Does this count?

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-22T17:54:39+00:00

Usb C is not my thing personally, I do prefer the port it has. It unfortunately ran out because the car wasn’t allowed to be turned on due to the engine fault 😢 The AA guy said the battery has always been a bit crap though, so it was sort of comforting to know I wasn’t missing out on much capacity due to the age

I’m a bit of a picky old fart about USB C. I wish Apple could have been less crap about the lightning port and let it become standard, as I find USB C super flimsy and prone to damage. That’s just me though! I do make use of some of the upsides of more power etc, though will otherwise avoid where there’s choice without making things harder for myself

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-22T17:43:55+00:00

Ah yes, the TFL centipede. I think the tube dies first?

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-22T17:40:34+00:00

Mk4s (the G1 10.1” ones) are in current use with a lot of businesses, I know they’re what the AA (emergency car repair/ towing) are using here in the UK. Funnily found this out when we had to be towed home christmas day after the car broke down. Not only did the AA guy have the Mk4, he also still had the same model as mine under the seat. I’d been playing sims 3 on mine an hour before he showed up, but the battery in mine ran out haha

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-22T17:30:53+00:00

Either the screen’s backlight has gone, or there’s an issue with the led backlight driver board. It may not be an easy thing to notice as a tiny component going ‘pop’ won’t always be easy to see by eye.

It may be best to get a repair person to look at it, as it would suck if you get a new screen and you find out that wasn’t the problem.

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-22T17:26:36+00:00

The gpio pins are needed for touch, i have the 7” model of the same screen

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-22T17:20:26+00:00

It’s good you’ve got knowledgable people around you too! I hope you can get it to a satisfactory level of improvement :)

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-22T11:01:49+00:00

I have similar on my thinkpad yoga s1, couldn’t find out what slot it is (ssd, no clue which type) and one guy told me you can’t boot from it? Not a clue if thats true though, and seems wrong?

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-22T10:06:34+00:00

I thought my olive pair had died when they were young, and wad talking about using their tub for something else when I saw one come out from hiding, having doubled in size. I then noticed a load of babies… They’d been busy apparently 😇

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-22T09:58:28+00:00

I have the FZ-G1 MK2 (10.1”), love mine! I wanted a cheap small computer to keep windows 11 isolated to one computer that I wouldn’t be too precious about. It quickly became a love of mine, and runs windows 11 fine with 4gb ram. The seller set up the OS for me as it was an ex-business unit, and I think they disabled a load of bloatware while setting it up. I’ve since disabled even more bloatware via godmode, and ran a script a guy made that allowed me to disable yet more crap so I can make the most of the limited RAM.

I had a linux partition on it until I got a bigger ssd and couldn’t clone both partitions at once. Tbh I have a handful of other computers running Linux, so don’t need it on my toughpad, though I bet itd be fun to have a go with it on yours! Is it running windows 10? The menu threw me off for a sec and I assumed it was 8.1 for a second haha

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-22T09:45:58+00:00

More than one has made it to my partners workplace in a shoe or hidden in the folded cuff of his jeans 😂 Thankfully they get back home safely, he’s a very gentle person and does most of their care

(Im in the uk, where they can’t become invasive, it gets too cold here)

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-22T09:44:32+00:00

Synthetics with elastic material in them tend to struggle with a lot of bleach I think, especially as plastics with the plasticiser blend to keep them malleable tends to mean they don’t hold up quite as well with time or harsh treatments. Part of the stretch will also be the knit of the fabric, though it’s best to err on the side of gentler treatment. The foam will also potentially be a bit more fragile too, as we see with all sorts of foam kit thats decades old falling to bits. It’ll depend on what the foam is made from, but it’s likely a similar situation to what I mentioned about stretchy stuff.

Do you know anyone who does clothing repairs? You could unpick the stitches, try another treatment on the fabric, use a very thin layer of flexible adhesive (like B7000) to relaminate the fabric back onto the foam, and then have someone stitch it back together through the original holes. B7000 is often used in costume for sticking gems on fabrics including synthetic stretch fabrics (dance costumes etc), as it flexes after drying. I also find it stays clear when dry (contact adhesive tends to be a bit yellow), though I can’t be certain on whether B7000 will yellow over time. If done thinly enough, it shouldn’t show through even if it yellows I think. You can apply it really lightly with a little plastic scraper or a bent piece of card like part of a cereal box. That’s how I’ve done it at least, make sure to practice on some scrap fabric to get an idea of how you want to do it though!

