Originally painted as a light beige hammered finish on the motor housing and a light beige wrinkle finish on the base. Now it is a hammered copper finish with hints of wrinkle finish for the base.
All of the washers, screws and bolts have been polished with a rotary tool wire brush. Nothing has been coated with a clear lacquer. There are two rubber grommets that fit together in order to hold the power cord tight as it goes into the motor housing.
The switch and cord are not original to the fan, but are very old and in great shape.
The new paint looks very nice and adds depth to the finish. The motor housing interior was also painted. The two holes seen are for oiling the motor shaft and should have a few drops each added for every year of use. There is a brass washer and copper screw that holds the rear motor cover onto the housing. They blend well with the finish.
The bottom has new self adhesive bumpers that fit snuggly in the wells. The label is original and has been carefully protected from paint. No clear coat on the label.
Closeup of the label which happens to be in very good condition.
This is the original condition of the motor and housing. The housing cleaned up very nicely with no signs of rust or corrosion. The motor is a different story. It appeared that the rear bearing was stuck on the rotor shaft as a result of having no oil to lubricate the bearings. Probably ran this way for a while. No damage to the bearings with limited damage to the bracket. After honing the bearings and polishing the rotor shaft ends the motor operates very smoothly. Mechanical problems often lead to electrical ones which lead to a likely fire hazard.
The other side of the motor housing and motor. What an ugly mess! A lot of fans of this type have loose motor housing mounts and this one is no exception. To fix, just bend the arms outward to the point that it bends the metal internal to the housing, then bend back to the appropriate position. Motor will stay tight and its an easy fix.
Newly insulated motor with a new winding lead to replace the broken one. The wool (felt?) oil wicks attached to the bearing brackets have been cleaned and wick oil very nicely.
The rotor has been polished and is smooth. The original rotor spacers are in excellent condition, but added a very thin nylon washer to the rear in order to keep the motor noise free.
Closeup of the front side of the motor reveals minor damage around the front bearing bracket. This causes no issue. The bearing retention bracket was tightened in order to keep the bearing snug, but well functioning as a self aligning bearing.
Closeup of the rear side of the motor reveals some damage around the rear bearing bracket. This causes no issue. Have attempted to pick away at the damage, but it is very strong. The bearing retention bracket was tightened in order to keep the bearing snug, but well functioning as a self aligning bearing.
The cord is 5 ' 6" and has a molded plug. The blades have been polished. Cords should be 6-8 feet long, but this one works well since it attaches to a small fan.
1942 Knapp Monarch electric fan advertisement. The Jack Frost electric fan pictured on the left has a chrome plated blade and is older than the one in this gallery which has an aluminum blade.
Knapp Monarch Koldair Catalog 1-502 Single Speed Stationary Electric Fan, Circa 1947
A collection of images from a restored antique electric fan. Has a 2 pole motor with a heavy cast iron base, nickel plated steel cage and and aluminum blade. The aluminum blades are well balanced, spin quietly and push a lot of air for their size. From full speed to full stop takes at least 25 seconds which is nice as it indicates a well balanced set of blades with properly aligned, well oiled bearings. The effective range for this fan is 4-10 feet and is suitable for table top usage.
Balancing blades can be a little tricky with small fans and high speed motors. Altering the pitch of the blades will slow the motor down, but push more air and possibly alleviate harsh vibrations which could make the fan wobble.
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Valued in the range of $65 - $80.