I have bought an old ( circs 1960's/70's?) fire surround with built in
cabinets and electric fire from a charity shop. Like all things I don't
expect it to be perfect and its mainly for show ( I have an all electric
house and its a centre piece in the sitting room).

The thing is it does work and was tested. I have replaced the old fire glow
lamps . I noticed that one of the pivot things that allows the fan to swing
round and cause the flicker flame is missing.

If you are old enough to know what I mean by this fan and pivot thing -
can you tell me what it is called and if it is possible to get a new one?
( It looks like this thing is just a bit that is fitted onto an arm over the
light so it goes round when the lights heat up and cause convection
currents ) I have the flame pit, just not the pointy but and the end that
keeps it on. I have tried searching built not knowing what its called I cant
find it.

Thanks for any useful advice.

On 22/04/2012 11:18, sweetheart wrote:

The thing is it does work and was tested. I have replaced the old fire
glow lamps . I noticed that one of the pivot things that allows the fan
to swing round and cause the flicker flame is missing.

If you are old enough to know what I mean by this fan and pivot thing -
can you tell me what it is called and if it is possible to get a new
one? ( It looks like this thing is just a bit that is fitted onto an arm
over the light so it goes round when the lights heat up and cause
convection currents ) I have the flame pit, just not the pointy but and
the end that keeps it on. I have tried searching built not knowing what
its called I cant find it.

I know exactly what you mean but no idea what you'd call it. I'm also
pretty sure that it's something which will be specific to the model of
fire, so it's highly unlikely that spares will still be available for
one of that age.

That said, AFAIK they are still used (I bought an electric flame-effect
fire from B&Q about 5 years ago and it had them fitted) so you might
just get lucky...

David

sweetheart wrote:

I have bought an old ( circs 1960's/70's?) fire surround with built in
cabinets and electric fire from a charity shop.

The thing is it does work and was tested. I have replaced the old fire glow
lamps . I noticed that one of the pivot things that allows the fan to swing
round and cause the flicker flame is missing.

If one is missing, is another one still present?

If you are old enough to know what I mean by this fan and pivot thing -
can you tell me what it is called and if it is possible to get a new one?
( It looks like this thing is just a bit that is fitted onto an arm over the
light so it goes round when the lights heat up and cause convection
currents ) I have the flame pit, just not the pointy but and the end that
keeps it on. I have tried searching built not knowing what its called I cant
find it.

From memory, the fan should have a sort of conical recess in the
centre which simply balances on a point.

All you need to do is bend a bit of stiff wire to position the
point above the lamp where you need it.

If it is like that, then I don't quite understand what the "end
that keeps it on" would be.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

You could almost make one up. A bit of ally and a pointy bit of metal
fastened to it. There is usually a piece of distorted glass in there to make
the flicker look less regular.
The glass is kind of dimpled or patterned of course like a bathroom
window.
Brian

--
Brian Gaff -
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Lobster" wrote in message
...
On 22/04/2012 11:18, sweetheart wrote:

The thing is it does work and was tested. I have replaced the old fire
glow lamps . I noticed that one of the pivot things that allows the fan
to swing round and cause the flicker flame is missing.

If you are old enough to know what I mean by this fan and pivot thing -
can you tell me what it is called and if it is possible to get a new
one? ( It looks like this thing is just a bit that is fitted onto an arm
over the light so it goes round when the lights heat up and cause
convection currents ) I have the flame pit, just not the pointy but and
the end that keeps it on. I have tried searching built not knowing what
its called I cant find it.

I know exactly what you mean but no idea what you'd call it. I'm also
pretty sure that it's something which will be specific to the model of
fire, so it's highly unlikely that spares will still be available for one
of that age.

That said, AFAIK they are still used (I bought an electric flame-effect
fire from B&Q about 5 years ago and it had them fitted) so you might just
get lucky...

David

"Chris J Dixon" wrote in message
...
sweetheart wrote:



If one is missing, is another one still present?

Yes, the one fan thing is fully fitted and works perfectly. The other I have
the conical fan thing but not the ponted thing it is supposed to sit on. I
have the arm the pointed thing is supposed to fit on.



From memory, the fan should have a sort of conical recess in the
centre which simply balances on a point.

Yes, I have the fan, I dont have the point fitting.

All you need to do is bend a bit of stiff wire to position the
point above the lamp where you need it.

