SOT:SWMBO wheelchair

Guess why my next cooker and washing machine will be British made. Like my vaccuum cleaner.

it might have a British name - but will it be "Britsh made"

A real PITA, but this is uk.d-i-y. A spring is a spring and a castor is a castor. There will be a way of fitting alternative parts. If you post a bit more detail, perhaps some photos via dropbox, the collective brainpower here will offer many alternatives.

We do make lots of stuff in the UK but bottom end metal bashing and anything consumer-related is made abroad, because the British love 'cheap' and the only way to make stuff cheaply is to make it in China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, ...

It will if it is made by Ebac. Check their website. Washing machines with cold *and* hot inputs too, and spares available for years.

I used to buy old radiograms at bootsales for almost nothing 20+ years ago and dismember them to collect all the springs, washers, brass spacers and collars etc. My jamjar collection of these has saved the day many times (usually late at night or weekend).

...and if you have the manufacturing facilities and the engineering skills, there is much more money to be made making high end, high tech stuff. So we do!

There ya go. Opportunity for you to start a business making stuff.

Where do they send the old wheelchairs ?

Is there a wheelchair junkyard ?

The usual economics apply. Picking up a non-functional carcass, might cost less than buying "a-part-at-a-time".

Paul

Yes, it will.

Belling still make cookers and EBAC make washing machines. LEC make fridges and Numatic make vacuums and White Knight make washing machines and dryres as well.

Look em up.

Jethro_uk <jethro snipped-for-privacy@hotmailbin.com wrote

The UK still makes aircraft engines, airbus wings and cars.

Or of fixing the parts you have.

You can certainly make springs fairly easily with not much more than a power drill, pliers and a Workmate. Only when it gets to car sizes is it a bit more tricky :-)

Castors respond to lubrication - typically plain bearing bronze dries out after a few years and needs a squirt of 3 in 1. It its ball races, well they are standard parts throughout industry

I bought some wheels from a 'catsorsRUs sort of place somewhere as well.

I also said my next cooker and washing machine would be British - just after divorcing the Slovakian.

Good man. Shag British I say

ROFL. The LEC factory in Bognor Regis was turned into a Sainsburys over 15 years ago. LEC fridges are now made in Turkey.

Ha!

Bill

A combination of Covid-19, lack of HGV drivers and Brexit was what I was told when it took six weeks for a part for my car to arrive.

I didn't know they wore out. The one I have, which was in use until a few months ago, I bought for my father, who died in 1992 and he had several years' use out of it. Mind you, it wasn't cheap, so probably was made in Britain.

Assuming you've searched eBay for the items without success. You need a friend who works in the aerospace industry or failing that in a machine shop.

And even if assembled in the UK, what makes you think spares will be any easier?

I have an aftermarket starter motor on the old Rover. According to the blurb, made in the UK. They even show pictures of the factory on their website. Although most of it is made by Denso. And they don't supply any spares at all. Only offer a replacement at slightly below RRP, once out of warranty.

A tiny, and easily replaced thrust washer failed on mine. Stopping the pinion engaging. Luckily, found a source elsewhere. Cost pennies.