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Post by pattyhunny on Mar 1, 2017 21:43:28 GMT -5
Just brought her home a few hours ago, impulse buy, trying to learn by reading, but can't figure out what the handle in the middle is for. She is a yellow high back C I think, thanks
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Post by mach12 on Mar 1, 2017 21:57:03 GMT -5
Welcome! Can't wait to hear more about your new stove. You've made a great choice and the more you learn about it the happier you'll be that you got it. On the handle, if it's the one that I think you're talking about I think it's the one that raises and lowers the broiler sizzle platter (under the griddle).
Did you see the link to the manuals that you can download? Go to www.vintagechambers.com/ and click on "Literature and How-Tos" . The operating instructions are in the Idle Hour Cookbook.
Let us know of any other questions and if your stove needs any fixing or adjusting just let us know. We'll walk you through it.
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Post by pooka on Mar 2, 2017 13:04:39 GMT -5
You are now the proud owner of a 1950s era Chambers 90-C kitchen range. The color is called pastel yellow & is certainly a cheerful shade. That lever you asked about can be a head scratcher. You hear it doing something, but you can't see what it's doing. It only moves the boiler pan when the griddle is closed. When you open it, it automatically lifts the Sizzler platter all the way up. If you have it closed, take the griddle off & hold the burner down with your hand, then turn the said handle. Then you can see it move up & down.
Welcome to the madness that Chambers ownership can infect you with. For some of us, it becomes a mania that's incurable.
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Post by wizardoftrance on Mar 3, 2017 0:36:26 GMT -5
You can actually watch the platter move. The platter adjust handle will work as long as the griddle above it is not more than 1/2 way up.
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Post by dugbug on Mar 3, 2017 18:47:14 GMT -5
The center handle sets the height of the broiler platter under the griddle.
The correct way to use it, is to first raise the griddle all the way up, using the large handle on the far left. Now, you can turn the center handle freely (clockwise, from 6 to 3) 6 o'clock being the lowest position, 3 o'clock being the highest. Nothing will move, but when you lower the griddle, the platter will stop at the desired height set by the center handle.
Turning the center handle with the griddle down, causes strain on the mechanism resulting in a loud rattling sound.
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Post by pattyhunny on Mar 3, 2017 20:19:44 GMT -5
Thank you all so much, I have ordered the cookbook and manual, but I am sure I will have many more questions .
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Post by pooka on Mar 4, 2017 3:12:16 GMT -5
The correct way to use it, is to first raise the griddle all the way up, using the large handle on the far left. Now, you can turn the center handle freely (clockwise, from 6 to 3) 6 o'clock being the lowest position, 3 o'clock being the highest. Nothing will move, but when you lower the griddle, the platter will stop at the desired height set by the center handle. Turing the center handle with the griddle down, causes strain on the mechanism resulting in a loud rattling sound. That's a good tip dugbug. That always did seem a clunky way to design that adjusting mechanism. On my two older stoves, the levers are on the side. The cam seems pron to heavy wear if it wasn't well greased, but still it's pretty rough to adjust when it's all closed up. I guess a good analogy would be shifting a manual transmission in a car without applying the clutch. I believe they call it speed shifting. Not a swell way to treat your transmission. By your method, you're unloading the mechanism, making the adjustment, then loaded it again. So simple, yet it alludes us all. This is similar to the way the thumb latch keys get worn. It's from turning the levers without pushing down the thumb key. This caused the disc on the valve to eventually saws a slot into the key. All you have to do is always press the thumb latch before you move the valve lever. Then there would never be any wear. It's all in the technique. Maybe we need warning stickers to remind us of the proper operating procedure.
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Post by nana on Mar 4, 2017 8:39:13 GMT -5
Indeed, thank you, Dugbug. I had sort of known that moving the platter position with the griddle up was possible, and after all this time I have a pretty good idea of where the handle needs to be for a certain one, but I never put the two together. I always moved it with the griddle down and peeked into the little crack between the stovetop and the griddle to check its position, hearing and feeling the mechanism judder and grind and wondering why they didn't make it easier. I never thought I could be doing damage! I'm going to do it the right way from now on and only do fine tuning with the griddle down.
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