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  #1  
Old 09-14-2021, 02:37 PM
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lnx64 lnx64 is offline
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Antique Toasters

I just bought an antique 1920's toaster at an Antique store when driving home with my girlfriend, and the elements are still showing good at 22 ohms (550 watts which it says it is). I'm working on trying to find a power cord for it as it has those thick rods that stick out.

Question though, how exactly do I clean that clear material the element is wrapped around? Or should I not even attempt to clean it? I'm not sure what material it is, being this old, or even if it's really safe to try and eat from, but it does appear to still be functional.
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Old 09-14-2021, 04:07 PM
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You mean the mica sheet? I would try to not disturb it as it can be quite fragile. It's not harmful like asbestos though. Toasters still use it as a support material for heating elements because it can handle the extreme heat.
You are pretty brave to use one of those old manual one-sided toasters (if that's what you got). It's about as close to just tasting over an open fire as you can get.
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Old 09-14-2021, 04:59 PM
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Can you post some pictures? I've never seen a toaster from the 1920's.
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Old 09-14-2021, 05:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dishdude View Post
Can you post some pictures? I've never seen a toaster from the 1920's.
https://imgur.com/a/7RJl3Xh
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Old 09-14-2021, 06:07 PM
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Wow, I sure wasn't picturing that. Thanks for sharing.
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Old 09-14-2021, 09:45 PM
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Yeah those things scare the hell out of me. I mean, they aren't likely to short out and go live but it's basically a heating element with no thermal protections that is on the instant you plug it in.
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Old 09-14-2021, 10:19 PM
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Yeah those things scare the hell out of me. I mean, they aren't likely to short out and go live but it's basically a heating element with no thermal protections that is on the instant you plug it in.
Yeah that thing is sketchy. I would just keep it as a showpiece.
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Old 09-14-2021, 11:29 PM
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I was going to ground the chassis, also it's going in the kitchen which here every plug is on a GFCI. I can also add a thermal fuse if required.
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Old 09-15-2021, 01:04 AM
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My late grandmother had one of these toasters years ago. However, it did not occur to me at the time how dangerous they could be, given the exposed heating elements.

BTW, I was glad to read in your post that you will be grounding the toaster's chassis, as this will add a measure of safety to it which the toaster didn't have when it was new, in the 1920s. I don't know if the National Electrical Code existed then; it may not have, since most appliances were not grounded as well (or at all) at that time as they are now.

One stupid thing some homeowners did in the 1920s and later (until the '60s-'70s, when the National Electrical Code mandated the use of circuit breakers) was to replace a blown fuse with a copper penny when the fuse opened. This may have gotten things working again, but it also meant the second an overload or short occurred on that circuit, the wiring would begin to smolder, starting a very costly fire.

I was also glad to read that your toaster will be used in a grounded environment, on a circuit protected by a GFCI. As well grounded as today's electric service is (compared to when this toaster was new), this will mean the circuit breaker will trip immediately in the event of a short circuit or an overload. GFCIs are absolutely incorruptible, so when it trips, there is no other alternative but to reset it; there is no way to jump or otherwise bypass these devices, since they are bolted solidly into the breaker box.
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Old 09-15-2021, 01:10 AM
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I've seen a bunch of those 20's toasters but I've never bought/tried one. They probably work okay, but with no automatic shutoff/eject they're not super practical/safe. It would be pretty easy to burn your toast if you don't baby sit it , then you'd have to manually flip it if you want both sides toasted. If you let your self get too distracted too long or forget and leave the room with it running you could comeback to your toast (and possibly other flammable items nearby) on fire.
Personally if I had that it would be for display and VERY rare use/demonstration.

The best vintage toaster for daily use IMO is the Sunbeam Radiant Control... literally set your bread in it and it sucks it in, toasts it to exact set level (regardless of changes in bread type), then ejects it when done.

Back when I was a kid I had (I think I still have it somewhere) a 60s GE toaster/toaster oven. Instead of the conventional II toast slot it used a - - toast slot. The oven was a drawer on the bottom and the front looked sort of like a face. It worked good for a few months then started humming one day and at the end of the cycle the plug burst into an electrical fire (it was a very memorable experience).
About 6 years later I grafted a new cord on, but it was humming still and the cord was getting hot so back in the closet it went. Someday I should try and find and fix it.
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Old 09-15-2021, 11:04 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeffhs View Post
My late grandmother had one of these toasters years ago. However, it did not occur to me at the time how dangerous they could be, given the exposed heating elements.

