Irons and pressing
Alison Weaver
I currently have a Black&Decker steam iron (no bells or whistles). In general
I'm content with it but lately I've been wondering if I should be doing better.
I'm not totally thrilled with pressing wool, the creases/seams aren't as crisp as
I would like.
What's so special about "ROWENTA" (sp?) irons? Why are some irons listed as
"professional"? what more do I need other than heat and steam?
Thanks in advance for any replies
Alison
Penguin13
Weaver) writes:
>.What's so special about "ROWENTA" (sp?) irons? Why are some >.irons
listed as
>."professional"? what more do I need other than heat and steam?
I have never used a Rowenta but I have used a Passap Top Jet Vario and
several professional irons. The main differnce is that the professional
irons have a heavy duty element. They are designed to be left on and used
over 8 hours a day. Also, professional irons are able to produce high
volumes of steam at lower temperatures. It is the steam that makes the
difference in your pressing. With the lower temperature and high steam
you can press wool without shining and flaten seams and edges in delecate
fabrics such as silk and rayon. Once you have used a good iron you can't
go back. After sewing with one at work I had to buy one for home.
Matt
Crystal Renfrow
the same on it as I see the Rowenta irons listed in fabric stores.
Mine is self cleaning, has three levels of steam, plus a water spout. It
also has automatic shut-off and a silverstone bottom. It does a really
nice job on even some of the unbelievable material I own. My completed
projects look really nice and finished with this iron.
I am interested in what others have to say about the Rowenta iron.
************************
Crystal Renfrow
cren...@ag.arizona.edu
************************
bj
of irons. I never thought much about them until I began reading this
newsgroup and since mine is on its last leg, the subject is of great
interest.
thanks,
bj
Sharon Stovall
Things to look for in a good iron:
1) Pressure: The weight and feel of the iron is a matter of personal perference. The handle should be comfortable and the settings easy to reach and adjust. Most irons weigh 2 and 3 pounds. The heavier the iron, the greater the pressure. The lighter the iron, the more energy you will have to exert to remove wrinkles or fuse interfacing. An iron suitable for pressing, as opposed to touch-up ironing, should weigh at least 2 pounds.
2) Moisture: Good Steam production is paramount to good pressing. The more steam your iron produces, the easier it will be to iron out wrinkles.
The 'cool spray' actually wets a section of fabric directly in front of the iron. This is useful for removing wrinkles or pressed-in errors, and can eliminate the need for a spray bottle of water.
The 'burst-of-steam or power steam' feature also helps reduce the need for extra water by making a penetrating, high pressure surge of steam, especially good for fusing, setting creases, removing stubborn wrinkles and blocking.
The 'adjustable or variable steam' feature matches the amount of steam to the fabric. It adjusts the amount of steam, not necessarily the temperature of the iron. You can use light steam for delicate fabrics and high steam for wools and linens.
Two steam features that are found on professional, expensive irons are the 'constant steam' feature which creates a steady, powerful steam and the 'pressure steam' feature which automatically creates extra steam pressure to penetrate tough, dense fabrics.
Since steam production is so important, the water capacity is equally important. Most models hold between 6-8 fluid ounces (1 cup) and produce their best steam when the tank is full. After 20 minutes of constant steam, most irons are less effective steamers. Therefore it is important to keep the tank full.
3) Heat: You need a wide range of temperatures on any iron to accommodate all types of fabrics. Most irons go as low as 100^ F (for delicate synthetics) and should be capable of sustaining a low temperature. Some professional irons can reach 600^ F. the average temperature ceiling on most household irons is around 400^ F, which is adequate for all but stubborn linen.
4) Soleplates: An easy-to-clean non-stick surface is a bonus for anyone who does a lot of pressing. The non-stick surface finish does not necessarily make the iron glide better, but it does make it easier to clean. A scratch-resistant finish is another good feature, since a scratched soleplate can snag fabric.
The size and shape of the soleplate is another consideration. A large, wide soleplate is good for fusing and covers more fabric at one time, delivering an even distribution of heat. A smaller, more elongated soleplate is good for precision or detail pressing. Regardles of shape, a grooved soleplate border is an excellent help when pressing around raised details such as buttons.
5) Cords: Most iron cords are mounted onto the rear center of the handle. A swivel or pivoting cord mount is a help.
6) Self-Cleaning: This feature cleans the vents of the iron by blasting steam through them to flush away residue. A burst-of-steam or shot-of-steam button does the same job.
7) Stability: It is very important that the iron is stable when in the vertical position.
I personally own a Rowenta Professional and I love it. It has all these features.
Good Luck!
Nancy C Reynolds
>Matt
The kinds of traits that Matt says he gets are what you get with a
Professional Rowenta iron. A very nice netter sent me hers from Arkansas
and let me borrow it for a year and a half, after which she asked for it
back. After all that time with such a great iron, I just *had* to have
my own, even though my budget for such things is so tiny that I had to
save 5 weeks to buy one. As my husband said when he saw the amount of
steam the Rowenta put out, "that's an iron with *attitude*." I have a
DE-92 and just love how it heats up *so* quickly. In comparison, my
other steam irons aren't even steam irons at all. The Rowenta's output
of steam is astounding, even if I don't have it on a steam setting.
