16”Micarta blade Westinghouse restore,complete

[Paul Carmody]

Well here we go.

First off a comment.I really don’t see why Westinghouse’s get such a bad rap other than they are a little difficult.They do have pot metal ,but it seems stable.These two 16s there is no indication of stress or deterioration.Just shining metal.It seems more malleable than brittle.This fan took a hard fall back onto the oscillator housing at some point ,and even though it had a small crack,it was more bent,In two places.I was cleaning up the front housing and it got away ,hit the floor snout down .I expecting it to be broken ,but instead it bent back slightly and it had to be lightly sanded so it didn’t rub on the blade hub.I have a number of Westinghouse’s and one has a broke ear where the oscillator arm connects.That fan looks like it was kicked across the yard and left in the trash pile.

I always include in my restorations my mistake along with a caution…I know how someone let it fall back because I did it.The wing nut was not tight enough ,I kicked it in high ,the very heavy motor flipped back and took the fan right off the desk.I was very lucky because all my cleaning rags and  buffing bonnets were there and broke the fall.No damage.I was running the wore out blade at the time and it got bent.No harm no foul.

I left the badge raw.I may go back and do the black background.Not sure yet.What do you think?The cage has original paint ,only cleaning.All brass polished and blued.I did work the cage badge as it looked out of place on this guy with faded and stained Zinc .Some say it’s murdered out ,but I say it’s elegant like an expensive tux. 
 

 

 

Edited April 7, 2023 by Paul Carmody