With the onset of autumn, more and more often, leaving home, we take an umbrella with us. And if we use a reliable umbrella-cane, if it is already raining or thunderclouds have appeared on the horizon, then the automatic umbrella is in our handbag “just in case”. And this case often comes: unexpected rain with a gusty wind - and our compact "magic wand" is broken. The prices for the repair of umbrellas are considerable, and the workshop is most often located at a decent distance from the house. Is it possible to repair the umbrella machine with my own hands? Let's figure it out!
If the umbrella is cheap, then it is probably better to buy a new one. After all, the repaired flimsy and poor-quality mechanism will not last long - it will break again. However, if the product is expensive, you can try to make it home repair yourself.
Grooved spokes are the most vulnerable part of the umbrella mechanism. In the old days they were made of steel, now economical manufacturers use cheap aluminum and plastic. A needle broken by the wind can be replaced with a similar part from an old Soviet umbrella (do not throw them away, leave them for spare parts). If it is impossible to pick up a spoke, any metal tube with a thickness of 5-6 millimeters will do. DIY repair of the umbrella machine in this case is simple - straighten the needle from the end with pliers, put on a tube on it and squeeze it again.
The second common cause of breakage is crank rivets. Now they are made thin, from copper or brass, so they often fall out. If you don’t do the repair of the umbrella machine with your own hands immediately, it’s better not to use the umbrella at all - a loose needle will easily tear the fabric. To fix this malfunction is quite easy - take a small piece of wire and fasten the loose ends.
The simplest breakage is torn or frayed threads. Take a steel or ordinary strong thread or fishing line, restore the broken seam. This repair of an umbrella machine with their own hands is within the power of everyone.
If you notice rust marks on the fabric from a poor-quality alloy of parts of the umbrella - it does not matter, they can be easily removed. Wipe the rust stain with lemon juice and substitute under a stream of cold water. If the umbrella is very dirty, ammonia will help, or rather, its solution (half a glass per liter of water).
Sometimes, even on high-quality umbrellas, scuffs appear over time - this is also easy to eliminate. Do-it-yourself umbrella repair here consists in applying a transparent nail polish to the abrasions.
After that, the umbrella is dried in a semi-closed state - the fabric should not be too stretched.
If the automatic machine itself has become unusable, you will have to carry the umbrella to the workshop. Even if you are well versed in technology and understand how to eliminate this breakdown, you still cannot close the spring of the mechanism - this can only be done with the special device that the craftsmen have. If the handle or tip of the umbrella is broken, look for the same with your friends, but the old umbrella and ask for a spare part or just take it to the workshop where you will make a new part.
Be careful when operating an automatic umbrella; in strong winds it is better to use special anti-wind umbrellas with flexible knitting needles or cane umbrellas. Women's umbrellas are a whimsical and fragile thing!