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Thread Number: 3822
Work Begins on the Super Unimatic |
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Post# 91697 10/31/2005 at 23:05 (6,757 days old) by unimatic1140  (Minneapolis) |
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Well now that I've got the computer controlled timer all done for my build it yourself Frankenstein washer, I started assembling the machine and making shall we say some major modifications to the old WO-65 cabinet. I added a second drain port (using a standard sink basin drain) which the heater and recirculation pump is attached to. The drain pump is attached to the original drain port. First here is a look underneath the machine (machine is turned upside down). I ran the heater and recirculation systems tonight and it works great, the heater brought 5 gallons of tap cold water (60F) up to steaming hot water (probably 110F to 120F) in just under 20 minutes! I think this 120 volt heater will work just fine to keep the water temperature hot. Of course the Unimatic Mechanism goes into the center, there is lots more room under there for more fun stuff. 
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Post# 91698 , Reply# 1 10/31/2005 at 23:08 (6,757 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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And what would a Super Unimatic be without a window in the cabinet to see the water being thrown out into it. I've always wondered what the Unimatic does with all those suds that is thrown into the cabinet, we now we will be able to see! I tested it tonight and it seems to be water tight, YAY! Stay tuned, more modifications to come. 
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Post# 91699 , Reply# 2 10/31/2005 at 23:10 (6,757 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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Post# 91707 , Reply# 3 12/31/2069 at 18:00 (19,845 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands) |
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| Post# 91728 , Reply# 4 11/1/2005 at 06:14 (6,757 days old) by christfr (st louis mo) | ||
cool | ||
| Post# 91736 , Reply# 5 11/1/2005 at 07:00 (6,757 days old) by westyslantfront () | ||
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hi robert...yes, i am looking forward to a video....sure looks fascinating.... | ||
| Post# 91742 , Reply# 6 11/1/2005 at 07:54 (6,757 days old) by tlee618 () | ||
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Robert this machine is going to be so neat!! Maybe you will be starting a new company out there.LOL Can't wait for more pictures and the video!! Terry | ||
| Post# 91765 , Reply# 7 11/1/2005 at 10:56 (6,757 days old) by brent-aucoin () | ||
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Robert! This is so cool! I can't wait to see the results! What an imagination you have! Thanks for sharing! Brent | ||
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Post# 91766 , Reply# 8 11/1/2005 at 11:04 (6,757 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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Post# 91774 , Reply# 9 11/1/2005 at 12:38 (6,757 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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I love that window | ||
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Post# 91775 , Reply# 10 11/1/2005 at 12:39 (6,757 days old) by jetcone (Schenectady-Home of Calrods,Monitor Tops,Toroid Transformers) |
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This has spurred me on | ||
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Post# 91777 , Reply# 11 11/1/2005 at 12:58 (6,756 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Post# 91787 , Reply# 12 11/1/2005 at 14:49 (6,756 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
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Laundry Blasphemy Dr. Frankenspin! | ||
| Post# 91789 , Reply# 13 11/1/2005 at 15:11 (6,756 days old) by peterh770 (Marietta, GA) | ||
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| Post# 91791 , Reply# 14 11/1/2005 at 15:15 (6,756 days old) by peterh770 (Marietta, GA) | ||
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Post# 91799 , Reply# 15 11/1/2005 at 16:12 (6,756 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Hi Peter, great questions, here goes: What motor/pump combination is used for the recirculation? It's a 16gpm pump from the Little Giant Pump Company, here are the specs: "Magnetic Drive Pump, Power Rating 1/8 HP, Voltage @ 60 Hz 115, Current Rating 2.0 Amps, Outlet 1/2 Inch MPT, Inlet 1 Inch MPT, Maximum PSI 11.9, Maximum Head 27.5 Feet, Motor Enclosure OPFC, Water Flow @ 1 Foot of Head 17.5 GPM, @ 3 Feet of Head 16.5 GPM, @ 15 Feet of Head 10.9 GPM, @ 18 Feet of Head 9.2 GPM, @ 24 Feet of Head 4.4 GPM, Height 9 1/4 Inches, Length 8 3/4 Inches, Width 5 1/2 Inches " What pump is used for drain? The same washer pump that was used in the 1996-1997 GE plastic washer. I found a whole box of these brand new at a local surplus store for real cheap. Having the heater before the pump will not lead to early pump failure? I thought of that too, but its much easier to mount it in that fashion, so I'm going to try it and see, if it fails I will try something else. Since the pump is magnetic drive, there is no seal between the motor and the impeller so that will help quite a bit. It appears the hose combination tub-heater-pump is a wider diameter than the hose leading back to the wash tub. Why is that? Because the inlet to the pump is 1" Port, the outlet is a 1/2" Port. | ||
