We Fix Things So You Can Too
ProfVolt is a practical guide to vintage equipment maintenance and restoration. We cover sewing machines, mechanical watches, film cameras, classic lawn equipment, and typewriters — the kind of things built to last a lifetime, if you know how to care for them.
Our guides are written for people who would rather learn to fix something than pay someone else to do it — or worse, throw it away. Every article is hands-on, model-specific, and written by someone who has actually done the work.
About the Author
James Hartwell — Founder & Lead Restorer
James Hartwell grew up in a household where nothing got thrown away. His father was an electrician, his mother a seamstress — fixing things was just what you did. That background stuck.
Today James runs ProfVolt from his workshop, where he specialises in vintage sewing machines (Singer, Pfaff, Bernina), mechanical watches (Seiko, Swiss lever escapements), and film cameras from the 1960s–80s. He’s not a certified watchmaker or a factory-trained technician — he’s someone who learned by doing, by breaking things, and by reading every service manual he could find.
His workshop has seen more than 200 sewing machines, 80+ mechanical watches, and dozens of film cameras pass through — most of them rescued from the bin. He started with a broken Singer 66 found at a garage sale and hasn’t stopped since.
ProfVolt exists because right-to-repair isn’t just a political idea — it’s a practical skill. Every guide here is written from hands-on experience, tested on real machines, with specific model references and honest advice about when a job is beyond DIY.
What We Cover
- Vintage Sewing Machines — Singer 66, 99K, 201, 15-91, Pfaff 130, Bernina 830 and more
- Mechanical Watches — Seiko NH35/NH36, Miyota 8215, ETA calibres, vintage Swiss lever escapements
- Film Cameras — Canon AE-1, Pentax K1000, Olympus OM-1/OM-2, Minolta X-700, Nikon FM2
- Lawn Equipment — carburettors, reel and rotary blade sharpening, vintage mowers
- Typewriters — Royal, Underwood, Hermes, Olivetti, Olympia
Our Repair Philosophy
We believe that understanding how something works is the first step to fixing it. That’s why every ProfVolt guide explains the why behind each step — not just the how. A well-informed repairer makes fewer mistakes and gets better results.
We’re also honest about limits. Some jobs genuinely require professional tools or training, and we’ll always tell you when that’s the case. The goal is to help you make the right decision — not to push you into a repair that will make things worse.