My late mother-in-law was raised in a remote farming community that did not get electric power until the late 1940's. She fondly recalled washing day when she could hear the putt-putt-putt of the washing machines throughout the valley. She also reported that blue smoke from the gas-oil mix could be seen rising from each farm house porch where a washing machine was running. Most families converted from washboards as soon as they could afford the new technology. I found it intriguing that the entire community washed their clothing on the same day; Mondays.
When you used the washer, you had two square galvanized steel tubs sitting besides the washer. They were arranged so the wringer would squeeze out the water back into the washer when you finished the wash cycle. Then you would add clothes for another wash load. The first tub was filled with hot rinse water and the washed clothes would sit and let the soap soak out of them. You would turn the ringer so that it would be between the two galvanized tubs, and using a short broomstick, pickup the clothes out of the hot rinse water and feed them into the wringer. The clothes would then fall into the next tub. That tub would be full of cold water, with bluing for whites, or hot water with laundry starch if the clothes were to be ironed. Doing laundry with this machine was a continuous process and you could do quite a lot of laundry in a short time. When you moved the clothes out of the final rinse, you used the wringer to drop the clothes into a basket to take them to the solar powered clothes dryer (clothes line). My mom had a Maytag electric washer, but two of my neighbors were gas powered. We were really wowed when my aunt got an automatic washer in the mid fifties. By the way, you adjusted the air fuel mixture to make it run smoother, but even with the muffler, they were loud.
Thanks for the reminder of how it was in my day also. Mom would wash the whites first, same water next came items of color. Oh yes I do remember the brown bottle that contained the bluing agent used for the white linen and white clothes. Do I remember the Argo starch that also had to be mixed with water, trying to remember if the starch was heated on the stove which would get thick depending on how much Argo clumps you added to the water. Mom reserved Monday of the week to wash and line dry. Tuesday was ironing day..well folks these were the days of the wringer washing machines which is much better than washing clothes and laundry in a tub with the scrub board. No plastic gloves during this time and your hands would get dry. Thanks Arthur for sharing.
During the late fifties-early sixties, before my grandparents had running water, they had a giant cast iron kettle by the wash house. Come Monday morning my job(I spent summers on the farm) was to put water in the kettle, tend the fire beneath the kettle, and carry buckets of water to the wash house to replenish the hot water wash and rinse tubs as needed. By then their washer was electtric
I remember it all! My Grandmother had an electric Maytag, but as a kid I remember the different tubs and chemicals. She also hung whites on the line in the winter too. Freeze dried. The whites and the smells were unforgettable. Thanks for the stroll down memory lane...
@@lawannarobinson9900 yes, whites/lights first, then the color regular clothing, and last the really dirty work clothes. We used a wringer washer until the early 70's. When the weather was nice, we'd roll everything outside to keep the mess to a minimum in the house.
@Federal Bureau of Investigation hko hohkxohohkoxhkxohkzohkzohkzohkzohzohozhzohozhzohzohzohzohozhozhzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohozhzohozhzohzohzohozhzohzohozhozhozhzojzohozhozhzohzohzohzohzohzohozhv
I totally agree, little knit pick though, steel is mostly made of iron. I guess You meant cast iron. The machines are really cool, rare now and I guess they were pricey back then
in the early 70's, in my town - the old lady across the street STILL used one of these (and we lived in a City, NOT rural at all) I was in elementary school, and she got too old to start it and would call me over to kick it for her
When my mother was a a little girl she used to play telephone operator by talking down the filling tube, She did't know why but she kept getting dizzy. Ma was a huffer back in 1930.@@force311999
I'm 67. My grandfather sold these when they were new. When I was 10 we had two or three of the engines still working. One year we used one as a very scary noise maker in part of a haunted house maze us kids made out in our barn. My oldest brother was 6 years older than me and two other brothers between us. Those were some good days.
This is the type of restoration my grandfather used to do. Take something discarded, usually from the family farm where he grew up in the 1930s, and make it functional again. Fantastic work as always.
I just love your restorations. No crazy music. Genuine items no pre-prepared items. Only explanatory text when needed. A little "crazy" feature sometimes in the movie. (A true animal friend who did not fire the spider when you used the gas burner when you heated the bracket.) And also shows how things work afterwards.
Great video. I helped my grandmother wash clothes 66 years ago with a Maytag which started out with a gas engine like that, but the gas engine was replaced by an electric one in the 1940s when rural electrification came along. We used home made laundry soap. The tub was filled with cold water from a garden hose, then the water was heated with a drop-in electric heater, with exposed heating elements. My wife learned to wash clothes with an electric wringer washer as well. We sure didn’t try to wring the water out of the clothes before running them through the wringer. There were galvanized tubs of water to rinse the clothes before they went through the wringer again, then got hung on the line. These washers did a great job and didn’t need repairs as often as modern ones.
Now adays it seems these vintage gas powered ones are a bit harder to find in a complete state. Ive found more electric powered ones for under $300 which for myself I think would be best as I know with a gas engine youll have to run it quite a bit to keep the engine and carb from messing up and my idea was to restore one of theses and use it for washing shop rags in so I dont use a modern washer/dryer to clean the dirty greasy shop rags after use.
Gotta love the old-time ‘hit-n-miss’ engine! Coolest, _“washing machine”_ that I’ve ever seen!! Man, they *REALLY* don’t make things like they used to! Imagine a washer from today in about a hundred years! It would be complete and utter trash after about 30 years or so _(best case)_ . It’s so sad that we don’t make things in America anymore.. We really did make some beautiful things. Made to last. Kudos, Hand Tool Rescue, for resurrecting these amazing and beautiful pieces- keeping the history of America’s manufacturing past alive!
Wow, what a can of worms that project was. All those castings and machined parts, it would cost $20,000 to build that machine today. Well done! It looks beautiful and works surprisingly well.
$20k is a bit out of touch with reality. The entire washing machine (sans the power plant) could be made in a well equipped small foundry for probably a couple thousand dollars, or the cost of a high end modern washing machine. The expensive bit would be the power plant. An electric motor would be the cheapest option, modern gas engines are a problem because they run too fast, though you can get them with gear reduction drives. I'd say you could build this machine for around $3000. If it was to be mass produced again, it could be cheapened by using stamped metal instead of castings for most structural parts, sealed roller bearings and sintered gears.
