Stop appliance genocide

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by DavGoodlin

Lookee what I saved from the "to scrap" pile at the Harrisburg Salvation Army.
Attachment 177104Attachment 177105
This is a roasting-braising pan. These were fixtures in church basement kitchens, now its in mine, next to its 1947 cousin, the extremely efficient refrigerator.
I have seen these in Ant-eek stores for some$$$, so I gave SA $10. Its missing only one knob on the timer-clock and a its cord.

I would think cords for these old appliances should be easy to find, if you do some searching. The roaster you refer to uses the same type of cord as was (and probably still is) used on electric irons; however, the cord you're looking for should have a large female AC plug at the end opposite the line plug. This is the end that plugs into the mating male socket on the roaster. These cords are well covered by asbestos and other fire-resistant materials, due to the high current requirements of appliances using heating elements and/or large motors; they must be replaced, if necessary, with the same type of cord as originally supplied with the appliance, as a standard cord (such as a plastic-insulated extension cord) will overheat, melt and short, tripping the circuit breaker, soon after the appliance is switched on.

I would be extremely leery of using a 50+-year-old roaster, unless the appliance was overhauled first. The roaster probably has crumbling wiring to the heating element, thermostat, etc. and may be anything but safe to use. This is the same advice as is always given here on VK's forums before using an old radio or TV, except that with antique appliances there are usually no capacitors to replace; however, the wiring and thermostat may well need to be replaced before the roaster can be safely used. The usual warning regarding leaving an antique appliance (especially one with a heating element) unattended when in operation -- after the appliance is properly restored, of course -- applies here as well.