However, I do still have to make sure there's water in it. ;-) I also
like that it has a detachable water tank that takes tap water so that I
don't have to try to get the whole iron under the tap or, heaven forbid,
go back to using distilled water.
Before I used a Rowenta, I thought that the people on the net who raved
about them were, well, a little nuts. Now I know. If it's possible to
get excited about an iron, the Rowenta does it.
--Nancy Reynolds
Pat Crawford
I only have one sewing machine (ok, a 10 yr old Singer basic that I have
put through hell...and it still runs like a champ), but I have two irons.
The lighter one is a Norelco Easy Steam 513 (bought at Sears for about
$20). It really is nice for a low budget iron...works Very well & is
light weight (a big plus if you are doing a lot of shirts, etc.). Large
water container (about 1 cup or so).
The other is a Rowenta Professsional I received for mother's day (& I'm
not a mom yet!) from my mother-in-law (a major contributor/facilitator to
my sewing/fabric/quilting habit). It has about a 1 cup resevior for
water, and is *heavy*. I find that I usually have it up at max temp for
95% of things (except lame). Personally, I don't think they are worth
the price, but since I didn't have to pay for it, that's my 2 cents.
Wendy Crawford
P & W Originals
susan cassidy
a present (from my husband) after hearing my mother rave about hers (she
sewed extensively, and beautifully). It is wonderful! To give you an
idea, pressing an oxford cloth shirt is as easy as pressing a regular
polyester and cotton one. I can hardly wait to use it on piecework.
--
Susan Cassidy
email: susan....@sandiegoca.ncr.com
Nancy Dooley
>From: Crystal Renfrow <crenfrow@ag>
>Subject: Re: Irons and pressing
>Date: Tue, 15 Nov 1994 10:03:51 -0700
I've had a top-of-the-line (for non-professionals, that is) Rowenta for four
years now, and love it. For one thing, I cannot sew with an iron that shuts
itself off...it takes too long for it to get hot again and I don't think it
can be good to switch it off and on multiple times during one sewing session.
I like my Rowenta because it delivers steady, powerful steam, albeit not at a
low temp. If I could afford it, I would buy a "professional" iron. This is
just my opinion....
Nancy Dooley
--- Too much of a good thing can be wonderful! ---(Mae West)
Martha Stanley
that and was not sure how anybody could get excited about an iron.
Our Target store had some on sale for $39 (I almost bought three -
wish I had) and I thought...why not. After one (yes one) ironing job,
I became one of those who can actually rave about an iron. The steam
is awesome, it works wll, it heats up very quickly and it stands up
well on the ironing board. I can iron my cotton stuff without
sprinkling first and it looks great. I can be cheap and make a penny
scream, but I love good tools. My Rowenta Surfline (the least
expensive - usually about $79) is great and when it weears out, I WILL
have another one.
Fer shure, dudes!
Martha, the convinced!
--
++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++
++ sta...@freenet.fsu.edu The best way to have a good idea ++
++ Martha Stanley is to have lots of ideas first! ++
++ Tallahassee, Florida ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++
Mary Shafer
Six levels of steam, swivel cord, non-stick soleplate, self clean,
easy empty, cool spray, a long button slot, and NO automatic
shut-off. It's not too heavy, although it's not a real lightweight,
and I really like it.
Costco also had a Rowenta for about 60 dollars, but I really didn't
want the automatic shut-off. I already have a perfectly good Black &
Decker (I think--whoever bought Sunbeam) that's about 5 years old and
probably only has about 100 hours on it, but the automatic shutoff
finally drove me to distraction when I'm sewing.
The only time I've ever felt that my regular iron wasn't good enough
was when I was making a pleated wool skirt and I just took the fabric
over to my dry cleaner, with the pleats pinned in place, and got the
presser to press it for me, while I watched. They didn't charge me
(I've been going there for over 10 years, though) and it came out
beautifully--much quicker than pressing it and letting it sit until it
was dry at home.
--
Mary Shafer DoD #0362 KotFR sha...@ursa-major.spdcc.com
Some days it don't come easy/And some days it don't come hard
Some days it don't come at all/And these are the days that never end....
Gerry Stacy
really do spoil you. They are the ONLY things I've ever found that can
give you the sharp, hard creases you want when you're working with
woolens. I didn't think that I could ever afford a professional iron.
Rowenta, huh? How expensive are we talking here? I would have to save
for longer than 5 weeks, I'm sure, but it just might be worth it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Gerry Stacy | How oft, though grass and moss are seen |
| gst...@peabody.jhu.edu | Tanned bright for want of showers, |
| | Still keeps the ling its darksome green, |
| @}-,-`-- | Thick set with little flowers. |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Donna M Rogers
Donna M Rogers
THANKS
drm...@hotmail.com