Won this 8" Century Fresnel recently off E-Bay. More interested in 3" to 6" versions but of late I have mostly been losing the bids on them. Thought initially this was going to be a duplicate in larger size to a #3312 I already have and not of much value in being unique. Would have rather won something else, but it was a good price in my end bid as opposed to all else I’m bidding on seemingly exploding beyond budget in the last days.
Turns out this is very unique and now that I’m working on it I cannot define its part number. Most unique about it in never having seen any other fixture with such a thing before, it’s clutch cam is inside the fixture. That disc say on a ETC Leko that uses mechanical advantage to lock the fixture down at a position as opposed to the old style Altman 360 style tooth grip cam at the yoke bolt itself. This if provided at all. This crank style focus Fresnel has a clutch cam but it’s inside the fixture. Very unique castings to make it happen and on the opposing side, another aluminum casting part for mounting the yoke. This also with nuts added behind the threaded aluminum as per over loosening stops. Normal nuts not side lock types but still a good idea. Interesting brass plunger also to retain the lens assembly.
Various hex head nuts in us say this fixture is post say 1947, its use of slotted truss head screws I think dates it back to the mid-50's thru mid-60's say in date. Round head slotted screws to mount the lampholder and panhead for the base further dates it but overall truss head dates the fixture. Perhaps for the early to mid-60's I think given it has three grommeted holes on it’s rear thus a ground wire.
Curious about the end users of the fixture? Someone at some point re-wired it for 18/3 SPT zip cord at some point. Conductors were shoved thru the grommeted holes directly to the base - asbestos pad under the base was intact still, the ground wire was not put into the clamp part of a grounding post mounted outside the fixture but instead installed un-stripped under it. Believe given three holes for wiring on the fixture it was meant for a ground wire attached to the frame somewhere - though I’m yet to see a hole not used for doing so in the normal places on the fixture. Perhaps grounded under the reflector or somewhere else. Still though the I think added ground bracket in being curious itself and never seen before plus unique for it’s style isn’t original to the fixture given the third grommeted hole in the fixture.
Curious also... ok someone that last wired it don’t know beans about a 1Kw fresnel in wiring it with 18/3 SPT wire but at least they removed most of the asbestos for me. Ok, someone added a grounding lug to the outside of the fixture under the slide rail in the past... that’s interesting but stay ok... the last person that wired the fixture didn’t put the wire into the terminal, they put the insulated and non-stripped wire under this groundig lug and tightened it down as such. And given the grounding pin of this molded plug was removed... perhaps a good thing. And the ground magically jumps between frame and what ever if there is a problem. At least the end user was honest in it not being grounded. For the life of me I cannot understand why someone would go to the trouble of installing an added ground terminal and beyond not putting the wire into it, not even strip the wire mounted under it. Yea I got no clue.
Still it’s a curious fixture I have never seen before in clutch cam inside the fixture. Was a rust pot with surface rust all about it, and the base will take a total resurfacing but be saved. Have to replace a few nuts and asbestos pad for it plus the wiring and drill out a strain relief but should be a good fixture once done. Curious fixture in not existing for now but nice fixture once done. Had to Dremmel out a few stripped/rusted screws and didn't fully remove the base by of two screws that are solid. Still though all good and done in re-painting and saving it's metal surfaces.
Didn’t take much in wire wheeling off the rust and chipping the textured paint flaking sufficient to re-paint in solving the surface rust problem. Won’t take long in tapping various screws the next step to get it back to working order. Nice fixture, what fixture is it?
Turns out this is very unique and now that I’m working on it I cannot define its part number. Most unique about it in never having seen any other fixture with such a thing before, it’s clutch cam is inside the fixture. That disc say on a ETC Leko that uses mechanical advantage to lock the fixture down at a position as opposed to the old style Altman 360 style tooth grip cam at the yoke bolt itself. This if provided at all. This crank style focus Fresnel has a clutch cam but it’s inside the fixture. Very unique castings to make it happen and on the opposing side, another aluminum casting part for mounting the yoke. This also with nuts added behind the threaded aluminum as per over loosening stops. Normal nuts not side lock types but still a good idea. Interesting brass plunger also to retain the lens assembly.
Various hex head nuts in us say this fixture is post say 1947, its use of slotted truss head screws I think dates it back to the mid-50's thru mid-60's say in date. Round head slotted screws to mount the lampholder and panhead for the base further dates it but overall truss head dates the fixture. Perhaps for the early to mid-60's I think given it has three grommeted holes on it’s rear thus a ground wire.
Curious about the end users of the fixture? Someone at some point re-wired it for 18/3 SPT zip cord at some point. Conductors were shoved thru the grommeted holes directly to the base - asbestos pad under the base was intact still, the ground wire was not put into the clamp part of a grounding post mounted outside the fixture but instead installed un-stripped under it. Believe given three holes for wiring on the fixture it was meant for a ground wire attached to the frame somewhere - though I’m yet to see a hole not used for doing so in the normal places on the fixture. Perhaps grounded under the reflector or somewhere else. Still though the I think added ground bracket in being curious itself and never seen before plus unique for it’s style isn’t original to the fixture given the third grommeted hole in the fixture.
Curious also... ok someone that last wired it don’t know beans about a 1Kw fresnel in wiring it with 18/3 SPT wire but at least they removed most of the asbestos for me. Ok, someone added a grounding lug to the outside of the fixture under the slide rail in the past... that’s interesting but stay ok... the last person that wired the fixture didn’t put the wire into the terminal, they put the insulated and non-stripped wire under this groundig lug and tightened it down as such. And given the grounding pin of this molded plug was removed... perhaps a good thing. And the ground magically jumps between frame and what ever if there is a problem. At least the end user was honest in it not being grounded. For the life of me I cannot understand why someone would go to the trouble of installing an added ground terminal and beyond not putting the wire into it, not even strip the wire mounted under it. Yea I got no clue.
Still it’s a curious fixture I have never seen before in clutch cam inside the fixture. Was a rust pot with surface rust all about it, and the base will take a total resurfacing but be saved. Have to replace a few nuts and asbestos pad for it plus the wiring and drill out a strain relief but should be a good fixture once done. Curious fixture in not existing for now but nice fixture once done. Had to Dremmel out a few stripped/rusted screws and didn't fully remove the base by of two screws that are solid. Still though all good and done in re-painting and saving it's metal surfaces.
Didn’t take much in wire wheeling off the rust and chipping the textured paint flaking sufficient to re-paint in solving the surface rust problem. Won’t take long in tapping various screws the next step to get it back to working order. Nice fixture, what fixture is it?
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