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Post by rikita on Apr 7, 2024 15:01:47 GMT -5
because i just read another article about that topic, i was wondering, what things have you repaired recently (or brought somewhere for repair) that at first you considered replacing, or that at other times you used to just replace?
for me, a pair of hiking trousers, that are only a couple of years old but that i was wearing a lot (not just for hiking) - the pockets aren't sewn in but glued in and started detaching, and at first i thought it was time for new ones, but then i bought glue for textiles and glued them back in. not that well, but it works, and next time if they start detaching again, i know how to do it better ...
also brought a very old portable cd player to a repair shop (a's dad had bought it on ebay and given it to her, it looks historic and had problems from the start). the guy there managed to repair it, but now it has problems again, just a few weeks later, so maybe that one really has reached the end of its life ...
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Post by sprite on Apr 7, 2024 15:35:52 GMT -5
we will, someday, soon, i swear, get our dvd player repaired. It only has a tiny fault, but that is enough to stop us from using it.
But it just seems so wasteful to buy a new one.
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Post by shilgia on Apr 7, 2024 15:40:35 GMT -5
Wasteful maybe. But since a DVD player costs about $15-$25, repair also seems wasteful.
My favorite pair of jeans has several patches in it. It doesn't look great, but it's hard to find good jeans that fit well.
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Post by psw on Apr 7, 2024 17:34:10 GMT -5
we will, someday, soon, i swear, get our dvd player repaired. It only has a tiny fault, but that is enough to stop us from using it. But it just seems so wasteful to buy a new one. One huge problem is that so many things, especially electronics, are purposely built to be difficult or impossible to repair, and any attempt by the purchaser to fix anything will void whatever flimsy warrenty the item might have.
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Post by Liiisa on Apr 7, 2024 18:07:16 GMT -5
This evening I plan to sew a button on a shirt of pero's - not that one would replace a shirt just for a missing button, but that's a repair. He doesn't know how to sew, but I do.
I also repaired a bag made from an obi that I bought from greengirl_zig back in the day - the strap and a part of the back were fraying. I replaced the strap and added a patch to the back, so now that gorgeous bag is back in action.
Other than sewing, I pretty much "fix" things by jury-rigging them with office supplies and duct tape.
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Post by jimm on Apr 7, 2024 18:47:08 GMT -5
A few weeks ago I supervised my daughter while she changed a washer in a bathroom tap. I've changed washers many times, but it was her first. It was hard saying 'do this - turn it that way' rather than intervening and doing it myself.
Oh - I recently changed the brake light globes in my old car.
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Post by tzarine on Apr 7, 2024 19:48:04 GMT -5
Wasteful maybe. But since a DVD player costs about $15-$25, repair also seems wasteful. My favorite pair of jeans has several patches in it. It doesn't look great, but it's hard to find good jeans that fit well. shilgia have you tried sashiko? ourhands.co.uk/blogs/journal/what-is-sashiko-learn-the-art-of-japanese-visible-mending#:~:text=Sashiko%20is%20the%20Japanese%20art,fall%20under%20two%20Japanese%20philosophies. did it w a pair of jeans patches w contrasting stitching. people ask where i got the pants riki ill repair clothes. some electronics are simply not worth repairing. like liisa, i use a lot of duct tape for repairs. i also repair my boots cause i love them & they were pricy
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Post by shilgia on Apr 7, 2024 19:59:58 GMT -5
Sashiko is cool! These pants just need to go at some point, though. They're just threadbare at this point.
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Post by groo on Apr 8, 2024 1:04:41 GMT -5
Often it's not worth repairing things or having them repaired - solid state componentry has made this difficult, but at the same time has led to enormous reductions in price.
My very expensive household water pump would break down from time to time and repair could cost as much as $300. 5 years ago I just threw the thing away and bought a made in China pump from a hardware chain for $200. It still works well.
Even large screen TVs have become throwaway items, easily and relatively inexpensively replaced.
