1930's "Zero" Electric Fan Complete Restoration

This McGraw Electric Company "Zero" electric fan was manufactured somewhere between the 1930's and mid 1950's. In the 1957 the McGraw Electric Company was bought by the Thomas A. Edison company and became McGraw-Edison.
I purchased this for $8 from a local antique store that was going out of business. It was being sold just as a rustic decorative piece and the cord had been completely snipped off.
______Timestamps ______
0:00 - Overview and Disassembly
4:10 - Cleaning the small parts
4:51 - Cleaning the rotor
5:38 - Mastercraft logo cleaning and nickel plating
5:56 - Mastercraft badge cleaning
6:13 - Base and housing rust removal and painting
9:03 - Fan blade rust removal, sanding, polishing, nickel plating
10:47 - Rear housing sanding, polishing, nickel plating
11:55 - Fan cage rust removal, sanding, polishing
13:11 - "Zero" badge cleanup
13:28 - Motor restoration
15:39 - Reassembly
19:39 - Before and After
20:16 - Testing
21:29 - Thanks for watching and please subscribe!
______Tips for restoring your own "Zero" Electric Fan ______
Please leave a comment if you’re restoring your own fan like this and need any advice along the way if anything in my video was unclear!
The disassembly is fairly straightforward. As you remove every screw you can find it'll start to come apart pretty easily. Be very careful with the delicate motor internals. If you're lucky the coil windings will still be intact.
For restoring the motor internals, I first tested the coils with a multimeter to make sure there was at least a continuous circuit. Fortunately there was. The only other alternative is to wind new coils, but the armature of this fan was manufactured cheaply and was never intended to be disassembled to put new coil windings into it. If you notice the coating wearing off on the wires in the coils you can spray them with a fresh coat of varnish or brush on liquid electrical tape. I used friction tape (heavy duty double-sided fabric tape) to re-tape the coil windings, which is recommended by the Antique Fan Collectors Association.
______ Social Media ______
Instagram: @catalyst_restorations
MERCH SHOP: my-store-cae4fb.creator-sprin...
#restoration #Fan #antique

[@FakeBob80]

I love the little icons in the top corner stating the tool or part. Nice touch!

[@CatalystRestorations]

Glad you like it!!

[@valengreymoon5623]

The classic "finger chopper. I'll take one of these any day, over any cheap plastic unit that might only last one season.

[@CatalystRestorations]

You'll only make the mistake once!

[@valengreymoon5623]

I definitely know that first-hand....er, finger.

[@bp059]

get a dyson

[@blueeyedbehr]

oh, this video is so comforting. i grew up with a fan like that but it died when i was in my teens and i never saw it again. i wish it will still with me fully restored like the one in your video!

[@CatalystRestorations]

Aww, I'm so glad to hear that it was comforting for you. There a good number of working ones in pretty nice condition in eBay that aren't too expensive, if you want to bring those memories back to life someday 😊

[@shavinmccrotch9435]

I have several I bought over the years from eBay and other sites. It’s easy to find one in decent condition for under $50. The trick is finding one that doesn’t go, "ting-ting-pang ting-ting-pang ting-ting-pang ting-ting-pang…." or "ting ting ting ting ting ting ting…" Not sure which is worse. 🤔

[@MarkMeadows90]

My dad restored and old GE fan from the 1940s when I was younger. I remember him saying it was the easiest fan he has every worked on. You did a great job with this one.

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks Mark! It really is surprisingly simple to get a decent motor out of just two little coils of wire!

[@123bugness]

I am so glad you do these videos, man! Thank you. I am so sick of the fake restoration channels out there. (bushcraft, primitive living, et all). You are a star! Keep up the good work.

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thank you so much! Seriously, it means SO much to me that people like you take the time to reach out with comments like this. This channel is a labor of love and 100% genuine - I spend so many weekends with my fiancée hitting up antique stores and flea markets scouring for fun things to restore!

