I actually must admit that I never worked in a service battalion myself. I managed to stay on either air force base maintenance units or first line field units for my career. On my trips over to the service battalians, it always amazed me to see so many people doing anything but direct labour. In the first line units, the small number of mechanics were generally left alone from things like kitchen duties and gate sentries. If we weren't working, then trucks and tracks weren't rolling. In a service battalion, a mechanic was just another member of the unit...there were a hundred more just like him.
I have been doing my own sewing for years.It is a bit of a PIA to have to look for certain exact thicknesses of leather, dying your own canvas, and the endless search for period buckles and snaps (especially tough when you live in the barren plains of Manitoba) , but the end results are worth it.
I find some of the older machines can be had for free if you watch kijiji. Many people just want them out of their basement, kind of like pianos, shuffle boards and pool tables.
I had an old singer, but moved up to the juki a few years back. I consider Juki one of the top machines...smooth and strong.
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