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1916 General Electric desk fan

RetroToday

A-List Customer
Messages
466
Location
Toronto, Canada
Forgotten Man said:
The model you own was introduced as a 1935 Model… and in Canada, it went by a different model number. FM~

I think I mentioned it earlier in the post, the Philco radio of mine that I posted is a Canadian model 366-A. The Model 60 is what the USA equivalent model number would be.

Most of the time, USA model numbers for Philco were so simple and easy to date because the first two numbers were usually the production year.

Love that Philco you have. The way the case looks, it almost seems like more "streamlined" knobs should be on there. I have a Canadian Philco model 71-A-L (below) from the previous year that has the same knobs as that one, but it's more of a classically-styled floor model. But, knowing how Philco love to swap parts on "transitional" radio sets, it's probably completely appropriate. The 71-A-L I have is quite strange in that it has the Philco name on the escutcheon plate AND on a decal. But, that's Philco for you....

934852637_94df2b0475_m.jpg


935772222_0e46f60a1b.jpg


About my old GE fan - I haven't taken the second step yet because I'm going to have some out of town house guests and my time is going to be taken up entertaining them for a week. I want to do that soon after, I think I'm going to paint it gloss black. The black background on builder's plate is going to be the most fun to do, I like finishing detailed parts like that. Very meticulous, but looks great when you take the time to do it right.

About your bent fan cage - The cage on mine seemed a little bent as well and I just pulled it around by hand. The wires that bind mine together are bent tightly around each other but can be adjusted when you pull or push the joins, careful not to bend the wires out of their proper shape.
I don't know if your is built the same way, so I can't say for sure.

Thanks again for all the tips.
 

Forgotten Man

One Too Many
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City Dump 32 E. River Sutton Place.
RetroToday said:
I think I'm going to paint it gloss black. The black background on builder's plate is going to be the most fun to do, I like finishing detailed parts like that. Very meticulous, but looks great when you take the time to do it right.

Thanks again for all the tips.

Oh, you're welcome! Always happy to offer my knowledge when I can.

Gloss black eh? That will look very sharp with those brass blades! But, I think that very dark original GE green would be just as sharp ;)

Have fun with your restoration!

FM~
 

RetroToday

A-List Customer
Messages
466
Location
Toronto, Canada
Forgotten Man said:
But, I think that very dark original GE green would be just as sharp ;) FM~

Arrrghh!
Because you're so convincing, I'm on the fence again about the new colour!!! Sheesh. :)

I equally like the green, but want to be authentic.... what to do what to do...
 

Flivver

Practically Family
Messages
821
Location
New England
RetroToday said:
Most of the time, USA model numbers for Philco were so simple and easy to date because the first two numbers were usually the production year.

QUOTE]

That's true, beginning with the 1937 model year as in 37-650X. Prior to that, several different numbering conventions were used, some of which didn't make much sense.

In the 1932 model year, the first numeral in the model # usually indicated the number of tubes. For example, the 70B had 7 tubes and the 90B had 9 tubes. But for 1933 a more arbitrary system was adopted.

But Philco was consistent for many years with the suffix letters in their model designations:

B=Baby Grand...first a cathedral styled then a flat top table radio
L=Lowboy Console (low legs)
H=Highboy Console (high legs)
X=Special Inclined Sounding Board Console design (a Philco trademark)
XX=Inclined Sounding Board Console with Inclined Control Panel (No stoop...No Squat...No Squint)
 

RetroToday

A-List Customer
Messages
466
Location
Toronto, Canada
Josephine said:
I vote green. In case you were wondering. ;)

Thanks for the vote, and I was wondering what you thought.
My opinion's swaying back again. :)

When I scraped off some of the newer green paint I saw that deep green was the original colour on top of the bare metal.
 

Forgotten Man

One Too Many
Messages
1,944
Location
City Dump 32 E. River Sutton Place.
RetroToday said:
I equally like the green, but want to be authentic.... what to do what to do...

Well, GE models of that era were painted that dark green... so, to be authentic, you paint it dark green!

Black is a very handsome and classic shade to paint an old desk fan... but, I believe that if it were originally dark green, then it should be painted as such which would make it authentic!

FM~

PS... since you saw dark green under the newer coat, there's your answer! :)
 

Forgotten Man

One Too Many
Messages
1,944
Location
City Dump 32 E. River Sutton Place.
Flivver said:
RetroToday said:
Most of the time, USA model numbers for Philco were so simple and easy to date because the first two numbers were usually the production year.

