Need your help! Found a bargain!!!

14 years ago

When driving and doing my Saturday Morning chores (farmer's mkt, library, Lowe's for rootone), I had to go by Dollar General to get some toothpaste and a nice plastic tub for all my canning gear, lids in boxes, pectin and such. Nearby is an antique store and a small used furniture store, off the main road. They buy stuff at estate sales, but nothing fancy. Just useful items, as it's a very small place. Leaning more and more towards PRESTO.

Now, mind you, I don't have a pressure canner and have been pricing them and debating. Even watching the bids on EBAY, as this year I would like to can more than just jams and tomatoes.

Inside the furniture store I found an old 15.5 quart ALL-AMERICAN pressure canner!! They guy and I worked on the knobs. Got them loose and separated them, but couldn't get the lid off. Discovered there were three bayonet clamps with screws (one clamp was missing). Still couldn't get the lid off. He finally hammered the top protruding part of the lid from the bottom protruding part and wa-la, it came off.

Inside, it had oxidized on the bottom to a funny white paste in "dots" which were creamy (yuck). It has the vent pip and gauge on top.

It was marked $10!!!! Since we had such a time with it and it was missing a part,(and as I played up that I 'really wasn't sure about it...hmmmm....I "hmmm'd" a lot, didn't know if I could get the part (I said verbally)...and I didn't know for sure, due to it's possible age, but now I know after checking their website)....I asked if he would take $8 for it. He said, "Sure". (He had no earthy idea of how much they run in price. I could tell).

I searched the internet on how to clean cast aluminum but came up empty handed. I did find that you can clean the oxidation with vinegar and water. It's all over the bottom of it inside. How can I clean it so the lid doesn't stick so badly? It's not as bad as it was since opening and closing a few times, but it's been sitting for a while and just needs some loving attention. Is there a way I can find out it's age? I did look on All-American's web site but it doesn't have a stock number or anything on the bottom. Just, "WISCONSIN ALUMINUM NO. 7, ALL AMERICAN MANITOWOC WIS. 15 1/2 QTS. FOUNDRY CO. INC, then a small number 45 outside of the circle below the description.

The gauge is very tight. I don't dare remove it. I will take the whole lid to the county extension, and maybe the whole pot if you folks think I should.

I'm am excited about this find, but with caution. If it's a dud, I'm not out that much. One thing I would NOT challenge is a pressure canner!

Thanks for any feedback. I am excited and will be moreso if I hear good news from you!!

June Lynn

Comments (8)

junelynn
Original Author
14 years ago
"Leaning more and more towards PRESTO", should be AFTER, "Now Mind you, I don't have a pressure cooker..."....
Linda_Lou
14 years ago
I use Cameo cleaner on metal. It is like Comet, but much better. Barkeepers Friend is also supposed to be good.
If you take the lid to the ext. office, you will still have to remove the dial gauge. We can't put that domed lid on the test unit, it bends and ruins our tester. So, you will need to remove the gauge yourself.
You will be able to refit the vent pipe with a new one and buy a three piece weight set if you want and use it as a weighted gauge canner.
You may need to run some Vaseline on the sealing edge of the canner.
It should still work as a fine canner as long as the bottom is not warped. Put a straight edge on it and check to see if it is flat.
Related Discussions
Have You Found Any Bargains Lately?
Q
Comments (21)
It takes 3.78 of our litres to make a U.S. gal. While a litre of 10% cream is often $3.99 at our major drug store's grocery aisle, often a litre of 5% goes for $4.39 - don't ask me to explain that! Fairly frequently either of them are on sale for about $1.99. The other day they had a "$3.00 off" sticker on a litre of 5%, as there was only a couple of days left on "Best before" code ... so I figured that $1.39 was a good buy. When it went through the register, the quoted price was "$3.51" ... so the "$3.00 off" meant that I paid 51 cents. As Canadian pennies expired a couple of years ago, most stores drop an additional 2 cents ... and if it's 3 cents over - you pay a nickel. I was buying a 4-litre bag of 2% milk, which is often on sale at "3.97", but it was Senior's Thursday, so with the store's loyalty card, I was to pay $3.18. Had the cream not been on sale, I wouldn't have bought it, so I saved an additional 2 cents that I'd have been charged for the milk ... bringing my actual price for the cream down to 49 cents. Nice price for 1/3.78 part of a gallon of cream. ole joyfuelled ... who also gets fuelled by getting a bargain
...See More
Have YOU found any bargains or deals .......? Hhhhmmmmm.........
Q
Comments (43)
OK, that makes some sense. I just couldn't picture picking something that long up. I'm used to just the regular snow shovel although my "shovel" part is heavy plastic so it's lighter than the metal one I use to have. A neighbor has something I haven't seen before. It's a battery operated "snow shovel" that acts like a blower. Pretty neat. It makes a narrow path and it can't be deep snow but it works pretty good.
...See More
Have you found any bargains or deals lately? February edition.
Q
Comments (56)
I found one pair of Hokas today at TJ Maxx. They were 9 1/2 ( I am usually an 8 1/2 or 9) . I tried them on and they were actually pretty comfy.........but they were blue and orange and $79.99. I think if they looked a bit more "normal" I might have bought them. I want to be able to wear sneakers with a little nicer outfit ( like I was wearing today, for when we travel.... still casual but a step up from gym clothes).. These really looked like clown shoes on me and for the price, I just couldn't. But I was excited to see them in TJM. I would have been happy with the ones Jane shared above. These were like medium blue with orange flames. oh well.
...See More
Have YOU found any bargains or deals? May edition
Q
Comments (65)
Found this antique toy dresser at the GW today. $5.99. Looked it up when I got home--it was made by J.Bubb in London, early 19th century. Found one that sold a few years ago for $225, but it was missing all the escutcheons and 1 pull. Mine is in excellent condition, all hardware intact and with the maker's mark. I can't believe this beautiful toy is almost 200 years old!
...See More
readinglady
14 years ago
Whatever you do, never hammer the sealing edge.