[@mskayla7747]

Nicely done. Love the red paint job. 👍

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks! I was going for a vintage sports car feel 😁👍

[@Anrakyr]

As always, great job! You've restored it wonderfully. Such a design of an asynchronous two-winding electric motor is still found, perhaps because of the simplicity of manufacturing.

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thank you for watching! Amazing how much two simple little coils can do!

[@LittleRestorers]

Fabulous job... I like how you brought the chrome parts back to life with the nickel plating. Love the new logo btw 👌 👍

[@CatalystRestorations]

Nickel plating is always one of my favorite parts! And thanks in the new logo, been feeling nostalgic lately!

[@johnfish1194]

Man, im so jealous. I love those old school fans. great job. :)

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks! There really is something special about them! Maybe it's the thrill of danger being only one finger away!

[@bluebonnetjasmine969]

You did a beautiful job on that fan. It works and it's beautiful.

[@CatalystRestorations]

Why thank you!! 🥰

[@bluebonnetjasmine969]

@@CatalystRestorations you are very welcome

[@NolaGal2601]

Nice work and great presentation. You can have vintage pieces that actually work and don’t have to just sit around collecting dust. 🎉

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thank you! That's the goal of the channel - restore things to actually use them again! 😁👍

[@yeagerxp]

Very good restoration 👍👍👍Thank you for sharing. Be safe 🇨🇦

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks for watching! Happy belated Canada Day!

[@robertmanley7556]

Very nice work !! I love the red and silver it looks AMAZING !! Very very nice !! 👍👍

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks! I was going for a vintage sports car feel since the design of it reminds me of one!

[@AaronBelknap]

That grill was a mess, such great patience to bring it back! Great job on that fan. I need to get a plating kit for some old sockets that are rusty I got from my father in law when he passed!

[@CatalystRestorations]

That grill was a major pain too! Such tedious work to clean up and polish.

[@shedmanx3640]

A very nice restoration mate. Very well done.

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks! Glad you're a fan! 😉

[@envitech02]

From ZERO to HERO, this is an excellent restoration of an antique fan. Very competent work! Love the chrome against the bright red.

[@CatalystRestorations]

Reminds me of a classic car! Thanks for watching!!

[@oldsailorsworkshop]

Great video. Well staged and performed. I am looking forward to more from you as I have a few of these fans. (I was born in 1941 so these are from my family)...stay safe...captjack...

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks! This was the first ever fan I've restored after several years of trying to get my hand on one that was properly rusty and broken!

[@oldsailorsworkshop]

@@CatalystRestorations Worth the wait...satay safe...captjack

[@CrustyRestorations]

Cracking little resto job, will happily be around for more years to come 👍

[@CatalystRestorations]

It's come in handy on some warm days recently!!

[@Phil197]

Great job , Yes I would like to see more fan restorations I also have a couple of old ones

[@CatalystRestorations]

Cool!

[@GT_Racer347]

Same here. 👌

[@hoghuntrdogestyl]

Thats one cool looking restoration 😎

[@CatalystRestorations]

I'm a fan 😎

[@stormkhan4250]

Nice little restoration. Not sure but those small felt rings around the brass bearings I think are supposed to be oiled to give those bearings some lubrication? Also, put a rubber grommet around the electrical cable where it goes into the sheet metal housing to stop them getting cut into. 😀

[@CatalystRestorations]

Yup, the felt rings are for that and also help dampen vibration! The small oil hole at the top aligns with at least one of the felt rings. Great suggestion on the grommet!

[@davids6533]

@@CatalystRestorations This comment is what I was looking for. I was about to leave a similar one. : )

[@barthanes1]

Yep, I was going to say the felt needed oil, but I guess you've done it already. I need to do my GE fan, but haven't gotten to it yet.

[@MikeNHOC]

Nicely done!

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks!

[@utube460]

Wow - superb job ! 👌👌🌹

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thank you for watching!! 😁👍

[@nineteenandfortyone]

Looks great!

