A RepairCafé is a "mobile self-help workshop for mobile things" that will be happy to help you repair the item you have brought with you free of charge. We look forward to your visit over a coffee and hope that the "patient" will soon be well again.
Yes.
you must make an appointment by phone or email. Please call Rainer directly: +49 162 649 5529, or write an email: repair-cotta@gmx.de. Otherwise we may be "fully booked" and you may have come along for nothing. In addition, we can then prepare for the repair and the chances of solving the problem on the same day increase.
No.
As a RepairCafé, we don't repair anything without your active help. After all, it's your device. We open several times a month and invite people to come and repair things. What can be repaired and is repaired depends on the people who come. It usually works 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.
Incidentally, it's best to come well informed. You can often find information about possible defects on the internet. If you know exactly what is broken but don't have the confidence to repair it yourself, you've definitely come to the right place. It is often worth bringing a spare part with you.
Nothing.
Our expenses consist of room rental, coffee, good tools and consumables. Everything is self-organized and non-commercial. We set up a donation box to cover the costs.
Difficult.
A lot of people come with inkjet printers. The success rate with previous repair attempts was not very high. In some cases, the print head is broken. This is generally 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 the event of failure, then come along!
No.
Basically, of course, we think everything is worth repairing. However, when we thought about the project, we deliberately excluded a few things.
These included large household appliances such as washing machines, fridges, tumble dryers, dishwashers, etc. Mainly because it seemed impractical to move such large items around. We also want to offer a platform for all the 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 worth repairing a toaster on a strictly economic level.
On the one hand, we don't want to compete with customer services and, on the other, the project thrives on people coming together to help each other. This means that some people come with something to repair, others come to do handicrafts. And everyone can chat. In the case of a washing machine, the risk of bringing the thing with you and then having no one there who knows anything about it is actually too great from our point of view. As we are not a workshop where there is always a specialist on hand, we would advise against bringing it by and advise you to contact a customer service center. This is usually worthwhile. However, if you have the confidence to remove the pump and bring it with you, for example, there is a good chance that someone will be able to help with the diagnosis etc.
If you want to repair your washing machine yourself, take a look here.
Yes and no.
We generally excluded bicycles from the project concept. There are plenty of self-help workshops in Dresden in this area in particular. We deliberately wanted to concentrate on things for which there are actually no sensible repair options (either because it is not economically viable or because it is far too specialized) and which might otherwise end up in the bin. As a rule, nobody throws away a bike just because the brakes don't work.
But there's nothing to stop you giving it a try anyway. Maybe there is someone who would like to help you repair your bike.
No.
It's nice that you're thinking about not just throwing away unused things, but putting them to good use. However, we are well equipped with tools and can't store appliances as spare parts donors.
Please try to pass the appliance or tool on to your friends and acquaintances or offer it on the "notice board" in the supermarket. Or use internet platforms such as nebenan.de, Ebay or classified ads to sell or give away the items. A free store can also be a good choice.
No.
There is often a lot going on at the events and we are not set up in a child-friendly way. The guests and repair assistants work together and concentrate on the repairs, it's not a children's playground. We work with tools and aids, including chemical substances that can be very dangerous for small children. To avoid any risk of injury, we ask you not to bring small children with you. Please arrange for external childcare before visiting.
Older children or teenagers who wish to follow the repair work at a safe distance are welcome. However, the duty of supervision and responsibility remains with the accompanying adults and is not transferred to our repair assistants.
No.
Our RepairCafé sees itself as a self-help workshop - especially for the Cotta district and surrounding areas. We do receive inquiries from further afield, but we can only turn them down because, unlike a repair workshop, 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 community. There are not "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 or an association. People who help a little with the organization are always welcome. Register by phone, come along 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, as there is always a lot going on. If you come an hour after the start, there is often more time to talk. Then we can 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, you do so at your own risk in the event of a defect or loss.