In a world where we have been trained to think of everything as disposable, the Repair Cafe is a breath of fresh air. What is a Repair Cafe? According to their website, “Repair Cafés are free meeting places and they’re all about repairing things (together). In the place where a Repair Café is located, you’ll find tools and materials to help you make any repairs you need on clothes, furniture, electrical appliances, bicycles, crockery, appliances, toys, etc. You’ll also find expert volunteers, with repair skills in all kinds of fields.”
I recently went to the one in Oak Park. For years, it was held in the Oak Park Arms, but it has graduated to using the Fox Park Recreation Center in the 600 block of South Oak Park Avenue on the first Saturday of the month. I carried with me my vintage Black Angus rotisserie oven. Made of chrome and probably built in the late 1950s, this radiant heat appliance is a workhorse. Using the rotisserie function, it puts a Costco or Sam’s Club rotisserie chicken to shame. It’s also an exquisite broiler. No longer do I fry a pork chop when I can place it in that oven and that radiant heat gets so intense it forms a crust on the meat without having to put on any coating. And best if all, the meat gets a genuine char-broil taste.
Of course with a broiler that old, something is bound to wear out. And for me, it’s the wires. The plug began to melt, and to avoid a fire hazard, I had to stop using it. Fortunately I had a second one that I had given my son, so I was able to use his. But I was on a mission to repair the cord.
After taking off the bottom, I saw that the wires inside were pretty old. However it was designed using male plugs and female receptacles for the wiring. I was able to get the gentleman at the cafe to install a new cord. However because the wires are old, the guy suggested I get it rewired. That job was a little too big for the Repair Cafe to take on.
While I was there, I saw people bringing lamps that needed rewiring. One woman brought in a beautiful lampshade that needed a piece rewelded on the top so that she could continue to use it. There was a lady volunteer with a sewing machine who could repair a garment that needed stitching. There was a gentleman working on electronics. If nothing else, it is an excellent resource center to help send folks in the right direction to get something repaired as opposed to tossing it in the trash.
I know somewhere there is a retired appliance repair person who would love to tinker with my broiler. I am even open to having someone instruct me on what to do. My friend suggested YouTube videos, but so far I haven’t found one. Because the wires are color coded, I believe replacing the wires with the same colors and gauge shouldn’t be that difficult.
There are a number of repair cafes being offered in various locations. I understand there’s even one held in Chicago at the Seltzer Library on the second Saturday of each month. I plan on going there to see if I can find someone to help.
No matter what, I am on a mission to get that appliance rewired and reworking.
Arlene Jones is a resident of Chicago’s Austin neighborhood and writes a column for the Austin Weekly News, a Growing Community Media publication.