approximately   5   to   8   minutes   before   being pressed. This will make pressing easier; however, preconditioned   items   should   not   be   overdried before   being   removed   from   tumblers.   When overdrying takes place, the difficulty of pressing these  items  is  increased  and  the  quality  of  the finished item is impaired. Remove  tumbled  laundry  from  tumblers  by hand, place in trucks or baskets provided for this purpose,  and  deliver  to  the  next  processing section. Care must be taken that lots are not mixed and  that  they  are  delivered  in  the  sequence  in which  received.  It  is  important  that  processed workloads  be  delivered  to  the  next  processing section as soon as possible. This is of particular importance   to   preconditioned   workloads   since delays will cause the work to dry excessively and will  affect  the  efficiency  of  the  pressing  operation. Preconditioned workloads should be covered with dampened  cloths  or  nets  to  help  preserve  their moisture content. Unload all tumblers when the laundry is shut down for the day. Check for heat content of all unfolded rough-dry work that is to remain in the laundry overnight. Spread items out for  airing  if  they  are  still  hot. GENERAL   MAINTENANCE The majority of all dryer maintenance is done by the engineering department. You should always keep your tumbler dryer free of lint. Lint is a fire hazard,  besides,  clothes  will  not  dry  properly unless the lint screen is clean enough to allow free passage of air through the machine. If dryer lint traps  become  worn  or  torn  you  should  replace them. Always clean the lint screen casing when you  clean  the  lint  screen. Use a vacuum cleaner or a compressed air jet to  remove  lint  deposits  from  heater  chambers  and air  passages  in  the  dryer.  If  lint  is  left  to accumulate,  spontaneous  heating  may  result,  or the  flow  of  air  will  be  restricted. Other  maintenance  you  can  perform  on  the drying  tumbler  includes  the  following: Checking   switches   and   dampers   to determine  how  well  they  work Keeping  nuts  and  screws  tight Reporting  maintenance  requirements  to your  supervisor  promptly Checking  the  tension  of  drive  belts Screws,  nails,  pins,  and  melted  plastic  that have  solidified  will  occasionally  clog  the perforations  in  the  basket  mesh  creating  operating hazards. Baskets should be checked and cleaned daily. The engineering department should check the tumbler dryer at regular intervals for accumula- tions of lint in air passages and the lint box, faulty opening and closing of the dampers, leaks in the steam valves or lines, and the general condition of  the  machine.  Engineering  personnel  should lubricate the tumbler and make major overhauls according   to   the   recommendations   of   the manufacturer. FLATWORK  IRONER The  main  items  in  the  laundry  processed through the flatwork ironer aboard ship are bed linens  and  tablecloths.  The  flatwork  ironer  is installed on ships that have sufficient requirement for  this  piece  of  equipment.  On  this  ironer (sometimes  called  a  mangle)  the  flatwork  is  ironed damp just as it comes from the washer extractor. Such  things  as  handkerchiefs,  hand  towels, aprons, undershirts, and white trousers can also be  finished  on  the  flatwork  ironer. Items of laundry flatwork are currently being manufactured  from  synthetic,  synthetic  blend, and  cotton  blend  fabrics.  These  items  can  be successfully finished without pressing in a tumbler dryer. Use of dryers in this connection can reduce the  press  deck  load  where  an  ironer  is  not available.  Where  an  ironer  is  available,  its  use reduces   the   drying   tumbler   workload   and produces  a  better  finish  than  rough  drying. On  ships  without  flatwork  ironers,  some  of the flatwork, such as table linen, is pressed on a laundry  press  of  the  type  described  in  the  next section.  The  rest  of  the  work  is  rough  dried. You will probably serve at some time on a ship that has a flatwork ironer and, therefore, will be expected to know how to operate one correctly. IRONER  CONTROLS Currently  flatwork  ironers  used  on  Navy  ships have  either  60-inch  or  85-inch  cylinders.  The flatwork ironer consists of a steam-heated cylinder against which the flatwork is pressed by means of three padded pressure rolls. The work is carried into  the  ironer  on  feed  ribbons  that  lead  the  work over the cylinder. At the rear an apron or ribbon presses  the  work  against  the  underside  of  the 5-38