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Post# 91805 , Reply# 16 11/1/2005 at 16:23 (6,756 days old) by brisnat81 (Brisbane Australia) |
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Heater Inline with Pump Hi Guys, Most european dishwashers have the Heater inline with the pump, and it doesnt seem to cause any problems. Most Dishwashers with concealed elements over here have that exact same setup. | ||
| Post# 91818 , Reply# 17 11/1/2005 at 17:48 (6,756 days old) by shanonabc () | ||
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COOLIE! Can't wait to see the final product! | ||
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Post# 91889 , Reply# 19 11/1/2005 at 23:00 (6,756 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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| Post# 91892 , Reply# 20 11/1/2005 at 23:51 (6,756 days old) by mathewhebailey0 (port arthur tx) | ||
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For my Philco wringer washer I'm thinking about a small electric pump made by Gorman-Rupp Industries www.gripumps.com... | ||
| Post# 91893 , Reply# 21 11/1/2005 at 23:52 (6,756 days old) by mathewhebailey0 (port arthur tx) | ||
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For my Philco wringer washer I'm thinking about a small electric pump made by Gorman-Rupp Industries CLICK HERE TO GO TO mathewhebailey0's LINK | ||
| Post# 91953 , Reply# 22 11/2/2005 at 14:54 (6,755 days old) by golittlesport (California) | ||
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Post# 91965 , Reply# 23 11/2/2005 at 16:09 (6,755 days old) by pulsator (Saint Joseph, MI) |
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**WOOHOO!!!!** | ||
| Post# 91966 , Reply# 24 11/2/2005 at 16:21 (6,755 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ) | ||
King of the Washer-Mods! | ||
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Post# 91998 , Reply# 25 11/2/2005 at 22:08 (6,755 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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More Surprises
I had planned all along to try and put the 12lb Rollermatic tub and use the 1963-1964 Three-Ring Agitator in the Super Unimatic and to my delight, the tub fits beautifully in the big open WO-65 Cabinet! I was worried that the extra gallons of the larger tub water would rise up and cause a drag on the bottom of the wash tub, but the WO-65 cabinet can handle it all! Check this out...
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Post# 91999 , Reply# 26 11/2/2005 at 22:11 (6,755 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Look Ma! | ||
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Post# 92001 , Reply# 27 11/2/2005 at 22:13 (6,755 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Post# 92002 , Reply# 28 11/2/2005 at 22:15 (6,755 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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| Post# 92003 , Reply# 29 11/2/2005 at 22:15 (6,755 days old) by rickr (.) | ||
Uni works fast!! | ||
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Post# 92006 , Reply# 30 11/2/2005 at 22:36 (6,755 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie) |
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| Post# 92010 , Reply# 32 11/2/2005 at 22:58 (6,755 days old) by westytoploader () | ||
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Wait...did I miss something? You also mentioned about the 12 lb. Rollermatic tub. I thought the later Multimatics used 12 lb. tubs as well, am I wrong? | ||
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Post# 92015 , Reply# 33 11/2/2005 at 23:06 (6,755 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Hi Austin, the machine is recirculating in that picture. I have to go hardware/garden store shopping and find the perfect spray nozzle to fan spray out the water stream (any suggestions club as to what I might use?). Right now its just the hose and the hose is 10 feet long so it looses a bit of pressure, but its still a very strong stream of water. Once I cut the hose down to three or so feet, watch out, get your goggles! Yes, I absolutely will have to find a way to filter the water. One of the fun things about this machine is it will probably be a slow work in progress over the course of years. I'm just trying to get the base project started. I haven't done a bit of electrical wiring yet, its totally being powered by test cords. I can't wait to get this thing connected to a Computer, but I have more mechanical and water system work to do first. | ||
