Looking at an old washing machine, any housewife dreams of quickly replacing it with a new assistant. The home craftsman, on the contrary, is in no hurry to throw the machine into scrap. He thinks about where this “wealth” can be used.
Answering the question of what can be made from a washing machine, let’s carefully consider it from all sides.
We will see that the design contains many useful components and assemblies that can receive a new life in the hands of a good craftsman.
Judge for yourself: a body and an engine, pulleys and a drum, a window with a sealed door, relays and switches - this is a list of components from which you can make many useful things and mechanisms in the household.
Let's explore together the most popular homemade options from old washing machines, both conventional and automatic.
Grinder
The first thing you should pay attention to after inspecting a used home washing machine is the engine. It has enough power and speed to make a homemade sharpener. No complex modifications are required here.
For the shaft you need to make an adapter attachment on which the grinding wheel will be attached. If we provide an additional “neck” for the cutting wheel at the seat, then together with the sharpener we will get a cutting machine. They can cut not only plastic pipes, but also metal (reinforcement, sheet or corner).
As you can see in the photo, the washing machine motor is attached to the frame using four brackets. The switch for it was removed from the same washing machine. A regular piece of thick board was used as the base. The option turned out to be quite acceptable, especially considering its mobility and ease of manufacture (no welding required).
Here is another similar option for using a motor to install a grinding and cutting wheel. Having placed them on a common adapter, they are clamped with a nut with a left-hand thread.
A circular saw
Using a circular saw, you can easily cut boards, plywood and much more.
A circular saw
Manufacturing process:
- For the base you need to use a metal table. You need to attach several corners to it. The engine will be screwed to them later.
- For convenience and safety of using the machine, a toggle switch is installed in a convenient place. If the motor jams, you can turn it off immediately.
- Plywood plates are screwed over the engine. Thanks to this, chips will not fall on it. Small parts are cut out of plywood and fixed with self-tapping screws. The circular saw is ready.
Simple crafts from an old washing machine
Not every person knows how to masterfully work with welding or a lathe. However, even in this case, you will be able to find a worthy use for the old washing machine. Look at the window that covers the drum. This is a masterpiece of engineering art and a godsend for design.
Without further ado, many use it for its intended purpose, but in an updated context. Cut out the washer door along with part of the body and you will get an excellent “marine” porthole. It will look original in any interior.
If you love your yard guard, then be sure to decorate his booth with this modern “facade”.
In addition to the original appearance, this option has practical significance: if necessary, the dog can be easily isolated from guests without fear for their legs and clothes.
Just don’t forget to make side ventilation holes in the booth (the window on the automatic washing machine is sealed!).
What spare parts can be used?
A washing machine is a complex device consisting of a huge number of elements, most of which can be put to useful use. Almost any spare part can be used, from the sealed housing to the drum. Most often, the following spare parts are used for crafts:
- engine (motor) - if it is in good condition, it can form the basis of a new device;
- drum - high-quality metal is always useful in the household;
- hatch door - impact-resistant glass is also a useful thing in everyday life;
- body - you can come up with some interesting uses for this part;
- various small parts: springs, counterweights, clamps, bearings, electrical wires - all this is suitable for various household needs, especially in skillful hands.
Coffee table made from a washing machine
Your old automatic washing machine, or rather its drum, will help decorate the interior of your apartment. You can use it to make an original coffee table. Perforated stainless steel, complemented by colored lighting, looks great.
It is not difficult to make such an unusual piece of furniture in the high-tech style. You will need several steel rods that need to be attached to the washer drum. A round tabletop made of glass or MDF board is fixed on them.
Interior details
How to connect the motor from a washing machine to a 220V network
We have not listed everything that can be made from a washing machine if you have a lot of imagination and certain skills. If you don’t need a lathe, then there are many ideas for using parts from an old washing machine in the interior of an apartment or private house - all you have to do is choose the most suitable one.
Sealed door
The loading hatch door from a front-loading machine can be adapted to fit a window in a wooden frame - it looks unique and is actually practical. To do this, you just need to cut out the door along with part of the front panel of the household appliance - an original porthole is ready that fits into almost any interior.
