Quick question.

[thomasortega]

Would you guys ever consider buying a washing machine made of wood?

I mean, I'm brainstorming and one of the alternatives we have is a round washing machine that looks like a barrel.

Agitator. 15 minute timer, drain pump, automatic fill and automatic rinses. No spin.

Second alternative is the same washer, just with a drain pump.

Average life expected is 25 years for the non automatic version and 15 years for the automatic version (because timers and pressure switches always manage to fail sooner or later)

No Wringer and we cannot even think about that due to liability issues. (We have a religious group buzzing us every day asking for a wringer and the only thing our lawyers authorize me to say is "No F-word way!")

 

[launderess]

Wood was common material

For wash tubs and then early washing machines both commercial and domestic. IIRC Troy and other makers of industrial washers offered machines with wooden tubs right up until or before WWII.

Wood was cheap, easy to fasten into parts and thus in some ways ideally suited for purpose of laundry equipment. Long as the wood in question was of the non-resinous variety there wasn't much bother about it staining laundry.

However there were issues....

Wood was very difficult to keep clean and sanitary. Think about wood cutting boards and you get the idea.

Also to keep from cracking/splitting once wet wood tubs shouldn't be allowed to dry out at or for very long. This meant over long periods of non-use (such as vacations, plant shut downs) the wood could warp, crack and or split.

Finally wood wasn't always impervious to the constant attack of hot (or boiling) water, and chemicals used for laundry day.

 

[tolivac]

Also the wood could present a rough,snagging surface to clothes-unless you constantly sanded the areas smooth when the container wasn't in use.