Commercial exercise handles for strength training cable machines or exercise bands are quite easy to make yourself.
If you strength train using a cable machine, or use resistance bands, you will probably need exercise handles. These plastic and nylon webbing handle attachments clip to the cable with a carabiner, allowing you to more comfortably pull as well as allowing your wrist and arm to rotate in a more natural position. This rotation is much easier on your joints and greatly adds to your comfort. Conversely straight and rigid attachments such as a lat pulldown bar usually offer no flexibility of wrist angle, which is harder on your joints. A neutral grip for rowing is easier on the wrists, and therefore better for long-term use.
Lat pulldown rope, or triceps rope, for use on a cable strength training machine, home made, 39″ long. Photo by Don Tai
There’s really not much to the lat pulldown rope, sometimes called a triceps rope. A lat pulldown rope attaches to a strength training cable machine, high up, so you can pull downward and exercise your latissimus dorsi, or lower back muscles. Common exercises include the lat pulldown and face pulls. It is just a rope with an attachment point in the middle. Here’s how I made mine.
Imperial 535 sewing machine pedal. Some springs had come loose, but after replacement did not sew any better. Photo 2 by Don Tai
I thought that my Imperial 535 sewing machine pedal was a bit too sensitive, so today I opened it up. The bottom cover simply slides off, but is really tight. I had to use a screwdriver to pry it open a bit.
Inside there are no parts that I could see that required repair, only a bit of dust. Two springs were loose inside, so I put them back in place. The pedal works as it did before, so no improvement in function. The four rubber feet have long disintegrated. I could drill out the rivets and replace them, but would not improve the functionality of the machine.
Singer Ultralock 14U32 3 thread serger. Great machine.
I do love sewing, and use both my Singer and Imperial flatbed sewing machines, as well as an industrial Brother flatbed and a ancient Singer patcher. The Singer Ultralock 14U32 3 thread serger is a completely different beast.
The serger only does edge overlocking, but it does it so well. It not only overlocks the edge, preventing fraying, but also cuts the edge clean and reinforces the edge with a single stitch through the layers of material. The other Ultralock models also have a 4th thread that can do a second stitch through all layers, but I can do that on my flatbed.
Imperial sewing machine model 835 in blue, front view. Photo 1 by StaceyM.
Lovely, really! StaceyM has a really lovely blue and white Imperial sewing machine Model 835. His Mom bought it in 1965 at the downtown Montreal Simpsons. He inherited it in his teens and has been sewing ever since! What a great story!
The Imperial model 835 has a side mounted thread tensioner, allowing a slimmer and seemingly simpler needle area. The large stitch length knob is easy to see and adjust, with a huge reverse button in the middle. This is very convenient. Two buttons on the right side of the machine allow for a lighter pressure foot for delicate materials, as well as no pressure when you wish to do darning (both use the left button). The rightmost button is for regular sewing with a regular pressure foot.
This mask design fits very well. It is double layer cotton, with a space between for filter material. The nose bridge has a metal insert for forming around your nose. Straps go around your neck and head. Photo1 by Don Tai
We don’t as yet have an epidemic with the corona virus CoVid-19, from originally from Wuhan, China, but i thought it prudent to research how to sew up some surgical-style face masks, just in case. These home made masks can possibly match the surgical-style mask.
Wasabi Baseball Hat did not make it safely through the washing machine. Finally the logo patch was sewn onto the donor Maple Leaf hat. Photo 3 by Don Tai
My dear neighbour gave me an urgent call. It seemed that she had put her baseball hat in the washing machine and the machine chewed it up and spit it out. All that was left was the “Wasabi” logo. She brought over the logo patch and wanted it sewn onto a Canada baseball hat. Ok then, let’s prevent a Hat-astrophy!
Imperial sewing machine, model 535: I have the owner’s manual for free non-commercial use download. Do you have an Imperial user manual you could share?
Readers have been kind and have donated Imperial Sewing Machine user manuals to me, so I can share them for free non-commercial use. The list is growing, though I would like more. If you have one, please consider donating an electronic copy to me. I will clean it up and host it for free non-commercial download.
Imperial Sewing Machine, Model 163M, from Pat Holland, Canada
Thanks goes out to Pat Holland, who graciously donated this Imperial Sewing Machine model 163M user manual to the internet. This took effort in taking a lot of photos of her machine and user manual. This machine is probably about 50 years old. Thanks, Pat!
Imperial Sewing Machine, Model 163M, from Pat Holland, Canada, photo 1
Imperial Sewing Machine, Model 163M, from Pat Holland, Canada, Photo 2
Imperial Sewing Machine, Model 163M, from Pat Holland, Canada. Side View, photo 3
Adidas Evolution EVN 791001 in white, tonguectomy and repair of leather split near the little toe. Toronto, Canada. Photo 1 by Don Tai
She has a pair of Adidas Evolution EVN 791001 leather running shoes, but the tongue was too thick and there was a cut in the leather on the toe cap, left foot and near the baby toe, D5. Here is how I repaired it. These shoes are made in China but are solidly built. Unfortunately there was some quality control issues with the split leather.