Ah, right. I see. That might work


If it is like that, then I don't quite understand what the "end
that keeps it on" would be.

There is sort of a plastic bit on the end that stops the wire slipping
through the fan and allows it to revolve freely. I could always use blu tack
for that.

"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
...
You could almost make one up. A bit of ally and a pointy bit of metal
fastened to it. There is usually a piece of distorted glass in there to
make the flicker look less regular.
The glass is kind of dimpled or patterned of course like a bathroom
window.

Mine has a set of paper (?) proper flames at the back of a screen that
flicker in the air current set up with the fan thing ( this is all none
motorized) . Earlier version maybe? A bit like those artificial candles you
see around sometimes.

Either way. I will try the bit of wire technique. Thanks

On 22/04/2012 16:51, sweetheart wrote:

"Chris J Dixon" wrote in message
...
sweetheart wrote:



If one is missing, is another one still present?

Yes, the one fan thing is fully fitted and works perfectly. The other I
have the conical fan thing but not the ponted thing it is supposed to
sit on. I have the arm the pointed thing is supposed to fit on.



From memory, the fan should have a sort of conical recess in the
centre which simply balances on a point.

Yes, I have the fan, I dont have the point fitting.

Nail on the end of a bit of heavy galvanised garden wire ought to do.

All you need to do is bend a bit of stiff wire to position the
point above the lamp where you need it.

Ah, right. I see. That might work


If it is like that, then I don't quite understand what the "end
that keeps it on" would be.

There is sort of a plastic bit on the end that stops the wire slipping
through the fan and allows it to revolve freely. I could always use blu
tack for that.

Plastic suggests quite a modern one then. The rotors on the ones I
remember tended to be too regular and so gave more of an impression of a
slowly rotating fire than a proper flame flicker effect.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
On 22/04/2012 16:51, sweetheart wrote:

"Chris J Dixon" wrote in message
...
sweetheart wrote:

Plastic suggests quite a modern one then. The rotors on the ones I
remember tended to be too regular and so gave more of an impression of a
slowly rotating fire than a proper flame flicker effect.

Well the existing one is made of tin or aluminium . I do have a newer fire
with a cap like this that is plastic. ( no I cant rifle the one for the
other - wrong size).

I suspect the fire is mid 1960's I remember my mother having something
similar in our house in 1964. Possibly not later than 1970. I dont know
what my mothers cost orginially. Although I also know that surrounds like
the one I have were made until around 1985. I always wanted one for my first
home but they were very expensive( around £399.00 by then) and I was saving
up ...... and then they stopped making them just as I had the money.

I didnt pay anywhere near that for this. It was a snip ( I think) at £30 and
the charity shop delivered it too. I also got a lovely 1960's G plan glass
display cabinet with pretty flower pattern on the doors - which might have
come from the same house clearance - I think the shop had a lot of stuff
donated from a house.

Now you know why I couldnt resist this one ( which was a top price model
in mahogony with display cabinets either side as well as the built in
sunhouse fire in the middle)

But the thing is a lightweight metal fitting on the original Thanks.

I am trying to find a suitable pit of metal. Nail sounds good Off to rifle
through OH's nail boxes.

On Apr 22, 4:54*pm, "sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote:
"Brian Gaff" wrote in message

...

You could almost make one up. A bit of ally and a pointy bit of metal
fastened to it. There is usually a piece of distorted glass in there to
make the flicker *look less regular.
The glass is kind of *dimpled or patterned of course like a bathroom
window.

Mine has *a set of paper (?) proper flames at the back of a screen that
flicker *in the air current set up with the fan thing ( this is all none
motorized) . *Earlier version maybe? A bit like those artificial candles you
see around sometimes.

Either way. I will try the bit of wire technique. Thanks


You need to watch out with old electric fires from that period. Most
have asbestos insulated wires and heat shields.

On Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:25:41 +0100, "Brian Gaff"
wrote:

You could almost make one up. A bit of ally and a pointy bit of metal
fastened to it.

A gramophone needle, for example.

--
Frank Erskine

Does anyone know if "Sunhouse" are still going and if they still make
electric fires? Just curious. I know you can buy the elements (bars) for
the fires.

"Frank Erskine" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:25:41 +0100, "Brian Gaff"
wrote:

You could almost make one up. A bit of ally and a pointy bit of metal
fastened to it.

