Just picked up this beauty and would like to learn more about it!

[Jay Buchholz]

Hi all! Just brought this Westinghouse home and I've been looking on the site for details on this one and haven't had much luck. I think this qualifies as a "Tank", right? Any way I could find out the year it was made? I'm going to replace the headwire and cord but other than that I think it's beautiful just how it is. 

Edited August 6, 2023 by Jay Buchholz
Photos

[Jay Buchholz]

Welp, answered my own question.

https://www.fancollectors.org/info/mbr/reference/west.htm

What makes a Westy considered a Tank? 

Edited August 6, 2023 by Jay Buchholz
Words

[Steve Stephens]

Hi Jay, you got a very nice example of a fan that I am very fond of.  They are "built like a Tank" is where the name came from.  Who named it that?  That was before my time as a can collector or AFCA member.  Great fans and one of the easiest to find of an "early" fan.   Make sure the starting switch contacts are clean and they should do great cooling duty.   As for the year, I have to refer now to my own blog;  earlyfans.com   I think your fan is a 1907 or, possibly, a 1908 model.  See if the center ring of the cage is solid or rolled and hollow in the middle.    I do need to get back to my blog and make corrections and additions.  When running your fan be sure it comes up to speed in a short time like several seconds or a bit more and the centrifugal switch cuts out our you can risk burning out the starting circuit.   If you hear continual gentile scraping unplug and find out why it is not coming up to speed.

And, specifically, this entry:

https://earlyfans.blogspot.com/2011/03/westinghouse-tank-1905-1911.html

 

 

[Steve Cunningham]

Thus named because they’re low, and heavy. Great fans.

[Paul Carmody]

I have one ,and it is in regular use.I’m sure I will eventually have more.It’s my favorite fan.You did well!

[Russ Huber]

3 hours ago, Steve Stephens said:

Hi Jay, you got a very nice example of a fan.

I agree with Steveo. Cool tag. Right place right time for you! 🙂

[Dave McManaman]

That’s gorgeous! On the headwire, I got a beautiful, almost neon, green wire from Tony Clayton and then a tan cord with dark tick in it for the cord. It just took things to a different level in my book. Congrats on the great find!

 

[Jay Buchholz]

1 hour ago, Dave McManaman said:

That’s gorgeous! On the headwire, I got a beautiful, almost neon, green wire from Tony Clayton and then a tan cord with dark tick in it for the cord. It just took things to a different level in my book. Congrats on the great find!

 

Thanks for the kind words! Would you mind posting a picture or two of yours with those new wires? I'll look up Tony Clayton and do some shopping soon.  😁

[Dave McManaman]

58 minutes ago, Jay Buchholz said:

Thanks for the kind words! Would you mind posting a picture or two of yours with those new wires? I'll look up Tony Clayton and do some shopping soon.  😁

You can kind of see the green wire peeking through.

[Jay Buchholz]

2 hours ago, Dave McManaman said:

You can kind of see the green wire peeking through.

She's a beauty, thanks for sharing! Is there a recommended product or method for cleaning up the japanning? I've sprayed or powder coated most of my fans but I really want to keep this one original since it's in such nice shape. 

[Dave McManaman]

I used acetone on an old cotton tshirt to get the decades of environmental gunk off. Japan can take a lot!

[Paul Carmody]

I left mine all natural other than an internal cleaning and service.It can run all night and day and only get slightly warm.

I like them either way.If I get another ,shades will be necessary to look upon it.

 

Edited August 6, 2023 by Paul Carmody

[Patrick Ray]

I've had very good luck with buffing the Japan. Makes it shine like new again. I have a cordless buffer with 3"pads that I use along with Chemical Guys automotive compounds and waxes.

[Patrick Ray]

I wrote about some of the process here:

https://new.afcaforum.com/index.php?/topic/1039-cleanup-on-a-21666/#comment-6517

[Jay Buchholz]

14 hours ago, Patrick Ray said:

I wrote about some of the process here:

https://new.afcaforum.com/index.php?/topic/1039-cleanup-on-a-21666/#comment-6517

Patrick that's a great write up and I plan on following it - thank you for sharing! One question if I could: how do you safely remove rivets for reuse? I've not had good luck with motor tag rivets in the past. Any tips you can share are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Patrick Ray]

I like using an automatic center punch to drive them out. After removing the part of the rivet that is folded over, the center punch easily drives them out. I'll typically reuse them. 

[Jay Buchholz]

Got it, thanks. Would you mind sharing your process for reinstalling the rivets too please? I'm clearly out of my element here! 😳

[Patrick Ray]

4 minutes ago, Jay Buchholz said:

Got it, thanks. Would you mind sharing your process for reinstalling the rivets too please? I'm clearly out of my element here! 😳

Sure! After polishing the heads of the rivets, I'll put a tiny drop of gel-type super glue into the hole of the motor housing (I do this to ensure it's nice and tight). Then I just tap the rivets in with a light hammer. 

[Tom Morel]

That is a nice example of one of my favorites. We had a collector here several years ago now who was especially fond of them. Westinghouse used these motors for variety of different models. Here's a few of mine: a double lever oscillator (1911), a 12" (c.1908), and a 16" (c.1907, same as yours). If you grow fond of them, they will accumulate - I have more that I keep around. Nice find.

of fans.

[Steven P Dempsey]

I think Tony has "retired" from the wire business.

[Dave McManaman]

1 hour ago, Steven P Dempsey said:

I think Tony has "retired" from the wire business.

That would be a great loss. I buy from various sources but, when it comes to my higher end restorations, I always reach out for some of his work. 

[Russ Huber]

20 minutes ago, Dave McManaman said:

That would be a great loss. I buy from various sources but, when it comes to my higher end restorations, I always reach out for some of his work. 

I looked at Tony's wire figuratively under a microscope in the not-too-distant past. He does beautiful quality work on the sheathing, and his fine supple wire count is Johnny on the spot. I counted 150 wires for his supple 18 AWG. And the individual fine wires are additionally nickel plated. 

He sent me a beautiful green head cord sample for my box project Victor tank with Super Root Beer powder. I am mad as hell at myself as I have misplaced it. I took it out of his sample bag to take a picture. It has got to be here somewhere. His wire on that tank was the Cherry on top. I have been trying to get it done along with a few other box projects I have neglected. 

[Steven P Dempsey]

I always called the R&M "Tanks" - - heavier built then a Westinghouse. LIST 1404

[Steve Stephens]

1 hour ago, Steven P Dempsey said:

I always called the R&M "Tanks" - - heavier built then a Westinghouse. LIST 1404

I love my R&M 1404 fans but they are a design about 7 years later (1911 vs 1905 for the Westy) design and I think the Westy motor is better looking  But the R&M does not have the sometimes cranky centrifugal start switch.   I'll keep and like them both but it's the 1404 that I run much more often.

[Levi Mevis]

On 8/8/2023 at 7:46 PM, Steve Stephens said:

I love my R&M 1404 fans but they are a design about 7 years later (1911 vs 1905 for the Westy) design and I think the Westy motor is better looking  But the R&M does not have the sometimes cranky centrifugal start switch.   I'll keep and like them both but it's the 1404 that I run much more often.

Didn't R & M Rebadge Westinghouse fans for a while?