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thank you! And thanks for watching!

[@michaelhoward1900]

Great Restoration! FWIW, I use marbles to fill up the empty space when I use Evapo-Rust. Works really well and they are cheap at garage sales.

[@CatalystRestorations]

You're a genius, sir! So simple, yet effective. Really appreciate the tip!

[@mohammad.ashiquehussain2676]

This is original restoration Wow good job

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thank you!!

[@SirLunchalot2]

Great job Sir. Not my choice of color but to each his own. I have one of these fans that still works, you inspire me to try this.

[@CatalystRestorations]

Best of luck! And you can choose a color that suits you better then!! 😉

[@MASI_forging]

Great work dude 😉😉

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks!

[@LabArlyn]

This is lovely 🍓 I like the way you re-apply chrome to the cage. 🍓 I also do like restorating things like this too 🍓

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thank you! I was actually nickel plating everything instead of chrome plating - chrome plating requires some nasty chemicals I never want to use at home! 😷

[@White-sn3qw]

These can make some good power armor resources

[@CatalystRestorations]

This comment reminds me of how disappointed I was with Fallout 4 😭

[@White-sn3qw]

@@CatalystRestorations Bethesda moment 😞

[@mohammad.ashiquehussain2676]

Perfact job ❤

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks for watching!

[@jamesshea2712]

Amazing job

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thank you, James!!

[@jamesshea2712]

@@CatalystRestorations your welcome

[@jamesshea2712]

@@CatalystRestorations your welcome

[@jozsefizsak]

Very nice!

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks!

[@tammythompson1927]

Love it!

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks Tammy!

[@andrzejporeda7281]

Przepiękna jest zrobiona ta robota i super jest odrestaurowany ten stary zabytkowy wiatrak pozdrawiam twórcę tego filmiku serdecznie 👍👍👍👍

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks for watching!!

[@herrdeutschmann4602]

Well Done!

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks for watching!!

[@mjtunstall1976]

nice fan restoration, btw a new fan here, sorry bad pun!

[@CatalystRestorations]

First rule of Catalyst Restorations: never apologize for a pun! Second rule of Catalyst Restorations: tell everyone about Catalyst Restorations

[@carrestore]

good job bro👍

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks man!

[@lydiaflatt9859]

Old fans are one of my favorite things.

[@CatalystRestorations]

After restoring this one - same!

[@CatalystRestorations]

Like and subscribe if you want me to start an onlyfans where I restore nothing but fans

[@peterlittlehorse5695]

Old fans are my favourite. I've got an old c.1907 Western Electric VICTOR fan with tank motor, brass blades and cage but I don't have the skills to restore it.

[@smashyrashy]

​@@peterlittlehorse5695you:🗽 the joke:🛩 joke destination: 🏢🏢

[@CatalystRestorations]

​@@peterlittlehorse5695brass fans are so beautiful. I've tried for a long time to find one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg!

[@HELIOCLEMES]

excelente

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thank you!!

[@oneshotme]

It looks great and you did a wonderful job restoring it as well!!!! I hate rivets it just makes it look cheap! It'd be nice to see you learn how to use pins with the tool I enjoyed your video so I gave it a Thumbs U

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks! Totally agree on the rivets. Solid rivets are such a pain.

[@oneshotme]

@@CatalystRestorations You're welcome!! I know what you mean but the look is worth it in the end

[@lucasstiles8012]

6:47 Power On, Garth

[@CatalystRestorations]

Power on Wayne! Excellent!

[@mikegrandinette6253]

Looks great , a little tweaking of the blade and some thrust washers should quiet it down , the shaft is bouncing back and forth due to the magnetic field

[@CatalystRestorations]

Yup, you are spot on with all of that! Balancing the blades is no easy task either!