@@GGigabiteM what kind of labour cost are you thinking here? Unskilled or skilled workers? Its an interesting prospect. Analog off grid washing machine.
@@merqury5 If you wanted serial production, all of the cost is going to be in the initial creation of the casting molds or stamp dies if you wanted something cheaper. Casting would cost more in labor, stamped metal parts can be cranked out by the thousands without a human ever touching the part during the production process. Final assembly may need a human to do, but it's not skilled labor.
When it first started, I was amazed it was actually agitating; I guess I did not know WHAT to expect. Just like new now, really amazing and a pretty simple restoration; the stickers were the money shot.
I love old machines like this. They built stuff to last back then, and you could usually fix it yourself when it broke down. As a millennial, I'm constantly amazed that someone can take a rusty piece of junk from 100 years ago and not only make it work again, but make it look brand new!
One of those wringer washers is how my grandfather lost the thumb on his left hand. Helping his mom with the wash when he was 4, thumb got caught and went in with the fabric. Crushed it and they had to amputate. We got a lot of different stories about that thumb when we were kids, that it was shot off in the WWII (he was stationed in Utah), that he burned it off when he stuck it in a christmas light bulb socket, that he sucked it off as a baby, etc. Washer was the real reason, and we have a picture of him not long before it happened, and the way he's sitting displays that thumb very prominently. Didn't stop him from playing piano and multiple instruments and being an auto mechanic for decades. Neat washing machine!
The embellishments of the story is so heartwarming. Like the movie Big Fish, those fantastical stories are far more interesting and entertaining than the dull, honest truth!
My mom lost the tip of her right middle finger on one as a toddler. Last time grandma asked her to do the laundry I suppose. My sister and I were rightly terrified of it when we’d visit.
Goodness! I should count myself lucky then. When I was a kid we stopped at a gas station that had an electric version of these and I ended up with my arm going through the wringer until just past my elbow. Poor attendant took awhile to figure out how to pop the wringer open. Thank god I didn’t have to lose my arm! I do still have a scar where the rollers kept rubbing when my arm wouldn’t go any further. That’s all I could think about while watching him feed the rags between the rollers.
@@HandToolRescue en español dime esa máquina era con motor eléctrico o de una motocicleta o como y no ví dónde ponías la Nutela y si era cierto o no y que bonita te quedó la lavadora y preguntarte si aún existen 😂
When I first got out of the military, I lived in a cabin in the mountains of New Mexico, and I had a Maytag ringer washer. It was a lot of work to do laundry - especially in the winter. Thanks for the jog down memory lane! I’m never roughing it again on purpose.
My grandmother used one of these well into the 1960's. It was used for grandpa's work clothes so he didn't get the good washing machine dirty. They used to live in the country but, by this time they lived near St. Louis. Great video and restoration, it brought back some happy memories.
Nice job. In the 50's we had a neighbor who used one of these (electric version), but she mostly used a washtub and scrub board. Her husband was a cheap SOB who spent the money on liquor. My friend grew up and his mother divorced the cheap skate. I don't know what happened to the washer!! You do good work and have much more patience than me. Thanks!
I would put clear coat over the decals. This is my favorite resto you have done. I have never seen one of these all together, let alone working. The only time I see these is in a junkyard or in the woods behind an old farmhouse or something. I think a lot of them got melted down for there aluminum during WW2.
"My welder only has 4 power settings" I suspect those are: 1 - Enough power to melt through AR500 Steel instead of welding 2 - Enough power to melt through wet baby diapers, and not weld 3 - Nearly enough power to roast turkey giblets, if my wife isn't running the vacuum 4 - Almost enough power to spark Okay, that's my welder, except for the first 2.
I was always afraid of that ringer thing. I had long hair at the time. I braided my hair and pinned up my braids so they would not get caught in my ringer . I loved that old machine. I was sorry to get a modern machine but I never told any one that.
That wringer thing is called a mangle. And it would have actually had risk to live up to that name with you as it did to others, so good on you for being careful!
@@Dept_Of_DucksIn North America it was always a wringer. Sold as a wringer washer. dictionary definitions of a mangle- 1. A machine for pressing fabrics by means of heated rollers. 2. Chiefly British A clothes wringer. tr.v. man·gled, man·gling, man·gles To press with a mangle.
I am really amazed at how knowledgeable you are, the different types of metal repairs you make as well as the electrical work, you are truly awesome. And entertaining to watch.
I had to scroll too far down the comments to find anyone else who caught this. I'm thinking his back is lucky that he had a bench press and not a larger free standing unit.
I ran an old 30s or 40s model Maytag wringer washer similar to this on my grandparents farm in the 70s. They didnt have indoor plumbing, had electricity and we took water out of a dug well. We would heat some water on the butane stove and draw water to fill the machine. Then put the washed clothes in a double tub that matched the washer. We dumped the water out , rinsed , wrung to the tubs and hung them out to dry. This type of life was still going on in Arkansas even into the 80s. I am 53 now and learned a lot from my grandparents who were born in 1912
This brought back many memories. I worked in my Dad’s appliance store refurbishing trade ins and some were Maytag manuals. Although I don’t recall ever working on this model. Most were the Nextel generation using significantly fewer parts. The basic operation was pretty much the same. Great work.
I remember seeing an even older model still in operation in a Rural part of Tennessee about 30 years ago. It was a round model where the agitator had 3 plungers on the bottom and they were going up and down as opposed to side to side. My father stopped to buy some Honey, and I watched it working. My dad was impressed that it still worked and the beekeeper explained that it was his Grandmother's and that he used it to clean the oil off the rags he used to repair his cars and tractors with since his wife was worried that the grease and oil would ruin her washer and dryer. Not a bad idea.
Ok, this one was epic. From tasting the used grease to that subtle lick on the glass of the sand blasting booth....and then using the drill press as a hand tool...sheer awesome!
Growing up my grandmother had one of these. It always started but could be dangerous feeding the wringer as I found out a couple times. Thanks for the memories friend. I don't recall it ever not working as it should.
