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Old 6th Dec 2018, 7:12 pm   #31
emeritus
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK.
Posts: 5,316
Default Re: Anyone still use a Twintub?

An ADA "Coronation" model was left behind in my first house (1976). I still had it when I got married in 1980 and it was in regular use for some years until we could afford a new twin tub. I still have the instruction booklet, which refers to the fact it was constructed with either corrosion -resistant alloys or passivated steel and used porous bronze bearings that had to be oiled regulary. The Aluminium tub eventually developed pitting corrosion all around the flange of the heater element which I "temporarily" fixed with a liberal application of high temperature Dow Corning silicone rubber. I eventually recycled most of it: as the casing was a single sheet of steel folded into a rectangular shape with the ends rivetted together, I removed the rivets, hammered it flat and cut it to size to make a replacement sliding surface of an old childrens' slide for our young children. The claim to the steel being passivated certainly held up, as it spent many years out in the garden in all weathers without getting rusty (although it was painted using car spray paint). The base, which has ball-bearing castors, was fitted with a plywood top and makes an excellent bogie for moving furniture. I still have a piece of the casing that I raid when I need a piece of steel sheet for making small brackets etc. When I used to do wet chemical photography, the mangle was used as a power squeegee to expel surplus glazing solution when putting glossy prints on glazing sheets. The mains lead became an extension lead.
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