If you live in the private sector in your own house, and there is a shaggy guard in the yard, then you can insert a machine door into his booth, through which in severe frosts he will see everything, but be in a warmer room. With the help of such a homemade product, you can isolate the formidable watchman when guests arrive - he sees everyone, but is not able to bite or tear clothes.
We must remember that the hatch is sealed, so make side holes to ventilate the booth.
Coffee table
Using a stainless steel drum with plenty of perforations, you can change the interior of your apartment beyond recognition: make a unique coffee table in a fashionable hi-tech style. You can decorate it with internal lighting from an LED garland to save energy - it’s simple, but it looks original and very unusual.
This is not difficult to do: you just need to attach a few steel pins to the drum body. Attach a table top made of plexiglass or MDF board on top. A piece of furniture made in this way will decorate the interior of your living room.
Unique poufs
Fantasy has no limits - with a certain skill and imagination, you can make various poufs from a drum for a children's room. We take a colored pillow and cut out a square of the same size from chipboard, then use a stapler to secure the pillow to the square.
We attach the halves of the card loop to the chipboard and the outer wall of the drum using self-tapping screws and self-tapping screws, paint the side surface of the drum with bright paint - a unique pouf with a hinged lid is ready, and inside children can store small toys and things.
Lampshade for the nursery
To completely change the interior of a children's room using an original homemade lampshade from a drum from an old washing machine, you need to do the following:
- from any non-flammable, non-conducting material (textolite, ebonite) we make a circle half the size of the drum diameter;
- then we cut out a hole for the cartridge and connection wire;
- insert the cartridge into the prepared hole, fix the circle on the back wall of the drum, take the wire out;
- We screw three special hooks into the ceiling, as shown in the photo;
- We attach special cables to the drum body on which the entire structure will hang;
- we hang the assembled structure;
- connect the wire from the chandelier to the socket terminals;
- We screw the light bulb through the receiving hole of the drum - everything is ready.
To dim the light and create a fabulous interior, you can attach multi-colored light fabric to the walls inside.
Brazier
The body of the washing drum, made of durable and high-quality stainless steel, can withstand very high temperatures. Therefore, it can be used as a barbecue.
A few pipes, half an hour of welding and a convenient barbecue grill will appear on your estate. By making the supporting part of the structure collapsible, you can take it with you on country picnics.
Drums from front-loading machines, as well as from top-loading washing machines, are suitable for making barbecues. In this case, you will have to cut off one of the sides of the body with a grinder, and provide it with a stable support from below.
Mobile smokehouse
Why buy an expensive smoker for fish and meat when there is an old washing machine sitting idle on the farm? There are many options for using it in this capacity.
We will focus only on the mobile device. It can be made from a drum removed from a top-loading automatic washing machine.
To prevent smoke from escaping through the side perforated holes, they must be muffled with a thin steel sheet, wrapped and secured around the body. On top, as it should be in a real smokehouse, we make a hole for the chimney. We fix a smoking grate inside the drum (you can take it from an old gas stove).
Thermos tank for shower
Everything breaks down someday. Washing machines and refrigerators are no exception. If your equipment has definitely become completely unusable and cannot be repaired, do not rush to throw it in a landfill. There are many options for using old washing machines and refrigerators, both quite practical and decorative.
Flower pot from the drum of an old washing machine. It’s quite nice and roomy, it’s not afraid of moisture, it will last a long time, because metal is a very reliable material. This plant pot can be painted any color.
The entire washing machine became a flower bed, even a container for detergent and rinse aid was used. Of course, such a piece of household appliance surrounded by greenery looks a little strange, but overall it is a very interesting option, an original element of landscape design.
The most popular way to use an old drum from a washing machine is as a barbecue. You can cook not only kebabs over wood and coals; both a saucepan and a frying pan can conveniently fit on top. At the same time, making such a grill is very simple.
This is an improved version of the barbecue made from a washing drum, on a tripod. By the way, the design turns out to be quite light and easy to move around the site. As an option, it was possible to equip a stationary place for an outdoor fireplace by arranging a convenient area around the drum.