@@xenonram Did you mean 'a right foot sock' or 'a foot long kock' or maybe 'your mother sews socks that smell' (You may have to google that last one, unfortunately I am old enough that, I saw not only the original SNL sketch it is from, but the movie it references when it was in theaters). OK, BOOMER😉😒😝😵😳
Personally I don't record myself when I take apart engines and the such. When I forget how something goes together I either check a shop manual or jam it together until it fits. I hope someone the host replies I'm interested.
My great Grandmother had one of these. She inherited it from her mother before WW2 and used it right into the new millennium. She refused to buy a modern one. My cousin lives in her old house once she passed and it's still there on the front patio. Still works.
There was one of these on the back porch of my great grandmother's farm house when I was growing up. This was a Herculean effort! I admire your energy, my friend.
Колоссальная работа!!! Впервые узнал, что стиральные машины были с приводом от собственного мотора внутреннего сгорания. Было приятно смотреть за процессом восстановления.
@@RetroWorkShop773 this doesn't have your fancy akra pipes. the noise here is coming from the engine and hundreds of the moving part on that thing. running the exhaust out won't do anything
Hey, Been watching and enjoying your videos. just wanted to comment from an old mechanic when your doing tear downs, I suggest you break the nuts bolts and other fasteners loose but not take them all the way out. that way you have an option to use torque from the other fasteners as a fulcrum to break the others loose. Also when your putting back sheet metal to start all of the bolts first then snugging them by hand to insure all of the bold holes will align. Just some words of wisdom from someone who has done many tear downs of a lot of equipment over the years and please continue to bring your content.
We had an electric one when I was a kid and my granny had one she used on her front porch. I wouldn't mind having one now. These washers could get the dirt out of dirt.
This reminds me of that one episode of Tom and Jerry where Spike throws Tom into the washer and puts it on "rinse". Klonk-klonk-klonk, rumblerumblerumblerumble, whirl-whirl-whirl.
I haven't seen one of these since the 80's when my mom dragged me to a thousand different garage sales, and even then I think I've only ever seen 2, neither of them operational. Thank you, this was an honest treat. I always thought them fascinating. Also, I love your sitcom intro and being someone that prefers to fix rather than replace myself I feel something of a kinship every time I see your head hit the sandblaster. 😊
This is a great channel and shows how much we've changed. Going from mixing your fuel 16 to 1 into a motorized washing machine in 1920 to having "Do not eat" on the directions of Shampoo bottles in 2020... as if we need directions in the first place.
I remember my grandmother using one almost exactly like this when I was a kid. My grandfather had converted it from gasoline to electric motor when they got electricity. I gave it to my plumber 5 years ago because it was taking up space in my basement and I needed a new water heater. We did an even trade. He is using it at his shop to wash shop towels. lol
This is probably one of the more unique restorations I have seen on TH-cam. I didn't even know gasoline-powered washing machines were made by Maytag in the early days. So cool to see it all shined up and running! Very exciting. EDIT: I especially loved the new decals, they look fantastic. Where did you get them?
You took me back 60 years! Similar machine tub with electric motor. I recognized each part as it was coming off and on. We were a house of guys with mom as the only female, so I as the oldest helped mom with laundry in the old Maytag we paid about $20.00 for in a second hand store in Buckeye AZ.
1966 we lived on a farm with a small septic system that would not keep up with an automatic clothes washer so Mom bought a new speed queen wringer washer sometimes old school is the only way you have to get things done.
I can remember my mother washing our clothes in one of these when I was a kid. It sat on the back porch , and sounded almost just like this one, only louder. Later, she upgraded to an electric model that she used in the kitchen, only it wasn't a deluxe model and she had to crank the rollers by hand. Those rollers will do a mean job mashing your fingers! Don't ask how I know this! LOL
I fell asleep watching TH-cam on auto. Woke up to this and was so enthralled I watched the rest of it, trying to figure out what I was seeing. Awesome job, I never seen one of the gas powered washers in action. Very cool.
Love the channel. As a young appliance mechanic for Sears in the 60’s, I can say that Our wringers from the 40’s & 50’s did,in fact have wooden bearings,as metal bearings didn’t fare well in watery environments. Can’t speak authoritatively for Maytag. I hope you can find a source for water slide decals. The stickers are a little off putting to my eye. Great work my friend.
I guess those new metal bearings are going to give trouble. Now there are plastic bearings with glass balls. I wonder if these would withstand the pressure of the wringers.
You did a beautiful job restoring this machine. My mother grew up in great Depression and my grandparents had this old Maytag They had a separate "wash house in back of the main house where this washing machine was. You could not wash clothes while inside. The machine had to be pulled out on the little porch. the fumes and smoke where so strong that you could have died from carbon monoxide. Thanks for posting your fine work.
It would be so nice to have lived back in the day when you brought something home and felt good about a lifelong investment. Now you go buy a washer and dryer every 5 years it seems like and send the old ones to the scrap yard.
My son had a Whirlpool last 17 years, a cheap washer and dryer that came with his home. The agitator quit working. So we got a new Samsung digital, set was $1,000. plus. Hope it lasts more than 5 years. No agitator, the drum moves inside. Has many settings for different types of fabric. At 5'5" I can barely reach the bottom of the drum. It is big. Top loader, but it locks you can't laundry to it. Safety for kids. The dryer takes longer to dry. 1.5 hours for a large load. I love it so far. We use it 2 times a month. This is probably why the last one lived so long. Because it is not used a lot. I like the windows in the set.
Probably full of Graphite. At the time this washer was in use, one could buy flake/powdered graphite in cans, intended to be added to oils and greases.
@@HandToolRescue - That "Whale Oil"/"Sperm Oil" was used til fairly recently for instrument and watch lubrication. I remember seeing cans of it in the shop that repaired aircraft instruments.
Seems like a lot of work just to get a load done, amazing how much effort and care you put into these builds! If not for good people like this, old things would just be trash!
When you scraped all the junk out of the hose connection my first thought was "I didn't realize that the water in the Canadian Prairies was that hard..."
@@judexavier1929 Anyone who is familiar with the Prairies knows how hard the water is and how much mineral content there is in the water. Given that this machine is from the 20's I figured it must have been exposed to gallons of such water. Hence my exaggerated reference to our Prairie water.
@@judexavier1929 Yeah I get it but I wonder how many viewers realize that Eric lives in Saskatchewan and what it means to live on the Prairies. So, often I will add a regional reference to give the comment some context.
u made my day :) I didn't know the existance of gas powered washing machines... and in the 20's too! when people used to wash on wooden tables on the bridges...nice restoration very good!