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Post by rikita on Apr 8, 2024 2:43:54 GMT -5
This evening I plan to sew a button on a shirt of pero's - not that one would replace a shirt just for a missing button, but that's a repair. He doesn't know how to sew, but I do. I also repaired a bag made from an obi that I bought from greengirl_zig back in the day - the strap and a part of the back were fraying. I replaced the strap and added a patch to the back, so now that gorgeous bag is back in action. Other than sewing, I pretty much "fix" things by jury-rigging them with office supplies and duct tape. what is an obi? (there is a Hardware store names OBI here, so it reminds me of that) and what is jury-rigging?
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Post by groo on Apr 8, 2024 2:59:39 GMT -5
Other than sewing, I pretty much "fix" things by jury-rigging them with office supplies and duct tape. As a student at a selective high school I was denied useful subject choices like needlework and was obliged to study Latin, so I know not how to sew. Staples can be pretty handy, however.
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Post by romily on Apr 8, 2024 4:53:30 GMT -5
I can’t really sew, but a lovely shoulder beach bag I bought in Thailand over a decade ago had a little inside pocket that came loose – I sew that back on. I mean, it looks shit, but who cares, it works.
Had repair man coming to fix my dripping toilet, a valve was leaking and a like to like replacement wasn’t an option. £80 for something that took him less than 10 minutes plus parts – wish I would have the knowledge to do that myself, but cheaper than an official plumber who would have charged me hundreds.
Starting volunteering with organising a quarterly repair shop locally, where people volunteer their skills, and others can get stuff repaired – the woman who runs it is overwhelmed and wanted to stop to I put my hands up and we emailed back and forth. She is traveling right now but will meet her in may and will step in. I love these repair shops, free for everybody and less waste!
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Post by sprite on Apr 8, 2024 5:18:32 GMT -5
I also repaired a bag made from an obi that I bought from greengirl_zig back in the day - the strap and a part of the back were fraying. I replaced the strap and added a patch to the back, so now that gorgeous bag is back in action. Other than sewing, I pretty much "fix" things by jury-rigging them with office supplies and duct tape. what is an obi? (there is a Hardware store names OBI here, so it reminds me of that) and what is jury-rigging? Obi is a formal japanese garment, like a sort of scarf or kimono, i forget which? I think jury-rigging is supposed to be "jerry-rigging" which, i think, comes from WWII, when Germans were called Jerries (say them outloud). "to rig something up" means to set it up, or get it working, and as the war went on and the Germans were running out of money, they had to make repairs with anything they had to hand.
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Post by Queen on Apr 8, 2024 5:19:01 GMT -5
I mend things all the time, I can sew, darn, knit fairly well, and crochet badly. I've just developed a hole in my fav jeans but it's at a really unfortunate place and I don't think mending will be an option.
I will also do household fixes on all sorts of things, I have the basic tools, I'm just not that skilled.
One of my favourite tools is Sugru, it's a mouldable clay that hardens to a silocone finish that's really hard wearing. I've used it to put feet on outdoor furniture (to reduce awful noise), make holders for cables, repair my clothes rack, and I'm probably going to use it to install a shower rack because the suction cup version I have keeps falling down - often in the middle of the night which is scary.(https://sugru.com)
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Post by Liiisa on Apr 8, 2024 5:22:50 GMT -5
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Post by Queen on Apr 8, 2024 5:22:53 GMT -5
what is an obi? (there is a Hardware store names OBI here, so it reminds me of that) and what is jury-rigging? Obi is the sash that goes around the waist it's ornate and you can tuck things into it, it's quite a lot of heavy silk fabric, greengirl made scarves and bags out it (I have a fabulous gold evening clutch bag that doesn't need mending because I never go anywhere) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obi_(sash)
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Post by sprite on Apr 8, 2024 5:30:35 GMT -5
Romily, it's one of those repair cafes I need to get to! I have no problem donating money to someone if they can sort out a stuck thing.
