Sunbeam T-20-C Radiant Control Toaster, Built between 1957-1958 - **RESTORED**

Description

Thank you for viewing my listing.
To my Ebay friends:
Once again, I appreciate all of the kind and sincere emails asking
"Where have you been?"
Truly, friends, I have been so busy restoring other Sunbeam "T" series toasters for customers who already own them and ship them to me for restoration, 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.
These Sunbeam T series toasters make wonderful gifts! Weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and of course
Christmas 2021 will be here before we know it - please get your orders in early - thank you!
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Today, I am presenting a vintage
Sunbeam T-20-C Radiant Control Toaster
that has been restored to
like-new
condition and powder coated in
Misty Copper
- this seems to be a very popular color and I have received many requests asking when the next one is coming to Ebay - well here it is.
Thank you for your requests.
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.
Special Note:
I try to save every toaster I purchase as I feel it is one more Sunbeam "out there" in the world making someone happy each and every time it is used - thus the reason for the powder coating.
To those who have sent such nice and thoughtful emails - thank you! Your comments about the work I do to these toasters
(the best toaster ever made!)
are truly appreciated. This Sunbeam was almost thrown away just because of a rusted buss bar (see below) which was easily repaired. T
he chrome plating was scratched and worn from a scouring pad (see pictures) but the mechanics and "bones" of the toaster were in almost
PERFECT
and very restorable condition (see pictures). I just could not break up this toaster for parts
.
Quick details of this offering:
Model:
T-20-C
Date Manufactured:
1957 and 1958 (dates were no longer stamped on the chassis frame after the T-20-B)
Origin:
Sunbeam Products, Chicago, Illinois
Condition:
Completely restored; professionally powder coated in
Misty Copper
. I repaired a rusted bus bar connection (see pictures) with a replacement from a parts donor toaster. In addition, I replaced the "neutral" wire on one of the end elements with high temperature crimp connector and heating wire (see pictures). The crumb tray is completely original and shines as if new.
The chassis base plate has been painted with high temperature ceramic spray paint and cured at 400 degrees (see picture).
T
he Bakelite base was cracked, but not fractured and has been repaired with two stage epoxy. The base was then highly polished. The bases are so very fragile and none are available - so they must be repaired.
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-C
The T-20-C is the last model to feature the engraved image of the Trylon and Perisphere inspired from the 1939 World's Fair on the front and back of the "clam shell" cover. All internal metal parts, including the bread carriage, were changed to galvanized metal. The lightness/darkness knob remains under the Bakelite handle. The "C" is the first to feature a rubber cord, and it has 1,275 watts of power. This model drops the bread at a very fast rate and rises very similar to the T-20-A or T-35.
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.
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.
Instead of polishing the chrome on this toaster, all chrome has been removed and it has been professionally powder coated with
Misty Copper
. The powder coating can withstand temperatures of over 400 degrees. I still applied 3M wax to make the coating shine like new. T
he Bakelite base has been polished with a professional Eastwood buffer and the appropriate jeweler's rouge designed for plastic surfaces.
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-C
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 to the lower 48 States.
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.