Came across your channel as a recommended and I can’t stop watching. Your powers of restoration are endless, attention to detail first class and you make me laugh. Love it 👌🏻
You do such marvelous work.. and have a delightful eye for detail. It is always a pleasure to watch your restorations.. I saw one of these old washers back when I was a kid int he 70's and this is the first time I have seen one since.. Thanks for the memories..
Love your videos man, I only ever have one suggestion for you, nitrile gloves, if you aren't allergic, they keep your hands safe from those chemicals and oils, and idk about you, but at 32 my hands are destroyed from working on cars and using spirits and alcohol based cleaners lol.
Maytag is an American Icon. Still in business to this day. The engine itself is a highly sought-after engine in the US. Collectors would pay premium prices for that engine.
My great aunt had one of those. My granny got it for her as a wedding present and in the 80s we learned how to use it when we visited the old homestead in West Virginia.
And that is exaclty how we use to do our laundry! - Thanks for making and sharing the video and for a great restoration of the old Maytag Washer. - You did an outstanding job! - You even looked like you were a pro, when it came to ringing out the laundry! (LOL)
![1920s Maytag Washing Machine Engine [Restoration]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/t_egp4Hqc8Q/mqdefault.jpg)
![1920s Maytag Washing Machine Engine [Restoration]](/img/tr.png)
![Rare Antique Blower [Restoration]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/v8TKJsKAhLI/mqdefault.jpg)
![Antique Check Perforator [Restoration]](/img/n.gif)
My late mother-in-law was raised in a remote farming community that did not get electric power until the late 1940's. She fondly recalled washing day when she could hear the putt-putt-putt of the washing machines throughout the valley. She also reported that blue smoke from the gas-oil mix could be seen rising from each farm house porch where a washing machine was running. Most families converted from washboards as soon as they could afford the new technology. I found it intriguing that the entire community washed their clothing on the same day; Mondays.
Couldnt clean the sunday best on sunday, so monday was normal washing day in many communities
Nice job on the Maytag ans super kudos to you for not getting your tit caught in the ringer.
When you used the washer, you had two square galvanized steel tubs sitting besides the washer. They were arranged so the wringer would squeeze out the water back into the washer when you finished the wash cycle. Then you would add clothes for another wash load. The first tub was filled with hot rinse water and the washed clothes would sit and let the soap soak out of them. You would turn the ringer so that it would be between the two galvanized tubs, and using a short broomstick, pickup the clothes out of the hot rinse water and feed them into the wringer. The clothes would then fall into the next tub. That tub would be full of cold water, with bluing for whites, or hot water with laundry starch if the clothes were to be ironed. Doing laundry with this machine was a continuous process and you could do quite a lot of laundry in a short time. When you moved the clothes out of the final rinse, you used the wringer to drop the clothes into a basket to take them to the solar powered clothes dryer (clothes line). My mom had a Maytag electric washer, but two of my neighbors were gas powered. We were really wowed when my aunt got an automatic washer in the mid fifties. By the way, you adjusted the air fuel mixture to make it run smoother, but even with the muffler, they were loud.
Thanks for the reminder of how it was in my day also. Mom would wash the whites first, same water next came items of color. Oh yes I do remember the brown bottle that contained the bluing agent used for the white linen and white clothes. Do I remember the Argo starch that also had to be mixed with water, trying to remember if the starch was heated on the stove which would get thick depending on how much Argo clumps you added to the water. Mom reserved Monday of the week to wash and line dry. Tuesday was ironing day..well folks these were the days of the wringer washing machines which is much better than washing clothes and laundry in a tub with the scrub board. No plastic gloves during this time and your hands would get dry. Thanks Arthur for sharing.
During the late fifties-early sixties, before my grandparents had running water, they had a giant cast iron kettle by the wash house. Come Monday morning my job(I spent summers on the farm) was to put water in the kettle, tend the fire beneath the kettle, and carry buckets of water to the wash house to replenish the hot water wash and rinse tubs as needed. By then their washer was electtric
But the process was the same. Made for a long day for a 10 yr old.
I remember it all! My Grandmother had an electric Maytag, but as a kid I remember the different tubs and chemicals. She also hung whites on the line in the winter too. Freeze dried. The whites and the smells were unforgettable. Thanks for the stroll down memory lane...
@@lawannarobinson9900 yes, whites/lights first, then the color regular clothing, and last the really dirty work clothes. We used a wringer washer until the early 70's. When the weather was nice, we'd roll everything outside to keep the mess to a minimum in the house.
Not gonna lie - in all of my 65 years on this earth, that's the first time I've ever seen anyone kick start a washing machine!
What did the FBI say to the drug dealer in his house
Lol
I'm 70 and saw one in person in Kentucky or So Indiana.
@Federal Bureau of Investigation hko hohkxohohkoxhkxohkzohkzohkzohkzohzohozhzohozhzohzohzohzohozhozhzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohzohozhzohozhzohzohzohozhzohzohozhozhozhzojzohozhozhzohzohzohzohzohzohozhv
@@richardrivera2410 oho jo h oho h
I love seeing these old machines from before the Plastic Age, where everything was made of steel and iron and everything was 100% mechanical.
YEAH modern things dont rust together - they are plastic and snap instead...
I love these older machines myself. I think there is something so mesmerizing about watching them work the way they do.
@@piccalillipit9211 They're also several times cheaper
to be fair, modern washing machines are still mostly powder coated sheet metal, stainless steel and a block of concrete.
I totally agree, little knit pick though, steel is mostly made of iron. I guess You meant cast iron. The machines are really cool, rare now and I guess they were pricey back then
in the early 70's, in my town - the old lady across the street STILL used one of these (and we lived in a City, NOT rural at all) I was in elementary school, and she got too old to start it and would call me over to kick it for her
Grandma had one of these Maytags on the ranch
@@charlesross9260 my nephew has an electric one in mint shape , came with his house but not used in long time
I think it has a copper drum on it
When my mother was a a little girl she used to play telephone operator by talking down the filling tube, She did't know why but she kept getting dizzy. Ma was a huffer back in 1930.@@force311999
Haha my wife's great aunt still uses hers!
