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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: talesofthesevenseas on February 25, 2010, 01:56:06 PM
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I just got this X-Ray coffee grinder. I know these were made by the Arcade company from 1894 through 1920, but I was wondering if there is any way to tell the earlier models from the later ones? This one is unmarked, but would have originally had a sticker on the glass. The glass is original and still has the metal strip along the top, securing it in place. Did some of these have patent dates on the handles like other Arcade grinder models? Does anyone know if there were differences in earlier vs. later production? There seem to be different screws, possibly replacements, securing the handles to the grinding mechanism. This one looks like it has the original nut, it's the disc in the center of the handle, with round "grips" around the edges. Usually I see these with things like wing nuts on them. I've also not seen many with that metal strip to hold the glass still in place.
I paid $55 for this one. It came from an estate, an old farm house in Minnesota where it was still in use by the owners who passed away in their 90's. It works great and grinds a good cup of coffee. It is missing the catch cup that hangs below it, but I've ordered a repro replacement.
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/CoffeeGrinder.jpg)
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No patent number?
Another one like yours with label:
http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=468831&image=308295782&images=308295782,308295863,308295992,308296076,308296194,308296276&formats=0,0,0,0,0,0&format=0 (http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=468831&image=308295782&images=308295782,308295863,308295992,308296076,308296194,308296276&formats=0,0,0,0,0,0&format=0)
Maybe this will help? The Association of Coffee Mill Enthusiasts. OOPS YOU HAVE TO JOIN $$$$
http://www.antiquecoffeegrinders.net/ (http://www.antiquecoffeegrinders.net/)
http://www.antiques-bible.com/ppf/term/Arcade+Crystal+Coffee+Grinder/definition.asp (http://www.antiques-bible.com/ppf/term/Arcade+Crystal+Coffee+Grinder/definition.asp)
http://www.coffeehouseinc.com/history.htm (http://www.coffeehouseinc.com/history.htm)
As I suspected the oldest ones seem to have crystal jars. Here's a nice display of some no xrays tho!
http://www.javaholics.net/html/coffee_mill_gallery_2.html (http://www.javaholics.net/html/coffee_mill_gallery_2.html)
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Nope, no patent number at all. Yes, the X-Ray in your link is identical to mine, minus the sticker, and it has a different nust securing the handle. The nut on mine is very similar, but without the wings.
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Wow that's a sweet grinder. :o
I love all the details of the metal hardware.Was the lever painted when you got it?
The antique look of this is a thing of beauty in my eyes.
Great item with lot's of style and character.
Now I'm wondering why I use a noisy electric coffee grinder that wakes everyone up when it's used and looks so boring.
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It hasn't been repainted, it had that black enamel finish on the cast iron originally, from what I have read. There is also a finish on the wood and it's aging and crackling a bit around the edges.
This coffee grinder is just as noisy as an electric and it takes longer to do the grinding. Occasionally a bean gets stuck and you have to stick a knife or a skewer down through the bean box to free it up. But I just retired my electric to the cupboard anyway, I love it, it looks great in the kitchen and I'm having fun "doing the daily grind" in the mornings! ;D Go shopping Dean!! You NEED one!!
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Does it have Espresso Grind setting :D. Now all you need is a really old coffee pot to brew your coffee in. Modern tech sure has taken our character away in many ways. The two greatest inventions though is the Latta, and of course the toliet. I love your grinder tales, maybe we should all retire our old grinder. You know I think I am.
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I agree.
Judging from KC's post and your photo it appears the lever has some sort of flowered vines theme going on.
I wonder if that was hand done?
Any way you could show a close up of the art on the lever when you have your camera and get a chance?
I think it's pretty cool that the maker went through that trouble to give it a decorative touch.
Even the swiveling lid has style.
Somewhere in the area of 100 years old and it's still saying bring it on.
PS-Looks like it was made to fit in that spot.
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http://www.antique-shop.com/forums/index.php?topic=5557.msg17178#msg17178
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Sure Dean, here's a close-up on the hand crank and grinder housing. They are made of cast iron, so I think any hand work would have been done on the mold it came from, but not on the grinder itself.
The place it is mounted is in my kitchen, which is a converted back porch. So I had a nice 4x4 post to mount it to!
That's a cool coffee pot, but I don't think I had better retire Mr. Coffee just yet, I rely pretty heavily on the auto-shutoff function when I'm sleepy and rushing off to work!!
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/CoffeeGrinder1.jpg)
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Here's a couple of additional detail shots:
The cap on the top of the bean box. The top edges of the box are rounded, with some square dovetailing:
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/CoffeeGrinder2.jpg)
Side of the bean box:
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/CoffeeGrinder3.jpg)
Up-close on the battered old dovetailing:
(http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x124/talesofthesevenseas/CoffeeGrinder4.jpg)
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It's like the more I look at it the more I like it.
