[Sator]

What do people think of the quality of Battistella systems? They are one of the few professional grade systems represented locally:

http://www.battistellag.it

They makes set ups like this with vacuum board, built in steam generator etc for quite reasonable prices:



What I have seen appeared reasonably solidly made and promising, but does anyone have any experience with them?

[Der Zuschneider]

I have not found any prices on their site.

When I was apprentice we only had a 15 lb heavy iron without thermostat and a wood-iron-brush and felt matt. With the brush we pounded the steam out.
The thermostat on the iron was my finger. I made the finger wet and touched the iron sole and the noise it made told me if the iron was hot enough...
Sometimes the iron was red hot then there was smell in the air like hot iron. It was like Christmas on the shop floor.

I wonder what the costumes at the airport will say when they find my iron carrying it to USA… They might call the ambulance.

[jcsprowls]

I don't have any experience with this company. I've used Veit at the equipment trade shows. And I've used Sussman and Hoffman at factories.

In my shop, I have mostly used equipment. My vaccuum table is Sussman; but, it's the flat sort with a chest buck and arm buck. The iron I paired with it is a Namoto gravity feed. I need to run 220v downstairs so I can bring the Reliable boiler iron back online.

[Sator]

Now where is Theatrical Tailor when we need her? Apparently Opera Australia have a couple of their integrated systems in their pressing rooms along with a large water storage container. I wonder if they are happy with them?

[theatrical tailor]

Sator, on 07 February 2010 - 11:59 AM, said:

Now where is Theatrical Tailor when we need her? Apparently Opera Australia have a couple of their integrated systems in their pressing rooms along with a large water storage container. I wonder if they are happy with them?

Oh well there you go, I never paid much attention to the brand. (I bought a Bieffe 6 or so years ago.)

I was going to reply in general to what they had in there but couldn't find a decent picture. The Opera's iron system is in the main area are two large tables, unfortunately just tables and no suction with a big boiler feeding them both from a metal rubbish bin that needs topping up. They have 3 irons, the two on the large tables are the steam and they have a third without steam to the side.

The one in the tailoring department is a vacuum table. I know that it was recently replaced and there has been some trouble with it but it was second hand. I will see if someone there can send me a photo tomorrow via their phone. I think the background shots I have are the old boiler. I will find out what the troubles have been too.

[Sator]

Thanks TT! Maybe they don't have the integrated units but just have the ironing system. I have heard they have it attached to some large water container. The Battistella sales people didn't call it a "rubbish bin" though

[Schneidergott]

From what I have been told almost all internal pressing equipment is manufactured in Italy and the brands just build their tables and cases around it.
We just ordered 2 new Veit vacuum tables with blow and suction function along with 2 arms and bucks (and 1 steam generator) for our Atelier for the small price of 12.000,- Euro.

Best version would be a square table with two bucks (long sleeve and chest buck) and blow function, which is desirable for delicate and dark fabrics.
The built-in steam generator saves space but also consumes quite a lot of electricity.
If you can find a well kept 2nd hand Veit with the features mentioned you might go for that one and use a gravity feed iron or small boiler/iron with it.
The gravity feed irons come very cheap, but you need to pick one with heat protection, like this one (they are practically all the same with a few variations; some have a proper heat shield, others don't. Just avoid the Yamata irons, they are cheaply made):



An example for a pressing table:



which can be ordered from Allbrands.

[Der Zuschneider]

I cannot remeber seeing pressing tables and steam irons in traditional Tailor shops, I but I remember seeing them in turkish alteration shops...

In ebay they just sell complete pressing tables, there are still 9 avail.

Systema Forever Bügelanlage für Schneiderei & Wäscherei

[theatrical tailor]

Der Zuschneider, on 08 February 2010 - 03:33 AM, said:

I cannot remeber seeing pressing tables and steam irons in traditional Tailor shops, I but I remember seeing them in turkish alteration shops...

In ebay they just sell complete pressing tables, there are still 9 avail.

Systema Forever Bügelanlage für Schneiderei & Wäscherei

That is really close to my one! I don't have the sleeve board attachment though. It is perfect for what I need, the boiler container is 3.5ltrs and lasts all day, most days. The board collapses down and it all folds up, so Iv'e even taken it into workrooms to use.

I work on my own, in a workroom environment, you would need something much more industrial. I like the one Sator is looking at.

[Schneidergott]

If I had money to burn, this would be my favourite:



You can adjust how much the table sucks or blows. I find the lowest setting to be strong enough for most fabrics and almost too strong for linings.

[theatrical tailor]

This is the system for the front irons. They were replaced with this about 2 years ago. As far as I know there has been no major trouble and these irons are used almost every minute of the day.





It appears that they have upgraded the rubbish bin to the nice plastic container. (It really was a galvanised iron bin with a tube and filter in the bottom)

EDIT: The bottom picture is of the unit next to the vacuum table in the tailoring department. So I got a photo of both, rather sneakily from a friend. Here is a very grainy photo of the vacumm table. I don't think that this was replaced when they upgraded the other bits.

This post has been edited by theatrical tailor: 08 February 2010 - 01:05 PM

[Sator]

^ Thanks for sharing that! The fact that people have nothing bad to say about them is very encouraging, especially if they are using them constantly year in year out.