Earlier we looked at a human-powered laundry object, the Breathing Mobile Washer. Here we see how the Shakers tackled this, with this object in the collection of the Shaker Museum:

I understand why they chose strong, robust oak and beech for the uprights and dowels, respectively, but the choice of white pine for the agitators puzzled me; maybe for the light weight? Pine is also the easiest to work, so perhaps the agitators are the parts that wear most quickly and need to be replaced most often. I'm also curious as to what type of oil they sealed the pine with to protect it, but the museum doesn't say.

Also note: The object shown here is only the agitator. The museum does not have the attendant tub it would have been placed inside.

I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.

Test it out; it only takes a single click to unsubscribe

Don't have an account? Join Now

Already have an account? Sign In

By creating a Core77 account you confirm that you accept the Terms of Use

Please enter your email and we will send an email to reset your password.

Test it out; it only takes a single click to unsubscribe