Hi Billie Using foam for the ball molds sounds like an excellent idea. I might be able to coat one of my balls with coarse grit and use a drill to spin the ball into the foam cutting the mold. I think filling each half and then pressing the molds together is the only way to avoid gaps. I was using too dry a mix which was silly considering the balls don't need strength. Plastic wrap left very tiny lines which polished off very easily. The balls have a 10mm rebar in them. I chucked this in my drill press. I waxed up the palms of heavy leather gloves and using glass sand blasting grit (it sticks nicely in the wax) I just hand polished the balls at high speed. The gloves stood up very well with no wear at all. I have two balls now, neither are great (gaps in the surface so I'm going to a wetter mix. I'm involved in a renovation this week so it will be next week before I can get back at it. I have pictures and will document my steps (working and not working) on one of the freebie webshot sites when I have a bit more time.

^^ Yikes LOL Turns out their is actually a tire ingredient that is now known to actually cause environmental harm, which is the first one I've heard of. All the other warnings in this thread were based on hearsay and "if it's there, it's toxic" which is not exactly the case. 6PPD is added to tires as a preservative for the rubber. Specifically, it reacts with ozone, preventing the ozone from damaging the rubber itself. Unfortunately, the product of that reaction - 6PPD quinone - is leachable and also quite toxic to salmon (and possibly other aquatic critters). Researchers knew for years that something was killing salmon during the mating run in certain streams in the PNW. They have finally pinned down this chemical as a major culprit. After a rain, it washes off the roads into the streams. Of course ozone is required for this to happen, so it is much more likely in urban areas with higher levels of ozone. Anyway it's another reason not to use tire mulch. As an environmental chemist, I was not that concerned with toxicity of other tire ingredients up to this point, but with this stuff, if you live near urban waterways especially, it might be best not to use it. https://cen.acs.org/environment/pollution/Tire-derived-chemical-kills-salmon/98/web/2020/12

The Electrolux you mentioned has the wave touch. I have the wave touch on my oven. It's pretty cool and it has something to do with the current in your fingers. Meaning it doesn't work if you have on an oven mitt or glove. However I don't know if it's really worth the cost on a washer. It looks like the IQ and wave touch do the same thing, but I could be wrong. If you are into gadgets you might get a kick out of how it works. So far my oven works flawlessly. It does an amazing job and I would purchase it again. It's coming up on a year old. The only gripe I have is the chime for the timer could be louder. I would do a search for Electrolux washers on this site as some have commented that the chime on the washer could also be louder. But otherwise the purchasers seem to be happy campers. LOL I just have the basic Samsung. Actually it works better that my old FL Neptune, even when the Neptune was new. I have been very happy with how it operates. Mine are on pedestals on the main floor. Concrete foundation with joists. Nothing elaborate like what you are describing. Have had no issues with vibration. They are quieter than my old Neptune as far as the airplane noise when they ramp up for the spin. The only thing is I think the pump is noisier. And that could be because it is setting on a pedestal. It is probably transmitting noise through the metal box. The old washer set on the floor. I got such a deal on the Samsung set I couldn't pass them up. However, I would purchase the same model again, as I really don't use or need all the different wash combos. So far, I've been happy. They wash/dry, clothes come out clean. What more can you ask for?

" It's a combination start/run compressor/fan capacitor" -- Ahhh, That explains it. I could only find a fan start capacitor on the LG site. " Capacitors can be tested with a meter if you have one and know how ". I do have a good Fluke multi, watched a few videos, and I'd toyed with the idea of testing it as I was putting it away for the winter, but I haven't messed with high voltage Caps before and didn't have a way to safely discharge it. I'm wondering if it will still have a significant charge after 7+ months. I can make a discharge tool, but that also entails extra cost, even if I'm just buying heavy gauge wire and figuring out what size resistor to use. I didn't find any scorching or signs anything was blown, as I recall. No telltale swelling either, but it may have been in a sleeve that I didn't feel comfortable messing with at the time.