Norman Whitney Jr. Posted March 16 Share Posted March 16 Greetings all, I've finally finished gathering together (and yes, overpaying for) parts needed to restore a Century 176 closed top. I'm going to install this fan on a covered/screened in porch. I'm inclined to disassemble the the entire fan and strip it down to the bare iron. What would be the most durable surface prep? Etching primer? Epoxy primer? Then Rattle can paint? Or bite the bullet and get it powder-coated? Also, are there any threads here (or in the old forum) that give some detail on assembly, disassembly and or the wiring for a Century? It's missing the switch in the nose, so I'm going to straight wire it to a wall switch/rheostat. My search efforts haven't turned up anything. Lastly, I need two of the nose screws that cover the light attachment holes... anybody have any (or know the thread pitch/bolt size that would fit)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Atkinson Posted March 16 Share Posted March 16 I believe the casing on these closed-top Centurys are japanned, not painted. Does the motor have any of the original japan left on it? That finish is extremely durable…unless it’s rusted off. The top would have been painted. I have heard good things about body filler. Were it me, I would re-japan the motor since that’s an option these days. The top can be sanded, primed and painted. Probably a good quality rattle-can or spray gun paint will work fine with wet-sanding between coats. Wiring these to a solid-state wall speed control will give you a better-than-factory control over speed. The motors have an audible buzz on high but for regular running, they’re quiet enough and they’re great air-movers. Stylish and ornate. Oh, and affordable (in comparison to other antique ceiling fans). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Whitney Jr. Posted March 17 Author Share Posted March 17 (edited) Impatience begats paying more than likely fmv. I'd be embarrassed to disclose what I've spent on this fan in these proceedings. It's Japanned? ..that changes my approach. The Japan finish on the cast iron bits is in pretty good shape overall, maybe a nick here and there. I *was* going to strip it down and paint/powder coat everything to match (since the blade irons need to be painted). So on to my next question, any videos, instructions or diagrams on how these Century's are assembled? What's a good brand of rheostat and what amperage? IIRC the fan doesn't draw more than 3.5 amps on full speed. Is a 5 amp enough or would 10 be better? Edited March 17 by Norman Whitney Jr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Block Posted March 18 Share Posted March 18 For an outdoor fan, powdercoat is the gold standard. However, some properly prepped and applied appliance epoxy will probably last well into your kids lives. I dumpster dove this closed top. It had been stored outside and was seized and missing the bearing. Luckily it had an intact switch. I stripped it down with a wire brush and applied appliance epoxy with the intention to use it on my patio, which is a very damp area in southern Louisiana. Never got around to hanging it yet, but that was my plan. IMG_7535.MOV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hoatson Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 I use a KB or Leviton speed control. Modern fan controls generally don’t work on antique AC fans. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Whitney Jr. Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 Finally cleared off my workbench to open this Century up. It has no switch. The switch mounting points are all there but it was straight-wired to the windings. Maybe it had its switch originally, but it's been this way for a long time. So the above advice on a proper wall switch is now doubly appreciated. I'm getting a consistent reading of 5.1 ohms through the windings. Does this sound correct? I can see copper peeking through in a couple of places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hoatson Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 I think this ohm reading is good. I recommend giving the coil a heavy spray of Spray-On EL2000 clear electrical varnish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Whitney Jr. Posted May 5 Author Share Posted May 5 The stator looks like it has been varnished already. Spray it again as suggested or just touch up the exposed windings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Block Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 Your stator looks outwardly great. I recently restored one that for some reason, the shop had removed the bearing, which meant whenever it was moved, the cooling fins in the rotor scraped against the stator, resulting in the entire bottom of the stator being bare. I fished it out of a dumpster when they cleared out, and ended up reinsulating with triple thick glaze. My ususal process is to heat up the stator with a DC power supply, and it seems to "suck in" the varnish toward the heat. It meggars out to 20 so I consider it healthy. Anywhere, here is the result. These are very well made fans and pretty reslilient. 84E177DD-75A5-4476-93E4-512326B8C7F4.MOV 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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