Saturday, August 13, 2022

Some things are worth saving

Many years ago, I spotted an antique clothes-drying rack in one of those "Ye Olde Junke Shoppe"-type places. It was solid and sturdy, far more sturdy than most modern versions. I snapped it up.

I've used it ever since. It's been a wonderful clothes rack. It folds down very compactly when not in use.

But the other day, when it was loaded with drying clothes, I went out on the porch and saw the wind had knocked it over. Worse, an arm had broken at a crucial pivot, rendering it unusable. (No photo, sorry. I was too distressed.)

Thankfully I'm married to a woodworker, and he pronounced it an easy fix. Some things are worth saving, and this was one of them.

This is what broke.

He started by wrapping the peg (which acts as a pivot) in foil so the wood glue wouldn't adhere to it.

Then he wrapped more foil around the unbroken arm, again so the glue wouldn't adhere.

Then he smeared glue on the broken arm.

Both sides.

Then he fitted the broken halves of the arm around the peg/pivot, and wrapped everything with a length of surgical hose (of which we have an abundant supply, since we use them to make tankards).

We let it dry overnight. The result? Good as new.

So now my clothes rack is back in operation, and I couldn't be happier. Yes, some things are worth saving.

10 comments:

  1. I love it! My father was a woodworker, too. He could repair anything. When I was a small child, I watched him make and repair things. I do the same, save things by repairing. I have had people ask me why I don't throw something I repaired away and just buy a new one. Some people just don't understand.

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  2. I have 2 wooden drying racks that are in constant use. One is about 20 years old and is strong and sturdy. The other is about 4 years old and while it will hold anything from undies to bath towels it leans heavily to the right, and the entire unit is noticeably thinner/lighter than my old one. We'll fix the older one if necessary but are really up in the air about the newer. Always on the lookout for another 'antique' drying rack.

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    1. I may have husband make one for me. I doubt that we could sell them because wood and hardware are pretty pricy now. He just rebuilt our pump for about a quarter of the price of a new one, but it cost $265 to replace part of the old plumbing. Many of the plumbing pieces that we needed weren't available; he was more building a Frankenstein monster plumbing job where whatever available is sewn together until electricity gives the pump life.

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  3. I learned something new with the foil trick! Thank you for sharing that. The drying rack is definitely a keeper, and so is Don! ;)

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  4. Our refrigerator was having problems, 13 yr old. I was really torn about buying a new one or fixing the old one because of the low build quality now days. I ended up buying a new one but still do not know if that was the right decision.

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    1. There isn't much that can go wrong with a fridge unless it is one of those computerized behemoths. A visit to YouTube will usually show you how to repair it. And, speaking of low quality builds, we bought a new refrigerator when the COVID crap started. A year later, right after the warranty expired, it was warm inside after a trip back home. Luckily, I still had the 50-year-old fridge that I had replaced it with on the porch. It still kept things icy cold, although it was pretty ugly and the broken seal was no longer made. Husband and I looked at YouTube, ordered the parts, and new refrigerator was cooling like a champ again. But 50-year-old fridge is still on the porch, and an older fridge is keeping drinks cold in SwampMan's workshop.

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  5. Next time it blows over, it ain’t gonna break on that joint. Thanks for the foil idea, learn something know everyday.

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  6. Great fix to the drying rack. I will remember the tip about the foil when mine break. I was lucky enough to find 2 racks about that size (but newer) in a Bagster in the city with just the top arms broken. Hubby is handy with wood and fixed them. No need to toss a lot of stuff when it can be fixed!

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  7. I have one just like that - love it!

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  8. Similar, but different. We built a mold for a base for a new (stock) waterer. Before pouring the cement, we lined the wood with plastic food wrap. Removing the wood from the hardened concrete was easy peezy!

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