Anyone else use equipment/tools long after they should have been replaced?
As reluctant as many of us are to replace some of these items, sometimes it IS worth the money to do so.
Cutting mats: When they are grooved, warped, or broken, - it takes a lot more effort to cut on them. Besides, the cuts get "off" when the mats are bad. One can smooth them down for a while - but after a while - they REALLY ARE worn out.
Rulers: I've had some that still looked "fine" to me - but I was wondering why the fabric wasn't "on the line" when I moved the ruler for the next cut. I finally realized that I had "eroded" part of the edge so the ruler had a shallow curve in it. (This may or may not bother you - but it did bother me). I put them in the trash rather than pass them on to anyone else. That was hard for me to do.
Seam rippers: Anyone else fight with a 30 year old dull ripper because they were too cheap to go out and buy a new one?
Rotary cutter blades: Why do I think that a blade that is duller than my table knives will cut efficiently? Especially if one has physical issues with cutting, a new blade takes so much less effort - and will usually cut through the fabric with one pass - instead of three or four.
Scissors - I worked at a place once where the scissor had been dropped and about half an inch was broken off the tip of one blade - the office manager wouldn't replace it "because it was still new"
If one has to get them sharpened, try to find a reputable place to do it. Dull scissors can also contribute to inaccuracy - and hand fatigue!
Irons - is it scorching? spitting? leaking? hazardous?
Ironing board cover? What does your look like? I like to get washable ones.
These are some items that are relatively inexpensive to replace - and after I have replaced them - it feels so good to have "smoother sailing" again.
(Then I wonder what took me so long to replace the items???)
Last edited by bearisgray; 04-22-2012 at 07:22 AM.