Without seeing the picture, I can’t judge it precisely—but based on “rickety ladder at a yard sale for $5,” the safe default is:
🚫 Scrap it (most likely)
A ladder is one of those tools where “kinda unstable” = not usable at all. Even small defects can cause serious falls.
Only “save it” if ALL of this is true:
- No cracks in wood or bends in metal
- Rungs are rock solid (no wobble)
- Joints/hinges are tight and secure
- It passes a careful weight test without flexing
- You’ll use it only for very light, low-risk tasks
🧠 Rule of thumb
If it’s being described as rickety, it’s already failing the basic safety standard.
If you want, upload the pic or describe what’s wrong with it—I can give you a more exact “fix vs trash” call.
