Richardj's Repair Corner

Post Reply New Topic

I decided to make this thread to document repairs to items that I do. This thread will be a perennial, so I don't make a bunch of similar smaller threads. Feel free to ask questions.

To start things off, last night, I fixed this vintage Intermatic light/appliance timer. This device uses a synchronous motor and steep reduction gearing to turn the front dial, which depending on what you set, switches the plug on the side on or off at various times. When I first got it from a yard sale a month ago for $3, I tried it and the dial never moved. I finally got around to looking at it last night and after taking it apart I first checked to see if there was any continuity at the plug, an indication of whether the synchronous motor had its windings go open or if it was just stuck. My ohmmeter indicated about 1k ohms of resistance from hot to neutral. The windings were good, I now knew that it was likely fixable.

The fix entailed taking some light electric motor oil(I used an old can of gun oil, because I'm out of Zoom Spout or blue can 3in1 oil) and putting a couple drops into the two tiny openings of the synchronous motor and gearbox assembly. Almost all synchronous motors are sealed systems like this, you cannot take them apart, and those two points were never originally meant for servicing. The rear hole is also where the armature protrudes slightly and the rear sintered brass bushing type bearing can be seen. After oiling, I tried plugging it in again, I saw the armature move slightly which means that it is just still too gummed up to work yet wit is in all likelihood fixable. I then took a recommendation I saw on the internet of heating the motor assembly up to free up some of the old grease and allow the motor oil added to move around and work more freely. I set it in front of a hair dryer for some time and then tried plugging it in, to which it moved much more than the first time. I took a small screw driver and used it to manipulate and move the armature, it then started spinning, I let it go for another few minutes to work in the oil before un-plugging to check if it would now be able to restart unassisted, which it did. I then reassembled the timer and set plugged a lamp into it for the final test.

Here it is about 14 hours later, still working.



One of the back of the unit, I also have another one of these timers too, that I got from an old hardware store, that was in box, never used. I believe that they are from the late 1960s.

Very cool looking machine. I love old machines. I have an old Remington Rand typewriter that my father-in-law used to use in his automobile full service station years and years ago. I have printed off repair manuals and when I have free time I'd like to restore it.

Thanks, I collect vintage items and subsequently often have to try to fix them, this is just one of many.

That typewriter sounds interesting, always nice when something comes with a story.

Not a typical fix for me, but I installed now hinges on a toilet seat today, the old ones were the plastic, easily removable(& breakable) type. The new one is a metal hinge that I hope will last longer, as we have gone through two seats in a month, therefore I decided to re-hinge the old one instead this time.

They break because my father has so much pain that he often won't sleep for days on end then when he finally does it can be quite dramatic. He will be saying something and fall so far asleep that you cannot wake him for anything, he will periodically get up try to do something and fall asleep standing/sitting there. He did that in the bathroom twice, destroying the toilet seat hinges both times and once tripping the thermal fuse on the bathroom heater from it running for hours with him in there and overheating. I fixed that by ordering another thermal fuse from Allied Electronics, but that was months ago. It actually tripped when I shut the heater off and there was no longer airflow across the red hot coils.

Fixed a flashlight that my father broke and partially repaired, he glued the AAA battery holder together forgetting to put one contact back on before. There was no way to shove the extended spring that makes contact with the central positive post back in without breaking it again and re-gluing, which would further degrade the structural integrity. What I did was to remove the extra bit of spring and to solder a little bit of fine wire to the rest of the spring contact and run that wire to the far side of the central positive post, where it was soldered as well.

To sum up, I spent 1/2 hour fixing a cheaply made my father got for free at Harbor Freight Tools. It was fun, though.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

As a side note, considering the lack of replies, unless this one turns out different, I might just discontinue this thread.
I guess there aren't too many aspies who like fixing things. If there is any way to improve this thread to where it may be appreciated by more folks, do tell me. I like sharing my interests, but if I am talking to the proverbial wall, I am doing neither the uninterested reader nor myself any good.

I hope your father is ok. There's nothing wrong with fixing something of little value like the flashlight. Great idea.

Yep. Sorry about your dad. Does he have back pain?

I'm dreadfully sorry for taking so long to respond, I was on a trip to meet up with other washing machine, vacuum, and TV collectors, I tried replying on my phone last week and it failed to post and left me high and dry.

He has terrible back pain, many people speak of having a a couple bad discs, he has a lower count of good discs, all others are bone on bone, or bulged and pinching nerves. He was a plumber for 27 years, as he will often proudly proclaim, and between that and bad genes, he is this way. They finally gave him a pain pump, which applies high strength medication directly to his back, hopefully it will let his brain fog from oral medication clear. His poor memory and inability to listen, make talking to him difficult and frustrating. If anything, his lack of memory is a greater loss than his physical limitations. He taught me much of what I know, now he disagrees with what he taught me and gives nonsensical advice.