Now thats funny 😀
I'm 67. My grandfather sold these when they were new. When I was 10 we had two or three of the engines still working. One year we used one as a very scary noise maker in part of a haunted house maze us kids made out in our barn. My oldest brother was 6 years older than me and two other brothers between us. Those were some good days.
This is the type of restoration my grandfather used to do. Take something discarded, usually from the family farm where he grew up in the 1930s, and make it functional again.
Fantastic work as always.
I just love your restorations. No crazy music. Genuine items no pre-prepared items. Only explanatory text when needed. A little "crazy" feature sometimes in the movie. (A true animal friend who did not fire the spider when you used the gas burner when you heated the bracket.) And also shows how things work afterwards.
The sound of wrenches, lathes, drills, and buffers is music enough.
He should add some Skrillex dubstep as background music
Great video. I helped my grandmother wash clothes 66 years ago with a Maytag which started out with a gas engine like that, but the gas engine was replaced by an electric one in the 1940s when rural electrification came along. We used home made laundry soap. The tub was filled with cold water from a garden hose, then the water was heated with a drop-in electric heater, with exposed heating elements. My wife learned to wash clothes with an electric wringer washer as well. We sure didn’t try to wring the water out of the clothes before running them through the wringer. There were galvanized tubs of water to rinse the clothes before they went through the wringer again, then got hung on the line. These washers did a great job and didn’t need repairs as often as modern ones.
Now adays it seems these vintage gas powered ones are a bit harder to find in a complete state. Ive found more electric powered ones for under $300 which for myself I think would be best as I know with a gas engine youll have to run it quite a bit to keep the engine and carb from messing up and my idea was to restore one of theses and use it for washing shop rags in so I dont use a modern washer/dryer to clean the dirty greasy shop rags after use.
The combination of humour, workshop noises, and technical know-how in these videos makes them thoroughly enjoyable. Well done!
Yo this man needs more subs that intro alone was more creative than half the big TH-camrs
We love and cherish HTR ❤️
Quality content, skill or effort seems to be the exact way to not get subscribers. Be an obnoxious moron and the sky is the limit.
Gotta love the old-time ‘hit-n-miss’ engine! Coolest, _“washing machine”_ that I’ve ever seen!! Man, they *REALLY* don’t make things like they used to! Imagine a washer from today in about a hundred years! It would be complete and utter trash after about 30 years or so _(best case)_ . It’s so sad that we don’t make things in America anymore.. We really did make some beautiful things. Made to last. Kudos, Hand Tool Rescue, for resurrecting these amazing and beautiful pieces- keeping the history of America’s manufacturing past alive!
Wow, what a can of worms that project was. All those castings and machined parts, it would cost $20,000 to build that machine today. Well done! It looks beautiful and works surprisingly well.
$20k is a bit out of touch with reality. The entire washing machine (sans the power plant) could be made in a well equipped small foundry for probably a couple thousand dollars, or the cost of a high end modern washing machine. The expensive bit would be the power plant. An electric motor would be the cheapest option, modern gas engines are a problem because they run too fast, though you can get them with gear reduction drives.
I'd say you could build this machine for around $3000. If it was to be mass produced again, it could be cheapened by using stamped metal instead of castings for most structural parts, sealed roller bearings and sintered gears.
@@GGigabiteM what kind of labour cost are you thinking here? Unskilled or skilled workers? Its an interesting prospect. Analog off grid washing machine.
@@merqury5 If you wanted serial production, all of the cost is going to be in the initial creation of the casting molds or stamp dies if you wanted something cheaper.
Casting would cost more in labor, stamped metal parts can be cranked out by the thousands without a human ever touching the part during the production process. Final assembly may need a human to do, but it's not skilled labor.
This washer really makes me appreciate the engineering that goes into modern washers.
@@GGigabiteM that particular style was in production for a very long time, just not for sale in the states.
I hope you sent this video to Maytag corporation. i'm sure they would love to see it!
The Maytag corp is no longer. They sold out
@@twolabscustomwoodworks141 They still sell Maytag products in the USA, they're advertised everywhere.
@@bobferranti5222 they're a subsidiary of whirlpool now.
@@Jesse__H but they still carry the Matag logo.
@@bobferranti5222 they do but made and sold by whirlpool
When it first started, I was amazed it was actually agitating; I guess I did not know WHAT to expect. Just like new now, really amazing and a pretty simple restoration; the stickers were the money shot.
I love old machines like this. They built stuff to last back then, and you could usually fix it yourself when it broke down. As a millennial, I'm constantly amazed that someone can take a rusty piece of junk from 100 years ago and not only make it work again, but make it look brand new!
you’re welcome for this channel
The perfect gift for your better half on Christmas day a two stroke washing machine.
@@MattWeber
Could be a hit and miss proposition...
Get the original dryer to go along with it. 50' of clothes line.
@@lancer2204 ha ha............ slow clapping...
One of those wringer washers is how my grandfather lost the thumb on his left hand. Helping his mom with the wash when he was 4, thumb got caught and went in with the fabric. Crushed it and they had to amputate. We got a lot of different stories about that thumb when we were kids, that it was shot off in the WWII (he was stationed in Utah), that he burned it off when he stuck it in a christmas light bulb socket, that he sucked it off as a baby, etc. Washer was the real reason, and we have a picture of him not long before it happened, and the way he's sitting displays that thumb very prominently. Didn't stop him from playing piano and multiple instruments and being an auto mechanic for decades. Neat washing machine!
The embellishments of the story is so heartwarming. Like the movie Big Fish, those fantastical stories are far more interesting and entertaining than the dull, honest truth!
My mom lost the tip of her right middle finger on one as a toddler. Last time grandma asked her to do the laundry I suppose. My sister and I were rightly terrified of it when we’d visit.
Goodness! I should count myself lucky then. When I was a kid we stopped at a gas station that had an electric version of these and I ended up with my arm going through the wringer until just past my elbow. Poor attendant took awhile to figure out how to pop the wringer open. Thank god I didn’t have to lose my arm! I do still have a scar where the rollers kept rubbing when my arm wouldn’t go any further. That’s all I could think about while watching him feed the rags between the rollers.
nearly 46 minutes of pure joy.
unlike garbage TV
absolute truth
I FULLY agree!
