Mangle conversion help

While I have not converted a mangle into a press, I have made several presses. It’s not that difficult. If I were going to do a conversion, I’d use hard polyurethane instead of stainless. I’ve built several presses using the material, and it works beautifully for both letterpress and intaglio. It’s very similar to the material used on the impression rollers on Sign Presses.

If you search my content here on Briar Press, you will find several posts I put up on how to put a hard-poly roller together.

The beauty of it is that it is available in a wide variety of outside and inside diameters. I have no doubt that you can buy the right size to match your existing shafts and OD requirements. Look at McMaster Carr’s website. They’ve got everything.

If you must use metal, you’ll need to find a machine shop who will lathe-turn roller ends, and then cut /machine tubing for the rollers themselves. You may need new shafts as well.

Dave
aka Winking Cat Press

One possibility contact Your nearest steel stockholders, who should be able to supply Stainless, as well, and assuming that You have the ability to back off the top roller by at least 1/4” of an inch.

***Back in the 50,s Grannies Mangle had the transverse pressure spring and could be backed off and UP, upwards of an inch.***

If You have the 1/4” or more ability, request from Your steel stockholders just 2 S/steel cylinders (nothing more) at exactly the inner bore, of the circumference of Your mangle rollers, have the wooden rollers Turned and/or Trued up by a fairly competent Woodworking Machine shop and then Bond the rollers into the S/Steel sleeves.

Thanks Mike and Dave!
I have a shop to take down the wooden rollers and am leaning towards sleeving in stainless. I attached a picture of my little mangle. checking it out last night I see that there is not a ton of space with the pressure arch, which I’m guessing can be compensated for when milling down the rollers. I’m thinking now I might need to put spring pressures on the sides…….(?) Is there a rule of thumb in spacing between rollers and any assembly conversion blueprints for side pressure addition?
thanks again! I really appreciate the input.

For some reason I’m not being allowed to post the image. It is a tabletop Heller mangle, with center pressure. rollers do not rise up with pressure.

Excuse my ignorance; what is a mangle?

Mike H, A mangle is the old fashioned way of wringing the water out of clothing that had just left the washing machine or the original washing Tub, which may have included the Washboard, ? much favoured by the *Skiffle Kings* of the late 50,s, with the obligatory compliment of thimbles, 4 on the fingers of both hands.
+
Early 50,s before full auto washing machines were the norm, simple electric machines which only >agitated< nothing more, had a built in MANGLE but only cranked by hand.!

Which may even now make a better basis for converting to Litho press etc, because they (the hand cranked) were/are equipped with hard rubber rollers, one driver, one driven, ! and usually with the transverse pressure spring, atop.
Assuming one could still be found.

In all probability, when THE Westward March (Yours) was in full swing several of *Grannies* hand cranked wooden Mangles would have been on board the Prairie Schooners, probably on the Tailgate for a little Laundering En Route.