Iron rite mangle in MN.
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hippiedoll
Well-known member
this one is neat but.....
isn't it supposed to have knee-lever controls to make it work??
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isn't it supposed to have knee-lever controls to make it work??
/
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*
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*
single lever controls
I like having the separate knee knocker on the left to stop the roll to dry a damp item a little better, then release it to continue merrily rolling along until you come to the next damp or heavy area. Our neighbor's reed organ had volume controls that operated much the same way, but they were wooden, not steel. You had to be really good or have fat thighs to operate the volume levers while pumping regularly enough to keep sound coming out of it.
It's funny but once children see that steam come up from the roll and feel the heat when you start ironing something, they are thoroughly frightened away from any experimentation with an ironer perhaps because they understand burning, unlike the the need for repeated warnings about staying away from the rollers of a roller water remover or wringer which does not seem so dangerous.
I like having the separate knee knocker on the left to stop the roll to dry a damp item a little better, then release it to continue merrily rolling along until you come to the next damp or heavy area. Our neighbor's reed organ had volume controls that operated much the same way, but they were wooden, not steel. You had to be really good or have fat thighs to operate the volume levers while pumping regularly enough to keep sound coming out of it.
It's funny but once children see that steam come up from the roll and feel the heat when you start ironing something, they are thoroughly frightened away from any experimentation with an ironer perhaps because they understand burning, unlike the the need for repeated warnings about staying away from the rollers of a roller water remover or wringer which does not seem so dangerous.
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.
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.
whirlcool
Well-known member
Ironer Safety
One of my aunts had a mangle. I never got to see her use it though. My mother wouldn't even let me in the same room of my Aunt's house to look at it. She told me "You stay away from that thing. Every year lots of little boys have their arms ripped off by those! That's why they call them a mangle!" Then my mother would usually ask my aunt how she could have such a terrible thing in her house?"
One of my aunts had a mangle. I never got to see her use it though. My mother wouldn't even let me in the same room of my Aunt's house to look at it. She told me "You stay away from that thing. Every year lots of little boys have their arms ripped off by those! That's why they call them a mangle!" Then my mother would usually ask my aunt how she could have such a terrible thing in her house?"
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: http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...AAAIBAJ&sjid=uHsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7031,287671[this post was last edited: 8/19/2014-20:49]
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: http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...AAAIBAJ&sjid=uHsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7031,287671[this post was last edited: 8/19/2014-20:49]
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!
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.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Iro...udes-Manual-/221528143290?hash=item33941b35ba
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.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Iro...udes-Manual-/221528143290?hash=item33941b35ba
As an eBay Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
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.
@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.
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.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
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.
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.
How come many households of people I know have chainsaws and power mowers-also other power tools and power lawn-garden equipment.Mangles and Wringers just add to these potentially dangerous items-kids were taught to stay away from them when young and when the parent thought the child was mature and old enough to understand dangers-they may be taught by the parent how to use these dangerous things only when parents were around.
The railing thing around the old porch does sound silly esp if originally it didn't have one.Again too much "Nanny" stuff and folks not knowing dangers.Gee Wiz I sort of remember that and still around-in fact if the porch height isn't too much the kids enjoyed jumping off them without any apparent damage.And--hiding under them,too!Is that no longer allowed??NANNIES!!!!
The railing thing around the old porch does sound silly esp if originally it didn't have one.Again too much "Nanny" stuff and folks not knowing dangers.Gee Wiz I sort of remember that and still around-in fact if the porch height isn't too much the kids enjoyed jumping off them without any apparent damage.And--hiding under them,too!Is that no longer allowed??NANNIES!!!!
