Antique Robbins & Myers cast iron desk fan, List #1801 AAA Beautiful Restoration. The Robbins & Myers Co. Alternating current Fan motor. 110 volts 60 cycles, model/list #1801, manufactured late 1913. The Robbins & Myers Electric Motor Co. First produced residential fans in the 1890s and continued to manufacture fans in great numbers well into the 1950s. Their numerous design patents and high quality manufacturing, would fuel the evolution of residential fans as much as any fan maker. History suggest, this generation of R&M fans are of the best ever made. Made to last generations or can I dare say, Centuries? This fan offered here, is an undeniable example of all that’s been suggested. By the time I acquired this fan, it already had survived more than 100 years of service. All those years however did show cosmetically, as the painted finish was well scratched and chipping off in many places. The brass blades and cage had been crushed and bent out of shape. All of the electric components were well protected by the heavy cast iron base and motor housing. All components were intact and working. What’s in a high end restoration? Well everything is addressed. Once disassembled, the components can be separated and inspected. The speed control coil and wiring, were carefully cleaned and then a heavy electrical varnish was applied for strength and protection against corrosion. The same is done for the motor coils and armature. The front and rear motor shaft bronze bearings, have been replaced to ensure a quiet and smooth motor operation for now and well into the future. The power cord and motor head wire were replaced with new period correct cloth covered wiring. The brass blades were disassembled from the center hub for proper cleaning, polishing and most importantly, straightening. The brass cage was shaped, reshaped and shaped some more. I finally did replace a few of the “S” wires to make it right. The reassembled brass blades and cage were then clear coated to protect the brass from discoloring. Padding and new felt cloth are added onto the lower base plate to avoid damaging furniture. The painted finish is easily the most time consuming and also the most rewarding stage. All of the painted pieces were stripped to bare metal and smoothed. After careful paint preparation, five coats of primer, color and clear were baked on, sanded smooth then polished to a deep and durable gloss finish. These processes are time consuming and exhausting. The overall hours spent on a restoration are more than I would care to admit, but the results justify the effort. Another thought that I’ve used to justify the effort, is knowing that restoring a fan of this age, will greatly increase the chances to survive another 50 years or more. A fine example of early 20th century American manufacturing. These fans remain desirable for good reasons. The small size is great, measures just over 11″ tall x 9″ wide x 6 deep. Its operation is smooth and very quiet on all 3 speeds. Its styling is impressive, having the polished brass against the highly polished black with gold pin stripe finish, is beautiful even elegant. This fan blade is well balanced, no vibration. The only maintenance required is keeping oil in the reservoirs. Operating and care instructions will be included along with a 5 year supply of oil. DO NOT DUPLICATE OR COPY! The item “Antique Robbins & Myers cast iron desk fan, List #1801 AAA Beautiful Restoration” is in sale since Thursday, December 10, 2015. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Kitchen & Home\Electric Fans”. The seller is “lonsterjam” and is located in Irvine, California. This item can be shipped to United States.
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
