Thomson Spin Dryer with Built in Rinser

[lavamat_jon]

Just seen this on Ebay - a modern version of a Hoover Spinarinse! I like the way they describe build quality... "Lightweight Plastic Construction", hehe. If it wasn't that expensive I might have bought it...

Jon

Pardon our interruption...

 

[Designgeek]

Looks interesting. Also looks like they took the spin-tub assembly from a twin tub and put it into its own cabinet. Plus the factor of having a window so you can keep an eye on the process. Looks to me like a lot of the compact washers currently being produced in Asia, so I'd bet it's being made there also.

What surprises me is that it doesn't come with a "spin mat" to be placed atop the load. This is necessary to prevent small articles such as socks from centrifuging out and getting caught between the spinner and the fixed tub assembly (ouch!). Perhaps it does have, but the seller didn't put the picture in there, or perhaps it got left out...? Whoever buys this should ask, and do their research.

Re. plastic construction: Some of the modern plastics are as strong as metal and possibly better because they're inherently rust-proof. Also, plastics keep the cost reasonable, not only manufacturing but shipping as well. There's a product in the USA called SpinX, which is at least partially stainless steel and is about twice the price of the Thompson unit. However I don't think it has the ability to run water into the drum whilst spinning.

This or something like it, could be the answer for all the folks who want to keep their TLs but don't want to run their tumble dryers for hours (i.e. reduces drying time by 50 - 75%). Also, when you do an extract rinse at that kind of speed, you use a fraction of the amount of water as in a regular rinse, and can thereby save one regular rinse cycle. This can be useful when using TLs that only rinse once, because in effect it gives you an additional rinse you wouldn't otherwise have.

 

[peterh770]

Oh dear! Looks like Rubbermaid made it!

 

[tolivac]

Plastic constructionlastics DO AGE and can be bad especially if it is a part that is spun--I have a few older Kirby Heritage Series vacs where they were experimenting with plastic fans--The machines ran just fine in the "lo" speed upright mode--But when I tried them in the canister hose mode-The fans exploded!from the higher motor speed.Lexan plastics do have the bad tendency to crack as they age.Would take metal over it-its more stable.Is the spin basket of the spinner made of plastic-would be gun shy of that one.I don't know if the spinX has a metal spin basket.The Suitmate did.

 

[Designgeek]

What's the proof this is made by Rubbermaid? Or was it sold by them but made by someone else? And can you get them in the USA?

Interesting point about plastics ageing. I would have to guess that in a washer or spindryer, you'd see some evidence of wear, i.e cracking or crazing or something like that, and then replace the part in question. A washtub or agitator wouldn't explode, but a 1600- or 3,200- rpm spinner might. Hence the double safety lids on modern twintub spinners.

SpinX doesn't show a picture of the inside of their machine. That's too bad because it would be interesting to see. At 3,200 rpm, I would have to bet it's stainless steel.

Different plastics behave differently; what kind of plastic was used for the fan in the Kirby?

 

[tolivac]

cracking plastic

I don't know what sort of plastic it is-it's some sort of glass reinforced. You see fibers in the peices.I have a few Lexan blender containers for both Vita-mix and Blendtec blenders that are showing slight cracks around their bases-the Blendtec around the blade assembly.In Blendtec jars the blade assembly is molded into the jar.I would suppose the vibration from the motor(27,000to about 30,000RPM blade speed)could cause it.The jars aren't leaking yet.In the Vita mix jars around their bases-but not around the blade assembly mount.the Vita-mix blades are replaceable-have the wrench needed to remove-install them.New Kirby fans are a white colored Lexan-have busted one from picking up a coin.the metal fan would withstand that.You just don't want to make a steady diet of coins with either fan.I love watching a Royal demo years ago from a Royal factory rep at the local dealer here. He put the hose adaptor on the machine and allowed it to pick up several pennies from his hand.He picked them aout of the cloth dump bag(option on Royal uprights-dump bags still can be got for them today)they were bent over-he removed the front fancase from the machine-one of the blades was slightly bent and another nicked.The fan was made of a proprietory aluminum alloy.a plastic fan would have busted-we all remarked-wouldn't DARE do that with the plastic fan Kirby or Sanitaire.Have suggested to Kirby reps to go back to the tempered metal fans.With their new design-would last longer.also the plastic is more easily eroded by sand in the dirt you pick up-esp around here-the soil is sandy-sometimes like beach sand.That erodes plastic fans quickly.I still love my Kirbys-just careful what I pickup in them.Kirby does sell A LOT of fan kits these days!I am also wondering how titanium would work a a vac fan-one blender maker makes their blades for an immersion blender out of it.Think it would be great as a vac fan-no breakage worries!
Plastics age by their losing their plasticizers as they age-chemicals that give the plastic its strength and flexibility.Another example-an old vinyl shower curtain cracking from age.
Kirby motors spin the fan at about 10,000-12,000RPM low "upright" speed and 15,000-17,000 "canister-hose" mode.

