maintaining mechanical things

[pianistimo]

ok.  for those of you who routinely put oil in the car (as i thank God my husband does) and rotate the tires every 5,000 miles - here's some hints you may already know about maintaining washing machines.  i'd forgotten some things and it may have helped the demise of my machine.

ok.  when you buy a washing machine nowdays - it comes with automatic adjustable 'feet' that pop down to the right length when you tip the machine towards yourself and let them readjust.  i forgot about this aspect of maintenance and my machine became less and less level.  it totally ruins a machine to leave it lopsided.  thankfully, my machine was 12 years old anyway - but if i had kept it level - the inside parts wouldn't have worn so much.

here's another tip we found out from a person at my husband's job.  buy a 2-4" thick rubber floor mat and place it under your machine.  it helps to keep it from girating around (and shaking - esp. if it's on a second floor - but better to place on lower floors) - thus helping to keep it level, too.  you can buy them at home depot or here in pa at a tractor supply store also.

and, you can make sure your machine is level by checking your floor.  many washrooms have varying kinds of flooring and if the floor is unlevel - it's harder to level the machine - but not impossible.  checking both the levelness of the floor and the levelness of the machine - will keep it going a long time.  (especially if you have the floormat,too).

so much for tip of the day.  feel free to add your own machine maintenence ideas.   

[pianistimo]

*one last tip:  buy only the mechnical knobs.  then, if you have a power surge or the supply is cut off - you don't have expensive repairs on the electronic push buttons.  also, we found out that kitchen aid washing machines have a 2 year warranty vs. most other washers which only have a one year warranty.

[gorbee natcase]

Pianistimo you are wrong. all machines respond to violence. repeat after me, ALL MACHINES RESPOND TO VIOLENCE 

[pianistimo]

all machines respond to violence.  hmmm.  don't some become belligerent and refuse to do anything.  i'm really fed up with this machine.  i have to unknot clothing from the basin now.  and, water is leaking on the floor.  i'm about ready to kick it except that i have the remnants of a broken leg and don't want to break it again.

[timothy42b]

Pianistimo you are wrong. all machines respond to violence. repeat after me, ALL MACHINES RESPOND TO VIOLENCE 

You have not made the correct mental leap here.

Pianistimo (hope you are not offended) is posting about a very specific machine in very cookbook methodology. 

She does not understand machines in general and does not generalize basic principles from the wash machine to the toaster. 

Using a violent approach is a conceptual level of generalization one step above, but it is ultimately flawed as well.  You are coming up with a common approach for a common class of machines, but it is not based on any of the underlying principles of function. 

I will give you a simple test to tell whether you understand machines or not. 

How much does the vending machine owe you? 

When I was about $4.50 AHEAD!, I decided to become a mechanical engineer. 

[pianistimo]

i am not offended.  a machine 12 years old is old anyway - and the idea of maintaining it anymore is much less of an idea than kicking it.  but, flawed as that may be  - listen to this... (i am learning - little by little after 12 years)

you cannot buy the aforementioned rubber 3/4" thick floor mat at home depot.  i looked and looked.  you can only buy it at 'tractor supply store' (TCS).  we found one today for less than fourty dollars.  it was 4x6 and a dense flat rubber mat that is ideal to keep machines from dancing around.  now i am so very happy because my machine will stay level (barring the occasional tilting it forward of the machine to automatically set the back feet).

timothy42b and others like him probably do this the first time around.  but, for me, it is a total happiness thing. i feel so smart now.  maintenance saves a lot of money in the long run and not everyone thinks of these things except engineers.   

[timothy42b]

timothy42b and others like him probably do this the first time around.  but, for me, it is a total happiness thing. i feel so smart now.  maintenance saves a lot of money in the long run and not everyone thinks of these things except engineers.   

Well, not always.  But partly it is an aesthetic thing.

You know that feeling you get when you hear fingernails on a chalkboard?

That's the way I feel at the thought of putting an unlubricated nut on a bolt.  Just the thought of it, mind you, I've never actually done the real thing.  I always lube.  I don't even like putting in a wood screw dry, but I'm not a total purist on that point. 

[pianistimo]

you are definately the engineer type.  i have problems with simple things such as towel racks.  there was a towel rack in our kids bath that came with two ends and a semi-loose middle rod that rattled around and rattled around and finally came off when it was used for a chin-up bar ?  or something.  to save money and because i have stripped screws in the past - bought the same bar - thinking that i could just take off the old one and not have to put the wall attachment in again (using it twice).  well, the new one came with the wall attachment screwed in vertically.  i was really teed.  my towel rack would now be verticle if i used the old ones.  (companies always make a way for something to go obsolete).

so - my husband came up with the idea of using the old attachement by simply putting one screw in the middle of the attachment existing (using old screw hole at the top) and twisting it vertically.  (he's so smart).  i'd have drilled another hole (making it too big and matters worse with holes everywhere).

anyway, the only problem we have now is the same one we had before.  why don't they make the rod to fit the ends.  there is a 1/8" wiggle in the rod when you put a towel on or take it off.  can i solve this by putting superglue in the ends?  my husband suggested a toothpick broken off and stuffed in.

[quantum]

anyway, the only problem we have now is the same one we had before.  why don't they make the rod to fit the ends.  there is a 1/8" wiggle in the rod when you put a towel on or take it off.  can i solve this by putting superglue in the ends?  my husband suggested a toothpick broken off and stuffed in.

I find that hot glue (from a glue gun) is really great for filling.  While it's hot the glue conforms to the object, and when cool is solid enough to be compressed against so objects don't wiggle.

Pianistimo, you don't have to use your leg when things get desperate.  Invest in a good set of different sized hammers.  Make sure you get ones that are certified for use on metal too.  A brick hammer is great with the pick on the end of it, as well as some good sledge hammers with varied length handles.  If the object is small, a combination vise/anvil is usefull.  Don't forget to talk to your object before you enforce your punishment - so the object knows why you are doing this and it can stop it's unruly behaviour.   

[pianistimo]

hot glue.  ok.  i'm going to try that today.

you really confused me at first with the hammers.  i was thinking that might puncture instead of just dent an item.  i find paperclips and/or bubble gum extremely helpful in fixing small things.  duct tape for bigger things.  and, paint is my 'final solution' for messed up projects.  you just paint over the dent, hole, whatever.  i am a really good painter.