Fan...how much?

[RocknRoll]

Hi all..... Saw posts about fans....so I bought one today.....supposedly from 1918.....how much should I ask? Should I clean/paint/refurbish?

 

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[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

I have the same question...

Keep @ it and HH !!

 

[Baltimore]

looks like yours is actually from 1938. The top fan in the emerson section

The Fan Page

 

[Baltimore]

this pretty nice one sold for about $80

Antique Art Deco 1938 Vintage Emerson Electric 79648 AK 16" Oscillating Desk Fan | eBay

 

[war-digs-it]

I sold the two I purchased last week on e-bay.

One was a G.E. very similar looking to your Emerson. No cord and
not working, a little less rust. $56.00 plus the shipping.

The other was a Century, older with brass blades and not working, no cord
and that one only went for $41.00 plus the shipping. Brass blades are
usually more desirable. Both had 16 inch diameter blades.

If yours is in working condition, I think it would be fun and worth it to
paint it all pretty again. Restored fans like these can fetch up to $250.00
and sometimes more, sometimes less.

 

[mojjax]

That is a nice lookin fan - Check the blades with a magnet , they could be brass . Then the price goes up . And the cage - If that's Brass , the price goes Up Up Up !
I bought a GE fan a few years ago - the blades were black - now they are shiny brass after I polished them .

 

[jerseyben]

I have 3 that I bought a few years ago. An Emerson brass blade, an Emerson steel blade, and a Century brass blade. The Century doesnt work and I was told they are crap (will sell eventually). I plan on (slowly) restoring the brass blade Emerson for my hobby room and one of these days I will sell the other one.

Pre-1950 (Antique) - Antique Fan Collectors Association - AFCA Forums

Hope this link helps someone.

 

[capt-zero]

There are numerous websites devoted to antique fan restoration. It's not a difficult project, if you have some basic electrical and metal painting skills. The link provided by jerseyben is a good one. They recently downgraded that site from a paysite to open to all. Plenty of posters who will help with questions you might have. I have done well with the fans I have bought (usually for around $5 or so) and if you decide not to sell it, you wont find a modern fan that can compare in quality and quietness. The only problem with them is they definitely can be toddler finger magnets. Best to mount them out of reach.

 

[RocknRoll]

I took magnet to the blades....non-magnetic.....are they brass or other metal (aluminum ??)

The magnet stuck to the fan guard and fan base.


Thanks everyone for your previous input!!!

 

[capt-zero]

To do a complete restoration, you will have to recondition and paint the blades anyway, or if they are brass, you will have to do a pretty invasive polishing (usually brass blades are not painted). If you will take a knife or other sharp object, make a small scratch on one of the blades at the base on the back and check the type of metal. I have yet to find a brass bladed fan, but I have taken to painting the blades gold and get a very nice result. Some older fans (especially Hunters) came from the factory this way.

 

[mojjax]

I took magnet to the blades....non-magnetic.....are they brass or other metal (aluminum ??)

The magnet stuck to the fan guard and fan base.


Thanks everyone for your previous input!!!

I may be wrong but , I don't think aluminum turns black like that - but brass does . Can you see any screws that holds the cage on ? And the shaft to the blades ,that goes into the motor housing , may have a tiny set screw that holds the blade unit on .You have to get the cage off to get the blades off .Make sure you put bolt ease oil on any screws before working them- you should have the blade unit off in order to polish it properly - I use NOXON metal polish - works good .

 

[capt-zero]

With earlier Emerson fans there is indeed a set screw on the fan shaft holding it in place. However, on later models, the blade is mounted with the use of left hand threads on the blade shaft itself. The rear of the motor housing has an indention that a screwdriver or metal shaft can be placed into to lock rotation, then the blade can be backed off carefully. Care must be taken not to put undue pressure on the blades themselves or the risk of bending individual blades can occur. While there is a simple method to retrue blades at home, it is a quite tedious operation.