I'd rather read a good book, hike, construct a machine, turn some steel, etc of my hobbies - except the useless TV.
@@MyroCraft Hi mate. Checked your channel. NICE work. I think you should continue, and you have a new subscriber :)
@@Smallathe Thank you very much for your support. Such comments are very stimulating to work.
@@MyroCraft I feel the same! It's really a bummer to make a video, spend all that extra time editing it and no one watches or likes it.
Absolutely loved this one! That machine looks immaculate! Lost it when you pulled out the drill press to wire wheel! 😆
Haha thanks!
I did too!!
@@HandToolRescue en español dime esa máquina era con motor eléctrico o de una motocicleta o como y no ví dónde ponías la Nutela y si era cierto o no y que bonita te quedó la lavadora y preguntarte si aún existen 😂
+1 😂
When I first got out of the military, I lived in a cabin in the mountains of New Mexico, and I had a Maytag ringer washer. It was a lot of work to do laundry - especially in the winter. Thanks for the jog down memory lane! I’m never roughing it again on purpose.
My grandmother used one of these well into the 1960's. It was used for grandpa's work clothes so he didn't get the good washing machine dirty. They used to live in the country but, by this time they lived near St. Louis. Great video and restoration, it brought back some happy memories.
“See you got one of them new washing machines. How many loads to the gallon??”
Nice job. In the 50's we had a neighbor who used one of these (electric version), but she mostly used a washtub and scrub board. Her husband was a cheap SOB who spent the money on liquor. My friend grew up and his mother divorced the cheap skate. I don't know what happened to the washer!! You do good work and have much more patience than me. Thanks!
How could anyone not appreciate the efforts and results of this craftsman. Congrats. This project is ready for the museum.
And what’s more… it WORKS! The museum curator can demonstrate how these ancient machines ran.
I would put clear coat over the decals. This is my favorite resto you have done. I have never seen one of these all together, let alone working. The only time I see these is in a junkyard or in the woods behind an old farmhouse or something. I think a lot of them got melted down for there aluminum during WW2.
"My welder only has 4 power settings"
I suspect those are:
1 - Enough power to melt through AR500 Steel instead of welding
2 - Enough power to melt through wet baby diapers, and not weld
3 - Nearly enough power to roast turkey giblets, if my wife isn't running the vacuum
4 - Almost enough power to spark
Okay, that's my welder, except for the first 2.
I was always afraid of that ringer thing. I had long hair at the time. I braided my hair and pinned up my braids so they would not get caught in my ringer . I loved that old machine. I was sorry to get a modern machine but I never told any one that.
Yeah, those older things really are charming. It's sad that nowadays they rarely have a use. :/
That wringer thing is called a mangle. And it would have actually had risk to live up to that name with you as it did to others, so good on you for being careful!
Wise women you appreciate eternal things.
@@Dept_Of_DucksIn North America it was always a wringer. Sold as a wringer washer. dictionary definitions of a mangle- 1. A machine for pressing fabrics by means of heated rollers.
2. Chiefly British A clothes wringer.
tr.v. man·gled, man·gling, man·gles
To press with a mangle.
i was a little girl when I used this kind of washers and it caught my hand once, one of my fingers was injured.
Built back when things did not have flaws designed into them to cut their lifespan short, And it shined up like a new penny, Well done 👍👌
I am really amazed at how knowledgeable you are, the different types of metal repairs you make as well as the electrical work, you are truly awesome. And entertaining to watch.
He clearly said someone else did the metal repair
Had to laugh at the bench press being used as a “portable” drill... love the videos mate.
22:20
Oh yeah, that one cracked me up too :D
i cant believe he did that. The best part of the video.
that was epic...
Great timestamp
Or the tongue action on the sand blaster
22:22 I would have never thought of using a bench drill this way, very innovative 😂
I had to scroll too far down the comments to find anyone else who caught this. I'm thinking his back is lucky that he had a bench press and not a larger free standing unit.
Sketchy😂
Never in all my life. Got a chuckle outta me tho.
I ran an old 30s or 40s model Maytag wringer washer similar to this on my grandparents farm in the 70s. They didnt have indoor plumbing, had electricity and we took water out of a dug well. We would heat some water on the butane stove and draw water to fill the machine. Then put the washed clothes in a double tub that matched the washer. We dumped the water out , rinsed , wrung to the tubs and hung them out to dry. This type of life was still going on in Arkansas even into the 80s. I am 53 now and learned a lot from my grandparents who were born in 1912
This brought back many memories. I worked in my Dad’s appliance store refurbishing trade ins and some were Maytag manuals. Although I don’t recall ever working on this model. Most were the Nextel generation using significantly fewer parts. The basic operation was pretty much the same. Great work.
I remember seeing an even older model still in operation in a Rural part of Tennessee about 30 years ago. It was a round model where the agitator had 3 plungers on the bottom and they were going up and down as opposed to side to side. My father stopped to buy some Honey, and I watched it working. My dad was impressed that it still worked and the beekeeper explained that it was his Grandmother's and that he used it to clean the oil off the rags he used to repair his cars and tractors with since his wife was worried that the grease and oil would ruin her washer and dryer. Not a bad idea.
Ok, this one was epic. From tasting the used grease to that subtle lick on the glass of the sand blasting booth....and then using the drill press as a hand tool...sheer awesome!
Growing up my grandmother had one of these. It always started but could be dangerous feeding the wringer as I found out a couple times. Thanks for the memories friend. I don't recall it ever not working as it should.
You didn't happen to find a sock in there, did you?
No, it is in the dryer.
A right foot sock. If you have the one for the left foot, you can have the right one.
@@xenonram Did you mean 'a right foot sock' or 'a foot long kock' or maybe 'your mother sews socks that smell' (You may have to google that last one, unfortunately I am old enough that, I saw not only the original SNL sketch it is from, but the movie it references when it was in theaters). OK, BOOMER😉😒😝😵😳
That's one hell of a robust design! I wish they still made them like that, if buy one. Nothing like super stiff line dried jeans
I've always wondered: do you have to rewatch yourself disassembling stuff sometimes to remember where everything belongs?
Personally I don't record myself when I take apart engines and the such. When I forget how something goes together I either check a shop manual or jam it together until it fits. I hope someone the host replies I'm interested.
