I think they are called paddles

Agree with the above but it is fun to sometimes keep an old machine soldiering on.

I suspect you?ll need an epoxy resin of some sort to bond stainless steel and plastic together. It might (emphasis on might) help to apply heat with a hair dryer to make it flow better under the edges of the paddles. Just a thought.

Tim

Almost nothing bonds to plastics of the sort usually found in a washing machine BUT car body filler is a product I used to reattach weights to a plastic outer drum so I would try that. It isn't 100% bond but it should stop wobbling

Can I ask if you tried epoxy resin? I’ve just ordered new paddles for the second time after the tabs sheered off the last replacement set. I wondered if you’d been successful as I’m thinking of epoxy resin to stop them moving this time. (or has anyone else tried it please ?) thanks in advance

I knew this was from home owners club from its complete lack of context or quoting. I've not even looked yet to see how many years out of date it might be. Brian

Things are improving Brian, it is a reply to a thread just 2 months old.

Richard

Before replying again can you please read this:

Epoxy breaks down with age, and presenting it with environmental challenges (heat, UV light, water), does not improve its disposition. Epoxy also smells a bit, given a chance. You don't want to be smelling that on your shirts.

Unfortunately, bad engineering is bad engineering. If items don't have sufficient material to work with (no thickness to take screws), then no amount of cursing will keep the item on. I use #2 screws for things that need "assistance", but the material has to be thick enough so it does not crack where the screw goes in.

Maybe you could get someone in a machine shop to make you a paddle out of something else. It can't be steel, because that would rust and leave stains on the clothes. The surface would have to be polished smooth, to avoid damage to the clothing (pure cottons are the first to shred).

Paul

I think though, that site needs to have some way to offer quotes to the poster, if it wants to be taken seriously as a portal to the Usenet. It cannot be hat hard, can it? Brian

Thanks Paul...I asked that question originally. I was thinking of flowing some superglue between the plastic edge faces and the stainless drum, but might need a bit of prep first, maybe using isopropyl alcohol for degreasing any detergent/sediment between the faces.

And I can verify that, based on experience keeping running shoes bonded with it. It eventually gives up and needs to be re-applied.

The original bonding process relies on moisture in the air.

"Super glue is able to make two materials bond quickly due to its rapid polymerization in the presence of water ? which is usually the humidity that is present in the air."

The bond works best if the excess material is squeezed out of the joint. In theory, two flat steel plates, compressed with a vice, with liquid super glue in between, should develop an excellent bond. It cannot be poured on the outside of an object as a eealant, as that is not what it's for.

There was one version of Super Glue, that worked a bit better with porous materials, like wood and leather. The stuff at the store now, is mostly the plain one (probably whatever was originally patented).

Epoxy puts on a good show at first, but with time, it turns brown from exposure to UV. I've never found it to be a permanent solution to a problem. Maybe if it had a protective coating on top of it, it might work better.

Paul

I know this might be seen as a silly idea; where access is an issue. I have seen holes drilled in transmission bellhousings for instance to access a component or check using a snake cam.

If you were to drill large holes in the top of the drum could you not gain access to the offending tabs? Being at the top you would have good access to reseal.

I am not confident that most glues will hold for long, the paddles get quite a beating and most glues don't like submersion. There are some exceptions, you can get marine epoxies.

By way of example have a look at Loctite Epoxy Marine. Not cheap though!

I can access the edges of the plastic paddles through the washing machine door, really all I need is a reliable/flowable adhesive to penetrate the mating faces. Normally the paddles lock into the slots in the drum, but once they start to move more than just a few thou, the drum cuts through the plastic legs. The locking mechanism relies on a bent piece of drum cut out, which gets deformed over time.