Sourced a major part of "the self sufficient laundry"

[British Red]

Picked up a functional mangle for a song today!

Thankfully our galvanised wash tub fits

We already have a large and small washing dollys and a glass washboard

If I could but find a (dirt cheap) wash copper I'd be done....

Still here is the latest find - in good nick but needs some structural work to the table top and a good paint job.


Mangle ready for use by British Red, on Flickr


Mangle folded lid up by British Red, on Flickr


Mangle closed with lid down by British Red, on Flickr

 

[Robbi]

thats lovely mate

 

[British Red]

Should clean up well - the rollers are restorable and the gears free running which is always the tough part

 

[udamiano]

Nice find, as you say a lick of paint here and there and it should look a beaut.

 

[woodstock]

Ill keep my eyes peeled for a copper boiler they come up quiet regular. the mangle was a good find.

 

[British Red]

Thanks chap

 

[demographic]

My mother used to use a mangle when I was a nipper.
Not a bad bit of kit actually.

 

[Toddy]

Been there, done that, thoroughly scunnered with the endless drudgery of it all, glad we have automatic washing machines now.

Best wash and spin ever is an old fashioned twintub. Now if you could power one of them on green energy, you'd be on a winner

Yeah, I know; I'm a housewife

Nice toy though and fun the first entire beds and curtains stripped sort of thing. Doing it in the middle of a cold wet Autumn or an icy cold Winter though is not a lot of fun.....and the fuel that gets burned to heat the copper adds to the dirty air that rains down on the drying washing.

cheers,
M

 

[Clouston98]

That's a beauty, looking forward to pics of it cleaned up .

 

[Jared]

You'll be trying to source a surplus one of these next

http://bodahgear.com/CleanMan Project-Washing Machine.html

 

[Toddy]

You'll be trying to source a surplus one of these next

http://bodahgear.com/CleanMan Project-Washing Machine.html

Yesss! somebody actually thought about it now engineer a good spin drier too and it's sorted

cheers,
M

 

[British Red]

glad we have automatic washing machines now.

Me too

But I've tried wringing sheets and jeans by hand prior to line drying - that's even less fun than a mangle

We have a nice little still room (with chimney) we could build the copper into that room and have a nice warm laundry room. Mind you it would still be hours of hard work. Still, that why we get married!

 

[British Red]

You'll be trying to source a surplus one of these next

http://bodahgear.com/CleanMan Project-Washing Machine.html

Got to love a firm who makes manual washing machines - and Sake warmers!

The "Wonderwash" manual washing machines are surprisingly effective - I am looking out for one of those!

 

[Grebby]

Hi BR,

By wash copper do you mean the big sort of upturned bowler hat shaped thingy (built into a brick fireplace thing) that they used to heat the water?

We have a number of the above used as water troughs on the farm. they are cast iron mind, not copper.

If that is what you are looking for I could ask Dad about having one?

Cheers

Grebby

 

[British Red]

That's the sort of puppy Grebby - need to be 10 gallons or more to work really (they were basically the hot water tank of their time) - I'm ideally after a copper one though - but thanks for the offer!!

 

[Grebby]

Dad remembers using them. I was asking him about them because I was considering using one on some form of stand to heat water for our bash on the farm. There are normally 30+ people including kids now so hat water in a big bucket seemed like a nice idea.

Nothing came of it in the end, we just had my big kettle full and near the fire most of the time so hot water wasn't exactly difficult.

There were a couple of sizes about. Smaller one was about 60ish cm internal diameter at the top and the bigger ones were about 85ish. That is from memory though and mine's terrible.

If you do want me to ask just let me know. I'll be seeing them again just after christmas and can measure them. I won't be able to post one of these though! Should drop(not literally) in the back of the landy easy enough though.

 

[British Red]

Be interested to see a picture of one - Bigger the better - I'd have to season the heck out of it to stop it rusting I should think though

Originally they were in a brick stand with a fire underneath

 

[Toddy]

Watch your wringer rollers with jeans.....the buttons carve them up. It's one of the reasons that buttons used to be ringed on.

I got a hood for an industrial kitchen bain marie for a tenner a couple of years ago. I was about 2 foot wide by 2.5 deep and parallel sided but shaped like a half round.....like half of a truckle of cheese shape, but huge; made of stainless steel. We used it for a dye bath for a while, but one of them built into a supporting frame would be a no fuss boiler I reckon

cheers,
Toddy

 

[British Red]

Good point on the buttons - reverse out before the flies!

 

[Toddy]

Would you not do as well with an old copper water tank that you could heat up and pipe the water directly from it into a big laundry sink ?

My Granny had a 'copper' that sat high and took up a quarter of the stone floored scullery. It was a pain to empty and dry it out, I mind that. Great big wooden lid, like a shield and a wooden dolly for rummeling around the clothes. Enamelled basins sitting with stuff soaking in them....hankies in one, dishcloots in another, tablecovers soaking in something blue, and all into the boiler in a determined order....like doing dishes and glasses done first, kind of thing

Hand on heart, I don't miss it one bit. If I had a seperate scullery though, I think I'd have a twintub too, just because they're so effective at washing. Those little tumble drum worktop sitting small load things are supposed to be very good though.....and they're manual, would one of them not fit your self sufficiency ideal a bit handier than a copper ?

cheers,
M