# What is this part of an ironing board called? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 20, 2017, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-part-of-an-ironing-board-called/799381 "2017-10-20T18:29:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-part-of-an-ironing-board-called/799381/1 "2017-10-20T18:29:20Z")
My ironing board is broken. One of the plastic bits on either end of the slide bar has broken beyond repair. But I can’t find a replacement because I’m blanking on the name. It doesn’t appear to match a ferrule (though the board’s ferrules are long gone too). [Here’s](https://imgur.com/r2ZhCeh) the surviving piece. It’s about an inch in diameter. Google image search says that it’s a piece of plastic, which isn’t exactly helpful. The ironing board itself is a no-name supermarket job I’ve had for many many years. Ironing boards aren’t exactly expensive, but this thing would be much cheaper, if only I could find one. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-part-of-an-ironing-board-called/799381/2 "2017-10-20T18:47:52Z")
A “bushing” or a sleeve. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-part-of-an-ironing-board-called/799381/3 "2017-10-20T20:54:14Z")
Thanks. 18 minutes! The Dope strikes again. Unfortunately, even with that info, Google does not. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2017, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-part-of-an-ironing-board-called/799381/4 "2017-10-20T23:53:43Z")
How much strength does that piece need? Because my inclination would be to 3d print a replacement. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-part-of-an-ironing-board-called/799381/5 "2017-10-21T11:16:37Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > How much strength does that piece need? Not a lot. > [@](#): > > Because my inclination would be to 3d print a replacement. That facility does not appear to be available hereabouts - at least, not cheaply available. It looks like I’m getting a new board. Shame. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-part-of-an-ironing-board-called/799381/6 "2017-10-21T11:48:47Z")
Embrace wrinkles. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-part-of-an-ironing-board-called/799381/7 "2017-10-21T13:04:15Z")
> [@](#): > > That facility does not appear to be available hereabouts - at least, not cheaply available. Have you checked at your local public library? A lot of them nowadays have 3d printers available to the public. At mine, a small piece like that would cost about a quarter. ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-part-of-an-ironing-board-called/799381/8 "2017-10-21T14:08:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Have you checked at your local public library? A lot of them nowadays have 3d printers available to the public. At mine, a small piece like that would cost about a quarter. What’s the cost and effort involved to design the 3d model of the part to send to the printer? Serious question, I have no idea and am curious. Does the library have modeling software available to check out? I did mechanical drawings of parts like that back in the day with pencil and paper, but haven’t done that sort of work since it was computerized. ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2017, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-part-of-an-ironing-board-called/799381/9 "2017-10-21T14:13:07Z")
Just to answer my own question… The county I live in doesn’t offer 3D printing, but a neighboring county does have a printer and recommends free software called Tinkercad for developing the model. They strongly recommend taking a free course they offer in 3D printing first. The cost for printing is 25 cents / gram. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2017, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-part-of-an-ironing-board-called/799381/10 "2017-10-23T06:37:35Z")
Or you could make one out of wood. Drill a hole in a piece of basswood, then use a sharp knife, files, and sandpaper (emery boards) to whittle away everything that doesn’t look like a bushing. Frankly, this is probably what I’d do; I have a lathe, which would make it easier, but people often overlook what a versatile material wood is. Or you could use epoxy putty to sculpt a replacement. Milliput White is a good one. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2017, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-part-of-an-ironing-board-called/799381/11 "2017-10-23T10:55:40Z")
> [@](#): > > What’s the cost and effort involved to design the 3d model of the part to send to the printer? Serious question, I have no idea and am curious. For the simple part shown in the picture, it’d take me about two minutes to model in Tinkercad, with most of that time being spent finding my calipers to get the measurements.