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Rant: My sewing frame broke mid-suture on a 300 page rebind yesterday

I was three signatures into sewing a hardcover rebind on a vintage text block when the wooden crossbar on my frame just snapped in half, and now I'm stuck waiting for a replacement to ship because apparently nobody local carries replacement parts for a basic laying press frame anymore, has anyone else had to rig up a temporary fix with clamps and a cutting board?
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2 Comments
betty_white39
Oh no, that frame just gave up on life right when you needed it most! My own sewing frame has a similar dramatic streak, I swear it waits for the most tense moment in a rebind to show its true colors. Last time mine acted up, I rigged up a fix using a heavy cutting board and some spring clamps from the garage, it looked like a hostage situation but held steady for the last two signatures. The cutting board had these little rubber feet that actually gripped the table better than the original frame ever did, go figure. That vintage text block is probably judging you right now, but a temporary clamp setup can get you through if you position everything just right and don't breathe too hard.
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michael_bennett11
Double down on that jury-rigged setup and call it a "frankenframe." Nothing wrong with a little duct tape and desperation when a 100-year-old text block is staring you down.
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