Mystery Griddle

[RobbiQuest]

I bought a cast iron griddle (even that's a long story) that has me mystified - I'm hoping someone can provide some clues.

The griddle fits my Model B perfectly:
[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45307947@N00/190415798/in/photostream/"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/45307947@N00/190415798/in/photostream/[/url]

[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45307947@N00/190415799/in/photostream/"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/45307947@N00/190415799/in/photostream/[/url]

It even has a hook on the back like a Chambers griddle.
[url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/45307947@N00/190415800/in/photostream/"]http://www.flickr.com/photos/45307947@N00/190415800/in/photostream/[/url]

It is stamped "4650" and is made of cast iron. My aluminum griddle is a mere 4 pounds - the cast iron one is 9. I figure that won't be a problem, though, with my Model B since there's a lip that the griddle rests on (the broiler lift doesn't take the weight when it's in rest mode.)

Is it possible this is an early Chambers griddle, or did someone fab it maybe?

Any help anyone could offer would be fun to know.

Thanks,
t.

<font color="#FFFFFF" size="1">[ July 16, 2006 10:04 AM: Message edited by: RobbiQuest ]</font>

[Kitzig]

I wish I could help, but it looks great. I'd love to get one for one of my stoves. I love cast iron.

Lori G.

[jpashbury]

Your mystery griddle is just like ours. Our stove is an early tri-color stove, thought to be earlier than the A series. It's style number is 1141T3. We recently obtained the stove and we're trying to get it going.

[jpashbury]

Hopefully this picture shows the side handle well enough. We assume that it needed to be moved to the front of the unit when stoves were placed between counter tops and not as free standing units. The side handle lifts the griddle easily with the assistance of a rather large tension spring.

[img]http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/5125/pict0203gi2.jpg[/img]

[RobbiQuest]

Tom, what a GORGEOUS stove!! Man, I would love to see the early Chambers in person one day - what beautiful colors!!

[chipperhiker]

I have seen a few very old Chambers stoves on ebay in recent months that looked like they had rusty cast iron griddles. John's got one, too, so cast iron must have been typical on the oldest Chambers.

Those same stoves had much different mechanisms for raising the griddle, compared to the A-D series. The lever is around a foot or more long, is located on the side of the stove, and looks quite substantial.

Maybe switching to the lighter aluminum griddle, which weighs less than half as much as the iron version, allowed for the griddle mechanism redesign that we are all familiar with. Or, perhaps, the side-levered cast iron griddles were found on heavier grade/prof.grade stoves? Someone must know these things... Sam??

John, could you possibly post a couple photos of your stove? It would be really interesting to see. What mechanism does it have for lifting the griddle?

-Jenn

[chipperhiker]

What a lovely stove, John!!

It's exactly like the ones I was talking about, right down to the color scheme. Do you have any ideas about its age/history?

-Jenn

[jpashbury]

I only recently acquired the stove. It came from a woman not far from Shelbyville, Indiana. She thought the stove dated to 1935, but I haven't been able to determine that, yet.

I found this message board yesterday and have been devouring every word with the hopes of learning more about it. I'm trying to get it working; lit the broiler yesterday for a few minutes, but that's the closest I've come to 'cooking' so far. I sent parts to CA for re-porcelaining yesterday, so it will be lots of salads until they are back. [img]graemlins/smarty.gif[/img]

[lowracer]

That is a fine looking stove. It almost looks like it's out of a cartoon.