[@quintonguelda3599]

Did you oil the feots on the armature besrings? I never saw it in the video. If not give it a try and it might smoith out a bit. Nice restoration

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks! And I did oil the felts! Gave them a good soaking after getting everything together. If you keep in regularly oiled it is much quieter.

[@Dog.soldier1950]

This. Fan was mine and only cooling I had as a teenager in 1960’s Richland WA. Average summer temperature:95

[@CatalystRestorations]

Hooo boy!!! My A/C is currently out and it's 85 here and about 80% humidity and I can't imagine just having fans every day.

[@krovosystral8564]

it looks from beginning like an Fallout 4 Fan but this are green xD nice job

[@CatalystRestorations]

You are so right! Luckily this one has more scrap in it that just gears and screws like in the game! 🤣

[@krovosystral8564]

@@CatalystRestorations true story xD

[@bluebonnetjasmine969]

I just bought a fan like this. I've never had one before and I was wondering how do you oil it? Do you put a few drops of oil in the hole that says oil or do you have to take the fan apart to oil it? If you can give me some advice about this I'd appreciate it. Thank you.

[@CatalystRestorations]

You are exactly right - a few drops of oil in the oil hole is all you should need, assuming the rest of it is all in good working order!

[@bluebonnetjasmine969]

@@CatalystRestorations thank you so much. I appreciate it. I've only seen pics of the fan. It looks very good from what I seen of the pics.

[@IratePuffin]

I love it but it seems pretty noisy. Do you think maybe sanding the blades made them wobble?

[@CatalystRestorations]

It's moreso that I didn't truly have the blade angles absolutely perfect. Ideally you use a micrometer and go blade by blade making incremental adjustments to balance out the whole blade.

[@bijankumar2922]

Troublesome restoration but done wonderful job !

[@CatalystRestorations]

It wasn't easy! Thank you!

[@lauravasquez1806]

hermoso😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@fnafplayer6447]

I saw one of these at a flea market once.

[@CatalystRestorations]

Cool!

[@TheCrimsonFoxx]

interesting, I must have a later model. mine is a dull robins egg blue, with aluminum blades and vents on the side of the motor housing instead of the top

[@CatalystRestorations]

Interesting! As far as I know they made the "Zero" for at least a few decades so it's entirely possible! The aluminum blades probably helped keep people from slicing their fingers off too 😅

[@TheCrimsonFoxx]

@@CatalystRestorations you should see the fan we have at home to move air around the house, the cage is about 18" around with a 2 blade fan and a cage like the zero the propeller is made of plastic or resin it's probably from the early 40's and works like a charm, no telling about fingers though. that motor has to be at least 1/4hp edit: its a Fresh Nd' Aire model 20 out of chicago IL.

[@omicronGaming69]

I have a virtually identical fan, however the branding is from a toronto company called Eskimo! It was made in the early 50's!

[@CatalystRestorations]

Very cool! I came across many Eskimo fans in doing research for this project! I believe they were the next generation after the Zero.

[@user-yf5it2bj1o]

nice work even though in low tech

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks!

[@user-gs8py2ez9e]

عالی بود

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks for watching!

[@alessandropezzella4121]

❤

[@CatalystRestorations]

❤️🩷🧡💛

[@dennisp.2147]

Did you ever oil the felts?

[@CatalystRestorations]

Absolutely! There's little oil holes on the outside shell that line up with where the pads are too!

[@xploration1437]

I sliced the bottom of my big toe open with a fan like that as a child. Oops. Looks awesome!

[@CatalystRestorations]

We've all something like that! Only once though!

[@user-cn9of3lv9w]

Супер 👍🏿👍🏿😊😊😊

[@CatalystRestorations]

Thanks! 👍

[@2K_Restoration]

Sometimes you just have to say goodbye

[@CatalystRestorations]

But I ain't saying it to this fan!

[@icyy2cold143]

One cool thing that would help the life of this fan is to take the bushings and soak them in oil overnight or put them in oil in a vacuum seal container to help the bushings oiled up they would suck it up

[@CatalystRestorations]

I did oil them up nicely, but the vacuum seal is a great idea!

