My Basket is Bouncing once again

Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

Help Support :

Wow!

Awesome restoration! How do you like your Dremel Multi-Pro by the way? I've several Dremels, but not the Multi-Pro.

It's cool to see the bits and the work that goes into such an effort. The outcome is awesome! Very nice pics, Robert, it's so cool when something so old is brought back to life.

Oh, and the Apex Washer is nice too.

John
 
Once again, I'm utterly amazed at your know-how. I wouldn't have a freakin' clue where to begin on a project like that. My hat's off to you and all the other restorers here at AW.

Now, for the really important question: Have you made a suds cake or suds-locked it, yet?
 
Such an unusual machine, I love it!
Another great job Robert! Thanks for taking the detailed photos for us.

Those bearings do look like front automotive front wheel bearings of the GM rear wheel drive cars of the 1960's and 1970's. In the 1950's GM used large ball bearings instead of the roller bearings.
 
Bounce that Basket Baby!

Robert,
Thanks for all of the photo's and videos!
I am blown away by the bearings in this machine! It was really overbuilt!
What is the Spin Clutch "Bladder" made of? This part of the machine is so darn amazing to me! It must be some tough stuff!
I am so glad that you are having so much fun with your Apex!
Now Bounce it, Bounce it, Bounce it Baby like you know you can! (think of a Rupaul song)
Brent
 
How do you like your Dremel Multi-Pro by the way? I've several Dremels, but not the Multi-Pro.
It's the only one I've used, but it usually gets the job done.

In your first picture the "shaft" sticking up appears off set, but I can't tell. Or is the large gray cylinder above the wash and spin clutch plates a tranny that makes it work?
Jed the wobbling is produced in that bearing housing shown in the first picture. The outer housing is attached to wash shaft, the inside of that housing is offset to produce the washing action. The shaft in the center is the spin shaft.

I am curious though - you mentioned that the seal was something that you were able to sub a replacement for easily. May I ask what source you used and how you determined which would work? Thanks!
Its a simple lip seal Ben, these are easy to find. I brought it into Gopher Bearing and they measured it and ordered it. Lip seals aren't as effective as carbon face seals but that is what was in the original machine design so I knew a new one would work just fine.

Have you made a suds cake or suds-locked it, yet?
Nope, no suds cake in the machine, it bounces those suds right over the top of the basket and down the drain during the wash cycle.
 
The thought of...

Robert and lip seals gets me all goose-bumpy.

Seriously, beautiful work Robert, and congrats!

John
 
Hi Robert. Beautiful work, I loved the vid of the clutch. I wonder how does the machine pressures the water on the balloon, (and how the machine "turn off" the pressure on the end-of-cycle)?
 
is that cast iron shackle that holds the water seal cast at an angle so that it sits on the agitate shaft at some angle?
You are correct Jon. The the floor of the cast iron bearing housing is at an angle and during wash only the cast iron bearing housing rotates. Since the inner spin shaft is held tight by the brake only the outsides of those two big bearings rotate which causes a nutating action to the shaft that the basket is attached to. When spin is called for everything reverses. The cast iron housing is now held stationary by the wash brake and the spin shaft rotates causing the basket to spin without any nutation happening.

Why would they need two bearings plopped against each other?
I suspect for extra support.

I have a feeling that one of the reasons Apex Wash-a-Matics are so extremely rare is from what I've heard by the "old-timers" there were a lot of service problems with this machine. I suspect it was because of that lip seal causing early bearing failure which sent 99% of them to the crusher early on. On that same note its interesting that out on the Aberdeen Farm there were over 10,000 washing machines and not one Apex to be found anywhere out there. I bet market share for this machine was minimal. I really had started to think that I probably would never find another one. Of course now that we've found one 10 of them should show up over the next year lol.

Another interesting thing I've noticed about this machine is it is able to keep the hot water much hotter over the course of a 12 minute wash cycle than any other machine I have. That fiberglass basket seems to hold heat really well and does not absorb as much heat as a porcelain or stainless steel basket would. That makes me think that modern plastic wash tubs might be better for efficiency than stainless ones.
 
If Robert weren't exist...

really I couldn't ever believe possibile to win such incredible challenge!

If Robert weren't exist I would never have started to do restoration but I'd be only going on washing with a wm.

THANKS Robert, really thank you for let us demostrate that now more than in past we should save our old and wellmade and strong and amazing and (what else?) washing machine and thank you for the very preciuos informations and prompts for us who do restaoration like (oh dear... not so clappable like yours!!) you.

Good BYE
Diomede
 
Cool looking machine Robert,

Like the "basket topic" lol It still amazing how you and these other guys can turn old rusty machines into new ones. When restoring these machine, do you have to use the original parts(providing you can get you hands on)or can you redintegrate other parts and &%$#*rig it?
 
<blockquote>Another interesting thing I've noticed about this machine is it is able to keep the hot water much hotter over the course of a 12 minute wash cycle than any other machine I have. That fiberglass basket seems to hold heat really well and does not absorb as much heat as a porcelain or stainless steel basket would. That makes me think that modern plastic wash tubs might be better for efficiency than stainless ones.</blockquote>I pointed out a while back, in regards to people believing that stainless steel dishwasher tanks retain heat, that plastic holds heat much better. Very easy to demonstrate. Heat some water to near-boiling. Hold an 8" round cake pan or other such pan in your hand over the sink and pour in the water. You'll have to drop the pan almost immediately due to the heat. Then do that with a sturdy plastic bowl. The reason the cake pan gets hot and the bowl doesn't nearly so much is because the heat of the water is escaping through the metal pan to your hand, but the plastic bowl insulates it.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top