 

[Designgeek]

Yow!, five-figure speeds! It surprises me that any kind of plastic can hold up to having a coin go through it at those speeds, which of course is harder to prevent with a vacuum since one tends to do things like vacuuming in areas one can't see directly (under chairs and tables etc.).

Re. loss of plasticisers: and yet I have examples of telephones with various types of plastic housings, that are 50 - 75 years old, and still in perfectly good condition. Not just bakelite, but caitlin and newer materials also.

 

[tolivac]

fans and fones

Parden the spelling-the salesmans way to get attention?The telephone housings are a good point-I remember that. those as well-I beleive later phones had the ABS-"Cyclac" plastic housings-you could use the receiver as a weapon to deck someone-have heard of that happening.The ABS for the phones was unusally high quality.Was VERY stable.Bakelite and Catlin are a totally different type of platic-called "thermosetting"heat is used during the molding process to HARDEN the plastic in the mold.ABS,Vinyl,Polyethelene are "thermoplastics" heat needed to soften or melt them during the molding process.Many Cellulose plastic items survice today-some well over 50-75 years old. Nitro-Cellulose plastic is considered the oldest plastic that was used-also is used on movie film.I do have a 2000Ft roll of 35MM film that is on Nitro stock-this type of plastic is very dangerous becuase it is highly flammable.To project it-you need a projector with metal film spool housings and enclosed film path on the projector.I have a Holmes portable projector that meets this.They would have projectors that meet the requiements in older theaters.You could tell them from the enclosed film paths and steel film magazines on top and bottom of the projector.The housings have metal doors on them to allow the projectionist to remove or install reels of film.The doors are shut while the projector is in use.Modern theaters don't have enclosed film paths so nitrate film cannot be shown in them.Sorry I deviated-but film is another one of my interests.Nitrate film is still archived-govt has lots of it.Watched a nitrate film archive burn once-was spectacular.That fire got so hot the fireman waited it out-the glass windows and steel window frames were Melted down the brick wall! and even some of that brick melted.Was in the Wash DC area.Anyway -why I think the thermoset plastics can last-is becuase they don't use plasticizers like thermoplastics do,and the quality of the plastic.I have seen some ABS plastic vac housings crack and break after a few years of use-same as the telephone housing-but the telephones still keep going.their ABS was higher quality.

 

[kenmore1978]

Plastic types

New plastic items have numbers that tell what type of plastic they are made from for recycling purposes, has anyone seen the list?

"I beleive later phones had the ABS-"Cyclac" plastic housings-you could use the receiver as a weapon to deck someone-have heard of that happening."

Just watch the movie "Whatever Happend To Aunt Alice" and you'll see it happen.

It's a pretty good movie. They drown a nice Lincoln in a lake, too

What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969) ⭐ 6.8 | Crime, Drama, Horror

1h 41m | M/PG

imdb.com

 

[Cybrvanr]

old movie houses

Hey Tolivac, you may be interested in an old-time movie house here in my hometown that's still doing the old fashioned way like you described! Check out the link to the Byrd Theater! Go to the "technical" sections and take a look at the projection booth!

Richmond Movie Palace - The Byrd Theatre

Richmond Movie Palace The Byrd Theatre, Byrd Theater

members.tripod.com

 

[tolivac]

Byrd Theater

I have been by the Byrd theater-but never seen it from the inside.Yes-they are still approved for showing nitrate prints.I beleive they still show them during film festivals.-And play that wonderful Wurlitzer pipe organ during them.I have a few recordings of that organ-its magnificent!!Would love to hear it live.I have been to another movie house-the Saenger-theater in pensecola Florida-it too was sooo COOOL--May those traditional movie houses LIVE-ON!!there is another website that has some info on the Byrd-It is Film Tech.com. Their projectionist contributes to it regularly.also another feature on the older projectors-they had "fire traps" in the magazines and film path.The idea was if the film caught fire-the trap would interrupt at and isolate it at that point to keep it from spreading.The Kennedy Center in downtown Wash DC was equipped to show nitare films and thay had a film fire back in the 70's.the picture and sound head of the projector was destroyed.Sad.Don't know if it was replaced or repaired.