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Efficient and effective clothes washing

PostPosted: Sun Apr 20, 2014 3:33 pm
by Doug Coulter
Well, when I first started homesteading here, getting clothes clean meant "take a rock, some soap, down by the crik and get to work". At first I didn't have enough energy to even think of having a real washer. Then I finally got a backup generator that would run Sears tiniest backup "bachelor" model, and used that till it died, but it didn't feel right burning gasoline for clothing, and it died young anyway - and the laundromat was more interesting, as there were, you know, females there too.

At any rate, now that I've had plenty power for awhile, a good old neigbor donated the nice 30's-era Maytag to me, and I kind of restored it. It needed a weldup and re-mill on the plate that controls the gearbox for the wringer, and instead of the very old and very broken Briggs and Stratton (yup...) a real electric motor. The one I put on there has lasted about 10 years - even out in the weather, but burned out on this very load of clothing. Due to the nature of this good old stuff, I had it up and going again long before the smoke stopped rolling off the old motor. I got these motors as part of some "envelope folders" which is kind of code for "spam generator" back in the days when spam was delivered by the mailman. I think this is a better use of those.

Here is is in action...I powder coated this and that for fun (and learning how) and after a decade, some parts need that again. But you know, this thing is so well thought out, that even if left totqally full (say, rainwater) and it freezes - no damage at all. I'm amazed, personally. And yes, it does just as good a job as the most expensive thing you can buy at the white-box stores. Just with less power required. Dunno about water - it doesn't use much of that either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQnS6hr ... l009sYggjA