We are a "mobile self-help workshop for mobile things", happy to help you free of charge with your repair of the item you brought with you. Over a cup of coffee we look forward to your visit and hope that the "patient" will soon be well again.
Yes, you have to make an appointment by phone or by mail. Please call Rainer directly: +49 162 649 5529, or write an email: nvc-rc@gmx.de. Otherwise it can happen that we are "fully booked" and you come for nothing. Besides, then we can already prepare for the repair and the chances increase to solve the problem on the same day.
No.
We as RepairCafé do not repair anything without your active help. After all, it is your device. To that end, we open several times a month and invite people to come and repair. What can be repaired and is repaired depends on the people who come. Most of the time it works out quite well - and the skills complement each other.
There is often someone from the RepairCafé group who knows a bit about one thing or another and can help you with your repair.
By the way, it is best to come well informed. Often you can find hints about possible defects on the Internet. If you know what exactly is broken, but do not trust yourself to repair it yourself, you are definitely in the right place. Often it is worthwhile to bring a spare part with you.
Nothing.
Our expenses consist of room rent, coffee, good tools and consumables. Everything is self-organized and non-commercial. To cover the expenses we set up a donation box.
Difficult.
With inkjet printers, a lot of people come. The success rate has not been very high in previous repair attempts. In some cases, the print head is broken. This is basically easy to repair - but the replacement part usually costs more than the printer. But, again, if you don't mind just coming for coffee in case of failure, then come on over!
No.
Basically, of course, we think everything is worth repairing. However, when we thought about the project, we deliberately left out a few things.
These included large household appliances, such as washing machines, refrigerators, tumble dryers, dishwashers, etc., because it was not very practical for us to repair them. Mainly because it seemed impractical to move such large items around. Furthermore, we want to offer a platform for all those things that are rarely repaired in everyday life. These things are often thrown away because there is no existing infrastructure of workshops, repair services, etc., or because it is not worthwhile on a strictly economic level to repair a toaster.
On the one hand, we don't want to compete with customer services, and on the other hand, the project lives from the fact that people meet and help each other. That means: some people come with something to repair, others come to tinker. And everyone can talk to each other. In the case of a washing machine, the risk of bringing the thing and then having no one there who knows how to fix it is actually too great from our point of view. Since we are not a workshop where a specialist is always there, we would advise you not to bring it along, and advise you to contact a service center. Most of the time it is worth it. If you have the confidence to remove the pump and bring it with you, there is a good chance that someone will help you diagnose the problem.
If you want to fix your washing machine yourself, check here.
Yep.
We had basically excluded bicycles from the project conception. In this area in particular, there are enough self-help workshops in Dresden. We deliberately wanted to focus on things for which there are actually no sensible repair options (either because it is not economically worthwhile or because it is far too specialized) and which might otherwise end up in the trash. As a rule, nobody throws away a bike just because the brakes don't work.
But there is nothing against trying it anyway. Maybe there is someone around who would like to help fix a bike.
No.
It's nice that you're thinking about not just throwing away unused things, but putting them to further use. However, we are well stocked with tools and can't store equipment as spare parts donors.
Please try to pass on the device or tool to your friends and acquaintances or offer it on the "bulletin board" in the supermarket. Or use Internet platforms such as nebenan.de, Ebay or classified ads to sell or give away the items. A for-free store can also be a good choice.
No.
Events are often busy and we are not set up for children. Guests and repair helpers work together in a focused way to make repairs, this is not a child's playground. We work with tools and aids, including chemical substances, which can be very dangerous for small children. To eliminate any risk of injury, we ask that you do not bring small children. Please arrange for outside child care before visiting.
Older children or teenagers who want to follow the repair at a safe distance are welcome. However, the supervision and responsibility remains with the accompanying adults and does not transfer to our repair assistants.
No.
Our RepairCafé sees itself as a self-help workshop - especially for the district of Cotta and surrounding areas. We do get requests from beyond the region, but we can only cancel because, unlike a repair shop, we can't guarantee success and therefore don't advise people to travel long distances.
We hope that the idea will spread - and that there will soon be a RepairCafé near you.
Sure, everyone should come. It's supposed to be a togetherness. There are no "the repairers" and "the others", but everyone can help each other within the scope of their knowledge and skills.
Yes, great. We are a self-organized group - without a board, bosses and association. People who can help a bit with the organization are always welcome. Register by phone, come to the next meeting and talk to us. (+49 162 649 5529, Mail: nvc-rc@gmx.de) . It's best not to come right at the beginning of the event, there's always a lot going on. If you come an hour after the start, there is often more time to talk. Then we will be happy to show you around and you can see if you like it. If you want to help with repairs, you don't need to bring your own tools, we have (almost) everything here. If you do bring something, then at your own risk in case of defect or loss.