Sunbeam T-20-B Radiant Control Toaster, Built on March 25, 1953 - **RESTORED**

Description

Thank you for viewing my listing.
A Special note:
I appreciate all of the nice emails asking
"Where have you been?"
The answer is I have been so busy restoring other Sunbeam "T" series toasters from customers who already own them, this is the first chance in over a month that I have had time to list a Sunbeam for sale -
the best toaster ever made!
There are more listings coming in the next few weeks. Thank you for your understanding.
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Today, I am presenting a vintage
Sunbeam T-20-B Radiant Control Toaster
that has been restored to
like-new
condition.
I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but this toaster is stunning - both
inside and outside!
A
s usual, the toaster will be shipped in its own special box.
**NEW** REPRODUCTION SUNBEAM CORD -
see photographs
All models now equipped with grounded, polarized and reproduction cloth covered cord from an original Sunbeam!!!
After purchasing an almost new Sunbeam at a local estate sale, the cord looked barely used - it truly looked like brand new. I was finally able to determine the colors that Sunbeam used in the weaving of the original cord. I contacted my wire supplier and asked if their company could weave a custom cloth sleeve over the "modern" wire to match the original Sunbeam pattern. The answer was
YES!
I sent the original Sunbeam cord to them and indeed, they were able to match the colors and pattern. The cord is larger in diameter than the original because of it being three conductor which is the only difference. This cord has received rave reviews from customers who have sent their Sunbeam's to me for restoration.
Quick details of this offering:
Model:
T-20-B
Date Manufactured:
Wednesday, March 25, 1953
Origin:
Sunbeam Products, Chicago, Illinois
Condition:
Completely restored; chrome plating highly polished and is in almost perfect condition with very minor "from use" scratches. Bakelite base - stunning!
Mechanics:
Like brand-new condition
As many of you have read, but I think it is so important to inform new people that are reading my listing for the first time, I donate a portion of each sale to the Good Samaritan fund at my church. This fund helps all people who are either homeless, people traveling that need food, gasoline or lodging, rent/utility assistance, etc. It is a vital ministry that has helped many people over the years.
I grew up with a Sunbeam T-20-B that my mother received as a wedding gift in 1955. My grandmother had one as well. I am fortunate to have both of them. I use one for 6 months then switch to the other one for 6 months. I usually have toast each day.
I enjoy to refurbish these wonderful toasters. I find them at various places throughout the area where I live. I restore them and usually give them to friends who are so frustrated with their modern toasters that either do not toast enough or burn the toast beyond recognition. I have restored many of these of these toasters and I know how to disassemble and reassemble them in my sleep.
About the T-20-B
The T-20-B model, part of the T-20 series, was manufactured from 1952 to 1957. All the series and their various models are fantastic, but the T-20-B is my favorite because it features an extra spring that assists the bread carriage. The bread comes up faster than with the other models. But no matter which series or model, Sunbeam Radiant Control toasters built between 1949 and 1997 are the finest and best ever built by any manufacturer before or after;
they are without peer
. Sunbeam Products proudly advertised these toasters as
"Automatic Beyond Belief"
and rightly so!
Some of you ask
"Why do you replace the cord?"
The answer is easy: some are about 70 years old and they are unsafe! I see many of these toasters offered for sale that still have their original asbestos or rubber cords. These toasters were made when polarizing and grounding electrical appliances wasn't practiced. I think the cord is unsafe by today's standards. So, I replace the cords with the
new reproduction Sunbeam cord (see above - first paragraph)
that has three conductor wires with a cloth sleeve on the outside. With this new wire, the toaster now is polarized, grounded and I use a heavy duty three-prong plug. These new cords feature a larger 15 gauge wire versus the smaller 16 gauge wire that was standard from Sunbeam.
Here is a complete description of the work I perform on each toaster:
1. The toaster is completely disassembled.
2. Metal parts are cleaned with oven cleaner.
3. All metal parts, chrome pieces, and the Bakelite base are then put through a genuine Hobart-made KitchenAid KDS-18 dishwasher on Pots/Pans Soak and Scrub cycle. This makes them shine as if they were just manufactured. I don't use any type of scouring product on the chrome pieces.
PLEASE... if you have one of these toasters, do not use scouring powder or scouring pads on the chrome plating.
4. All three heating elements are carefully cleaned with a de-greaser and a toothbrush. They are polished with glass cleaner so the reflective surface shines as if new for maximum heat reflection.
5. The bread carriage receives special attention so all baked-on soil is removed from every nook and cranny.
6. All chrome-plated surfaces and the Bakelite base are highly polished with a professional Eastwood buffer and the appropriate jeweler's rouge to achieve the maximum scratch removal and shine of the chrome plating and base.
6a.
NEW ADDITIONAL PROCESS:
I have begun painting (with high temperature paint) the inside of the chrome ends and clam shell cover because of rust (see picture). When the bread is toasted, moisture from the toasting process is trapped between the mechanism and the covers. This will keep the covers from rusting and causing the chrome to pit.
The base frame plate of this T-20-B was painted on both sides with high temperature ceramic spray paint and cured at 400 degrees (see picture).
The date stamp was restored. The crumb tray was in such nice, original condition, it was simply polished.
7. I restore the word "Sunbeam" on each end of the Bakelite base as well as the engraved words "Lighter/Darker" on the small control knob by using a white paint pen.
8. The toaster is reassembled.
9. The cord is replaced. See "Why Replace the Cord" above.
10. The spring tension on the bread carriage is adjusted for optimal lowering and raising of the bread. If the spring is too tight, it won?t raise efficiently; if too loose, the toaster will not operate correctly when the bread is dropped into the toaster. There is a fine balance.
11. The final adjustment is to fine-tune the thermostat. I work diligently (with lots of test slices of bread) to adjust the toaster to produce what I think medium toast should look like. As you can see in the picture, I clean the thermostat thoroughly and then polish all debris off of the unit with a Dremel. I then polish the contacts that actually activate the toaster and then install the thermostat in the spotlessly cleaned housing.
12. Once the toaster is fully reassembled, it is hand polished one final time with Simichrome and then waxed with 3M Professional Wax.
This stunning Sunbeam T-20-B
Radiant Control Toaster is in ready-to-use condition for years to come! It would look beautiful on any counter, as they are timeless in design and style! In addition, they are a HUGE conversation piece of history! The best part, the toast is perfect!!
If you purchase this toaster, you can be assured it will be very carefully packed and double-boxed. In addition, I am offering FREE shipping throughout the lower 48 States via USPS or UPS - whichever is more reasonable. Shipping outside of the United States will be handled by Ebay Global Shipping Program and International shipping charges will apply.
My Pledge to You
If, for any reason, you have trouble with your toaster for one year from the date of purchase, I will pay to have it shipped back to me, repair it, and then send back to you at no cost. This only applies to United States shipments only.
As with any small appliance with an open heating element, unplug the toaster after each use. DO NOT leave the toaster plugged in when not in use. I cannot accept responsibility for any personal damage caused by the toaster.
Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me. I will do my best to answer them in a timely and efficient manner.
Thank you for reading my listing. I send Peace and Respect to each of you.