Sterling fan- how do I get the cage off? It looks... riveted?

[Hannah Dannehy]

It definitely needs a bath and probably a long drink of oil (I see no visible oil-holes), and have no idea how to get started on it. It spun up just fine when I plugged it in, though!

 

[Stan Adams]

Take the rear cover off, there should be nuts on the motor studs. If you remove them the whole stud should slide out the front releasing the cage.

[Hannah Dannehy]

14 hours ago, Stan Adams said:

Take the rear cover off, there should be nuts on the motor studs. If you remove them the whole stud should slide out the front releasing the cage.

I just did. And after loosening all the other fan parts that one does, the stator came out and left the front cover behind. The blade cage is in fact riveted to the front cover, with the blades trapped in it! They won't come out- there's no way to slide them between the bars of the blade cage. I'd love to know how they got this thing together in the factory.

Well, I guess I can't just hold the blades under the faucet and wipe them- we'll have to poke our paper towels through the cage.

[Stan Adams]

If you can get the blade off the rotor, the blade will probably fit through the cage. That is why dime store fans can be such a pain! They can assemble them in a hurry with no thoughts towards maintenance.