I wonder if that's how these videos started, where someone recorded themselves disassembling To know where everything goes then just uploaded it
I always thought that's how restoration videos became a thing
Or do you take pictures?
"Honey, dinner is ready!"
"Yes, babe, i'll be there in a second. I just need to finish doing the oil change on the washing machine."
It is a two stroke engine, it does not have a sump. The crankshaft gets lubricated with the fuel mixture.
@@ladamurni The washing machine's two transmissions do, though. Maytag used grease and oil and part of regular maintenance was oil changes,
@@ethelryan257 Yes you are right! I really liked watching the video, that's because I like anything with a combustion engine. 👍
@@ladamurni psst... it's called a "joke" ;-)
@@Ranger_Kevin Yeah man, I am sorry.
That poor machine was outside and mice made it a home also. You did such a good job. thank you.
My great Grandmother had one of these. She inherited it from her mother before WW2 and used it right into the new millennium. She refused to buy a modern one. My cousin lives in her old house once she passed and it's still there on the front patio. Still works.
Words I never expected to hear, "I have to change the oil in my washing machine."
Also, "I'll replace these wooden bearings with ball bearings."
They they Are 2 cycle,they don't have oil to drain.
@@dbmartin60 Oil change in the gearbox !
@@dbmartin60 dude its about the idea
You think modern washing machines don't have oil in them?
There was one of these on the back porch of my great grandmother's farm house when I was growing up. This was a Herculean effort! I admire your energy, my friend.
Колоссальная работа!!! Впервые узнал, что стиральные машины были с приводом от собственного мотора внутреннего сгорания. Было приятно смотреть за процессом восстановления.
damn, i'll never complain about the noise from my washing machine ever again
In household applications, these would have an exhaust tube that runs outside, so the noise indoors would be greatly reduced.
@@RetroWorkShop773 this doesn't have your fancy akra pipes. the noise here is coming from the engine and hundreds of the moving part on that thing. running the exhaust out won't do anything
Buy shocks for it
Were these meant to be used indoors with exhaust connected outside, or to be used outdoors?
@@atomstarfireproductions8695 My guess on a nice day, Be moved outside or if crappy out then possibly inside near a window.
Love your video's being raised on a ranch 45 miles from town we still used these old machines
Nothing truly says "freshly laundered" like clothing that smells of leaded fuel exhaust
this is what I was thinking! good luck keeping the exhaust away from your clothes!
The one that I saw like this near Appleton Wisc had an attachment that allowed you to vent the exhaust out the window. It was an original attachment
@@RONALDEPAUL I guess it'll dry the clothes faster... if you mind the smell.
it is supposed to have a flexible pipe that goes outside with a muffler on the end
@@oldfart83 ala Cheech and Chong?
Hey, Been watching and enjoying your videos. just wanted to comment from an old mechanic when your doing tear downs, I suggest you break the nuts bolts and other fasteners loose but not take them all the way out. that way you have an option to use torque from the other fasteners as a fulcrum to break the others loose. Also when your putting back sheet metal to start all of the bolts first then snugging them by hand to insure all of the bold holes will align. Just some words of wisdom from someone who has done many tear downs of a lot of equipment over the years and please continue to bring your content.
That intro is absolutely golden
Soooo cool, glad there’s guys like you out there keeping the past alive.
That was probably the coolest restore I’ve seen
this washing machine is amazing, your job to get it started is a huge respect, buddy
It is so cool to see the 2 projects come together. Good job!
Wonderful. I got caught in a wringer when I was just a pup. One of my earliest memories....
Me too! All the way up to my shoulder.
This has made me go on a rabbit hole of restoration videos
We had an electric one when I was a kid and my granny had one she used on her front porch. I wouldn't mind having one now. These washers could get the dirt out of dirt.
This reminds me of that one episode of Tom and Jerry where Spike throws Tom into the washer and puts it on "rinse".
Klonk-klonk-klonk, rumblerumblerumblerumble, whirl-whirl-whirl.
I haven't seen one of these since the 80's when my mom dragged me to a thousand different garage sales, and even then I think I've only ever seen 2, neither of them operational. Thank you, this was an honest treat. I always thought them fascinating. Also, I love your sitcom intro and being someone that prefers to fix rather than replace myself I feel something of a kinship every time I see your head hit the sandblaster. 😊
"Time for sandblasting!" (licks sandblaster window like a lizard) Very nice restoration!
21:42 for anyone who missed it
Seen that! Then checked the comment section. He inserted an Easter egg for us.
So cool to see history restored, another stellar job!
This is a great channel and shows how much we've changed. Going from mixing your fuel 16 to 1 into a motorized washing machine in 1920 to having "Do not eat" on the directions of Shampoo bottles in 2020... as if we need directions in the first place.
the real hero in these videos is that evapo-rust barrel imo
Evapo-Rust saved a "turbine stretch gauge" for the J-47 gas turbine, my late grandfather gave me.
I think the bench is the first candidate for a medal... and intensive therapy
I remember my grandmother using one almost exactly like this when I was a kid. My grandfather had converted it from gasoline to electric motor when they got electricity. I gave it to my plumber 5 years ago because it was taking up space in my basement and I needed a new water heater. We did an even trade.
He is using it at his shop to wash shop towels. lol
I have seen a few of these growing up, but in 65 years this is the first one I have got to see operate. Thanks for sharing a job well done!
This is probably one of the more unique restorations I have seen on TH-cam. I didn't even know gasoline-powered washing machines were made by Maytag in the early days. So cool to see it all shined up and running! Very exciting.
EDIT: I especially loved the new decals, they look fantastic. Where did you get them?
Liked this one a lot my grandmother had one on her back porch saw her use it many times, only she used homemade lye soap. Good memories thanks.
You took me back 60 years! Similar machine tub with electric motor. I recognized each part as it was coming off and on. We were a house of guys with mom as the only female, so I as the oldest helped mom with laundry in the old Maytag we paid about $20.00 for in a second hand store in Buckeye AZ.
Bless your moms heart...
I wash shop towels in a 1929 model with a single cylinder model 19 on it
Well done sir. Well done, indeed.
@@jballew2239 thank you sir
1966 we lived on a farm with a small septic system that would not keep up with an automatic clothes washer so Mom bought a new speed queen wringer washer sometimes old school is the only way you have to get things done.
