…don’t write about the Elna Club Computer.

This is a DIY/fix it yourself kind of post. Sarah’s Elna Club Computer sewing machine blew up over the weekend, forcing her to learn how to use an overlocker at very short notice. Whilst it’s useful for overlocking, I’m told an overlocker can’t really do anything else.

If you know me at all, you’ll understand that I didn’t just take the sewing machine to the tip. This fine Swiss machine was going to get cracked open unceremoniously for an unqualified (in this field) amateur to take a look. It had been a little while since it was fired up, and I was concerned there might have been some condensation build up as the conservatory temperature swings quite significantly. Water plus electronics don’t usually make for a great pairing so I was expecting the worst when I opened the casing.

The first thing that strikes you when you take off the cover is how well built this thing is. Underneath the plastic casing is a solid metal skeleton reflecting the superior build quality of days gone by. I believe it was built at some point in the 1990s but I’m struggling to pin down an exact date. Elna went bankrupt in the 90s and was bought by the Japanese maker Janome, so the brand exists in name only.

The smoke and smell were electrical in nature, and my nose led me straight to the problem. After desoldering some joints, I was able to remove to power supply board and identify the issue. Take a look at the component at C104.

The safety capacitor had blown up. The rating was almost unreadable as the casing had partially disintegrated, but I could just about make out “0.047 uF” and the model number PME271. A quick search of the forums identified this as the culprit in some similar machine breakdowns, and the replacement capacitors were not expensive (around £3.50) for an updated model. The advantage of well made appliances is that they tend to use readily available and quality components so that when they eventually go wrong, they can be fixed.

Time to bring in my trusty soldering iron (a Maplin special back when they had physical stores). The joints were surpisingly easy to desolder, a feature of older appliances before the widespread use of lead-free solder, and my solder sucker made it a cinch. I find the old trick of melting a little new solder onto the joint helps everything to flow better. After years of tinkering I learned (the hard way) to take plenty of photos during the process to aid reassmbly.

And unfortunately I’m going to have to leave it there for today. Thanks to the wonders of the internet-age, the capacitor is yet to arrive and I have not been able to put humpty dumpty back together again. Once the part arrives I will post an update, and hopefully all will be well again for the next thirty years or so.

The Games

My Valentine’s present this year was Like a Dragon : Infinite Weath, the latest in the Yakuza franchise. I played a decent amount of the prior game and enjoyed it, although found it a thoroughly weird experience. The RPG and combat elements do feel Pokémon-esque, a fact that is underscored when you meet the Sujimon Professor who enlists you to help collect information on the creeps (Sujimon) you fight in the street to fill a Sujidex. This is just one of the weird things that you happen upon in a game that can transition from brutal to ridiculous in a second.

I have also been playing Resident Evil 4 Remake, although it doesn’t feel like a long time since I played the original. It’s remarkably similar, with the addition of quality of life refinements making it a more playable game overall. I’m still playing the odd Hogwarts Legacy session as well, although Sarah has gotten a lot farther than I have and elements of the game feel very same-y. I also got round to finishing Stray which is the best cat-based game to be made. That’s a statement of fact.

Stay tuned for another sewing machine update!