What can you make from an old washing machine?
There comes a time when your "home helper"—one that has served you faithfully for years—breaks down, and repairing it is no longer practical. You need a new washing machine, but what to do with the old one? You could throw it in the trash, but that would be a wasteful and impractical act, as there are so many useful things hidden inside a washing machine that could be of great use. Let's talk about the uses of a washing machine's motor and other parts in your home. We hope you'll reconsider throwing out your old machine.
What parts of the machine can be adapted?
Everyone knows that an automatic washing machine is a complex household appliance consisting of quite a large number of components, and the more modern the automatic machine, the more parts it contains. How does an automatic washing machine work? You can read about it in one of the articles on our website. If you survey people on the street, you'll probably find that every tenth person has an old washing machine stored in their garage, shed, or dacha, which they feel sorry to throw away, but at the same time don't know what to do with it. What parts of an old car can be adapted for business?
- Electric motor. If an old car has a working electric motor, it's already a treasure trove. Carefully remove it from the housing, disconnect all wires, wipe it clean, wrap it in a cloth, and store it in a safe place.
- Drum. The drum of an automatic washing machine is made of high-quality stainless steel and has many uses, so it should also be removed from the housing and stored.
- A manhole cover. This is also quite a useful item, and not just the cover itself, but its components as well.
- Legs, clamps, hoses, electrical wiring. All of this can be useful anywhere.
- Springs and counterweights. Springs on washing machines act as shock absorbers, they're very powerful, and counterweights are great because they're heavy yet compact—we'll keep both.
- Washing machine body. After removing everything useful, replace the machine's walls; the body itself can also be useful.
Important! If you're comfortable working with electronics, you can keep the control unit. The control board contains many semiconductor components that can be used to repair electrical appliances and make useful gadgets around the house.
What is the purpose of a car motor and how to connect it?
A working electric motor from an automatic or semi-automatic washing machine can become the basis for many useful household appliances. The most common application is an electric grinder for sharpening knives, tools, drills, and other things. Making such a grinder isn't exactly easy, but it's still possible. The first and main problem is how to fix the grinding stone on the motor shaft.
The diameter of the grinding stone's bore typically doesn't match the diameter of the washing machine's electric motor shaft. Therefore, it's necessary to fabricate a flange that can be pressed onto the shaft on one end and threaded on the other to accommodate and secure the grinding wheel. Professional craftsmen recommend using a piece of 32 mm steel pipe as a flange. What do we do?
- Take a piece of 32 mm steel pipe. The length should be 15-20 cm; anything too long won't work.
- At one end of the pipe cutting, a thread must be cut; the thread length must be at least 2 times the thickness of the grinding wheel.
Very important! Threads must be cut in the opposite direction of the motor shaft rotation. In other words, if the motor shaft rotates clockwise, the threads must be cut counterclockwise, otherwise the sharpening stone will come off.
- Heat the other end of the pipe with a blowtorch and press it onto the shaft. Once the pipe cools, it will be firmly connected to the shaft. To strengthen the connection, you can drill a hole crosswise where the pipe meets the motor shaft, screw a bolt into the hole, and tighten it with a nut. If you have a welding machine, you can tack the flange to the shaft—it will be perfect.
- Now take three nuts of the appropriate size and two washers. Screw the first nut onto the flange until it stops, until the threads run out. Next, attach the washer, then the grinding wheel, then the washer and nut again. Tighten everything securely and finally, tighten the locknut.
The main thing is done, now our task is to secure the motor as securely as possible. Look at the mounting holes on the electric motor; each one is unique, so build the stand accordingly. The easiest way is to screw together a stand from small corners, and then secure the sandpaper to the workbench.
Please note! To mount the motor to the workbench, you can use a bracket from a washing machine. Some automatic machines have good mounts that can be used.
Another crucial step in making an emery wheel is connecting the electric motor to the power supply. Let's look at the simplest option.
- We take a multimeter and check the motor wires and terminals.
- We need the working winding terminal. To find it, we need to measure the resistance. If the meter shows a value close to 12 ohms at one of the terminals, that's the working terminal.
- We connect the working output to the power grid (220V).
- Without a starting device, our grinder will not start even after we connect it to the network, so in order for the grinder to start rotating, you need to turn it forcefully by hand. Proceed carefully and your hand will replace the trigger.
There are other uses for a washing machine electric motor, but the principle is exactly the same. They are used in small homemade grain crushers and grass shredders, household concrete mixers, and even small sawmills. We won't describe the manufacturing details of each electrical appliance; you can draw your own analogies.
How to use a drum?
A stainless steel drum is a magnificent, durable component that can be used for many things. What DIY projects can you make using a washing machine drum? There are many videos online showing people making barbecue grills and shashlik makers from drums. It really is a great thing and it costs nothing to make.
- We remove the drum from the washing machine body together with the pulley and shaft.
- We place the drum directly on the wheel with the hatch facing up, and here you have an improvised brazier.
- You can use a grinder to cut off the front part of the tank (near the hatch) to widen the working area of the brazier. It will also make it easier to store firewood.
Note! A drum barbecue grill is excellent because it's riddled with numerous small holes that allow air to flow evenly to the coals, fanning them and providing the necessary heat.
There are also plenty of videos online about how to make a small smokehouse out of a drum. It's a very interesting and practical way to use a drum, which we've tried ourselves and are happy to share. How is a smokehouse made?
- Take a large iron pot. The key is that the washing machine drum fits completely inside the pot. You can also use the iron drum from a Riga or Sibir washing machine; the drum from an LG, Ariston, or Indesit washing machine fits perfectly.