A gramophone needle, for example.

Thank you. I might just have one of those somewhere ( from my old, now
defunct, stereo record player)

"harry" wrote in message
...
On Apr 22, 4:54 pm, "sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote:
"Brian Gaff" wrote in message

...


You need to watch out with old electric fires from that period. Most
have asbestos insulated wires and heat shields.

Thanks for the warning but being a child of the sixties who was brought up
doing chemistry classes with asbestos mats under Bunsen burners, having
chemistry sets with asbestos mats in them and asbestos oven gloves , ironing
boards and all other things, I will take my chances. The thing I fear most
about asbestos is when some H&S cronie comes saying " that will cost £6
billion to remove because it might contain asbestos"

Since I am not taking it anywhere , thats OK. It does have one of those old
flexes - cotton covered if folk recall them. But nothing is frayed. In
fact, its as good as new. I wonder, if like me, its previous owner just had
it in the sitting room to look at lovingly. ;-)

On Sun, 22 Apr 2012 18:07:58 +0100, "sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote:


"Frank Erskine" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:25:41 +0100, "Brian Gaff"
wrote:

You could almost make one up. A bit of ally and a pointy bit of metal
fastened to it.

A gramophone needle, for example.

Thank you. I might just have one of those somewhere ( from my old, now
defunct, stereo record player)

I doubt that a stereo record player would use the type of needle I'm
thinking of - a steel thing about 1/2" long, generally used with
"wind-up" panatropes. :-)

--
Frank Erskine

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
On 22/04/2012 16:51, sweetheart wrote:

"Chris J Dixon" wrote in message
...
sweetheart wrote:



If one is missing, is another one still present?

Yes, the one fan thing is fully fitted and works perfectly. The other I
have the conical fan thing but not the ponted thing it is supposed to
sit on. I have the arm the pointed thing is supposed to fit on.



From memory, the fan should have a sort of conical recess in the
centre which simply balances on a point.

Yes, I have the fan, I dont have the point fitting.

Nail on the end of a bit of heavy galvanised garden wire ought to do.

All you need to do is bend a bit of stiff wire to position the
point above the lamp where you need it.

Ah, right. I see. That might work


If it is like that, then I don't quite understand what the "end
that keeps it on" would be.

There is sort of a plastic bit on the end that stops the wire slipping
through the fan and allows it to revolve freely. I could always use blu
tack for that.

Plastic suggests quite a modern one then.

Not if its actually bakelite.

There is 'plastic' on the 1950s mixmasters for example.

The rotors on the ones I remember tended to be too regular and so gave
more of an impression of a slowly rotating fire than a proper flame
flicker effect.

"sweetheart" hotmail.com writes:

I have bought an old ( circs 1960's/70's?) fire surround with built in
cabinets and electric fire from a charity shop. Like all things I don't
expect it to be perfect and its mainly for show ( I have an all electric
house and its a centre piece in the sitting room).

The thing is it does work and was tested. I have replaced the old fire glow
lamps . I noticed that one of the pivot things that allows the fan to swing
round and cause the flicker flame is missing.

If you are old enough to know what I mean by this fan and pivot thing -
can you tell me what it is called and if it is possible to get a new one?
( It looks like this thing is just a bit that is fitted onto an arm over the
light so it goes round when the lights heat up and cause convection
currents ) I have the flame pit, just not the pointy but and the end that
keeps it on. I have tried searching built not knowing what its called I cant
find it.

One approach (I've used it!) is to carry a stubby screwdriver at all
times.
If you come across a fire someone has carelessly thrown out on the
street, probably to avoid paying the Council to take it away, you can
use the screwdriver to disassemble it and remove the fan-shaped wotsits.
They *might* fit on another fire.

--
Windmill, Use t m i l l
J.R.R. Tolkien:- @ O n e t e l . c o m
All that is gold does not glister / Not all who wander are lost

On Apr 22, 6:34*pm, "sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote:
"harry" wrote in message

...
On Apr 22, 4:54 pm, "sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote: "Brian Gaff" wrote in message

...

You need to watch out with old electric fires from that period. Most
have asbestos insulated wires and heat shields.

