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Thread Number: 55423
Iron rite mangle in MN. |
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Post# 778218 8/19/2014 at 16:26 (3,531 days old) by whirlykenmore78  (Prior Lake MN (GMT-0500 CDT.)) |
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| Post# 778221 , Reply# 1 8/19/2014 at 16:38 (3,531 days old) by hippiedoll ( arizona ) | ||
this one is neat but..... | ||
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Post# 778227 , Reply# 2 8/19/2014 at 17:16 (3,531 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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On these portable/smaller Ironrite units the controlling lever folds away out of sight. Have a model 890 (fold down portable) and it is designed that way.
With these "furniture" ironers, Ironrite probably wanted to further enhance that design feature by making the control lever hidden when not in use. At least by model 95, and all the smaller/portable units (880, 890, etc...) Ironrite moved to single lever controls. Thank God for that *LOL* | ||
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Post# 778240 , Reply# 4 8/19/2014 at 18:26 (3,531 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Guess Am So Used To Single Lever Or Pedal Control
That the dual system would drive one up the wall! *LOL* Suppose it is another reason why one never learned to drive an auto with manual gear shift. Just cannot get the coordination down! Hahaha.
IIRC only Bendix ironers used a similar system of two levers. Only Ironrite one would consider at this stage of my collecting days would be the 95 or perhaps a gas heated unit. However if one was truly going to go the latter route would spring for a mortgage and seek out one of those 42" Simplex ironers. That or the smaller modern commercial units. You have to admire the folks at Ironrite trying their best to keep up in what was a declining market. Making those huge white porcelain enamel beasts a tad smaller and prettier the better to blend with Madame's décor was something. If you take off the cabinet top of Ironrite ironers the things take up a bit less space. That is you can push the thing under something or build perhaps a cubby around it that can hold shelving, storage or whatever. Ironrite like other cabinet ironers sold those heavy porcelain enamel cabinets as durable and providing an extra surface in the laundry or kitchen. You could do dampening, sorting, etc... on top then flip the thing open and get to work. Will say again many sellers of vintage ironers have vastly inflated ideas of value. A Bendix ironer in very good to excellent condition just sold on eBay for the princely sum of $0.99! That was the opening bid and only one person made an offer. Sadly many vintage ironers are lucky to fetch even $50. More modern units such as those made by Miele, Pfaff, or others are a different story. | ||
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Post# 778256 , Reply# 6 8/19/2014 at 19:42 (3,531 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Ironers Not So Much As Wringers
Which though both were commonly called mangles the name really applies to the latter.
Wringers were dangerous hence all those tales/reports of women having their bosom caught in one. Fingers, hair, long sleeves, apron straps, anything that could be caught and pulled could result in bodily harm which in some cases was serious. Hand cranked wringers/mangles in theory were safer (but just) because more attention was being paid to the process. OTOH powered ringers could be *VERY* dangerous because without proper safety mechanisms the things would keep on feeding until something gave. This could be ripping the sleeve off a dress, hair out of one's head, and or badly maiming or even "ripping" out a limb or digit. Hand cranked wringers in early designs had their cogs/gears on the outside. This was dangerous as fingers (especially those of curious little ones) could get caught. Lovell and other makers of wringers came out with "safety" designs where all gears, cogs, bearings, etc.. were enclosed. As many here know Maytag and makers of other wringer washing machines developed various design safety measures to prevent such accidents. However the writing was on the wall as a small but vocal group called for getting shot of wringer washing machines as being dangerous. The advent of fully or even semi-automatic washing machines that could extract water really removed the need for wringers. Wringer washer safety - you can't make everyone happy: news.google.com/newspapersQUESTIO... post was last edited: 8/19/2014-20:49] | ||
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Post# 778287 , Reply# 7 8/20/2014 at 03:06 (3,531 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc) |
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And chainsaws and lawnmowers are dangerous!How bout swimming pools-lots of things in the household to reach out and get you!Yes Remmber when parents told little kids to STAY AWAY from such things imagine that today! | ||
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Post# 778355 , Reply# 8 8/20/2014 at 15:38 (3,530 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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Correction
Ironrite models in wood cabinets all had metal bases it seems. Just wanted to set that bit straight so not to give out false information.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO Launderess's LINK on eBay | ||
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Post# 778374 , Reply# 9 8/20/2014 at 16:52 (3,530 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD) |
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Consumer Reports never rated a wringer washer higher than B, Intermediate, because of the danger of the wringer. They preferred spinner water extraction devices before automatics were introduced, but they did not like the first Automatic Home Laundry very much, either. | ||
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Post# 778376 , Reply# 10 8/20/2014 at 17:12 (3,530 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage) |
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@tolivac
Yeabut chainsaws and the rest of the potentially dangerous items mentioned are nor were a necessary part of a household. Whereas mangles/wringers by necessity were and would be until motors powerful enough (and the electricity to run them) became available for domestic washing machines.
Early washing machines were the same as those found in laundries, that is they washed but did not extract. The latter function in a "steam" or commercial laundry would have been handled by an extractor not that much different than a Bock or similar unit today. Wealthier homes and or large mansions/estates could not only afford to have extractors installed in their laundries, but the electricity to run the things and workers. Mrs. Average Housewife had no such luxuries on average. If she had electric power well and good, but until fully automatic or even semi-automatic washing machines with extract functions not only were invented but came down in prices it was the mangle or wringing laundry by hand. Despite the dangers a mangle/wringer gives better results than wringing wash by hand and is easier on textiles. UL Labs actually stepped in to require a measure of safety for power wringers attempting to address the dangers of the devices. It is also important to remember children assisting with laundry (if not doing it themselves in the form of older ones) was far more common in the mangle/wringer era than today. Laundry then was a three day "all hands on deck" affair to the point schools were devoid of girls on Mondays (traditional wash day). The only way around this was to have servants or laundresses. If no assistance could be found a woman alone was stuck doing all that wash. | ||
| Post# 778395 , Reply# 11 8/20/2014 at 19:05 (3,530 days old) by danemodsandy (The Bramford, Apt. 7-E) | ||
Rex - Yep, Nanny State!
I have a friend who's redoing an historic house, and he's having a wrangle over the front porch.
Because of the extent of the restoration and remodeling, a lot of things aren't grandfathered. He has been told that he must install a railing around the porch (18" off the ground) and a handrail for its steps (two) with uprights that are spaced so that a three-inch rubber ball cannot be passed between them. The porch never had a rail originally - it was built at a time when you were supposed to be conscious that you were on a porch and watch out for yourself. Them days is gone. | ||
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