Cleaned up, polished, and painted - well mostly, I still need to deal with the rust on the on the battery cover. Always nice when you get it back together and it still runs!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qnFLhuR5lQ
After I did this video, I realized I hadn't oiled it. When I put a little steam oil on the bits that move against metal, it quieted down quite a bit. Likely a dab of lite grease would be better, especially that pivot point and where the bar slides on the coil cover. The shaft for the flywheel is tiny and its very hard getting the wheel straight. That is because the shaft slightly wiggles in the flywheel's hole and when you tighten the set key the flywheel wants to tilt. Also, the shaft isn't long enough to make all the way out/even to the outside of the wheel. Which if the shaft made it a few millimeters out the other side of the wheel, I think it would be a lot more stable.
As I expected, this isn't a very powerful engine. For one, I seriously doubt 1930s D-Cells would last very long. I tried to run my Empire swing and it couldn't even try to move with it connected. Perhaps it could run the table saw or polishing wheel.
It makes me wonder if this engine wasn't contracted out and made by some other manufacturer for Empire. It really seems like a odd ball when comparing it to all the other Empire engines & accessories. Not having any markings or label for a engine just isn't like Empire.
My brother has confirmed he will get the B-44s battery slide cover sandblasted and then his paint & body friend (I know him too) will finish it up: bondo, primer, & paint it for me. He'll use my Dupli-Color cans (primer, paint, & clear) to spray it.
So the battery cover will be the cherry on the top for this little engine! Or that is what I am hoping for :-)
Rough clean up more or less complete on the battery cover. After a bit more scrubbing/sanding my brother will send it off to Chad, his paint & body friend.
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It appears to have survived its prior neglect in surprisingly good condition under all that rust and corrosion!
That's putting it lightly I think, it was well on the road to having holes in it. Hopefully this work will last a long time.
Battery cover after final drip/sanding/drying. Now it is really ready for bondo, primer, paint, top coating! It was so close to being Swiss cheese!!
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Don’t know if you have this 1940 ad?
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Holy Cow, No I do not Thank you, Thank you!
Interesting thing, no where does it say "Empire Metal Ware" - unless I am overlooking it. Makes me wonder if Empire was just reselling these little engines.
Also, the ad totally lies - it could never run an accessory (I've tried)! LOL
Holy Cow, No I do not Thank you, Thank you!
AWESOME!! That was page 164 of a 1940 catalog, this was page 163. Such a shame I burned so many catalogs 20 years ago cleaning out my great-grandparents house…
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You burned them? Like you meant too, for cooking hotdogs or something?
Just like the B-44 before it, the ad isn't saying anything about Empire Metal Ware...
You burned them? Like you meant too, for cooking hotdogs or something?
Just like the B-44 before it, the ad isn't saying anything about Empire Metal Ware...
Had a fire going for an entire summer getting ready for an auction. Sheds had all kinds of old catalogs, Penny’s, Sears, Monkey Wards etc. full of mice damage, but probably had toy steam ads hidden in some of them… Some were in the outhouse too, but don’t use the shiny paper 😂
Here is the batter cover primered and then painted! My brother is coming down to Austin on Sunday to deliver a Model-A to a client, hopefully I'll be able to get it from him before I have to fly out to Atlanta in the afternoon. If not, then I'll have to wait until April when I return to Texas for a visit.
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Don’t know if you have this 1940 ad?
(Attachment Link)
Relooking at this ad (I have one now too) and my opinion is that Empire didn't make the "B-44" but was made by Gilbert Electric Motors. I am pretty sure that is what that ad is telling us. Which is why the engine is such a odd duck when compared to the other Empire line (also no Empire/Model stampings).
Heck, the engine that I have could have come from Gilbert Electric Motors as No. 4242 - no way to tell. Either way, I am telling everyone its a Empire B-44 LOL