A.C. Gilbert M1384 KOLDAIR Oscillating Fan

[B.J. Hedberg]

My dad had this hand-me-down fan in a storage locker his garage and we thought we’d clean it up and mount it out in the workshop since it runs.
Searched through the Lounge the other day and online and didn’t find any real background info on it, so I don’t have a clue as to the age.

Here is the fan as it is today. Grungy, re-corded, with the variable speed feature bypassed either by choice or because someone turned the fan around and let it cut through the cord itself. Looks a bit more industrial than some of the other similar styles I’ve seen photos of. Should be a fun little project, I’ll post some pictures of the final result here when complete.

- Ben

[V.C. Brunswick]

A.C. Gilbert also made Erector Sets.

[B.J. Hedberg]

You know I never had an Erector set. Whenever I hear his name I always think first of American Flyer, it slipped my mind that he was the Erector guy.

[V.C. Brunswick]

Here's a whole web page about A.C. Gilbert and the Erector Set

http://www.jitterbuzz.com/the_man.html

[B.J. Hedberg]

Here's a whole web page about A.C. Gilbert and the Erector Set

http://www.jitterbuzz.com/the_man.html

That’s a great site, thanks for sharing it. I think I’d like one of those Erector Zeppelins.

[B.J. Hedberg]

Managed to find some time to take it all apart today; I wouldn’t recommend wearing a white hat while doing that sort of work. The variable speed components look in order, just bypassed. I hope it works when I get it back together. Next up, cleaning, rust removal, and repainting.

[tonyb]

That's kool, Hedberg.

Me, I'm inept at that sort of thing. Compounding the problem is creeping senility, so my fear whenever I set to overhauling any old thing, be it ever so simple, is that I won't get it properly back together again.

Thank goodness for digital cameras. Lots and lots of pictures to refer back to, you know.

[B.J. Hedberg]

Of course you’re quite good at making hats, so it makes up for any perceived mechanical ineptness.

Actually, this will probably be the first thing I’ve ever disassembled that didn’t end up in the garbage can after I lost all the parts. This time around I was sure to bag all the bolts together in labeled Ziploc bags. Luckily there is only one gear that has to be in just the right place and it’s a lot bigger than a model train engine, so I think I’ll make it through this one. This is the first project in quite a while that I’ve actually been excited about working on. And boy are you right about the pictures being useful.

[airgrabber666]

Looks like a good candidate for restoration. I believe your fan might date to the 19-teens to the 1920s. I have an oscillating General Electric fan from that era that looks quite similar!

[B.J. Hedberg]

Thanks for the dating opinion airgrabber666. I was wondering what its approximate age might be. My weekend project will be to locate and order some new cording for it.