And who will say that it is not beautiful - the reflections of the flame in the holes of shiny metal. Such a grill does not look like an old and useless thing, but a relevant and practical element of a personal plot.
From a very old washing machine, or rather, its rounded metal body, you can make a smokehouse for fish and meat products.
This is how a washing machine drum can look elegant, designed by a designer or homeowner with a rich imagination. By the way, in the empty body of such a cabinet-seat with a soft cushion it is quite possible to store all kinds of small things.
And again the flowerbed is in a whole washing machine. Beautiful bright petunias smoothed out the brutality of the unsightly metal body of the equipment, which clearly served for many years until it turned into a flowerbed.
Cabinet in an old refrigerator. The body has been painted, there are not many shelves, but they are quite spacious, and the former freezer fits various small items.
Even if the refrigerator itself refuses to freeze, this cannot prevent you from using it to cool drinks during an outdoor party. The simple decoration with wooden boards looks quite attractive, and the ice under the hinged lid will last for a long time.
An incubator in an old refrigerator. It will retain heat, especially if you add additional insulation; you only need lamps to heat the eggs and a thermometer to monitor the temperature. A good option for those who want to start raising chickens.
House for puppies. It turned out to be a separate sleeping area and dining area. For a larger dog, the refrigerator body would also be suitable as a sleeping place; you just need to remove the shelves.
Chest for potatoes and other vegetables. If there is no cellar, this is a good place for storage. A refrigerator dug into the ground will heat and cool slightly, making it less likely that the potatoes will sprout or, conversely, freeze.
The washing machine has long become a familiar part of the interior of most apartments and houses. But nothing lasts forever, and over time, this valuable household appliance breaks down. Don’t think that now that the machine is broken, it won’t be of any use. It consists of various spare parts that can be used separately on the farm.
Concrete mixer
This is a rather complex device, which, in addition to mixing concrete, must ensure its unloading. Therefore, when planning to make a concrete mixer out of an old washing machine, first weigh your plumbing skills and knowledge.
The easiest way to turn a barrel washer into a device for mixing concrete is to replace the standard activator with two U-shaped blades. They can be made from a thick 4-5 mm steel strip. To do this, you need to cut it to size, then bend the two blades and rotate them 90 degrees relative to each other.
After this, they need to be welded to a shaft passed through the hole for the remote activator.
The drain hole, which is in every barrel washing machine, must be plugged. Next we proceed depending on how much concrete will need to be mixed. If we are talking about 1 bucket, then you can leave the old single-phase motor.
If you need to prepare a large volume of concrete, then in place of the old motor you will have to install a more powerful one (0.75-1.2 kW) with low speeds (1300-1500 per minute).
In addition, the “original” belt drive must be replaced with a gearbox that reduces the speed (from 1300 to 25-30) and increases the torque on the mixer blades.
Note that the best mixing quality is obtained when it is not the shaft with the activator that rotates, but the concrete mixer body itself with the blades fixedly fixed in it. However, to create such a design, a deeper and more complex modification of the washer is required.
Design and principle of operation
The washing machine drum drive motor is usually fixed at the bottom of the structure. Only one type of motor is installed directly on the drum. The power unit rotates the drum, converting electricity into mechanical energy.
Let's look at the operating principle of this device using the example of a commutator motor, which is the most common at this moment.
- The collector is a copper drum, the structure of which is divided into even rows or sections by insulating “partitions”. Contacts of sections with external electrical circuits are located diametrically.
- The terminals are connected to brushes that act as sliding contacts. With their help, the rotor interacts with the motor. When any section is energized, a magnetic field appears in the coil.
- Direct connection of the stator and rotor causes the magnetic field to rotate the motor shaft clockwise. The brushes move in sections, and the movement continues. This process will not be interrupted as long as voltage is supplied to the motor.
- To change the direction of movement of the shaft, the distribution of charges on the rotor must change. The brushes are switched in the opposite direction thanks to electromagnetic starters or power relays.
Sterilizer for preservation
Another homemade product from an old barrel washing machine will be useful for the dacha and farmstead. This is a sterilizer in which you can install a dozen jars for heat treatment.