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Post by sprite on Apr 8, 2024 5:31:47 GMT -5
that sugru sounds fantastic.
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Post by Liiisa on Apr 8, 2024 5:33:36 GMT -5
Queen I never go anywhere either, I just have no common sense and used this fabulously embroidered bag as my regular messenger bag until it started falling apart.
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Post by sprite on Apr 8, 2024 5:53:48 GMT -5
Why not? I mean, who's going to use it when you're dead?
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Post by Queen on Apr 8, 2024 7:01:39 GMT -5
Queen I never go anywhere either, I just have no common sense and used this fabulously embroidered bag as my regular messenger bag until it started falling apart. This is a small clutch bag though - big enough for opera tickets a bank card and a pair of glasses kinda thing. Otherwise it would have been destroyed by now!
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Post by Liiisa on Apr 8, 2024 8:12:58 GMT -5
Why not? I mean, who's going to use it when you're dead? Exactly— same reason I use the linen damask napkins for eating dinner in the living room while doing puzzles on my laptop
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Post by tucano on Apr 8, 2024 11:30:00 GMT -5
I have a couple of really nice evening bags which I love but never use because they seem too fancy to go to the pub and I'd worry about someone spilling a drink on them at a gig.
I don't go to 'fancy' places ever, except that one time we went to the opera in Budapest.
Edited to add: going to see a musical in London soon, maybe I'll use one of the bags then.
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Post by tzarine on Apr 8, 2024 11:35:25 GMT -5
Why not? I mean, who's going to use it when you're dead? Exactly— same reason I use the linen damask napkins for eating dinner in the living room while doing puzzles on my laptop i used to eat off limoges china (deep sale as barneys & found in free box in my posh neighborhood). fun til they broke.
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Post by tzarine on Apr 8, 2024 11:38:22 GMT -5
This evening I plan to sew a button on a shirt of pero's - not that one would replace a shirt just for a missing button, but that's a repair. He doesn't know how to sew, but I do. I also repaired a bag made from an obi that I bought from greengirl_zig back in the day - the strap and a part of the back were fraying. I replaced the strap and added a patch to the back, so now that gorgeous bag is back in action. Other than sewing, I pretty much "fix" things by jury-rigging them with office supplies and duct tape. tzarevich used to replace the buttons of his shirts i got some vintage ones from a crafts fair my old kimono became a scarf & patches
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Post by sophie on Apr 11, 2024 23:33:38 GMT -5
We are getting our microwave oven replaced. It was considerably cheaper to get a new one, have it installed and connected to all the fans etc than getting the old one repaired. I don’t think it’s that old (it was in the house when we moved) but even getting someone to look at it was going to be a problem.
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Post by rikita on Apr 12, 2024 0:16:52 GMT -5
i asked the guy who repaired the cd player about our microwave, and he said he can't repair those. still gotta buy a new one, though...
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Post by groo on Apr 12, 2024 0:59:40 GMT -5
Who remembers the days when, somewhere in the supermarket, there was a gadget for testing the valves (maybe tubes in NA) from your TV or radio? Replacement was a simple matter - and yes, I've taken to using some of the things we used to keep for "best" as everyday now. Elaborate dinner parties are now a thing of the past and the kids both have their own treasures and would not be interested in our bumph.
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Post by psw on Apr 12, 2024 10:40:35 GMT -5
Yes, groo, tubes in NA! There was also Radio Shack, an electronics chain of stores, where you could bring your wonky tubes for testing and buy new ones as needed.
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Post by sprite on Apr 12, 2024 12:11:48 GMT -5
This is really a FWP, but our microwave is super basic; 5 power settings, and a dial to set the time. Highly inaccurate, and things are frequently over done. I really want a new one with a digital setting, and maybe a wattage level that is actually on the packet directions (700Watt, anyone?).
but the damn thing won't die, so neither of us can justify a new one.
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