Search AAR: |                                     
A Pleasing Blend of Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow™ Vintage Magazines

Articles & Plans

Airplanes | Rockets
Boats | Cars | Trains
Helicopters | Astronomy
Electronics


About | Sitemap

Homepage Archive

Building & Flying

Hints & Tips | News
Balsa Density & Facts
Silkspan & Dope
Tools & Supplies
Motors & Engines

Comics & Humor
Crosswords | Flyin' Jenny

Personal Stuff

Models | Woodworking
Astronomy | Parole Plaza
Electronics | Photos
Peanuts (Schulz)
Southern Sr. High | Toys


Kirt Blattenberger
AMA 92498 KB3UON
American Modeler
American Aircraft Modeler
Air Trails | RC Modeler
Flying Aces | Boy's Life
Young Men Hobbies
Saturday Evening Post
Popular Electronics
Popular Mechanics
Popular Science
Flying Models | OFA

Sunbeam FP−11A Electric Frypan Thermostat Adjustment

Sunbeam FP-11A Electric Frypan w/Box and Instructions - Airplanes and RocketsSunbeam Model FP-11A Electric Frypan Advertisement c1956 - Airplanes and RocketsA nice vintage Sunbeam Model FP−11A electric frypan, like one we had decades ago, showed up at an estate sale. I plugged it in and it heated up quickly, so I paid the man $5 and brought it home. The magazine advertisement shown on the left is from 1956, so it's more than sixty years old!

Melanie and I have been on a mission for many years to find Made in the USA products for use rather than support Red China. That goes for appliances, tools, electronics, clothing, household goods, and whatever else can be found.

Before investing time into cleaning it up, I wanted to give it a good going over. A quick check with the thermocouple showed that the temperature was out of alignment with the dial. I removed the protective cover and found the adjustment screw provided for setting the temperature. After a few iterations of adjusting and measuring, I arrived at a place where the frypan would heat up to about 20° degrees above the set point, turn off, then turn back on about 20° degrees below the set point. Twenty degrees of hysteresis is pretty good for a mechanical device using bimetal contacts.

Once our Sunbeam Model FP−11A electric frypan had passed the functionality test, I used a wire brush and steel wool to give it a good cleaning and shining. As the photos show, it is now in nearly like-new condition, and is used an a regular basis for pancakes, pork chops, and other goodies. A little butter or grease on the bottom prevents sticking as well as or better than out Teflon-coated pans. It's definitely a keeper.

Sunbeam FP-11A Electric Frypan Restored - Airplanes and Rockets

Sunbeam FP-11A Electric Frypan Restored (top) - Airplanes and Rockets

Sunbeam FP-11A Electric Frypan Restored (bottom) - Airplanes and Rockets

 

 

Posted July 22, 2023

About Airplanes & Rockets 

Kirt Blattenberger, Webmaster - Airplanes and RocketsKirt Blattenberger

Even during the busiest times of my life I have endeavored to maintain some form of model building activity. This website has been created to help me chronicle my journey through a lifelong involvement in model aviation, which all began in Mayo, Maryland...

 

Copyright  1996 - 2026

All trademarks, copyrights, patents, and other rights of ownership to images and text used on the Airplanes and Rockets website are hereby acknowledged.

Homepage Archives  |  Modeling News Archives

Webmaster:

Kirt Blattenberger

BSEE - KB3UON

Family Websites:

RF Cafe

Equine Kingdom