Problem Solved, for now…

So today I encountered a new challenge. The recessed handle on my dishwasher essentially snapped off. It’s all plastic. How exciting. A bit of internet sleuthing suggests that a replacement part, also plastic, can be sourced so I don’t need a new dishwasher. I just can’t easily open it. More importantly, my kids can’t open it. Fearing the consequences of simply saying “leave it out, I will take care of it later”, I set out to make a temporary modification until I can source the proper part.

Not being skilled in the making of plastics, nor the owner of a 3D printer, I chose to use the skills and tools that I have. I made a wooden handle. I was not trying to follow the aesthetics of the original design, nor did I worry about it matching anything. Mainly, I just wanted the folks in my house to be able to put things in the dishwasher.

Starting out with a basic width, I set about finding some scraps of the appropriate size. Quickly I had a selection of 3/4” plywood, 1/4” plywood and a bit of walnut. Actually, just the right amount of unnecessary walnut. (Thanks to Drew Fisher for that).

Given that the area where the panel had to go was all plastic, and there were some electrical parts back there, I didn’t want to screw through it, so I opted for 5 minute epoxy to hold it in. Hoping to improve the strength, I made a baseplate for the handle with the 1/4” plywood so there would be more glue surface. Then I made the sides from the 3/4 ply, and the walnut is the part you grab.

I assembled it with CA glue, and then pre drilled and added screws. Then sanded everything nice and smooth. Finally, I applied the epoxy and attached it to the dishwasher with blue tape. Once cured, I added a mineral oil finish to the walnut to make it pop. So far, so good. Hopefully I can source the proper part soon, but this was a fun diversion.

Thanks for reading and a very happy Thanksgiving to you all.