| Post# 92022 , Reply# 34 11/2/2005 at 23:13 (6,755 days old) by maytagbear (N.E. Ohio) | ||
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Robert... The awesomeness factor is off the chart! Continued good luck. Lawrence/Maytagbear | ||
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Post# 92033 , Reply# 35 11/3/2005 at 06:34 (6,755 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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Dr. Franken-wash, I presume? | ||
| Post# 92036 , Reply# 36 11/3/2005 at 06:52 (6,755 days old) by kenmore1978 () | ||
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water spray "I have to go hardware/garden store shopping and find the perfect spray nozzle to fan spray out the water stream (any suggestions club as to what I might use?" Maybe there's some way you can adapt a KM/WP fill flume to make the water spray in | ||
| Post# 92041 , Reply# 37 11/3/2005 at 07:19 (6,755 days old) by mayken4now (Panama City, Florida) | ||
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| Post# 92043 , Reply# 38 11/3/2005 at 07:24 (6,755 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia) | ||
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to the tune of the Beach Boys number... Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! ooo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo! Chris. | ||
| Post# 92047 , Reply# 39 11/3/2005 at 07:41 (6,755 days old) by westyslantfront () | ||
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hi robert...love the window in the front to see the water when it is thrown during the spin cycle | ||
| Post# 92056 , Reply# 40 11/3/2005 at 09:00 (6,755 days old) by peterh770 (Marietta, GA) | ||
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Questions: 1) Since the tub is wider, might there be more of a chance of the tub hitting the cabinet when starting to spin, before the load balances out? Would the window be at risk of getting broken? 2) Would the same flume be used for filling and recirculation? You might could adapt a 1-18 Circle Fill hose around the cabinet for filling and spray rinsing. For recirculation, you need to aim the hose so that the target is the center of the agitator. The filter could fit inside the barrel. The heated, filtered water would be injected back into the load evenly around the top of the Energy Ring. You need a funnel for the agitator top like the top of a Philco Automagic agitator. Maybe a special flume attached to the lid to accomplish this? Or a special arm flume, independent of the lid, that you could raise for loading/unloading, and lower into place for viewing the action with the lid raised (or removed)? | ||
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Post# 92081 , Reply# 41 11/3/2005 at 13:21 (6,754 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Austin, you are correct, the 12lb tub was used in the '63-'64 Multimatic, as well as the '64-69 Rollermatic. What I meant was the tub I'm using in the Super Unimatic actually came out of a late 60's Rollermatic machine. As for the Recirculation Flume a Kenmore or Maytag fill flume sprays the water outward in a circular fashion. What I really want is a fan like high-pressure spray, like the fill in the '59 Philco or the Spray in the Whirlpool/Kenmore Combo, but with higher pressure. The reason I want this is mainly for the "4 Minutes of Magic" cycle with will spray a high concentration of water/detergent on the clothes as they are spun, similar to the Kenmore Catalyst cycle. I'm going to get the tub up to full 1140rpm and then cut the motor but leave the brake solenoid energized so the tub will simply be coasting from 1140rpm down. I want the fan spray to be aimed at the right side of the tub as to help push the tub along and help it coast clockwise with the spray. Also a fan style spray will help reach the entire sidewall of the spinning washing tub from just under the top rim all the way down to the bottom. (1) Since the tub is wider, might there be more of a chance of the tub hitting the cabinet when starting to spin, before the load balances out? Would the window be at risk of getting broken? Peter, the WO-65 cabinet is 25" wide, the outer tub in the Rollermatic machines is about 25.5" so while it might hit the side; it won’t hit it with much force. I did put a piece of rubber at the top of the window where the tub might strike it just in case. In "phase 2" I'm to teach the Super Unimatic how to communicate with the computer so I'm going to install an unbalance switch that will tell computer there is an unbalance load, but I probably will program the software to only stop the machine if the sensor is hit more than once. But that will come later. (2) Would the same flume be used for filling and recirculation? No, 3 separate flumes. One to fill the outer tub with fresh water (wash fill), one to fill the inner tub with fresh water (rinse fill) and one to recirculate a fan spray. Hey I like your idea about the 1/18 Circle Spray I didn't think of that! That might make a perfect inner tub fill flume; I can make one out of flexible rubber hose. Thanks good idea! That's also not a bad idea about having the filter screen inside the agitator column, since there will be a separate detergent dispenser. But I do want a fan spray for the initial “Four Minutes of Magic”, but maybe I can use a diverter valve and spray the recirculation water during agitation into the center of the agitator, through a screen. More to think about. | ||
