Ol' Clothes Wringer

[talesofthesevenseas]

I'm on my way to pick up an antique clothes wringer. It's only $10 and my thought is that it would be a fun hands-on prop for the historic reenactments that we do. It clamps to the side of a tub or bucket and kids could turn the handle while yours truly the laundress, feeds in the clothes!

It would be fun to know the age of it. It looks like it says "Anchor Brand" on the side with the branding. I'll know more in a few when I pick it up, so I'll have more info and a closer photo.

[hosman321]

Definitely cool tales! Look forward to seein' more pics. For ten bucks you can't beat it, the shops around here sell them for $75-$100.

[mariok54]

I love it!  Here's a later one to yours, I think.

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/2723484

and

http://www.goantiques.com/scripts/images,id,537969.html

This looks more like yours

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-original-anchor-brand-clothes-wringer

Yours looks like a bargain!!

[sapphire]

Found several on Worth Point and elsewhere......look s to be very close to the 1896-98 models.  

http://www.worthpoint.com/inventory/search?query=antique+clothes+wringer+anchor+brand

[waywardangler]

I see those from time to time at the price you are paying, Tales.  Friends of ours have a very nice one with wooden tubs in their living room.  They have glass on the tubs and use it as an end table of sorts.  The wringer sits on top between the two tubs.

[talesofthesevenseas]

Thanks for the info! I just picked it up but cannot take a photo yet. While on the way home I got a flat tire and almost simultaneously my brakes began grinding! The wringer is in my car, which is now being repaired. *sigh!*

The info and photos of the other wringers is very helpful because it looks like the former owner put their family name on the wringer with a pen or a wood burner on the piece above the rollers, so it is helpful in determining what is original to the wringer and what was added by the former owners. The good news is that the patent date is still there and this wringer is from 1899. Everything works just fine on it. The finish is quite worn from being in the water back in the day, so it is not going to be a big deal putting it back into service a couple of times a year. Also since the original finish is gone, I will probably try to do a very gently sand off the family name, if I can blend it in. Photos later tonight.

[mart]

Lord,, What state do you live in ?? I need to come visit a while !  Those are impossible to find here. And heaven only knows what the price would be.. Certainly not ten bucks!

[talesofthesevenseas]

I'm in California. I usually see them for about $40 to $50 and a nice one in a brick and mortar antique store can go for about twice that. This one is unusually cheap for around here, but it is very worn and was altered by the last owner to fit in with thier "cutesy-country" decor.

[KC]

i have always wanted one.  So many time I could have used it to wring things out!!!!  Have fun with it Talesof!

[talesofthesevenseas]

Here are the pics of the clothes wringer. What I think happened here is that the original branding was very old and faded, and the last owner went over it in paint. You can just barely see a shadow of it on the reverse side. There is also some unpainted writing immediately above the rollers that I think says something about steel springs. The writing on the lower portion below the rollers is very nicely preserved, which confused me until I realized that there had originally been that little support shelf over it, which is missing on my wringer. The painted on "Home of the Quasts" has to go. I'm hoping the lady who painted it there used watercolors, she was not the most accurate of artists!

Here's a clear shot of the whole wringer...



Here's the lower part of the wringer where the best-preserved writing is. Ya gotta love when they put a patent date on things and eliminate the guesswork!



Here's the top of the wringer, I really like those old iron heart-shaped tightening screw handles at the top!

[mariok54]

Looks like another project for you, Tales.

Funny, but it's only just occurred to me that we call (or used to call them) 'mangles' .. which would not, today, really inspire  a lot of confidence in a contraption.

[talesofthesevenseas]

I've heard of the word mangle being used not for these clothes wringers, but for a clothes press.

[waywardangler]

Same here, might be a UK use of the word.

[mart]

Did they paint that part of the wringer before putting their name on?  Almost looks like a black felt tip marker was used.

[talesofthesevenseas]

Could be that a marker was used, I was wondering that myself. I haven't tried to remove it yet.