Elimination of Toilet Support Rail Wobble
A young client would not use a drop-down toilet support rail because it would wobble considerably from side to side.
The Challenge
The bolt forming the hinge was a loose fit both in the support rail and in the wall mount. As a result, the support rail could swing considerably from side to side.
The solution
It was decided to insert large washers. The gap on one side was 1mm and on the other side 2mm. Three washers were made from 1mm thick nylon sheet: two for the left side and one for the right side.
As the nylon sheet deforms easily, a fixture was made to clamp the sheet while allowing a 12mm milling cutter to cut the central hole. To get a smooth outer radius, the nylon sheet was held in a lathe between two discs of aluminium. An ordinary lathe tool was then used to trim the edge.
It was found the wall fitting would flex sufficiently as the bolt was tightened to allow very precise elimination of the wobble.
The benefit
The support rail now only very slightly flexes from side to side, so the young person is more able to use the toilet independently.
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