OT - Way OT, not even in the ball park. I need a fan part

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:18 pm

Very, Way OT, not even in the ball park. I need a fan part fabricated.

I have an old Westinghouse oscillating fan that works better than any of the new junk.
But the part that connects the base to the motor and the oscillator parts has broken. I've epoxied it once and it broke again.

This part is made from aluminum or pot metal or what I don't know. The fan is probably late teens early 20s manufacture. Yep, almost a 100 years old.

This part will require either a casting with clean up machining, or a complete machining job.

I have pictures of the part, and I can supply the original part as a sample.

Does anybody have any idea who could do this job?

Now, if somebody would know of any sources for antique fan parts, that would even be better.

Joe

iceman · Post by **iceman** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:40 pm

Just an idea. Contact Westinghouse with the model number etc (if you can find it,) they may have a part, or be willing to make one and use the story to show how well the product is made. You might want to try their marketing department. You never know unless you try. Good luck.

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 8:07 pm

I need a pic. I have several old Westinghouse fans.

bsaride · Post by **bsaride** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 8:58 pm

When all else fails contact my brother and I at:

classicobsoleteparts.com

We are working on a startup that is taking us awhile to get off the ground.
Since we haven't done any work yet other than get the website up.

FYI I'm an electro-mechanical designer and bro has a machine shop.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 11:53 pm

Tycer,

Here's a composite picture of the part. I'll dig the fan out tomorrow and post the exact Brand, model, and anything else I can think of.

As for contacting the manufacturer I'll bet all I'd get is some remark that they don't make it anymore.

Joe

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 6:22 am

Joe, do you have a pic of the assembled fan? Or assembled enough for me to tell which one it is?

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 1:19 pm

Tycer,

The fan is completely torn apart. Give me some time to see if I can reassemble it.
Somewhere I might have a pic of it I can scan in.

Joe

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 1:20 pm

Look on ebay for a pic of one like yours and post the link.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 1:28 pm

eBay??????????? Barfffffsss, gag, puke ............ OK, I'll check.

Tycer,
Here is the link to a fan of the exact style number as mine.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Antique-Wes ... dZViewItem

The part I need , or one of them, is the part between the base and the motor.
If you'll look at the one pic that shows the back, then look down and see the big wing nut the part it goes into is what I need.

J

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Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 12:21 pm

I have one like that and it's cracked there too.

My thought was to drill and tap it and use hardened screws to hold it together. It was obviously not a great design as we now know of three that are cracked in the same spot.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 12:55 pm

Tycer,
Thanks for checking. Now, on to plan B ....... uh does anybody remember what plan B was????

Joe

Rimfire McNutjob · Post by **Rimfire McNutjob** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 2:17 pm

It seems to have been a casting with some machining after the fact ... is it more likely that it's aluminum rather than zinc alloy (pot metal)? Could it be TIG'd back together?

Junior · Post by **Junior** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 2:56 pm

Joe, that's a neat-lookin' old fan. I see why you want to fix it. TIG weld might work--if you can find somebody to do it. I can't find one in this entire parish.

Rimfire McNutjob · Post by **Rimfire McNutjob** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:34 pm

If it's zinc alloy and I put the TIG torch to it ... it will vanish into a puff of white smoke and a molten silver pool. The zinc alloys have a pretty low melting point and zinc. If it's aluminum, it can be TIG'd. It could also be recast in 356 if you were to super-glue it together and use it as a pattern in the sand mold. It would still require some finish machining though.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 6:36 pm

It is glued - epoxyed back together right now. I did that to get the pictures.
Someone PM'd me about manufacturing me a replacement part, but I don't know which member it is.

I probably should find out.

I don't think this part is aluminum. It more resembles the pot metal that was used before aluminum came out in the 30s. I really don't know though. It's a gray material that is very coarse where it fractured.

Joe