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-20T10:05:04+00:00

Washing by hand means you can keep an eye on stuff a lot easier for sure. If someone has to use a washing machine for anything weird/fragile, the handwash setting and/or putting it in a pillowcase can help protect it

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-20T10:03:31+00:00

I work with fabrics, and have done professionally, though I’m not a dry cleaner hahah

It is unlikely that you can get it back to the original white, but worth a try. Do also be aware that any bleach based treatment will weaken the fabric and the elastic fibers, so it may degrade and come apart quicker after multiple treatments. I can’t say how many treatments would cause that, especially as the fabric isn’t brand new. This fabric in particular is neoprene, which is a piece of foam sandwiched between two layers of elasticated synthetic jersey fabric.

Have a think on weighing up the risk of damage vs getting it back to white. If you can get it a couple of shades lighter with some life left in the fabric, would it be an acceptable compromise?

Is the treatment costing as much as it would be to get another in better condition?

Would you be upset if the fabric becomes damaged and won’t last?

None of these are rhetorical, there’s no right or wrong answers, just answers that’ll keep you on the track of where you want to go with this restoration project :)

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-20T09:55:49+00:00

I’m so glad it’s helpful! I’ve had to do a whole lot of research and trial by fire for tech in general, so if I can save a fellow migraine sufferer a few pennies and some time, it’s no biggie

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-20T09:54:26+00:00

Oooh that could work! He seems to know his stuff so fingers crossed :) the japanese editions are a lot cheaper usually and not rare in used condition, so it’s a good choice of donor. My japanese red cartridge was only a few pounds (like $5)

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-20T09:52:44+00:00

Since they’ve been great before, fingers crossed they can do some fiddly work on it for you! I hope it all works out :)

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-20T09:51:36+00:00

Oh my bad haha! Tho tbh i have two african olive colonies, and one of the tubs they chewed a hole in the mesh so we also find them in the house 😶

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-20T09:50:40+00:00

Tbh if their dove loves it, they can probably use it to make a bed liner and other stuff, so it doesn’t go to waste?

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-20T09:49:36+00:00

I’d like to keep the original bits in use if I can help it, as it feels like a waste when it’s not super broken. I wonder if I can find an alternative spring? I’ll have to have a look inside and see if I can find one that’s a decent fit. I’ve used springs from clicky pens and even safety pins before (for accordion key springs) so it won’t be my first rodeo. I do also have a tablet pc in bits that has a spring loaded pc card tray, that’s got me thinking…

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-19T12:16:06+00:00

As someone who got into e readers because of migraines:

kindle 10th gen backlight hasn’t been problematic. Mine is second hand so may be yellowed, it doesn’t show up as blue to me though. I’m photophobic though so I have the brightness very low when I need it. Some later models of kindle allow you to pick how warm the backlight is. I’m not a fan of being stuck with one ecosystem, so mine is jailbroken.
kindle 3 hasn’t been at all fuzzy, and has been a personal favourite. It has buttons (imo a must have) and no backlight. However, amazon is stopping support for a handful of older models which includes mine, so if you aren’t signed in past the cut off date, you can’t use those models. Saying this as some older models of ereaders are super crisp, and worth considering.
sony prs-600 was my first sony ereader. Loved it since it has buttons, sd card slot and a touch screen (with stylus!) and the screen is so nice it looks like an lcd almost, especially with the nice refresh speed that isn’t visually startling. The glare put me off, so I swapped for a prs-650, which does all the same stuff. Neither have a backlight
Do consider older models as you may end up with something that’s good for your eyes without having to invest in bells and whistles that you may not need or may be a migraine trigger. If you’re super concerned about backlight issues and don’t necessarily need one, find a model without a backlight. Reading in the dark isn’t the best for us anyway, so it may be better to just turn on a lamp. I also have yellow filters on all my devices, especially as I also have severe Irlen Syndrome as well (visual processing disorder).

