broken ironing board

May 10, 2006 7:12 AM

My ironing board is broken. The lever-thingie that you use to close it fell off, and I can't figure out how to put it back in. I would like to know how the closing mechanism works, how to release the catch, so that a) I might not need a new board or b) if I do need a new one, it won't be a pain to carry an open ironing board 5 flights down to the sidewalk.
posted by chelseagirl to Home & Garden (4 answers total)

You should be able to use a screwdriver or pliers to pull the metal pin the lever-thingie was attached to out of it's "open" location (this may be an actual hole or just a groove on one of the support rails.
posted by blackkar at 8:02 AM on May 10, 2006

Speaking as someone who has no knowledge of how anything mechanical works, but can follow simple examples with pictures:

1) Go to a store that sells that style of ironing board and take lots of pictures of the closing mechanism of one of the ones they have for sale. Go home and compare with yours.

2) Buy an ironing board and compare it to yours. Then return the new one.

3) Post pictures of your ironing board and its closing lever-thingie, and ask folks to compare yours against theirs and tell you how to reattach the thingie.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 10:13 AM on May 10, 2006

It will be a ratchet which you just need to lever up. A screwdriver will do it.
posted by A189Nut at 11:38 AM on May 10, 2006

If you can't figure it out, and do need to carry it down five flights, tape it up with duct tape.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 1:33 PM on May 10, 2006