best of it. I am permitted to visit the US for 90 days at a time, this I do. When I am back in Germany, my partner and my parents' limited financial resources do the best they can to take care of them.
It is really frustrating and sad that there are over 12 million people living illegally in the US, but the needy parents of someone who has a valid reason to be there and follows the laws strictly are forced to wait because of party politics.
I won't go further into details, but if any of us are well acquainted with important people, I'd sure appreciate the help.
Sorry for the delay - I was on the road again, so to speak.
Parts of me are still somewhere over the Atlantic, but I hope, eventually, all of me will be in one place.
There were various programs and cycles at that time, this beautiful machine uses the following pattern.
From 'OFF' to the beginning of the 'heavy' wash cycle, the knob is lifted about 3/8 inch. I believe this is to reset the water fill function as it is timed. Regardless of which cycle you chose, the water fill function must be satisfied. After a certain point in the shortest wash cycle, it can no longer be activated. Kinda neat, really.
Anyway, you chose among three cycles - heavy, normal and light. A few minutes before the end of the wash cycle, the overflow begins. This is followed by a surprisingly long and quite thorough spin. Anyone who has ever watch a thumper spin a full basket out in a few seconds will understand my disdain for the 'neutral' drain inferior machines use.
The balance in this beauty is fantastic - quality had nothing to do with BOL, MOL, TOL in those days.
After this spin, the machine refills for a very very thorough rinse, followed by overflow. A final, very long spin leaves the clothes drier than a dependable care Maytag, certainly one of the few decent 'modern' US washers of the late 80's.
I am sensitive to detergent residue, thumpers are the only TL machines I have ever used which I do not need to reset for another series of deep rinses.
One of my projects for the summer is to convince my partner to let me install a time-out on the hot water solenoid. She doesn't need to rinse with warm water and the water heater is drained pretty quickly by her. Whether I will get my wish is doubtful, he is even more of a purist than I am.
But I have my fingers crossed, he can be pretty generous when the mode moves him.
(Kudos to Rocky Horror).
The timer mechanism is quite different to the later ones, for which I am grateful. Either there are no thin rubber 'dogs' to fail or we have been enormously lucky. One of my questions for you good folks will be how best to lube the timer.
To answer your earlier question, I am still working on getting back to the US as quickly as possible. There are three steps to the Green Card. The first, application and acceptance of valid grounds (my parents are American Citizens, so that was easy.) normally takes several months to years. Their Senator, after examining their medical records, expedited that one.
The second step, a thorough check by Federal agencies was expedited by that agency, my parents' great need was determined and I was cleared very quickly.
So now the 'Green Card' is sitting in a file cabinet and there it will sit until my number comes up. The third and final step can only be expedited by a civil servant who is politically appointed, unfortunately, the party in charge, while admitting the need, only chooses to serve people who are of value to their political party. Since my parents were active in the civil rights movement and have both taught in programs for the poor and disenfranchised, that individual does not feel them to be the sort of people one should help.
So we are making the best of it. I am permitted to visit the US for 90 days at a time, this I do. When I am back in Germany, my partner and my parents' limited financial resources do the best they can to take care of them.
It is really frustrating and sad that there are over 12 million people living illegally in the US, but the needy parents of someone who has a valid reason to be there and follows the laws strictly are forced to wait because of party politics.
I won't go further into details, but if any of us are well acquainted with important people, I'd sure appreciate the help.
