24 replies to this topic

[Lazlo]

I've just purchased a 25qt. Sears and Roebuck cast aluminum pc dated 1927 off ebay. I'm going through a test run with it to get the feel of it. This thing is fantastic. I'm wondering if there is any thing i should know about preventive maintainance with the gauge and pressure relief valve. And by the way Rodger, I see what you mean when i gave the advice on the heat for pc's. This one maintains 15psi on 3 1/2 heat / my others with the rocker type regulator when i had to use 7-8 on the heat setting. Any insight would be great! Thanks.

[destroy_erase_improve]

keep the rubber thinly lubed with vasoline, if its metal to metal like AA pcs, the manual will tell you where to apply it. also, a small amount of vinegar tossed into the water while pcing helps keep it clean too.

[Lazlo]

There's no rubber seal for the lid. It has this wedged shape for the pot and lid that the ring goes around. When the ring is tightened, it forces the lid down tight on the pot. My main concern is the age of it. If there is something i could possibly do to the guage as far a lubrication to make sure it's reading right and not sticking, although it doesn't appear to be sticking. Like maybe putting a shot of 3 in 1 oil in it or something along those lines. The safety regulator has a ball bearing in it followed by stem and spring. Should i lube this also? Or will cleaning the parts with soap and water surfice?

[Hippie3]

dated 1927 off ebay

man,
plant some flowers in that thing
and buy yourself something made this century.
no way anything that old
is up to modern safety standards.
the metal fatigue alone is enough to be of concern
on a unit that old.

[Lazlo]

man,
plant some flowers in that thing
and buy yourself something made this century.
no way anything that old
is up to modern safety standards.
the metal fatigue alone is enough to be of concern
on a unit that old.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!!! I know it's midevil and all. Make fun of me all ya want, but i'm a vintage type of guy and it's in unbelievable condition. It's appearance is immaculate and it works great. Plus it was big and cheap. I checked the safety regulator by letting it get into the caution part of the pressure gauge and it popped up. DON'T TRY THAT AT HOME!!! High pressure isn't anything to mess with unless your nuts. I just wanted to make sure the safety feature worked. Here it is. As you can see, Pc's really haven't advanced since then. This thing truly is a rock. I'm certainly not concerned with metalic fatigue, this thing was built to last.

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[petri]

LOOPER Could you take a pic for me? A nice big one from the top so I can read it and see it clamped to the pot. I think I have one just like it. Now that I bought my 25x, I retired my collection of pc's, but my unit like that worked fine. I still use that huge pot to pasteurize in. I think it's pretty cool to see another one out there in good shape.

[Hippie3]

hmm, looks pretty well made.
that guage looks newer, proly been replaced before.

[destroy_erase_improve]

1927!!! holy crap. that actually looks to be in pretty good condition. but imho id get a new one, id be too nervous that it was a timebomb waiting to explode. other than that lil tidbit of paranoia, whatevers clever man! go for it

[Lazlo]

Hey Petri. Here's the pic ya wanted. And Hippie, i agree with you on the guage being replaced. It's still old, but not that damn old!

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[Lazlo]

And DEI, trust me. This thing could be dropped off Sear's tower and probably survive it. Well not really. Everything is tight as a wistle. I was really sceptical of it, but i love older things and i just felt like it was a good deal. It even came with the original owners manual.

[Vettiver]

I have a pc pretty much the same as yours. I bought mine in a yard sale for ten bucks. i never had trouble with it. It should last pretty much forever. i dont think you should put vasoline along the seal if its metal to metal. Mine works perfectly and i use it all the time to make jellys, salsas and the like.

[Lazlo]

Hey Hippie! The patent date on the gauge is May 8, 1919. I didn't even think PC's were around in the early 20th century. Damn you Vettiver, i paid $61 for this one. LOL! It came with all kind of accessories too. It's like it just came out of the box.

[destroy_erase_improve]

i have an all american which is metal to metal. it recommends vasoline or some sort of lube along where the edges meet. i have no idea about older pcs. its lasted almost a decade without it. but i cant see it being bad for it.

[python]

that thing is as ancient age as straight kentucky burbon........personally, im the type of person not to mess around with high pressure devices (because if they do malfunction, you'd better be somewhere else).........i think, good or bad, its good to just buy a new pc every 5 years or so......i mean you can get a nice presto for like $80 that will hold 24-32 1/2 pints......even if you go top of the line with all american at $300 you'll still only be investing $60 a year on your projects, safety, and peace of mind......

however, like hip said, that thing looks well built, so keep the updates coming, kinda interested to see if it works out for ya.....hopefully it calibrated correctly too....

[Lazlo]

I just pc'd some quarts last night with it. I'm doing some more today. This thing will hold 12 qts. which is great. I had 3 Presto 6 qt POS's that would only hold 6 qts combined. Plus it took 2 hours of pc time versus 100 minutes with this one. This thing is super quiet. Those Presto's have the rocker type regulators that make that ps,ps,ps,ps,ps,ps,ps,ps,ps,ps,ps,ps noise that drives you crazy. You can imagine what 3 of them going at once was like.

[nomoreusmc]

You might put a thin layer of permatex (automotive silicon) on there but I hate to even suggest it because of the safety aspect. I bought my no name pc frome walmart for $30 it holds 16 1/2 pints and I've never had a problem with it.

[Lazlo]

There's no safety issues with this thing. It's a tank. Very well made.

[petri]

Thanks for the pic, I'll study it. As to whether or not to use vaseline, you would use it only on the metal surface on the lid that will come into contact with the pot. Do not use petroleum based lube on rubber parts!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It will eat them!! Rubber does not like petroleum. Oh yeah, one more thing, I got my pc for $20!

[Hippie3]

hey laz-
how's that old pc holding up ?

[anticheffy]

61.00 !!!!

lol thats prolly about 60.00 more than it sold for originaly !!!

looks cool Laz, good score