When you have people over for coffee bet they'll be impressed with it.I'm sure it will bring intrest and comments.
Best of luck on dating it.
Very nice.
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Tales, would this be yours?
http://www.oldcoffeegrinders.com/canister-or-wall-mounted-coffee.htm
Ninth down, Item #4020
"This mill was manufactured by the Arcade Mfg. Co. of Freeport, Ill. around 1900. This X-Ray mill was covered with a reddish paint or stain when I got it, so it was stripped then sanded and finished with a golden oak stain and an antique oil finish. It has a clear glass viewing window with a reproduced Arcade X-Ray label attached. This mill has it's original japanned finish on the exterior of the cast iron and the mill was completely disassembled and cleaned to like new condition. This mill comes equipped with a cast copy of the catch cup that was originally supplied with this mill. The length of the wood portion is right around 11 1/2" (14 3/4" long with the catch cup hanging at the bottom), 4 3/4" wide and 3 1/2" deep."
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t98/geeziesmom/4020ArcadeX-RayAA.jpg)
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Don't know if this would lead anywhere......
http://history.fcgov.com/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/ma&CISOPTR=3048&CISOBOX=1&REC=3
COFFEE MILL, WALL
Description H-28.9, W-11.4,D-8.9. Wall coffee mill;wooden hop- per w/glass front; embossed bladk iron grinding mechanism w/wood handle;iron hopper hole cover; label reads "X-ray Coffee Mill #1,patent applied for, mfg.by ?cade Manfg. Co."
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It is so interesting that a patent was never issued that I can find.
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Sapphire, that's not the exact one I bought, mine came from Ebay, but that's the same model. It doesn't look like they changed much during the time frame during which they were made.
This site gives the dates of production for the X-Ray as 1890 - 1920:
http://www.javaholics.net/html/coffee_mill_history.html (http://www.javaholics.net/html/coffee_mill_history.html)
Somewhere in my internet searches I did see a mention of a patent in 1894, but not a link to it specifically. I'll have to try to find it again.
Glad you guys like it!
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Yet another good excuse for using antique grinders (and the graters also discussed on another topic today), is that these old kitchen devices are kind of a fun way of "going green". Not only are they 100% off the grid and draw no electricity, but by recycling an antique back into a functional item, there is no pollution produced by the manufacturing process.
I also think it would be fun to have more of these kinds of working antiques available for kids to try (with supervision of course) at museums and living history events. Kids would get a kick out of grinding, grating, pumping water and churning butter, like their ancestors did.
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I wanted to post some follow-up information since some of you were interested in these old grinders.
Definitely invest in a reproduction catch cup if your grinder comes without one. They are worth every penny. It is really hard to hold a paper filter under the grinder, turn the handle and not whack your knuckles! The catch cup makes it very easy to use. These are readily available online or with the glass canister type, you could probably find a nice little glass at a thrift store that would do the trick too.
A little reading on the canister grinders shows that like mine, they do require a little manual assistance, because several times during the grinding, one bean will block the flow of the others. This is easily helped with a jiggle or a tap, but that doesn't work with the wooden type like mine since it is fixed to the wall. I have a metal shishkabob skewer that works great. I just put it in the canister when I'm grinding and give the beans a little swirl when they get stuck. These take a little more effort than a modern grinder, but I am really enjoying mine and love how it looks in the kitchen.
I got the following info on cleaning the interior of a grinder from a person who has a business online restoring and selling old coffee grinders:
"Take the metal grinder off (two screws on the sides) and wire brush the interior."
On the wooden box:
"The nails will pry out with a small flat tipped screwdriver so you can remove the glass and lightly sand the interior with a fine sandpaper."
Since mine had been in constant use, I decided against it, since there were no signs on the grinder of it ever having been opened and I didn't want to mar the old screw slots or the metal lip of the box. It was in such solid, tight condition, it seemed best left alone.
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I got the following info on cleaning the interior of a grinder from a person who has a business online restoring and selling old coffee grinders:
"Take the metal grinder off (two screws on the sides) and wire brush the interior."
On the wooden box:
"The nails will pry out with a small flat tipped screwdriver so you can remove the glass and lightly sand the interior with a fine sandpaper."
Since mine had been in constant use, I decided against it, since there were no signs on the grinder of it ever having been opened and I didn't want to mar the old screw slots or the metal lip of the box. It was in such solid, tight condition, it seemed best left alone.
Great choice not to mess with it TOT7S.What a cool item.
Are there fights over who gets to make the coffee in your house now? :)
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Nope. I am the undisputed Java Goddess of said household. ;)