Recycling old needles

I know we have talked about disposing of old needles here before but I have another question. Since many of us change out our sewing machine needles often they really have some life left in them. (I know gals that don't change needles until they break! ) Is there any group anywhere that might be able to get a little more life out of these needles? If memory serves me it seems that older sewing machines are sent out of the country for women that have no other means of support. (maybe a missionary type learning situation) Is this a silly idea or something that would be of help? Shipping would be really cheap and needles are so expensive. Taria

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Taria
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Reply to
Marcella

ANOTHER MARCELLA!!!! Cool. I've only met one other before in my whole life :-)

marcella

Reply to
Marcella Peek

Reply to
Marcella

I think its a good idea. Maybe contacting one of those missionary groups who work in the third world countries could suggest what to do about them. Also, as Marcella said, using them for paper piercing.

Reply to
Maloney Empire

Taria, please do report back if you find a welcome home for old needles. My Berninas clunk like they're about to throw a rod when a needle becomes blunt and I replace them often. I put the dull ones in a *not* child proof pill bottle and would love to find a place where they could be used. Polly

Reply to
Polly Esther

You can also check with people/groups who do metal and small woodworking. My DH has asked for mine, and he uses them to make tiny little carving/shaping tools. (I'm not the only one around here who does crazy tiny things.) He says they are good for working silver and soft steel.

Pati,> Taria, please do report back if you find a welcome home for old needles. My

Reply to
Pati Cook

Er, why would you want to dump your old and worn needles onto another culture? If you don't think they are worth using, why should anyone else.. I handle about 100 or so old machines every year. Many of them go to a charity which sends treadles and handcrank machines to Africa for self-sufficiency

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There are others - Google for your local one.

I would estimate that 90 percent of the machines that come in "do not sew" or "have a tension problem" or "don't pick up the stitch" and of those 99 out of a hundred have a blunt, bent or wrong-way-round needle.. Needle faults are a very common reason for abandoning machines. In my beginner class, I will hear a needle go blunt, and walk over and take it from the machine. If someone is having problems, the cry goes up "When did you last change your needle?"

So, unless you are running a machine for which needles are no longer available (not many of you, I would guess) put them in the bin and get a new one out. If you are so poor you can't do that, I suggest you find a cheaper hobby

And happy sewing...

Helen Howes, Our Lady of the Biscuits

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Reply to
HelenHowesTextiles

Gosh Helen, I buy a new car and don't throw it away when I get another. I sell it to someone else because it still has some life. As I stated in my first msg. many of us change out needles before they are worn. They do have life in them. Not a lot but when you are working with nothing anything is better.

I think I'll just give mine to the local gal that uses her needles until they break. She does stacks of charity quilts for cps.

I don't need a cheaper hobby. I wasn't thinking about folks that quilt as a hobby.

Taria

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Reply to
Taria

Howdy!

Thanks, Helen. I agree about dumping the older, mostly worn needles on others: why? Some things just belong in the trash. Or stuck into a tree 'til they rust and add iron... a person in my family (not me!) actually did this for years, tree looked very healthy! I put most needles into the pill bottle w/ the everything-proof top and throw the whole thing away, about once a year (there are lots of bent handquilting needles in there, some bits of masking tape, a few finger cots and other tiny trash). If I were to send a gift of needles to other quilters, from wherever, I'd send new ones; postage would be the same. ;-)

Interesting info in your post; thanks!

Ragm> Er, why would you want to dump your old and worn needles onto another

Reply to
Sandy Ellison

So how will we keep you both straight? ;)

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Sandy

Reply to
Marcella

Taria, I'm like you... I have oodles of "gently used" sm needles that have been thrown out. I'm always changing from one type and/or size to the other. Then I can't remember what is currently in the sm, so it goes in the trash and a new one of the proper type for the job goes into the machine. (Yeah, I've tried notes to myself and using a special pin cushion with marks for each needle type and size, but I can't stick to the plan and get all messed up- sheesh!) The needles are not worn out, dull or bent- just an unidentified needle. They have plenty of use left in them, but I'm really fussy about my needle type..... ignoring that leads to demon possession of my sm. It much prefers the correct needle for the job and I'm not about to argue with it over the price of a needle. My frustration level doesn't need it.

BTW, Can needles be sharpened like rotary blades?

Leslie & The Furbabies > I know we have talked about disposing of old needles here before but I

Reply to
Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Sewing machine needles are great to use as picture hanger nails. They make a very small hole in drywall and are quite strong. I save my old ones for that purpose. Of course, I don't hang really big framed and glassed pictures....but they work very well for medium to small pieces.

Reply to
KJ

Leslie, I have sharpened a dull needle. I was totally desperate. It was the only one of its kind in the house, probably a jeans needle, and hemming had to be done right then or life as we knew it would be over. I very gently rolled the pointed end across a superfine emery board. That worked just fine but I'm sure there are 73 or so reasons to never do such a thing. Polly "Leslie & The Furbabies in MO." BTW, Can needles be sharpened like rotary blades?

Reply to
Polly Esther

Hi Leslie,

Can rotary blades really be sharpened - do they need to be done by say a scissor man or can the DH do it as he does with my knives on an oil sharpener?

Reply to
Maloney Empire

Di-

There is a circular, sharpen> Hi Leslie,

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@p15g2000hsd.googlegroups.com...

Reply to
Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Hi Leslie,

Thanks, I did think it was not possible and do agree with you, and Cheryl (CATS) who sent me some info on the sharpener, that it is more practical to buy new ones. Regards,

| > Can rotary blades really be sharpened - do they need to be done by say a | > scissor man or can the DH do it as he does with my knives on an oil | > sharpener? | >

Reply to
Maloney Empire

If you feel you would like to help another person who sews, why not send new needles? They are not that expensive, and the shipping cost would be the same as sending used ones. Debra in VA See my quilts at

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Reply to
Debra

Hey Debra, The whole idea honestly was not that I was intending to help another person that sews. If that was my goal I would just buy new needles to donate somewhere. (that isn't a bad thing, just what I was working towards here) My intention was more of reduce, reuse, recycle. The idea of throwing away still usable needles just seems wasteful to me and I was trying to think of a place that the remainder of the usable life in the needles could used out. I can tell you when my own kids were little and we were pretty short on money I would have appreciated Schmetz needles with some life left in them. I never would have expected anyone to go out and buy me new needles though. For all the chatter there is about global warming folks sure are turned off about the idea of reducing, reusing and recycling. Go figure? Taria

Debra wrote:

Reply to
Taria

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