Crumbs! Toast the vintage way

[Herald1360]

I'd buy a site tool transformer and pension off the Dualit just to have one of those in my kitchen!


Were they ever sold here?

[Terry_VK5TM]

Originally Posted by merlinmaxwell

At least the "dangerous" wires glow red, what twit would touch them? I have looked at my current pop up toaster and I can very easily touch the elements when it is on.

And there was a lady just down the road from us that got a shock from a modern toaster only a few weeks ago, so modern ones are no safer.


Those older ones definitely make better toast than this modern stuff, I remember having one many moons ago (also good for creating charcoal )

[Refugee]

When I was very young we had one the same.
I don't remember seeing it after we moved house in the mid 1960s though.

[Dave Moll]

Originally Posted by G6Tanuki

You can get 3- and 4-core 0.75mm 'high temperature' flex [white rubber sheathed] from places that do central-heating supplies, where it's used for wiring diverter-valves. Rated for 150C continuous - I'd be happier using that on a toaster than any rubber- or plastic-insulated flex.

To make it look vintage, cut the ends off a long walking-boot-lace, pull the inner cords out and slip the resultant braided sleeve over your flex.

I've done this in the past to make up 'vintage-looking' headphone/microphone-leads for WWII military radios. You can even get 'speckled' bootlaces if you want added authenticity.

That may be worth a try. I have a local electrical supplier where I can get the flex - and there's no shortage of suppliers of walking gear in this area!

[Mike Phelan]

Not exactly vintage and not the cheapest, but we've been a Dualit for years now. Advantages:

• Toasts all the way through.
• No electronics.
• Still the same model made now.
• Keeps toast warm if needed.
• Elements last for years.

Cheap modern toasters don't last and often don't toast right through the slice.
As an aside, we've always made our own bread since the bread strike in 1977 - we don't have the plastic bread, as we call it.

[LeakyGrid]

I have an old piece of cloth-covered 3-core, possibly from an iron. It is 1/4 inch diameter and about 1.75m long. The specks are yellow rather than white. You are welcome to it if you think it would be suitable.

Roger

[Paul_RK]

I failed to resist giving this one a home when it appeared in the window of a charity shop in town: of anonymous manufacture, and about as simple a production as it could possibly be if you overlook the sophistication of the fitted toast rack. Haven't tried it yet, I think I'll have to sooner or later though it looks as though it's never seen any use. It won't be replacing the kitchen Rowlett Rutland, which resembles our former Dualit in size, weight, functionality and ease of maintenance, but has a couple of advantages: a bell sounds when the toast is ready, and it can be set to produce one slice or three, not just two or four. Fortunately we both like the look of it too.

Paul

[defender]

Originally Posted by McMurdo

Any fan of vintage toasting should see this (bear with the light-hearted presentation for a while!).

https://youtu.be/1OfxlSG6q5Y

I watched that video a while back and as I started reading I thought of it and was going to post it.
What a fascinating toaster from a long time ago, but it seems the only ones I could find were on USA ebay and were quite expensive.

I like how when you put the bread in it slowly lowers it down into the toaster and when its done it slowly rises again.

[MurphyNut]

What a lovely object, nice having the original box too. I have a few in my collection here's a GEC and HMV. Like most things I bet there're people collecting vintage toasters big time.

[dave walsh]

That's really great Kevin. The presenter is actually quite entertaining with a dry sense of humour that I suspect wouldn't be understood by some of his compatriots, who may not do "irony" [pun intended]. He reminds me of Bob Newhart, featured in a documentary on Sky Arts Thursday 19th [there will be a repeat soon] . I've repaired a couple of "electronic" toasters, having fashioned tools to get them open. They aren't anything like as substantial and the magnets often seem be just on the edge of failing to attract. I suspect that there are many and varied reasons for the electro-mechanical version not being copied, particularly it's ability to not break down perhaps. It is indeed a bit of a 20th century design classic [1930's?]. My first thought was that it's been "borrowed" from the home of Wallace and Grommet, the national centre for cheese on toast.

Dave W

I was going to say that I thought you would have something similar Clive but you beat me to it!