[@JohannesBee]

Man, that's a loud fan! Sounds like a plane taking off.

[@CatalystRestorations]

It's got some serious velocity behind it, which is also terrifying for any stray fingers

[@JerroldKrenek]

the fan will NOT spin backwards by reversing the hot and neutral. it is 110 single phase AC not a DC motor.

[@CatalystRestorations]

🌈 The more you know 🌈

[@JerroldKrenek]

@@CatalystRestorations if that were the case wiring a lamp backwards, when you turned it on it would get DARKER, lol

[@CatalystRestorations]

@@JerroldKrenek you might be onto something! Nobel Prize?!?

[@samuelfellows6923]

That has a shaded-pole motor, it will only turn in one direction

[@CatalystRestorations]

@@samuelfellows6923 thanks for finally shedding some light on what this type of motor is called!

[@TobiasTheWolf]

So the "Zero Electrical Fan" runs on eletricity?

[@CatalystRestorations]

Dang, that's a really good point. How does this thing actually work?! 🤔

[@TobiasTheWolf]

@@CatalystRestorations The name "Zero electrical fan" is kind of deceptive since it plugs into an outlet to work

[@CatalystRestorations]

@@TobiasTheWolf maybe it was ahead of its time?!

[@salmankayoush1287]

سلمت يدك. لكن الغريب أن هذه المروحة الجميلة لا تحتوي على ما يغير اتجاه دفعها للهواء.. اتجاهها واحد... لا أدري كيف فات الشركة المصنعة هذا الأمر.

[@CatalystRestorations]

It's a basic, inexpensive fan for its time, so no fancy oscillating 😔

[@DM-sg3cj]

Nice work but the motor will not spin backwards if the wiring is "backwards", it's an AC motor on AC power, that only works on DC motors and DC power. Just like you can reverse the way you plug a non polarized plug in and it doesn't change direction. Old fans and wall outlets did not have a polarized plug (one side bigger than the other) so it could be plugged in either way. .

[@CatalystRestorations]

This is why I barely passed my intro to electrical circuits class and became a materials engineer instead 🤣

[@user-gh3wt2uf2p]

As far as I know fans from this period where black or some kind of gun metal or golden ish color.

[@CatalystRestorations]

Yup, a lot were even japanned too.

[@Captain_Char]

thats a tiny motor compared to what I see in most old fans, usually they're a 3 amp motor

[@CatalystRestorations]

Yup, it's just a little one! I guess fortunately that means not enough oomph to slice off your finger though! 😂

[@rashadbadalov8884]

подшипники войлочные надо было смазать!

[@CatalystRestorations]

Don't worry, they were! 😉

[@rashadbadalov8884]

@@CatalystRestorations 👍 Very good😎

[@chrys9256]

Instead of using a towel in the Evaporust why not just wrap it with the plastic that's around it?

[@CatalystRestorations]

That wouls work too! Sometimes I don't trust the plastic to not have pinholes in it though and slowly leak over night 😬

[@tolyn8060]

Колхоз-дело добровольное!.

[@razzorbladz]

I'm not a fan of that red lol..... get it 🤣

[@CatalystRestorations]

😂

[@marcse7en]

Beautiful! ... Engineered to last from solid metal, and held together with nuts and bolts! 👍 ... Unlike today's disposable cheap plastic Chinese cr*p! 👎 EDIT: Metal-cased, but NO EARTH? ⚡😲 ... Potentially dangerous!

[@CatalystRestorations]

I like to live dangerously! In all seriousness though the risk is low here, but a fair point.

[@marcse7en]

@@CatalystRestorations A common epitaph on many a headstone! 🤣

[@theneighborhoodpoisoner6018]

Was the logo on upside down, or was the grille on upside down? 😂

[@CatalystRestorations]

....Yes 😂

[@awaisjatt1499]

Sand blasting left the chat

[@CatalystRestorations]

Sanding blasting never enter the chat 🙃 On this channel I try to stick to tools and methods that most people have access to so they can learn how to restore things themselves at home with limited tools.

