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1915 Westinghouse Sidewinder Ceiling Fan
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1915 Westinghouse Sidewinder Ceiling Fan
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Welcome to my auction for this elegant Westinghouse "Sidewinder" antique ceiling fan. It was m ade between 1910 and 1917. It is commonly referred to as a "Sidewinder" because the blades are bolted directly to the side of the motor casing. When the fan is turned on, the entire casing (the side and top) spins around, while the ornate bottom face plate remains stationary. The fan comes 99% complete, even down to the blades. They are dusty and somewhat scratched, a little chewed in places, but would certainly clean up well with refinishing. Not every antique ceiling fan has useable blades; this one does. Westinghouse was an industrial-age titan; a pillar of manufacturing strength at the turn of the century and beyond. Their ceiling fans reflect a commitment to quality and longevity, and the Sidewinder is an innovative and stylish fan. This 60" (blade span) fan was originally finished "Black Japan" with the face plate most likely being "copper flashed" or "tiger striped," terms used to denote mottled stripes copper finish over black, a very popular style during the art nouveau-dominated early 20th century. You will almost certainly notice the blades, canopy and some of the motor have been covered or splashed with light gray-green paint, which is not original! The Westinghouse Sidewinder speed control was a round porcelain rotary switch, mounted on the nose of the fan. You can see in the photos above that this switch is missing. This is usually the case because over the years, during renovations, remodeling, or demolition, the fans would often be dropped or taken down, and set down upon their switches, promptly breaking the fragile porcelain switch under the heavy cast-iron motor. That's probably what happened to this Sidewinder. The top of the motor, visible above shows the way the blades easily bolt to the side of the motor casing, as well as the ventilator holes, spaced evenly around the top of the motor for cooling. Notice the tag on the upper motor "collar". This tag is stamped out of brass and is a service tag which indicates the hole to replenish the oil reservoir once a season, using a 1/2 oz. of Westinghouse Oil. The tag is covered by white paint but can easily be restored. When the fan is not hanging, this "collar" can be easily removed and the top motor case lifted off the rotor, revealing the ingenious and simple ball-bearing retainer which is constantly running submerged in an oil bath. Notice the spiral groove cut into the motor shaft; this is to raise oil up the shaft, constantly lubricating it against wear. No wonder these fans are so durable! And the rotor, though dirty, has windings that are nice and tight, on both sides. This Westinghouse Sidewinder has been throroughly inspected. The fan motor has been tested: it does work smoothly and quietly! However, cosmetic restoration will clearly be necessary. Westinghouse Sidewinders could originally be ordered with one, two or three speeds. This fan was originally a two-speed Westinghouse, as evidenced by the original speed coil (below) which will be included with the fan. However, the simplest way to use this fan is to wire the fan direct to run on one speed only and use an appropriately-rated wall-mount variable speed control. I do not guarantee that the speed coil is good, but it is at least present. This is an antique ceiling fan, offered with no warranty expressed or implied. Some restoration may eventually be necessary: it is sold "As-Is." From a safety standpoint, this is a heavier-than-normal ceiling fan, so please use an appropriately strong hanging hook as one is not included! It will be the new owner's responsibility to hang the fan from a location with adequate support, such as a ceiling joist. I strongly encourage you to make sure the location will support its' weight. Money orders or Personal Checks are the greatly preferred payment method, though PayPal is accepted with this auction. Personal checks will be held for clearance before the item ships. This is a no-reserve auction!
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