[boxdoctor]

Happy memories !
The late G.L.W. and I were presented with THREE of these as wedding presents (from differerent people) in 1963 !
They were very satisfactory in use, but eventually all three of them were binned, over about 20 years, due to O/C elements. The cause seemed to be bits of bread falling onto the elements and causing hot-spots, which very quickly caused them to go open circuit.
We had no problem with uneven toasting, maybe the elements were of a slightly different design to the one Colourstar referred to.
Note to 'Elf n' Safety hawks - I dont ever recall a case of one of these causing anybody's death by electrocution.... Tony

[Nickthedentist]

Fascinating video, Kevin, thanks for posting.

[Heatercathodeshort]

Originally Posted by merlinmaxwell

At least the "dangerous" wires glow red, what twit would touch them? I have looked at my current pop up toaster and I can very easily touch the elements when it is on.

Very exposed elements. Very easy for a child to touch or more likely touch with a knife. Most young children can be 'twits'.

Times have changed and there is no respect for electricity and it's possible hazards to which my generation were taught.

As I posted, A bit of fun but a hazard in the MODERN home to say nothing of a fire risk when you forget to turn it over!

Would I have let my mother use it? No! Regards, John.

PS The last thing we want is a tragic accident caused by this and other dangerous items such as open bar fires and aged electric blankets!

[merlinmaxwell]

Point taken, it is a shame that danger isn't taught now, not "don't even think about it" but "examine and reason"*. People expect to be "totally safe" these days. We have fun with our "won't pass modern regulations" stuff because we "examine and reason". We have to protect the uninformed from such things but when no one is left to do it (like us)?

*horrible sentence, I couldn't think of a better way of saying it even after a few minutes of contemplation.

[broadgage]

I would urge the use of an RCD with these vintage toasters, not by any means a cure all, but does reduce the risks.
Whilst with common sense the risks are reasonable, RCDs are a cheap and simple extra precaution.

An isolating transformer would make it still safer, but is large and rather expensive.

The other risk is going out and leaving the appliance turned on. Best avoided, but probably only slightly worse than leaving a radiant electric heater turned on.

An external "run back timer" could be used if desired.

[Dave Moll]

Originally Posted by broadgage

The other risk is going out and leaving the appliance turned on. Best avoided, but probably only slightly worse than leaving a radiant electric heater turned on.

The problem is much greater if you leave it on with the slice(s) of bread still in. At best you will return to a kitchen full of smoke, but at worst...

[Oldcodger]

Originally Posted by Terry_VK5TM

And there was a lady just down the road from us that got a shock from a modern toaster only a few weeks ago, so modern ones are no safer.


Those older ones definitely make better toast than this modern stuff, I remember having one many moons ago (also good for creating charcoal )

Bit O/T, but I remember the old open fire making good toast. Then again in Rhodesia ,the old log burner ( much needed on the edge of the Kalihari) turning out great stuff, and even the Brai ( BBQ to our OZ friends) used in colonial terms doing a decent job.
but I've had doubts about modern toasters when used with cut in half bread rolls. I've had no problems as I use a plastic implement to dig the toasted bits out, after taking the plug out of the socket.

[Cobaltblue]

Drifting a bit please stay on topic.

Cheers

Mike T

[turretslug]

Beware that vintage "style" flex is often PVC with a woven overbraid, rather than a specifically heat-resistant type.

I've unearthed a NOS half-roll of heat-resistant appliance flex with white/black herringbone overbraid (high-temperature rubber, not PVC, insulated cores with current brown, blue, green/yellow colours), it's only 0.75mm sq., so only really appropriate for less than about 1700W loading. If you're interested, I'm happy to bung your choice of length in the post,

Colin.

[Paul_RK]

Originally Posted by turretslug

it's only 0.75mm sq., so only really appropriate for less than about 1700W loading.

Very generously rated for any vintage two-slice toaster - my anonymous boxed example in the photos above has no indication of rating, but a '40s Rowlett here is 450W, and a '30s Magnet (GEC) 600W, a popular choice back then to allow connection to the lighting circuit.