Mystery blend machine - any info?

Hi everyone,

I recently purchased this old commercial blend unit off ebay.
It was advertised as Sterex, but that name only appears on the probe and needles it was supplied with. The only name on the case is “BlendeTTe”, and on the reverse, the address:

Clacton Works
Clacton Road
London
N17 6UG

…so it’s doesn’t seem to be anything to do with CTI’s Blendette+ from Holland.

It’s quite big - just over 18" wide, heavy, and solidly built from 1.5mm thick steel plate.

According to a date sticker inside, it’s about 24 years old. It’s completely solid state, and has no timer.
It has separate controls and meters for RF (0-50µA) and DC (0-1mA). Both sections appear to be working.

Connectors on the front are for the probe and indifferent electrode, and on the rear for a single foot switch.

I can find absolutely no information about this machine online, so I wondered if any of the people here had come across it before?

I have never heard of this epilator. You have to be careful what you buy off the internet. It pays to research potential purchases before sending your money. Sterex needles are sold separately and might have nothing to do with your machine.

nods
The probe and needles are compatible with this machine (4mm banana plug), but Sterex are Birmingham-based, and this machine is from a very short street in London.

I’ve done some checking of the address, and found some references to a beauty supply company called Trim Tone at that location. I also found a reference to Ballet needle holders being compatible with Trim Tone machines. Whether Trim Tone was the manufacturer of my mystery box is far from certain (I can find no other references to Trim Tone machines) but it’s the best lead I’ve found yet. :frowning:

I can’t tell you what type of machine this is, but I can tell you that it does galvanic, blend, and thermolysis, so it would be a fine machine for home use, and you should be able to get service for it anywhere any other machine gets fixed. It is a simple unit, so no troubles, about parts, or finding someone who knows how to fix this brand. If the price is right, grab it.

Thanks James.
I decided it’d be worth going for after lurking round these forums for a while.
Inside, its incredibly simple - the galvanic circuit board consists of only seven components - I guess that’s why it’s still working after a quarter century.
Now I need to go torture some oranges while I wait for my copy of Bono to arrive. :slight_smile:

The orange torture? You HAVE been reading the forum! Don’t forget the newspaper poke speed drills. (you simulate spreading the skin with one hand, and you hold the probe holder at the ready, and proceed to poke all the letters with holes in them. Sure, everyone does the o’s and p’s, but you got to go after the b’s, d’s, a’s, e’s, and so on.)

I try to tell people that even if you get a DOA machine, fixing it at a service center will still come up less than a new machine, and even less than a guaranteed refurbished unit most of the time.

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Damn, that was quick!
Texas Electrolysis Supply got my copy of Bono to me in the UK in three working days! Over the 4th July holiday too!

They’ve very considerately wrapped it in lots and lots of useful… newspaper. :stuck_out_tongue:

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And that’s why I recommend them. They care, and in the unlikely event there is a problem, they try to work it out with you like a friend. (unlike some other suppliers I could name, who habitually send you the wrong stuff, and refuse to admit their error, make good, or exchange the unordered items.)

Hi, we have this machine in the salon but it hasn’t been used for at least 4 years. I nnow have girls qualified and happy to do electrolysis. Have you found out any more about the machine? I need to get new cords and a foot switch for ours.

Hi,
I haven’t found out any more about it yet, but I know it will work quite happily with Sterex brand probes and indifferent electrodes with banana plug/single prong connectors. You can also operate it without the foot switch using switched probes.

The foot switch connector at the back is a [sup]1[/sup]⁄[sub]4[/sub]" mono jack, so you’ll need one of these (available from any audio store) to use a current model Sterex foot switch - they look to be fitted with 3.5mm mono plugs. (Just remember to unplug the adapter if you want to use a switched probe.)
I purchased a cheap foot switch that had the correct plug fitted from Maplin, but IMO it’s far too flimsy to be up to full-time commercial work.

Hope that helps. :slight_smile:

Just seen this old post - have had one of these Trim Tone machines for 16 years - repair guy at Sterex here in the UK says it’s one of the best and most robust machines to have! I’ve never had any problems - use Sterex leads and needle holders. I still have the 3 page printed info leaflet if anyone wants me to scan a copy for them. It can also do galvanic facial treatments with the right electrodes (which I’m on a search for now - hence me finding this site!)

Hi please could I take you up on your offer to copy the 3 page leaflet :pray:t2: Am I allowed to send you my email address on this forum?

Hi is there any chance I can still take you up on your offer to copy the trim and tone 2 manual?

That post is from 2011 and its debateable if the poster is still here after all these years.