I haven't seen one of these in years! My grandparents had one sitting outside the house. Memories.
Thank you
This guy and his energy gave me serious Aussie vibes, happily surprised to find a fellow Canadian instead!
I remember my grandmother telling me that every Monday back in the hollers of East Tennessee there was a blue haze from all the ladies doing laundry
The "Tennessee smog".
lol i live in Tennesee
I can remember my mother washing our clothes in one of these when I was a kid. It sat on the back porch , and sounded almost just like this one, only louder. Later, she upgraded to an electric model that she used in the kitchen, only it wasn't a deluxe model and she had to crank the rollers by hand. Those rollers will do a mean job mashing your fingers! Don't ask how I know this! LOL
@@Last-Varangian it's called a mangle for a reason, lol.
I fell asleep watching TH-cam on auto. Woke up to this and was so enthralled I watched the rest of it, trying to figure out what I was seeing. Awesome job, I never seen one of the gas powered washers in action. Very cool.
Love the channel. As a young appliance mechanic for Sears in the 60’s, I can say that Our wringers from the 40’s & 50’s did,in fact have wooden bearings,as metal bearings didn’t fare well in watery environments. Can’t speak authoritatively for Maytag. I hope you can find a source for water slide decals. The stickers are a little off putting to my eye. Great work my friend.
I guess those new metal bearings are going to give trouble. Now there are plastic bearings with glass balls. I wonder if these would withstand the pressure of the wringers.
He was taking that thing apart so long I forgot what it was till he put it back together
You did a beautiful job restoring this machine. My mother grew up in great Depression and my grandparents had this old Maytag They had a separate "wash house in back of the main house where this washing machine was. You could not wash clothes while inside. The machine had to be pulled out on the little porch. the fumes and smoke where so strong that you could have died from carbon monoxide. Thanks for posting your fine work.
It would be so nice to have lived back in the day when you brought something home and felt good about a lifelong investment. Now you go buy a washer and dryer every 5 years it seems like and send the old ones to the scrap yard.
My son had a Whirlpool last 17 years, a cheap washer and dryer that came with his home. The agitator quit working. So we got a new Samsung digital, set was $1,000. plus. Hope it lasts more than 5 years. No agitator, the drum moves inside. Has many settings for different types of fabric. At 5'5" I can barely reach the bottom of the drum. It is big. Top loader, but it locks you can't laundry to it. Safety for kids. The dryer takes longer to dry. 1.5 hours for a large load.
I love it so far. We use it 2 times a month. This is probably why the last one lived so long. Because it is not used a lot. I like the windows in the set.
It honestly looks like they just dumped crude oil in that gearbox... Also the zoom following the spider was priceless.
I don't know if it was oil at any point -- but it sure was full of crud nowadays.
Probably full of Graphite. At the time this washer was in use, one could buy flake/powdered graphite in cans, intended to be added to oils and greases.
The original grease/oil contained whale oil...haha
Looks like bentonite clay based grease I found in an older lawn tractor transmission.
@@HandToolRescue - That "Whale Oil"/"Sperm Oil" was used til fairly recently for instrument and watch lubrication.
I remember seeing cans of it in the shop that repaired aircraft instruments.
Seems like a lot of work just to get a load done, amazing how much effort and care you put into these builds! If not for good people like this, old things would just be trash!
When you scraped all the junk out of the hose connection my first thought was "I didn't realize that the water in the Canadian Prairies was that hard..."
mud dawbers
David Harrison why Canadian prairies?
@@judexavier1929 Anyone who is familiar with the Prairies knows how hard the water is and how much mineral content there is in the water. Given that this machine is from the 20's I figured it must have been exposed to gallons of such water. Hence my exaggerated reference to our Prairie water.
David Harrison well I think I’m familiar with the prairies since I’ve lived in Alberta m’whole life... that’s why I was asking.
@@judexavier1929 Yeah I get it but I wonder how many viewers realize that Eric lives in Saskatchewan and what it means to live on the Prairies. So, often I will add a regional reference to give the comment some context.
20 years from now you'll be restoring an early 1900's industrial newspaper printing press.
u made my day :) I didn't know the existance of gas powered washing machines... and in the 20's too! when people used to wash on wooden tables on the bridges...nice restoration very good!
Came across your channel as a recommended and I can’t stop watching. Your powers of restoration are endless, attention to detail first class and you make me laugh. Love it 👌🏻
The plapping of the engine is so audaciously amusing, I love it.
I LOVE seeing vintage mecha restored, whether it’s obsolete or no…
That opening sequence just earned you a subscription pal! LOL
Wow, great job. I so enjoyed your restoration of this antique washer machine.
You do such marvelous work.. and have a delightful eye for detail. It is always a pleasure to watch your restorations.. I saw one of these old washers back when I was a kid int he 70's and this is the first time I have seen one since.. Thanks for the memories..
Love your videos man, I only ever have one suggestion for you, nitrile gloves, if you aren't allergic, they keep your hands safe from those chemicals and oils, and idk about you, but at 32 my hands are destroyed from working on cars and using spirits and alcohol based cleaners lol.
That's proberly not only from oils
imagine this baby with a 50 shot of nitrous get all them grass stains out.
At least 500hp
You'd probably strip the gears or water would be flying everywhere.
You'd have washed all the pesky fabric off of your linens lol
@@jones6686 yup
Trance88 r/woooosh
Maytag is an American Icon. Still in business to this day. The engine itself is a highly sought-after engine in the US. Collectors would pay premium prices for that engine.
This intro never gets old.
Absolutely gorgeous. It made me smile widely when you started washing at the end.
My great aunt had one of those. My granny got it for her as a wedding present and in the 80s we learned how to use it when we visited the old homestead in West Virginia.
Gotta give those old engineers props for designing stuff like this...
I loved how long this video was. It was a challenge but you sure were up for it! Excellent work.👍👌👏
It looks like you have done it 1001 times. Truly impressive.
Absolutely love this little machine. Beautifully restored too. I would use it over my modern one any day.
And that is exaclty how we use to do our laundry! - Thanks for making and sharing the video and for a great restoration of the old Maytag Washer. - You did an outstanding job! - You even looked like you were a pro, when it came to ringing out the laundry! (LOL)