| Post# 92083 , Reply# 42 11/3/2005 at 13:35 (6,754 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ) | ||
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Fan spray
This may sound ridiculous, Robert, but when I used to play with bits-and-pieces of machines as a kid, I found that my mom's late-seventies/early-eighties Eureka upholstery tool made an AWESOME fan spray, perfectly smooth and even. If you could use one of those, or even find something in metal to take the higher temperature, it would vault a nice, broad stream. Just a thought :-) --Nate | ||
| Post# 92092 , Reply# 43 11/3/2005 at 14:50 (6,754 days old) by deeptub (Carbondale, IL) | ||
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Post# 92100 , Reply# 44 11/3/2005 at 16:14 (6,754 days old) by pulsator (Saint Joseph, MI) |
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| Post# 92101 , Reply# 45 11/3/2005 at 16:20 (6,754 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ) | ||
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LOL Pulsator | ||
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Post# 92254 , Reply# 46 11/4/2005 at 11:00 (6,754 days old) by jeff_adelphi (Adelphi, Maryland, USA) |
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Robert, For the spray nozzle you could try flatening the end of a copper tube. I did this once and got a nice fan shaped spray. Looking at the photo with the window, I had a thought, you could paint the outside of the inner tub with some colored stripes to help show the movement of the tub. If you used two colors they would blend together at full speed and cause the tub to change color. Just an idea to help keep you busy! Can't wait to see how it all works out. I have ordered one of the interface kits and I am planning on installing it on one of my front loaders. Jeff
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Post# 92262 , Reply# 47 11/4/2005 at 12:55 (6,754 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!) |
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Bringing it to market... | ||
| Post# 92272 , Reply# 48 11/4/2005 at 13:55 (6,753 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ) | ||
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Here you go, Robert, print it out to badge your machine: | ||
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Post# 92273 , Reply# 49 11/4/2005 at 14:02 (6,753 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Stripes on the Outside of the Tub
Hi Jeff, actually I was thinking the same thing about copper tubing, had bought some 3/4" copper pipe and was planning on giving that a try, it would be very easy to mount then. I can flatten the end in my vice. I JUST LOVE your idea about painting the outer tub with stripes, that's brilliant idea! Jeff I have the programming logic all figured for outbound information processing to run relays on the board. I have an idea about inbound information from machine back into the computer, but I need to experiment with that yet. I can't wait to see your "Super Front-Loader" in action. | ||
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Post# 92274 , Reply# 50 11/4/2005 at 14:06 (6,753 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Post# 92295 , Reply# 51 11/4/2005 at 17:09 (6,753 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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Let there be light..... | ||
| Post# 92298 , Reply# 52 11/4/2005 at 17:28 (6,753 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ) | ||
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LOL Robert | ||
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Post# 92573 , Reply# 54 11/6/2005 at 19:35 (6,751 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Brent I suppose running the heater will definitely be an energy gobbler, but otherwise it will only use a few more gallons of water in the wash to fill the recirculation system. Both electric pumps are low amperage so they will take minimal power to run. As for what I'm going to call it, I don't know, but for now the "Super Unimatic" will do. I found and installed a great spray nozzle for the recirculation system and I will take a picture of later. I installed two water valves, one is a three solenoid thermostatic valve for the filling the outer tub for the wash cycle and the other is a three solenoid valve hot/cold/cold-dispenser-port valve for spray-rinse and overflow-rinsing as well as filling the inner tub for rinse. And now a Unimatic with a Jet-Circle Spray! I can't wait to see how the four 7-second 1140rpm spray rinses look with that spray... 
