If anybody has any easy to build ideas for a pedal powered washing machine, I would love to see them.

-- roberto pokachinni (pokachinni@yahoo.com), December 28, 2001

Answers

I don't have any plans BUUT I did see a contraption one time put together using a metal garbage can,some pullys, bicycle chain,bicycle frame and some bearings ,now off to your shop !!!!! Keep us updated

-- David R In TN. (srimmer@earthlink.net), December 29, 2001.

See the articles in Home Power magazine titled, Human-Powered Machines by A. Jagadeesh and Pedal-Powered Washing Machines in the U.S. by Laura Allen for pictures and diagrams. Specifically page #110-112 in the June/July 2001 edition. Click here to visit the Home Power magazine website

-- Frank (fhill@absolute-net.com), December 29, 2001.

Darn. Link didn't work. Try this one. Click here to visit the Home Power magazine website

-- Frank (fhill@absolute-net.com), December 29, 2001.

Hubby and I are in the "fixin' t' start thinkin' 'bout it" stage of designing a mulit-use human powered set up similar to, but smaller than, the old water-mill multi-gear/belt assemblies that ran sawills and the like. The thinking is that if we put in a permanent exercise bike (probably recumbant, for better power ratios), we could run several "hand cranked" items such as a washing machine, grain mill, mixer/blender, bread bucket, etc off of the bike simply by rearranging the belts and gears. We would mount the bike in an out of the ay, but central, location (like a corner of the kitchen) and set up a system of gears and such so that we could bike at the same "workout" rate with varying degrees of torque and speed coming out the business end of the belt/gear assemblies. Things like the washer would probably require a greater workout, but hey, if it's a recumbant bike than you can just sit there and read a book or (if you're feeling coordinated) work on a craft item.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), December 29, 2001.