Thanks for the warning but *being a child of the sixties who was brought up
doing chemistry classes with *asbestos mats *under Bunsen burners, having
chemistry sets with asbestos mats in them and asbestos oven gloves , ironing
boards and all other things, I will take my chances. The thing I fear most
about asbestos is when some H&S cronie comes saying " that will cost £6
billion to remove because it might contain asbestos"

Since I am not taking it anywhere , thats OK. *It does have one of those old
flexes *- cotton covered if folk recall them. But nothing is frayed. In
fact, its as good as new. I wonder, if like me, its previous owner just had
it in the sitting room to look at lovingly. ;-)

The effects are cumulative. There is no point in bringing it into your
home.
It just sits there quietly shedding asbestos fibres and killing you
off.
Best to dump the junky old thing.

"harry" wrote in message
...
On Apr 22, 6:34 pm, "sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote:
"harry" wrote in message

...
On Apr 22, 4:54 pm, "sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote: "Brian Gaff"
wrote in message

...

You need to watch out with old electric fires from that period. Most
have asbestos insulated wires and heat shields.

Thanks for the warning but being a child of the sixties who was brought up
doing chemistry classes with asbestos mats under Bunsen burners, having
chemistry sets with asbestos mats in them and asbestos oven gloves ,
ironing
boards and all other things, I will take my chances. The thing I fear most
about asbestos is when some H&S cronie comes saying " that will cost £6
billion to remove because it might contain asbestos"

Since I am not taking it anywhere , thats OK. It does have one of those
old
flexes - cotton covered if folk recall them. But nothing is frayed. In
fact, its as good as new. I wonder, if like me, its previous owner just
had
it in the sitting room to look at lovingly. ;-)

The effects are cumulative.

Then I habe accumulated a good many years worth. I have a house built in the
1950's probably full of it. ( as was my last house but I never saw anyone
condemn it or any like it. )

There is no point in bringing it into your
home.
It just sits there quietly shedding asbestos fibres and killing you
off.

I can live with that besides which it came from a charity shop and I think
( from having donated some of my aunts things when she passed away a year
or so ago), that there are rules. If it were as you say, they couldnt sell
it. It has been checked and it does have a safety ticket with it.

Best to dump the junky old thing.

Its not junky. It is old - and old of the kind you cannot buy anymore. Thats
why I have got it second hand. No other way to obtain it

What happened to saving the planet and recycling on here? But I guess you
would throw my other old stuff away too . Most antiques are just old junk to
someone. So one mans junk is another's much loved object.

Thank you to everyone for the suggestions. I have fixed the fan piece. I
looked at the other one and found a small piece of plastic ( end off
plastic window) cut it to size and put a small nail ( tack) like you
suggested, in it. I lodged this in the arm attachment and stuck the fan on
top. Job done. Thank you.

replying to sweetheart, pat wrote:
You can buy Flicker vanes and pins from ebay very cheaply they come usually
together in pairs and are much safer than home made bits as there is quite a
lot of heat generated from the lamps.

--
for full context, visit http://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy/...ct-804281-.htm

On Sunday, 22 April 2012 11:18:37 UTC+1, sweetheart wrote:
I have bought an old ( circs 1960's/70's?) fire surround with built in
cabinets and electric fire from a charity shop. Like all things I don't
expect it to be perfect and its mainly for show ( I have an all electric
house and its a centre piece in the sitting room).

The thing is it does work and was tested. I have replaced the old fire glow
lamps . I noticed that one of the pivot things that allows the fan to swing
round and cause the flicker flame is missing.

If you are old enough to know what I mean by this fan and pivot thing -
can you tell me what it is called and if it is possible to get a new one?
( It looks like this thing is just a bit that is fitted onto an arm over the
light so it goes round when the lights heat up and cause convection
currents ) I have the flame pit, just not the pointy but and the end that
keeps it on. I have tried searching built not knowing what its called I cant
find it.

Thanks for any useful advice.

Spinner flicker vane.
Seem to have them here.
http://www.tdspares.co.uk/catalogue/...-fires-heaters

On Friday, 23 September 2016 12:44:03 UTC+1, pat wrote:

You can buy Flicker vanes and pins from ebay very cheaply they come usually
together in pairs and are much safer than home made bits as there is quite a
lot of heat generated from the lamps.

Since it was 4 years ago I'd assume it's fixed by now. Get yourself a sane portal to newsgroups, there are several options out there.


