Let's say, hypothetically, that I wanted to revive this derelict thing from a trash heap with a shorn-off oscillator box. What sort of spacer might I put on the protruding motor shaft to keep it in place?

[Hannah Dannehy]

I know it's not "worth" fixing up, but I thought it'd be entertaining to try anyway. We have tested the motor with a multimeter, and it has neither a dead short nor a winding break.

[Stan Adams]

Here’s what I did. This is an early (pre-Bersted) Eskimo. I sawed off the shaft.

[Hannah Dannehy]

2 minutes ago, Stan Adams said:

Here’s what I did. This is an early (pre-Bersted) Eskimo. I sawed off the shaft.

I may end up doing that, but the oscillating gear on this one was what kept the whole thing from falling forward. Any ideas on what I might put on the back so it has less than a full inch of play? Right now, only the shorn-off remains of the oscillator gear keeps the entire shaft from free-falling right out the front end.

[Stan Adams]

I shimmed the inside with thrust washers

[Jim Kovar]

1 hour ago, Stan Adams said:

Here’s what I did. This is an early (pre-Bersted) Eskimo. I sawed off the shaft.

À la Lorena Bobbitt?

[Chris Jacobsen]

On 7/21/2023 at 5:10 PM, Jim Kovar said:

À la Lorena Bobbitt?

Nice, almost matches in brutality too though the fan probably never had its shaft in another fans oscillator box!

[Hannah Dannehy]

On 7/31/2023 at 10:47 AM, Chris Jacobsen said:

Nice, almost matches in brutality too though the fan probably never had its shaft in another fans oscillator box!

Well by the look of it, this fan used to oscillate but at some point the entire box was removed, leaving only a seriously chewed worm gear at the end of the shaft.

[Chris Jacobsen]

7 hours ago, Hannah Dannehy said:

Well by the look of it, this fan used to oscillate but at some point the entire box was removed, leaving only a seriously chewed worm gear at the end of the shaft.

Could have been just used and abused.  Probably the best 2 options would be replace the rotor and wormgear and find parts if you want to have it oscillate again.  Or as suggested just forget about oscillating, glue the head in one position and call it a day.  Really depends on how much effort and some cost you want to put into it.  Personally I am a sucker for authenticity (torture) and would work to get it original again.  I hate things not working as they were intended.

[Hannah Dannehy]

11 hours ago, Chris Jacobsen said:

Could have been just used and abused.  Probably the best 2 options would be replace the rotor and wormgear and find parts if you want to have it oscillate again.  Or as suggested just forget about oscillating, glue the head in one position and call it a day.  Really depends on how much effort and some cost you want to put into it.  Personally I am a sucker for authenticity (torture) and would work to get it original again.  I hate things not working as they were intended.

I would like to, but I don't have the means to custom fabricate another oscillating gearbox and pivot arm. This fan is going to have to permanently face forward.

[Chris Jacobsen]

20 minutes ago, Hannah Dannehy said:

I would like to, but I don't have the means to custom fabricate another oscillating gearbox and pivot arm. This fan is going to have to permanently face forward.

Yea, basically you need a donor for that stuff.  More like you have a 1/2 fan, good stator, base, blade and cage.  Would find a shot or smashed donor for cheap that may have the rest.  Little fans like these pop up on ebay frequently for cheap.  They are not high end so collectors pass them up keeping value low but they do work fairly well and are nice looking.  The value will more likely increase with time, especially if fully functional.

[John Landstrom]

I say use what you have or can find at a junkyard, big box store, or garage sale to make something different.

Buy, or better -find - an old hanging light, like the ones that are shaped like a cone and hang from the power wire, and use it to start fab’ing an airplane shape.  Make your own version of the ceiling fans that mimic an airplane.   Hang it from plumbing pipe you use to conceal the wiring.  
 

To loosely quote Jim Kovar “L La Ian Roussel”. (Full Custom Garage show on Motor Trend TV)