Dryer Fix and Re-paint

I fix things. A lot. But one problem I have with fixing things is that if you do it well no one can tell it was ever broken. It’s kind of a thankless job. “What? That used to be broken? And now it’s not? Oh. OK.”

So sometimes when I fix a thing I like to improve it. Or at least make it clear that it’s not just a new one.

So when the dryer stopped turning, and I had a few days to wait before a new drive belt would arrive, I thought, “why not have some fun with the colors?” The pieces come apart easily, and I already had the front taken off. So here is how I did it.

Take out the lint screen, and remove the two screws underneath.

The top pops up with a little prying with a screwdriver. Use a bungee or rope to prop it open.

The front panel is held on with two screws inside the dryer in the top front corners. Remove those and the front lifts off. The bottom panel just needs a tug on the top to remove.

It just lifts out. It's a good idea to vacuum out the inside at this stage.

One of mine would barely turn. This is what caused the old belt to break.

There is a little plastic clip that holds the roller on its shaft. Pry it off with a screwdriver, and the wheel will slide off.

It took a little scrubbing to get it clean. Then I used lithium grease to lube it.

Slide it on. Make sure it turns freely. Then put the plastic clip back on.

The belt needs to feed through idler pulley assembly and go around the motor pulley.

Before putting it all back together, visualize the improvement you want to make. I checked out my spray paint supply and found some colors that I liked together. Then I tried a few combinations in Sketchbook.

Set up some saw horses. Then spray your parts. You obviously have to do this in stages, one color at a time. But spray paint dries pretty quickly. On a breezy day I was able to re-coat or change colors after 20 minutes. I didn't want to take the top off the dryer, so I painted it with a brush and some black enamel.

Just reverse your disassembly steps. Done. Smile. Take pictures. Write an instructable. You just saved $400 and didn't have to put a perfectly good dryer in the landfill.