Olive, my granddaughter, asked if I could make her an old-fashioned washtub and wringer for Christmas. I’m not sure just where she came across the idea but the thought percolated for some time in my head and eventually a plan formulated. The project had a few interesting woodworking challenges, including a tub with tapered sides and a functioning wringer.  I purchased a “Bird’s mouth” router bit that simplified cutting the angle to make a 16 sided circle. The wringer was easy enough after I decided to turn a cylinder and coat it with a cork veneer. Coming up with a spring system to allow the wringer to move was a bigger challenge.  I eventually came up with a ‘leaf spring’ made from laminated cherry veneer that provides a spring action when a piece of cloth is put through the wringer. The wringer moves on a floating ‘bearing’. The handle to turn the wringer is made from Olive Wood that a friend sent from France a number of years ago. I thought the Olive wood was a nice touch for my granddaughter Olive.

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