(Well since this popped back up ... )
Our Whirlpool front load washer started soaking the floor and it turned out to be the rubber "thingie" (technical term) between the outer cabinet and the inner container that surrounds the drum. Looked up info online and fixed the problem myself. In the official exploded view parts call-out, and in the parts list, it is identified as a "Bellow." Here I thought that was what I would do when I learned what their service folks would charge to come out and fix it!
Apparently loose pocket change and especially something like a stainless steel barreled pen are not healthy for the bellow.
Fancy that, the same thing happened not long ago in our household. There must be some strange connection or link at work here.
Then my beloved Leitz Focomat 1c with its Ilford Multigrade head (the heavy, expensive one) slipped a disc or whatever happened, and kept slipping down to its lowest focus point on the column. It "lost its erection" - that's what the Leitz technician I spoke to called it anyway, so who am I to quibble? A very simple rubber thingie fixed it without much fuss or bother. As it turned out, Leitz had one such bittie in stock, apparently in its Unloved Bits And Pieces drawer, and very kindly gave it to me, even the postage. It's good to be given something from Leitz for nothing...
The Leitz Focomat 1c is truly a unique printing machine but such a behemoth of a contraption. For the past decade or longer I've hunted for a bulb dome top (bulb or globe holder, depending on if you are American or British) for mine, as insurance for the day when the Mutigrade head finally gives up the ghost, which thankfully so far it shows no sign of doing. Apparently these heads turn up on Ebay every now and then, but so far I've had no luck in finding one. I need the two parts, top and bottom, so even more difficult.
When the dreaded day happens,both the "bellow" and "bellows" in my house will come from the photographer and not a camera.
(Disclaimer: Sagittarian humor alert here!)