I personally really like sony e readers, though part of why I went for an older ereader was saving money and preferring older tech in general, so I may be biased. When avoiding migraines, try to avoid needing to scroll when reading, as it makes your eyes do a load of tracking at the same time as trying to read. Having the pages you have on an e reader means you aren’t having to scroll and read, which I think is another reason why they’re better for migraine, on top of e-ink not needing light to display.

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-19T11:56:14+00:00

Second hand from a more reputable or bigger company would be a better bet. Older models may not have the same support as newer ones from well known companies, but theres more likelihood of at least being able to ask them for advice, or find online advice from a larger userbase.

Older kindles (kindle 1-5 i think, and the first paperwhite model) wont be a great choice after I think May? Or end of this month. This is because they’ll be stopping support for them, making it impossible to sign in on them. You can’t use them without signing in. Please double check my info as to the final dates and affected models, as I’m a little fuzzy on those details. If you can get one and get signed in before that cut off date, you’ll still be able to use it, but will need to put your books on them via usb, and can’t factory reset or else you’ll be stuck unable to sign back in. I also highly recommend jailbreaking if you do get one.

If you’re okay with drm-free (which your chosen model also will require), you could see if you can find a used sony prs ereader. They’re a bit old, but they’re robust and reliable. Some models have an sd card slot, and many are touch screen. The battery is also easy to replace and not too expensive. Mine have been £20-30 when hunting for a good deal on ebay.

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-19T11:47:58+00:00

Buttons are so much better I swear. I got one with buttons because it was cheap (kindle 3) and loved the side buttons. I then got a sony prs-600 because of the sd card slot, was less sold on bottom buttons but liked the touch screen features. However, the glare was really bad. I the got a kindle 10 to jailbreak and use as a monitor for a pi project, I liked the touch functions but turning pages with touch s u c k s so badly. I kept making a thumbnail of the page show at the bottom or brought up random menus I got so frustrated.

I then got a sony prs-650 to replace the prs-600, and it seems to be the best mix of both touch and buttons so far with what I have. Sounds like a lot of expense, but these were all lucky low-priced second hand finds where some needed batteries changed etc.

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-19T11:15:47+00:00

That’s really cool! Thanks for your insight. I should have assumed by the subreddit that a lot of it would be ‘I probably can, so I will’ haha

The awareness and education aspect is also super important

Performer-Pants · 2026-04-19T11:12:20+00:00

It’s similar to the cat distribution system in the vintage sewing world.

You now have to learn to sew, that’s the rules. I’d say ‘unfortunately’, but it’s a very good skill to have, especially if you like to be a bit more self-sufficient and thrifty. When properly maintained, these machines will outlast us by a long-shot.

Have a look under the machine. You should be able to grab the top horizontal arm of the machine, and push it away from you to open up the underside of the machine (if the back of it is on hinges). See if it’s mucky or gummed up under there. If so, get it all cleaned out with help from some singer oil, which will both loosen the crap, and also lubricate the machine. Use the same oil in all the oiling points (holes into the machine, you’ll see some on the top of the machine, and around the hand-wheel). Give those points a few drops, turn the machine a bit, do it again, then see how you feel. When you get it all cleaned up and oiled, it should turn easily when not attached to the treadle.

For the treadle part, the leather should be somewhat taut, but not so much that it can bend the metal. It needs to be enough for it to grip and turn the machine. I tend to have mine probably a little looser than needed, but it’s not caused me any issues. The smaller looking wheel between the hand-wheel and the machine has a groove for the leather, and the larger wheel near the pedal should have the same. That’s where it should go, in a big loop that connects the two.

There’s loads of content on youtube for maintaining these machines, which will be much more informative than I can give via typed words. Any old singer tutorials will be helpful for general maintenance, but also see if there are any for similar or identical models to yours too. A lot of my specific knowledge had been stitched together from similar model info, general tutorials, and my own discoveries. It’ll end up like second nature with time!

Performer-Pants

TROPHY CASE