The only point that needs to be taken into account: such a device is suitable for sterilizing fruits and vegetables. To process meat, a higher temperature is needed (above + 100C).
The rework sequence looks like this:
- A plug is placed on the activator hole;
- A thick wire mesh for cans is mounted on the bottom;
- You need to place a support under the mesh;
- A hole is drilled in the housing for installation of a 2 kW electric boiler.
1. Activator plug; 2. Water level; 3. Washing machine tank; 4. Cover; 5. Drain hose; 6. Cans with preservation; 7. Wire mesh; 8. Electric boiler (heater) 2 kW; 9. Electrical cable.
Juicer
There are two options here:
- Using an old machine with a centrifuge and a washing compartment;
- Remaking a conventional barrel washing machine.
Let’s say right away that the first option is better, since it allows, with minimal modifications, to implement two processes in one device: chopping fruit and squeezing it. To do this, you will need a washing machine in which the activator is located on the bottom, and not on the side wall. Replacing it with three homemade strip steel knives, we get a fruit slicer.
Knife installation diagram: 1. Knife, 2. Shaft; 3. Clamping nut; 4. Washer; 5. Tank bottom; 6. Bearing assembly with oil seal; 7. Activator pulley; 8. Locking screw.
Knife group design
The drain hole of the washing tank must be plugged.
There are few additional treatments for the second unit - the centrifuge. You need to install a stainless steel mesh in it (mesh size 1.5 mm, wire thickness 0.2 mm) so that it covers the side surface of the centrifuge.
After thoroughly rinsing the centrifuge, washing tank, hoses and pump with baking soda, you can make the first load.
The operating principle of this juicer is very simple. The fruits are washed and loaded in small portions (1/2 -1 bucket) into the washing tank (knives must be turned on). After 15-20 minutes of cutting, the engine is turned off and the crushed mass is transferred to a centrifuge (in portions of 3-4 liters). Turn on the centrifuge and squeeze out the juice.
Making a juicer from a barrel washing machine or automatic machine is much more difficult. In a barrel, a homemade centrifuge can become a “stumbling block”. Making it is half the battle; the main thing is to achieve perfectly accurate alignment. Without this, at high speeds it begins to vibrate strongly and it will be impossible to squeeze out the juice.
Here is a drawing of a working sample. The master had to work hard to reduce the runout of the centrifuge (the motor is suspended from the washing machine body on 6 springs). Of these, 3 balance the engine in a horizontal plane, and the other 3 push it upward. The body itself rests on an old car tire, which dampens vibration.
Assembling the press
Making your own structure for obtaining grape juice is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. The algorithm of actions is very simple, but it will require patience, hard work, and in some cases even ingenuity.
Take a corner and form it into a U-shaped frame onto which the chassis will be attached. Drill through the metal frame to attach a cast iron circle to it. Make a tray from a meter-long sheet of metal to collect the leaking juice. The ends of the sides must be bent upward, and a gutter must be provided on one edge for draining grape juice. Attach the U-shaped “horizontal bar” to the pallet
It is important to attach the frame tightly, since it is, in fact, the main element of the grape press. Place the washing machine drum under the bar. Insert a threaded pin into the hole drilled on the frame, and weld a smooth metal rod to its upper end, which will serve as the handle of the press. Weld a cast iron or steel circle to the bottom of the threaded rod. Check the stroke of the pressing mechanism. Adjust the position of the drum so that the heavy pancake fits into the bowl without any obstruction. Weld the tank to the pan.
The grape press is assembled. All that remains is to place it on the work surface at a slight angle so that the squeezed liquid drains out without any problems, and place any container under the groove to collect the finished juice.
As you can see, you can make a press with your own hands to obtain berry juice quickly and on a budget. After installing the mechanism, you should check the device for functionality. To do this, fill the drum bowl with ripe fruits and start moving the press handle. This activates the work surface intended for crushing berries. The resulting juice will begin to pour out of the holes and flow into the prepared container. The container for collecting grape juice must be made of inert material. It is acceptable to use wooden, enamel bowls or stainless steel containers.