- To prevent the drum from lying on the bottom of the machine's tank or pan, we'll make a wire stand in the form of a grid with legs. It will raise the tank inside the pan and allow smoldering fuel to be placed underneath.
- We also make a round wire grill, slightly larger than the diameter of a washing machine drum. We attach 10-15 hooks to the grill to hang meat, lard, fish, vegetables, or cheese—anything that requires hot smoking.
- Place the tank or pan on a level surface outside, away from flammable objects.
- Place a few smoldering coals from the fire on the bottom of a pot or saucepan, sprinkle the coals with a small amount of alder or birch chips and fan the whole thing to create smoke.
- We place the wire stand directly on the smoldering wood chips.
- Place the drum on a stand with the hatch facing up in the pot. Place a rack on top of the drum, and hang the food to be smoked on hooks inside the drum.
- We cover the tank or saucepan with a lid or a sheet of metal, and press something heavy on top. We wait until the products are smoked; along the way, you can add wood chips to the tank to ensure the required amount of smoke, that's all.
Craftsmen also make ottomans and futuristic chandelier shades from washing machine drums. A ottoman is easy to make. Take a pillow, cut a square of chipboard the correct size for the pillow, and staple the pillow to the chipboard. Next, take a simple card loop and screw it to the chipboard with the pillow on one side and to the top of the drum on the other. The result is a ottoman with a hinged lid, and you can store small items inside.
You can decorate the pouf by painting the outer walls of the drum with paints. There are plenty of photos and videos online showing how to do this. You can also avoid the hassle and cover the outer frame of the ottoman with beautiful fabric.
Please note! Poufs made from washing machine drums are quite durable and will last for many years.
To make a futuristic lampshade for a child's room, you need to do the following:
- From a large piece of textolite (or other non-flammable material that does not conduct electricity), cut out a circle the size of the drum hatch;
- We cut off the bottom of the drum with a grinder;
- we cut a hole in a circle of textolite for the chuck and hook;
- we insert the cartridge into the textolite circle and hang it on the hook;
- We securely attach the textolite circle to the drum with bolts so that the circle completely covers the hatch;
- The drum with the cartridge hangs from the ceiling, now we screw in the light bulb (through the pre-cut bottom of the drum) and admire the result of our work.
People make all sorts of DIY projects from washing machine drums. We've listed and described only a small selection. The drum is adapted as a container for washing mushrooms and fruits grown in the garden. It's very convenient: you place the vegetables in the drum, pour water through the hatch with a hose, and the water and dirt flow out through the holes. The vegetables or mushrooms come out clean.
The drum can also be used as a container for seedlings or as a growth restrictor for shrubs and perennials. The seedlings are self-explanatory, so we won't go into detail about the growth restrictor, but we'll discuss it in more detail. Some shrubs that gardeners like to plant in their gardens tend to spread outward (raspberries, honeysuckle, euonymus). So, if you fill a washing machine drum with black soil, plant a raspberry bush in it, for example, and then bury the drum, the raspberries won't spread across the garden.
There are other uses for a washing machine drum. The key is to use your imagination and don't be lazy about making something yourself, and perhaps you'll be one of the creators of a new DIY project created from the drum of a used washing machine.
How to use the hatch door?
We've seen that a lot can be done with a washing machine's motor and drum, but what about the other components, like the door? It couldn't be simpler. The door of a front-loading washing machine is very durable and easy to remove. It can be used in a variety of ways.
- Install a box over the service opening that covers the riser pipes and water meters. This is very convenient, as the transparent window in the hatch door allows you to view and record meter readings. If you need to shut off the water, the hatch door opens quickly and easily, leaving you free to access the utilities.
- Some people disassemble the hatch and remove the convex glass from the frame, which can be used as a feeding bowl for pets.
- Some people install a hatch cover on their dog house. In this case, you'll need to install not only the cover but also a washing machine lock. It won't lock, but it will keep the dog locked inside.
- One of the active forum members suggested installing a hatch cover on the steam room window. True, you'll have to cut a round window exactly the size of the hatch cover, but it will be easy to open and close. Just remember to paint the hatch cover glass, just in case.
Important! The difficulty of installing a hatch cover on a doghouse or steam room window yourself is in installing the lock correctly so that the locking hook fits snugly.
Legs, clamps, counterweights and other useful little things
What DIY projects can you use washing machine feet for? The washing machine's legs are good because they are very durable and their height can be adjusted. Screw them to a heavy piece of furniture, like a wardrobe, to make it higher or lower. Screwing washing machine legs to a workbench allows you to adjust its height, making work more comfortable.
Clamps and wiring can be used in DIY electrical repairs. Those who are comfortable with a multimeter and soldering iron will definitely find these small items useful. Counterweights can also be used. Old washing machine counterweights were usually made of cast iron; they can be recycled, but they can also be used around the house. For example, to weigh down a container of cabbage while pickling. Incidentally, a concrete counterweight is also suitable for this purpose; it's small and heavy enough.
In summary, it turns out that some parts from an old washing machine can be repurposed to create useful household items. This applies not only to the motor, but also to the drum, door, wiring, clamps, counterweights, and even the machine itself. If you have the time and desire to give parts of an old washing machine a second life, do so; the effort will be well worth it.
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Just add about connecting the engine from an automatic washing machine and it's perfect... They're already taking Indesits and Zanussi apart, and there's nothing useful about the engines... I don't know if at those RPMs there's any point in installing an abrasive or it will fly off.
It will fly away, you need to use at least the drum pulley through the belt, but it is not relevant for sandpaper.
The internet is full of offers for a power-loss-free engine speed control board using a TDA 1085 chip and a semiconductor. Order one, install it, and you'll be happy.
Made a lawn mower out of the engine, what a thing!