A few waffle iron questions

[MikeZ]

I've recently acquired three waffle irons: a Gris "New" American, paddle #s 976 and 977 (acorn hinge); a Gris American, paddle #s 885 and 886; a Dandy 8, with no other markings on it.

The American has no handles and I'm going to turn new wooden ones for it. I can see from EBay pictures what they look like, but would like their exact dimensions. I see they have some shape to them, unlike the straight stick ones on the New American. To me, the straight dowel handles, with tacks to hold them in place, just seem WRONG for such little works of art. So, could someone supply me with dimensions?

Does anyone have any info on the Dandy iron? I can't find anything. The foundry data base here just reads Dandy--Waffle irons. I don't have its base, but it came on an unmarked Gris handled high base #985D, which fits the American iron just fine.

As always, would be very appreciative of any info.

 

[W. Hilditch]

Can’t say for sure on the acorn hinge. My American finger hinge, the predecessor to the acorn hinge, came with some very well worn oak handles. These are straight 5/8” dowels 4” long total held in with pieces of finishing nails. Add 1/2” to fit receptor slope if there.

My button hinge American came with shorter burnt up oak dowels that were held in with short steel pins that were not nails as the ends were squared off and nicely finished. I surmised the pins in the finger hinge got lost along the way and the handles are replacements, but made like the originals.

I have never seen any evidence that Griswold used anything other than straight dowels for handles. Fancy wood handles seemed to be a competitors thing.

Hilditch

 

[MDFraley]

MikeZ....Must be your lucky day. I do have your dimensions you're looking for regarding the "fancy handles" that Griswold used on some of their irons. If you look in the BB P. 91 they are shown on the Puritan irons. Also if you look on P 94 (BB) they are on the square W.I. top of page right hand side.
I am currently making some of these handles on my lathe for a friend of mine.
The dimensions are as follows; The tip that inserts into the W.I. paddles are 5/8" Dia. X 1 1/4" long. @ the flared section it is 1" Dia. and it tapers down to 5/8", it then increases up to 3/4" for about three fourths the length of the handle which you would hold in your hand and rounds off at the end. The total length of the handle measures out to be 4 3/4". Note: I would turn the tip that is at the live end of the lathe 1" in length or more. This will give you some wiggle room incase you have some problems. I would also make the entire piece 5" to 5 1/2" because you need to trim at the rounded off end when finishing the piece. The tail stock will leave a hole on that end and if you don't want to fill it and smooth over the extra length will make you happy. If you do not have a duplicating device you will have to make each handle individually and try to get as close to possible the one you have finished.
Have no idea what the handles should look like on the Dandy W.I.
If you have any questions regarding my instructions please send me a PM and that way we won't bore others that have no interest in this process.
Good luck...

 

[W. Hilditch]

Correction: Please replace oak with hickory in my above post.

Addition: I believe Puritan and other made for retail brands specced handle designs. Does anyone have any evidence, catalogue drawings or ads that the Griswold The American waffle irons came with fancy handles? Or even a New American?

Hilditch

Two on left are hickory. I did oak on one on right.

 

[MDFraley]

Hilditch...Please note that the WI's you posted have the solid hole attachment where the handles attach to the irons. Those type wood handles were common on those type irons. I believe the question was regarding WI's that have the perforated (Square Type Holes) for WI's # 976,977 & 885,886. I have a REV-O-NOC paddle #'s 885,886 with the perforated hole where the wood handles attach and it has the "fancy" type wood handles. The two pages I referenced in the previous post of the BB P. 91 & 94 both have the perforated iron where the handles attach. Circulation date for them were 1920 (square iron) and 1930 (puritan). In our CIC under WI's it references handles were of turned wood, tempered steel coil & sometimes part of the paddle mold. The tempered coil handles were primarily used on the perforated style paddles as best I can tell. I'm pretty sure the fancy type handles were not used on the WI's that you have shown. DougD has more access to Griswold data than I do so I'm out on a limb but haven't sawed it off just yet. I kindly urge you to re-examine the pic's again on p.94 of the BB and tell me you don't see the fancy handles on the Griswold irons. Whether square or round I'm sure they were common at some point and time during production Griswold pieces.

 

[W. Hilditch]

I can’t check out the pics MD ‘cause I’m BB less. I believe they are there. My focus was the acorn hinge which I think was only used close to the turn of the century and then replaced by the ball and wire handles in 1908’ish. I’ve got the limb on the other side of the tree.

Hilditch

---------- Post added at 10:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:58 PM ----------

I may have sawed off my limb if the pics I found of the 885 & 886’s with fancy handles are the original.

Hilditch

 

[Doug D.]

I haven't seen a Griswold catalog or an ad from the period in which the waffle irons had the non-air cooled handle attachments that didn't show (with some being slightly longer than others) the handles as being short, straight, untapered, unturned dowels, basically. Catalog 45 (est. 1912-15) shows both non- and air-cooled sockets with short, straight dowel handles. I don't think we can unquestionably rely on the photos in the BB as showing original handles. This is not to say, however, that the catalog or ad illustrations are necessarily representative, either.

 

[MikeZ]

Thanks for the input, guys, and sorry take so long to respond. I got busy here trying to get a little more done outdoors before our next snowfall.

When I stated that the plain black enameled dowel handles were just wrong, I didn't mean wrong technically, because they obviously were made that way. I meant wrong to me esthetically because they were so plain jane on such pretty pieces. I'm wondering if they were done this way with the thought that they were probably going to get burned, as Hilditch noted on his pieces, and that they could be easily and inexpensively changed out.

While they may not be technically correct, I'm going with the shaped handles on the 885/886 American, and very much appreciate the dimensions, Mike. And thanks for the catalog info, Doug.

 

[MikeZ]

So, attached are some pictures of the Dandy 8 waffle iron I asked about earlier. Does it ring any bells for anyone? I don't have its base; it came on a Griswold high base unit. It has enameled wood handles.

I think the hinge assembly is interesting. The paddles are mirror images, but one has a small 1/16" ear that rides against the opposite hinge to hold the paddle open. I'm thinking both hinge sides should have this, but see that there are grind marks where the other ear would be.

Any info or conjectures would be appreciated.

 

[Doug D.]