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I would like to share a lecture by a clinical pharmacologist about our popular antiviral drugs. Let me start with the fact that clinical trials of new drugs on children are prohibited in our country, but! You've probably all noticed that as soon as a new drug appears in the pharmacy, pediatricians (not all, but many) start prescribing the drug, and then see if it helps.
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The end of summer, the beginning of autumn is the time to collect fruits, vegetables, apples, and grapes. And if the harvest is large, then a regular electric juicer will not cope. In this case, the garden needs a press for squeezing juice from fruits. Now there are a lot of offers on the Internet for various presses and crushers, hydraulic, screw, pneumatic, wooden, but the biggest disadvantage of these products is the high price. Making a juice press with your own hands is not difficult; you need a little skill as a mechanic or welder. And the cost of a homemade press for grapes or apples is several times lower than a purchased one.
For a winemaker, such a device will make his work easier and save a lot of time. The simplest version of a home juicer is based on squeezing juice from the pulp of fruits or vegetables. The apples are first crushed with special crushers, a grape crusher is used, and then the juice is squeezed out of this mass. With this technology, pure juice without pulp comes out, ready for fermentation, or for pasteurization and further storage.
Feather removal machine
The body of an old washing machine is suitable for assembling a device that can be used to remove feathers from poultry carcasses. To make it, you need to install a steel disk 3 mm thick and with a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the tank at the bottom of the tank.
Holes are drilled in it and special rubber fingers are placed in them. They are the most expensive elements of the future design (1.5-2 dollars per piece). On average, you need 120-140 pieces. The diameter of the fingers depends on the type of bird being plucked. Please keep this in mind when you place your order.
All other components of the washing machine, including the motor, do not need to be changed. Holes are drilled in the side walls of the case for installing pen-removing (punch) fingers. To do this, you need to step back 15 cm from the bottom of the tank.
The distance between the holes for the fingers is chosen within 3-4 cm. The lower disk is mounted on the drive shaft.
There is no need to plug the drain hole here. It will be needed to drain water that drains from the carcasses. After scalding the bird in boiling water, it is placed in a tank and the engine is turned on. Rubber fingers remove the pen quickly and cleanly.
On a note
- Place the laundry in a special zippered laundry bag. You can replace the cover with a regular cotton pillowcase.
- Underwear should be washed by hand or choose a delicate wash program without spinning. Before loading, sort the laundry and make sure that the bra has no visible mechanical damage in the “danger” zone.
- Corsets, delicate silk and lace underwear are washed only by hand.
2Stiralki.ru - all about washing machines and dishwashers
How to remove a foreign object from? We have all encountered the problem of a foreign object getting into the washing machine. They end up there along with clothes whose pockets you did not check, or which you did not place in a special laundry bag. Foreign objects may simply be in the laundry drum or stuck at the bottom of the tank, in the nozzle, or wrapped around the shaft. Today we will figure out how we can get a bra bone that has fallen to the bottom of the tank.
In order to remove a foreign object from an LG washing machine you will need:
Pliers; Head 10; Slotted screwdriver; Crosshead screwdriver; Medical clamps; Flashlight.
First, we need to find the place where the bone fell. It is necessary to open the hatch door and twist the drum in different directions. You will immediately hear an extraneous knock or noise. Sometimes through the openings of the tank you can even see where a foreign object is located. Be sure to check the gap between the tank and the cuff; the bone may be there and create noise when the drum rotates. If there is no bone between the cuff and the tank, then you need to disassemble the washing machine.
It is much easier to remove foreign objects from a front-loading machine. This is done through a heating element. Top-loading machines have a special compartment for cleaning.
In order to disassemble the washing machine, you need to remove the back panel. If it is missing, then the front panel is removed accordingly. Then we need to remove the belt that drives the drum and find the heating element
It is very important to remember in what order the chips are installed on the heating element. Then you need to unscrew the chips and remove the heating element
Through the resulting hole you can remove the bone.
When a foreign object gets between the drum and the tub during washing, it can lead to serious damage to the machine. Most often, small items left in pockets end up there - coins, small keychains, pins, screws, as well as clothing items. Sometimes children also make their “contribution” by pushing small toys through the powder hatch. Whatever gets into the washing machine mechanism, you need to try to remove it quickly.
