Losing his trademark smile would have been unbearable for this furry fella but it was all sorted out at the Taupō Repair Cafe.
Losing his trademark smile would have been unbearable for this furry fella but it was all sorted out at the Taupō Repair Cafe.
Toaster with a handle that won’t stay down? Chair with a wonky leg?
Taupō‘s next Repair Cafe – this Saturday – will have free expert help from local volunteers aiming to save such treasures from ending up in the tip.
The helpers will have a crack at mending anything from broken toys, small appliances and bicycles to small items of furniture, though laptops and mobile phones are outside their scope.
Alana Delich, who volunteers with sewing and darning at the cafe, said the range of items that could be fixed might surprise.
“I don’t know how to repair appliances but Joe with the 3D printer is amazing. So many appliances are made of plastic and often essential parts are moulded. When those break, that’s it. Pretty much you can throw your blender in the rubbish bin.”
But microwaves lain low through the lack of a small piece of plastic had been resurrected at previous events with a 3D printed part, she said.
It's better to fix things at the Taupō Repair Cafe, rather than throw them away.
Joe Dyson, owner of the “amazing” 3D printer, said sometimes he could find the specifications for a broken part online, but otherwise it was calipers, a steel ruler and a bit of modelling to work out the eventual solution.
Helpfully, most people had the broken part with them, he said.
“The broken catch on the microwave door would have cost about 75c in plastic, 10 minutes to model and 45 minutes to print – but saved a whole microwave from ending up in the dump.”
Delich was hopeful attitudes were moving away from “just throw it away”.
“The Right to Repair Bill is going to have its first reading in Parliament any day now so fingers crossed the country can start expecting more repairability for our products than we have had up to this point.”
Sewing and darning to repair wear and tear would always be needed, she said, but it was a skill not all were exposed to.
“It’s really nice to normalise the idea of repairing your clothing and also pass on the knowledge of how to do that. Some of the people have come and sat down and watched what I’m doing and said, ‘I could probably do that’.”
Visible mending techniques could further normalise wearing patched clothing, she said.
“You can embroider a little ladybird or something in your jeans which shows off that you’ve fixed it yourself. It’s really amazing to be a part of the community spirit. Hang out with people you might not normally get together with, have a cup of tea and a chat while you’re also doing something for the community.”
Taupō District Council waste minimisation officer Shannon Hanson agreed that as well as reducing waste, the pop-up cafe built community spirit.
“It great to see little kids with teddies that had lost their smiles with them now sewn back on.”
The cafe will even have someone helping tune and string guitars.
While walk-ins are available on the day, registering for the event is advised to ensure enough volunteers are on hand and also enables those fixing items to ask questions in advance if necessary. Register at: www.taupo.govt.nz/repaircafe.
The cafe on Saturday runs from 10am to 1pm at the Venture Centre, 250 Spa Rd.
