Two-speed sewing machines

Looking for an older (1950's-1970's) machine I can slow down for fussy work. My research has only shown up the Elna Grasshopper and the Viking Husqvarna series 20 machines. Hard to find.

Anyone know of any others? The Grasshopper uses a gear to slip in the drivetrain to slow it down. Anyone know how the Viking works? Switch or what? Thanks, JPBill

Reply to
Bill Boyce
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Bill Boyce a écrit :

Possibly not old enough but I use a Bernina 1030 which does have a half speed setting.

Claire in Montréal. FRANCE

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Reply to
Claire Owen

Use something called a "motor speed controller", available from Grainger and others (about $40, for a sewing machine size controller). It will slow down a "DC type" (essentially meaning it has brushes) motor to near nothing, yet keep full power available to the motor. I use one to tame my serger, which I still need a lot of practice controlling.

I think all home sewing machines use DC type electric motors. I believe industrial machines, with the big motors under the table, use phase induction (right term?) type motors which can't be effectively controlled for speed (except with a friction clutch). Maybe Ron can comment.

I bought a motor speed controller on ebay for about $8, plus shipping, as I recall. I recall a number were available on ebay.

Reply to
jaxashby

Use something called a "motor speed controller", available from Grainger and others (about $40, for a sewing machine size controller). It will slow down a "DC type" (essentially meaning it has brushes) motor to near nothing, yet keep full power available to the motor. I use one to tame my serger, which I still need a lot of practice controlling.

I think all home sewing machines use DC type electric motors. I believe industrial machines, with the big motors under the table, use phase induction (right term?) type motors which can't be effectively controlled for speed (except with a friction clutch). Maybe Ron can comment.

I bought a motor speed controller on ebay for about $8, plus shipping, as I recall. I recall a number were available on ebay.

Many of the newer machine (computer) use a DC motor. Most older machine use AC the ones with the brushes.

The Viking uses the slip clutch also, and right up through the 6000 series machines.

Reply to
Ron Anderson

Sorry, let me clarifiy my statement.

When producers of motor speed controllers use the term "DC- type" (electric) motor, they use the term very loosely and mean an electric motor that "can" run on DC, i.e., it has brushes. It's a shorthand way of saying phase induction motors (big stuff, generally) or "shaded pole" motors (very low performance electric motors, such as electric clocks and some others for which low manufacturing cost and extremely long reliability are more important than high output) don't work.

Motor speed controllers work well on brush type motors (and only on brush type motors), and are wildely used equipment in the industrial world. MSC's are a totally different mode of control than a carbon pile rheostat (such as a foot pedal). MSC's allow full power to the motor at whatever speed you select (with a turnable knob), while carbon pile rheostats limit the amount of current going to the motor (which will operate at whatever speed the instantaneously variable load on the motor allows).

For $10 to $40 Bill can make his sewing machine go at any reduced speed he wants, as long as his motor has brushes.

Reply to
jaxashby

On Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:24:28 -0700 (PDT) in alt.sewing, snipped-for-privacy@aol.com wrote,

Sorry, that's wrong. That kind of motor is called "universal" and can run from either direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC).

A DC motor, such as a permanent magnet type motor, will only run from DC and may be damaged if connected to AC.

Reply to
David Harmon

Thanks to those who responded. I have a speed controller on order from ebay, so I lost the "excuse" to buy an Elna Grasshopper (if i ever find one) JPBill

Reply to
Bill Boyce

for fussy

the Viking

slip in the

Switch or

order from

ever find

Hi Bill,

I suppose you already looked at that place one would usually reccomend ? I've seen some recently.

I don't know about pricing though. It seems like there has been a new influx of sewing interest there and some sewing machines are going for ridiculous prices ... e.g. $400 ! for a elna air electronic and similar models

seems to come in waves though

robb

Reply to
robb

Why is it not possible simply to have a less leaden foot on the pedal?? I can make my ordinary machine go quite slowly when necessary, in fact I very rarely use it at full speed.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans

Reply to
Olwyn.Mary

Unfortunately, with some sewing machines, it isn't that simple. I had an old (bought in 1976) New Home mechanical machine that was impossible to control. Believe me, I tried to "unleaden" my knee (it was a knee control) , but then it would stop. Press a little harder and - zoom! Away it went. Pretty much the machine was either at full stop, or full speed ahead. I took off the knee attachment and tried using the controller as a pedal on the floor - didn't help. I suspected that it was the controller more so than the machine itself, but the controller unit, with or without the knee attachment, was wired in and I had no clue how to replace it. Instead I replaced the whole machine with a Bernina. On the Bernina and other machines I've had since, it *is* simply a matter of pressing soft or hard. Strides have been made in the controller technology I guess!

Iris

Reply to
I.E.Z.

Thanks for the comment, Mary. Yes, I can go slow, but with conventional foot pedal control the voltage drops going to the motor and with it the torque and punching power of the needle and it stalls when I try to sew heavier material, like canvas or leather.

I have a motor speed controller on order which electronically varies the waveform of the ac signal and should preserve more of the power when I slow down, as opposed to converting it all to heat like a conventional control. I'll give a report later. JPBill

Reply to
Bill Boyce

Odd. My machine seems to go through heavy fabrics like that much better when I slow it way down. I guess they just all have their different quirks, and we have to allow for or accommodate them.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans

Reply to
Olwyn Mary

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