[@freebird4841]

You need a sanding machine.

[@zeekwolfe6251]

Restoration videos on KZbin very often have the restorers wearing black gloves. This is popular with viewers with bare hands less distracting.

[@CatalystRestorations]

I'm not sure I follow. Are you saying bare hands are more or less distracting to viewers?

[@zeekwolfe6251]

@@CatalystRestorations My family watches restoration videos all the time. We enjoy seeing old coffee grinders, hurricane lamps, cast iron appliances, toys etc. being refurbished if not for daily use but just for display. We have nothing against a clean pair of hands dismantling objects decades old covered with rust, grease, grime and sometimes unidentified yuck. A restorer can almost be defined as holding a 'proxy' from the viewer. Bare hands, not good! Gloved hands, better! Many medical procedures do not require gloved hands, but are still widely used. Often this is for the comfort of the patient. I think you get the idea. We do not want goop on our hands if even by proxy.

[@satyajitmukherjee8614]

Fan bled is disblenced

[@CatalystRestorations]

Balanced it the best I could!

[@envitech02]

16:18 Wierd that this does not have proper ball bearings but just bushings. I believe the bushings need to be periodically oiled or greased.

[@CatalystRestorations]

There's an oil hole on the top of the housing that goes directly to the bushing near the blade, so at least that one can get oiled easily. The back bushing I have no idea though because there's no oil hole for it. I did oil it well before closing it up and the felt o-rings do hold oil pretty well.

[@supersevenn]

nice attempt at a "restoration". Some things were just lazy to get it done faster. Never the less, it is much better than how it was and that is the always the goal

[@CatalystRestorations]

Is this what they call negging?

[@mskayla7747]

​@@CatalystRestorationsI believe that's what they call a troll. Ignore such life forms, as it is clearly jealous of your abilities, and seeks to bring you down.

[@GloriaKerluke]

'PromoSM' 🙃

[@CatalystRestorations]

I'm a genius! 🤓

[@KOKO-jo6ty]

the coil is damaged!!! make a new one!

[@CatalystRestorations]

I'm not mymechanics! 😂 Making new coils would be straightforward, but unfortunately there's no way to get the coils inside the armature - it's all one piece that is brazed or welded together. I don't think it was ever intended to be disassembed or rebuilt; it's a mass produced fan so not super fancy.

[@KOKO-jo6ty]

ok! but the finish is nice! good job!

[@wessandlin8056]

@@CatalystRestorationsI have a fan similar too this and you can pound out two metal pieces and you may be able to slide in a new coil.

[@CatalystRestorations]

@@wessandlin8056 worth trying if these coils end up dying on me! Thanks!

[@zenobiomenezesalvim1398]

Bad restoration, motor with open windings or short circuit

[@CatalystRestorations]

I mean....it works just fine now. 🤷‍♂️ Can you please offer suggestions on how you would do it yourself? The stator body is fabricated as one solid piece and does not come apart so even if you wound new coils there's no way to physically install them in the stator body. This is a cheap motor, it was never meant to be disassembed and repaired like that, unlike open body designs which allow you to wind new coils and nest them in the body. You could also try re-enameling the coils as-is but there's absolutely no way you could get full coverage on every wire surface even if you did something like dip the entire motor in enamel. Sourcing an entirely new motor also just doesn't count either.

[@shaunmullings4153]

Some filler on the base would have made it look better. sorry

[@CatalystRestorations]

I agree! The filler primer didn't do as much as it usually does for me.

[@bgdavenport]

Mediocre paint work

[@CatalystRestorations]

What would you improve on if you did this restoration yourself?

[@duoglass83]

Шайтан-сквозняк! ❤

[@CatalystRestorations]

❤️❤️❤️