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| Post# 92576 , Reply# 55 11/6/2005 at 20:53 (6,751 days old) by brent-aucoin () | ||
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Robert! I love the spray fill! You know, talking about energy savings.... Most of the front loaders with heat, run during all of the wash cycle. I don't see how this would be any more wastefull. This is fun Robert! Thanks for sharing! Brent | ||
| Post# 92598 , Reply# 56 11/6/2005 at 23:28 (6,751 days old) by tlee618 () | ||
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Robert that Jet Spray Circle is just fantastic!! Can't wait to see this machine in action! Terry | ||
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Post# 92611 , Reply# 57 11/7/2005 at 01:13 (6,751 days old) by arrrooohhh (Sydney Australia) |
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This is so exciting! How is the control panel console going to look? | ||
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Post# 92615 , Reply# 58 11/7/2005 at 04:49 (6,751 days old) by foraloysius (Leeuwarden, Friesland, the Netherlands) |
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Post# 92616 , Reply# 59 11/7/2005 at 05:36 (6,751 days old) by cleanteamofny ((Monroe, New York) |
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Post# 92625 , Reply# 60 11/7/2005 at 06:51 (6,751 days old) by toggleswitch (New York City, NY) |
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Fabulous spray rinsing! Halo of water............. | ||
| Post# 92626 , Reply# 61 11/7/2005 at 06:53 (6,751 days old) by gizmo (Victoria, Australia) | ||
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Hi Brent Most front loaders the heater doesn't actually run all the wash cycle - it cycles on and off by the thermostat. When the water gets up to temperature, the heater shuts off. Robert's washer will hold a lot more water than a front loader so it will use a lot more energy to heat all that water up. But what fun... Chris. | ||
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Post# 92636 , Reply# 62 11/7/2005 at 08:51 (6,751 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Although front loaders like my Asko which fill with cold water the heater can run for over 50 minutes to heat the water before it shuts off, where as in this machine it will fill with hot 140F degree water and run the heater as a booster for a maximum of 20 minutes. The heater will only be programmed to run during super hot wash cycles anyway, where as a machine like the Asko runs the heater runs on every cycle. I don't know about other places, but here in the Northland water is MUCH cheaper than electricity. The new model of the Energy Star Rated GE Harmony now utilizes a 120 volt heater, and the Harmony fills with 12 gallons of water with medium size wash loads so I have to wonder how does it get its Energy Star Rating? If its just on well spun clothes, well than I'm ready for my star :) | ||
| Post# 92687 , Reply# 63 11/7/2005 at 15:30 (6,750 days old) by roto204 (Tucson, AZ) | ||
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Love it, love it, love it!! | ||
| Post# 92722 , Reply# 64 11/7/2005 at 18:01 (6,750 days old) by lightedcontrols () | ||
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I can't wait!!! I can't wait to see the suds cake this baby makes!!! Mark | ||
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Post# 92752 , Reply# 65 11/7/2005 at 19:06 (6,750 days old) by unimatic1140 (Minneapolis) |
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Are you still planning to incorporate lint filtration, or are you opting for a strictly overflow approach? Yes, but not until phase 2 of the project. After I complete the first phase I want to wash in it for a bit and tweak the software here and there for performance. Once that is done I can add more features at my leisure. The most fun part about this machine is it will never be "done", I'm sure I will be adding and changing things for years to come. Now look at this great recirculation nozzle, it was so simple its almost embarrassing to admit after trying lots of different things, and none of them I was completely thrilled with, I thought well heck let's try a WO-65 fill flume and sure enough it works perfectly... 
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| Post# 92793 , Reply# 66 11/7/2005 at 21:33 (6,750 days old) by brent-aucoin () | ||
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Yay Robert! Correct me if I am wrong, but this almost looks like that Philco filling. (love how that comes out on the tounge) Robert! This is so awesome! Brent | ||
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Comes to the Rescue!
I love that Nate. Yes Energy conservation isn't what I striving for in the Super Unimatic. Its #1 Drama -- #2 Performance -- #3 Flexibility -- #4 Complete Automation -- #5 Super Fun!