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Wire-Coil Potato Masher: A Flat Spiral of Wire on Five Braces
A solid masher has nowhere for the potato to go but sideways.
Myron H. Monroe of Rochester, New York, received US 73,743, dated 28 January 1868, for an article for mashing potatoes or other vegetables made of tinned or plated wire: a coil "leaving a space between the wires ... for the purpose of allowing the vegetables to pass through the coil when used," with five braces soldered to it — one at the centre and four round the outer circle — brought together into a handle.
This rung works out the wire needed, then bends the coil and braces from stainless wire, prints the handle, and mashes a pan of potatoes.
Intermediate
About 2 hours, plus printing
Instructions
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1
Wire for the coil
Wire for the coil
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2
Wire kitchen tools before it
Wire kitchen tools before it
The embedded blueprint beats eggs with wire floats. Monroe bends one wire into a flat coil to mash through.
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3
Read US 73,743
Read US 73,743
"I construct my vegetable-masher of tinned or plated wire, of suitable size, forming a coil, a, of sufficient size, leaving a space between the wires, as seen in drawing, at a, for the purpose of allowing the vegetables to pass through the coil when used."
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4
Bend the coil
Bend the coil
From 3 mm stainless wire, bend a flat spiral 3.5 turns from 16 mm across at the centre, about 9 mm between turns, leaving both ends long.
Materials for this step:
Stainless Steel Wire1 pieceTools needed:
Round-nose Pliers
Flat-Nose Pliers
Bench Vise
Leather Work Gloves5
5
Bend the braces
Bend the braces
Bend the two long ends up at right angles as two braces. Add a centre wire and two more to the outer turn, wrapping each round the coil, so five braces meet 150 mm above it.
Materials for this step:
Stainless Steel Wire1 pieceTools needed:
Flat-Nose Pliers
HacksawLeather Work Gloves
Clear Safety Glasses6
6
Print and fit the handle
Print and fit the handle
Print the handle (/uploads/blueprints/wire-coil-potato-masher-handle.stl). Print in PETG at 0.2 mm layers, 30 % infill, 4 walls; wash before first use. Twist the five ends together, file them, and epoxy them into the handle's bore.
Materials for this step:
PETG Filament1 piece
Two-Part Epoxy1 pieceTools needed:
FDM 3D Printer
Files (Hand File)7
7
The build in 3D
The build in 3D
FreeCAD model of this build, not of the patent: the flat 3.5-turn coil of 3 mm wire, a centre brace and four outer braces meeting 150 mm up, and the printed handle.
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8
Cook and mash
Cook and mash
Boil 500 g of potatoes, peeled and quartered, in salted water for about 20 minutes until a knife slides in; drain. Mash them with the coil and time it to no lumps.
Materials for this step:
Potatoes1 piece
Water1 pieceTools needed:
Saucepan
Digital Kitchen Scale
Stopwatch9
9
A coil that bends, braces that loosen
A coil that bends, braces that loosen
Wire-coil potato masher troubleshooting.
Flow
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History and honest limits
History and honest limits
**Myron H. Monroe** of Rochester, New York, received US 73,743, dated 28 January 1868. Two of the braces are the ends of the coil bent at right angles; one is at the centre and the others are soldered at equal distances round the outer circle; their upper ends are joined by solder and set in the handle. He claimed the coil, braces and handle in combination.
**Honest limits.** Wrapped stainless wire stands in for his soldered tinned wire, and a printed handle for his. Your times are the result.
Materials
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Tools Required
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Design Files
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