Bosch Washer Dryer door handle problem

[rjm2k]

Bought one of these a couple of years ago as they were supposed to be one of the few "good" makes, however the door handle recently broke. I have a replacement, but as you can see from the photo, it seems to have the same flaw as the original. The old handle is on top, you can see where I attempted to glue the missing bit back on with epoxy, it only lasted a week. You can also see the fairly stiff metal mechanism it has to move, I'm expecting failure of the new one just like the old one as it seems to be a design flaw.

I'm planning on filling the holes in the new piece with epoxy to strengthen it before it breaks, but wonder if the spring on the mechanism could be getting stiffer which could be causing the issue in the first place.

Any ideas?

thanks

 

[dishman]

Use some Teflon spray on the door hinge, that should make it less stiff and put less stress on the plastic frame when opening and closing.
Do not use original WD40 for lubrication! Traditional WD40 is a water displacer and solvent, it is not a lubricant. It will not damage the hinge, but it won't do much in terms of lubrication.

So get some WD40 (brand) PTFE dry Teflon spray. This will dry without becoming sticky and gummy, so will stop the hinge becoming oily and manky.

You could also consider using milliput white epoxy filler and build it up around the weak plastic area (without affecting the door optation) to re-enforce that area. This stuff works like plasticine and then dries harder than a rock and sticks to anything. It is far better than glue for a situation like this. You could have even used it to fix the original I think.

I used this stuff to create a new hinge for my lawnmower. The armature that you use to push/pull the lawnmower goes into this hinge, so takes a lot of punishment. I shaped it like the original and it just sticks/welds itself to the original plastic. It has not broken or failed in 5 years now.

In fact, I even used it to rebuild the catches on a dishwasher lid after the others shattered when the dishwasher was moved.

I initially tried epoxy glue, and the original hinge would break back off after a single use.

 

[dishman]

Just as a further example of the brilliance of Milliput, here are some examples where I have used it (mentioned in my post above).

I used the standard yellow milliput (I had some spare) as cosmetics were not an issue. But you can get various colours. Or even add water based studio paint (artists paint) to make your own. White is a standard option however.

Crafting a new bracket/hinge for the lawnmower:

There is nothing under/inside the majority of yellow milliput on this hinge/bracket. It is it's own self-supporting piece (especially around half of the bolt hole). It has welded itself to the original plastic bracket. Furthermore the bolt is not fused to the milliput. Milliput is like plasticine, so I ensured the bolt fit a hole I moulded and then let it dry with the bolt removed. So the bolt can still be removed and re-inserted. This hinge takes a lot of force so it must be super strong. It has taken a lot of bashes over the years, and not a sign of an issue.



This is the dishwasher lid. Some parts of the lid hooks and supports for the brackets and screws got smashed off. Sourcing replacements would have been impossible. So I moulded repairs by hand.



As you can see, it some areas, I have used it to replace the plastic or just for support.

 

[jj4091]

Is it possible to reduce the strength of the spring, thus reducing the load on that moulding, or am I misinterpreting your pics. Was the spring available as a spare & does it look any lighter than yours?

 

[rjm2k]

I can't see the spring on the pic, from memory I think it's at the top of that metal post, the plastic wedge on the handle presses against the paddle on the right hand lower side of the post and rotates it. I've ordered some of Dishmans Milliput so will strengthen the plastic with that, lubricate the post hinges and keep my fingers crossed! thanks

 

[dishman]

@rjm2k Maybe also use the milliput to repair the old door, if you still have the broken piece. You can then use the old one as a practice to see how long it lasts. Or just as practice for using the Milliput.

Milliput can be used to stick things together like glue. If the tab that broke off was hollow before - fill it with milliput so it has more mass and heft. That should also give a better contact to the other surface.

Just make sure the surface you are sticking it to is clean. You could even roughen the contact area a bit with some sandpaper. This would give it better purchase.

Although if it fits to snapped plastic like a jigsaw piece, try not to sand down that contact.

You can add a tiny bit of water to make the milliput more easy to smooth and shape. In fact, you can even work this stuff underwater and it will still set solid.

Give it a good 24hrs+ before using the door. That way it has set properly and like a rock.