QUOTE]

That's true, beginning with the 1937 model year as in 37-650X. Prior to that, several different numbering conventions were used, some of which didn't make much sense.

In the 1932 model year, the first numeral in the model # usually indicated the number of tubes. For example, the 70B had 7 tubes and the 90B had 9 tubes. But for 1933 a more arbitrary system was adopted.

But Philco was consistent for many years with the suffix letters in their model designations:

B=Baby Grand...first a cathedral styled then a flat top table radio
L=Lowboy Console (low legs)
H=Highboy Console (high legs)
X=Special Inclined Sounding Board Console design (a Philco trademark)
XX=Inclined Sounding Board Console with Inclined Control Panel (No stoop...No Squat...No Squint)

Someone knows their philcos! You forgot one thing...
I= Ivory finish! ;)

FM~
 

Flivver

Practically Family
Messages
821
Location
New England
Forgotten Man said:
Flivver said:
Someone knows their philcos! You forgot one thing...
I= Ivory finish! ;)

FM~

I forgot that one! Also, I believe they used C for Compact...the little "midget" table sets that were popular around 1933-4...as in 54C. I think there were a few more as well that I have forgotten.
 

RetroToday

A-List Customer
Messages
466
Location
Toronto, Canada
Flivver said:
Forgotten Man said:
I forgot that one! Also, I believe they used C for Compact...the little "midget" table sets that were popular around 1933-4...as in 54C. I think there were a few more as well that I have forgotten.

I have the Canadian equivalent of one of those compact types of sets, but I don't think the model designation works as well as the American number does.
Boy, they really packed in those tubes on this one!!! :eek:

1420201741_3008ad7f72.jpg

This is my circa.1936 Canadian Philco model 359c. It's about a foot wide.

In Canada, the electronics chassis design started with the 359a - they reused it over and over again in following years. Philco just changed the wood case design.
 

Forgotten Man

One Too Many
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Location
City Dump 32 E. River Sutton Place.
I've seen that radio before... cool little set. I've seen the "Owl" styled one... it has a photo-finish and fo mother of pearl dial and volume plate... I'd love to find one in good condition... it's hard, most of the time the photo-finish is all messed up after so many years.:rolleyes:

By the way, how are things with the fan?

FM~
 

Nathan Flowers

Head Bartender
Staff member
Messages
3,661
Forgotten Man said:
I've seen that radio before... cool little set. I've seen the "Owl" styled one... it has a photo-finish and fo mother of pearl dial and volume plate... I'd love to find one in good condition... it's hard, most of the time the photo-finish is all messed up after so many years.:rolleyes:

By the way, how are things with the fan?

=R


=R,

You may want to check out this thread:
http://thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=3570


It's chock full of good info regarding old electric fans.
 
K

kpreed

Guest
Just my two cents, but if you think it is D.C., I have used an old toy train trans. to convert A.C. to D.C. (my toy trains are normally D.C. powered)with really good luck for me and I seem to always seem to have a old toy train around here somewhere. Good Luck with the fan and I would go GE dark green for sure.
 

PrettySquareGal

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,003
Location
New England
Forgotten Man said:
This thread is about a 1916 GE fan, I'm asking how the restoration is going.:rolleyes:

This thread has gone into a tangent about antique radios... I'm trying to keep the original topic alive.

Thank you,

FM~

Forgotten Man, you did bring up the radio and date of manufacture, so of course people will want to comment.
 

Forgotten Man

One Too Many
Messages
1,944
Location
City Dump 32 E. River Sutton Place.
PrettySquareGal said:
Forgotten Man, you did bring up the radio and date of manufacture, so of course people will want to comment.

Not that it matters who mentioned the radio first, but you may want to look again, it was Sam_Marlow_PI who asked the date of the radio... I merely gave the date... thus, the tangent continued.

So, who else is for GE dark green?

FM~
 

PrettySquareGal

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,003
Location
New England
Forgotten Man said:
Not that it matters who mentioned the radio first, but you may want to look again, it was Sam_Marlow_PI who asked the date of the radio... I merely gave the date... thus, the tangent continued.

So, who else is for GE dark green?

FM~

You are correct! Thanks.
 

Miss Neecerie

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,616
Location
The land of Sinatra, Hoboken
Forgotten Man said:
Not that it matters who mentioned the radio first, but you may want to look again, it was Sam_Marlow_PI who asked the date of the radio... I merely gave the date... thus, the tangent continued.

FM~


And pretty much every thread here at the Lounge does a weaving pattern in terms of staying on topic.

Since you are new, maybe you haven't noticed that yet.
 

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