NT

However although its old, some time ago somebody told me a ruse to help
sticky flame effect vanes.
Use a soft lead pencil and spin the fan on it, and also clean the point on
the pin. They whizz around after this. However I wonder if the fireglo
tungston bulbs are still legal. Oone could cover a cf type replacement in a
coloured coating but the heat would not be enough to get the fan to work.
Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
wrote in message
...
On Friday, 23 September 2016 12:44:03 UTC+1, pat wrote:

You can buy Flicker vanes and pins from ebay very cheaply they come
usually
together in pairs and are much safer than home made bits as there is
quite a
lot of heat generated from the lamps.

Since it was 4 years ago I'd assume it's fixed by now. Get yourself a sane
portal to newsgroups, there are several options out there.


NT

I have one with a single effect fan and the fireglo bulb failed and as I didn't have a spare I tried a 10 watt osram 60watt equivalent led lamp which is the same shape as an old gls bulb and after a while the fan started to slowly rotate.
I coloured the globe of the lamp with a red marker pen and it looks OK, how long it will last is another question.

"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
...
However although its old, some time ago somebody told me a ruse to help
sticky flame effect vanes.
Use a soft lead pencil and spin the fan on it, and also clean the point
on the pin. They whizz around after this. However I wonder if the fireglo
tungston bulbs are still legal. Oone could cover a cf type replacement in
a coloured coating but the heat would not be enough to get the fan to
work.
Brian

I think Fireglo bulbs are still legal as it's a specialist item which needs
to supply heat to turn the vanes. There is an old fashioned electric shop
near me that still sells them.

Old vanes are reluctant to turn because the glass pivots have become rough
through wear.
--
Dave W

replying to Lobster, Bishbosh wrote:
Think it is called a spinner pin

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy...ct-804281-.htm

On 11/08/2017 13:14, Bishbosh wrote:
replying to Lobster, Bishbosh wrote:
Think it is called a spinner pin

This might assist you with posting to a newsgroup, albeit through a website:
https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1855

- If you are sending a reply to a message or a posting be sure you
summarize the original at the top of the message, or include just
enough text of the original to give a context.

Oh goodness, not another of these messages from that broken web portal.
For the record the flame effect used old fireglow red painted filament
bulbs heat to spin a fan on the top of a pin. Nothing very clever about it.
Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Bishbosh" m wrote in
message ...
replying to Lobster, Bishbosh wrote:
Think it is called a spinner pin
--
for full context, visit
https://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy...ct-804281-.htm

On Fri, 11 Aug 2017 15:39:28 +0100
"Brian Gaff" wrote:

Oh goodness, not another of these messages from that broken web
portal.

And dated April 2012. Ye gods.

--
Davey.

replying to sweetheart, Michael Clarke wrote:
You still got this??

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy...ct-804281-.htm

Well that was a lot of use posting it on Usenet was it not?
Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Michael Clarke" m wrote
in message ...
replying to sweetheart, Michael Clarke wrote:
You still got this??

--
for full context, visit
https://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy...ct-804281-.htm

replying to sweetheart, Evie wrote:
It's called a pivot needle and swivel vane and you can buy on Internet.

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy...ct-804281-.htm

On 14/12/17 16:14, Evie wrote:
replying to sweetheart, Evie wrote:
It's called a pivot needle and swivel vane and you can buy on Internet.



Golly. Yet another HomeWankingHubber resurrects a zombie thread

--
"Corbyn talks about equality, justice, opportunity, health care, peace,
community, compassion, investment, security, housing...."
"What kind of person is not interested in those things?"

"Jeremy Corbyn?"

replying to Evie, Bob wrote:
That was five years ago. If you'd read the rest of the thread, you'd have seen
that the question from sweetheart was in 2012.

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy...ct-804281-.htm

replying to sweetheart, dd wrote:
anyone looking to purchase one as I have a Sunhouse fire in perfect condition.
Hardly ever used as in those days was kept in the best room of the house and
electricity expensive

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy...ct-804281-.htm

On Wednesday, 17 October 2018 14:14:16 UTC+1, dd wrote:
replying to sweetheart, dd wrote:
anyone looking to purchase one as I have a Sunhouse fire in perfect condition.
Hardly ever used as in those days was kept in the best room of the house and
electricity expensive

ebay or etsy