wrote:
Whenever I see another $5 sewing machine in a garage
sale I grab it, especially if it's better than the one I'm using.
(Same goes for old electric irons, for shrinking aircraft fabric; the
new ones aren't nearly as accurate at holding temperature.)

Just to prove that we're not real men, we're going to now argue about
what is the best iron.

I bought a Sunbeam travel iron to do fabric work with. Best $15 I've
ever spent. I calibrate it with a digital thermometer. It has little
clicks that help you dial in the setting. Unlike the older irons that
have a mechanical control, this one has a digital sensor. It brings the
temp up fast and holds it dead on. The older irons would range
somewhere around 10 degrees of the setting.

It's also half the size of the standard iron, the handle folds down and
part of the handle is a water bottle for the steamer. The bottle is
removable. Put the handle down and remove the water bottle, and the
iron becomes very flat, and able to reach into some cramped corners.