BTW, I was glad to read in your post that you will be grounding the toaster's chassis, as this will add a measure of safety to it which the toaster didn't have when it was new, in the 1920s. I don't know if the National Electrical Code existed then; it may not have, since most appliances were not grounded as well (or at all) at that time as they are now.

One stupid thing some homeowners did in the 1920s and later (until the '60s-'70s, when the National Electrical Code mandated the use of circuit breakers) was to replace a blown fuse with a copper penny when the fuse opened. This may have gotten things working again, but it also meant the second an overload or short occurred on that circuit, the wiring would begin to smolder, starting a very costly fire.

I was also glad to read that your toaster will be used in a grounded environment, on a circuit protected by a GFCI. As well grounded as today's electric service is (compared to when this toaster was new), this will mean the circuit breaker will trip immediately in the event of a short circuit or an overload. GFCIs are absolutely incorruptible, so when it trips, there is no other alternative but to reset it; there is no way to jump or otherwise bypass these devices, since they are bolted solidly into the breaker box.
The NEC was around since the early 1900's, when homes were first wired for electricity. It originally was a few pages and now it's several hundred!
Most homes equipped with GFCI's have the GFI type receptacles located in the rooms they were used, bathrooms, kitchens, outdoors, etc. The GFIC breakers were more expensive.
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  #12  
Old 09-18-2021, 12:34 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Electronic M View Post
I've seen a bunch of those 20's toasters but I've never bought/tried one. They probably work okay, but with no automatic shutoff/eject they're not super practical/safe. It would be pretty easy to burn your toast if you don't baby sit it , then you'd have to manually flip it if you want both sides toasted. If you let your self get too distracted too long or forget and leave the room with it running you could comeback to your toast (and possibly other flammable items nearby) on fire.
Personally if I had that it would be for display and VERY rare use/demonstration.

The best vintage toaster for daily use IMO is the Sunbeam Radiant Control... literally set your bread in it and it sucks it in, toasts it to exact set level (regardless of changes in bread type), then ejects it when done.

Back when I was a kid I had (I think I still have it somewhere) a 60s GE toaster/toaster oven. Instead of the conventional II toast slot it used a - - toast slot. The oven was a drawer on the bottom and the front looked sort of like a face. It worked good for a few months then started humming one day and at the end of the cycle the plug burst into an electrical fire (it was a very memorable experience).
About 6 years later I grafted a new cord on, but it was humming still and the cord was getting hot so back in the closet it went. Someday I should try and find and fix it.
We had a Sunbeam Radiant Control when they first come out, around the early 50's. We used it a lot in the first 10 years and then it wouldn't toast the bread consistently. The first slices would come out too light. Reset the control and it came out too dark.
It really was the best toaster available!
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  #13  
Old 09-18-2021, 04:09 PM
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I have one I've used a number of times much like it. I doen't get used too often.

The one I use all the time is a General Electric from around 1947. I've had it about 20 years now.
Looks the same as this one.



The lever flips down to drop the toast and switch it on. No automatic features to it.
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  #14  
Old 09-19-2021, 11:25 PM
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There's nothing inherently dangerous about the toaster. Just make a firm habit of never leaving it unattended. Which, technically is the case for any toaster, even space heaters, hair driers, etc, etc. That, and take the usual precautions. ie, don't make toast while in the bathtub, don't operate it under your curtains, don't touch hot things with your hands, etc. I don't see a reason to add a thermal fuse, as it's very likely it would just pop after a couple slices of toast. Remember the thing is metal, and it will all get quite warm. Grounding it... I wouldn't. That's just me though, I don't mind the shock risk (it's minimal anyway). What I would do is a good inspection of the internal wiring, as old wires like to crumble. If you ask me, throwing a ground on it is not a substitute for actually making sure it's safe to operate. And once it's safe, then a ground is not really needed.

The mica sheet is probably not dirty at all, that's just how it looks. Or, if it is dirty, the dirt would be vaporized off of it after being heated for some time. Leave it alone.

There are plenty of replacement toaster cords (sometimes called 'heater cord' or 'appliance cord') available on ebay. Some old, some new-ish. Shouldn't be any problem with one of those. The pin spacing and size looks standard.

Incidentally, it being named the 'Flipflop' I think this is the type that flips the bread over when you open the door, so you don't have to touch the bread to flip it to toast the other side.
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  #15  
Old 09-20-2021, 08:17 AM
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My aunt has one that age and has used it daily for decades. I have one and it works but I dont use it. Im sure many people are still using them. Its no crazier than watching old tv's, lol
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