The All-American manual is posted online; since the All-American design is essentially unchanged and has been for years, any manual you locate will give you the basic care information you require. (Don't follow their canning times.)

If the sealing edge is corroded or nasty, you can run an SOS pad around the rim (not back and forth but around in a circular direction) to clean it up. Then apply a very light coating of petroleum jelly.

Stains on the interior are only an aesthetic issue. Vinegar or cream of tartar can help remove them. The main concern is that the kettle body is sound, no cracks. You probably won't be able to tell if there's warping until you do a test run. That will indicate if there's a tight seal and pressure.

Most Extension agencies are no longer testing gauges and of those that do, most are not able to test All-American gauges, only the Presto. However, All-American uses a weight with 5-10-15 pound indicators, so the gauge is only a backup, which the manual indicates. You can process following standard guidelines for weighted-gauge canners.

Carol
digdirt2
14 years ago
The main problem I see is that no weights are available for it so you will be totally dependent on the gauge and regular, annual gauge testing. I wouldn't be at all comfortable with that.

If good reliable testing is available locally then it is your call but keep in mind that gauges just aren't considered dependable in the long run.

JMO

Dave
Linda_Lou
14 years ago
You can order a new vent pipe for it. Dave, the new ones fit the old models. Then, you can buy the three piece weight set. I just did this with my friends old canner. I contacted AA before I did it. They said all the parts fit all models. The old AA canners do only have a dial gauge to rely on, and many have a petcock, not even the counterweights on them. They did not come with the double system we now have on them.
We do test the All American gauges, but as I said, it must be removed by the consumer. We cannot accept the liability of removing it. Once it is removed, we put just the dial on the test unit.
junelynn
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you for all the tips! I am researching and will be doing my "homework". I really appreciate all you input!
June Lynn
digdirt2
14 years ago
Good info Linda Lou. I figured this was one of the old petcock ones. Those should definitely be avoided.

Dave
2ajsmama
13 years ago
What did you end up doing? I have the same model (I can beat your price - paid $3 for it when I bought all of some lady's jars, she threw it in rather than give me $3 change).

Need your help! Found a bargain!!!

Comments (8)

junelynn
Original Author

Linda_Lou

Related Discussions

readinglady

digdirt2

Linda_Lou

junelynn
Original Author

digdirt2

2ajsmama

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Need your help! Found a bargain!!!

Comments (8)

junelynnOriginal Author

Linda_Lou

Related Discussions

readinglady

digdirt2

Linda_Lou

junelynnOriginal Author

digdirt2

2ajsmama

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

junelynn
Original Author

junelynn
Original Author