A Sewing Machine For The Workshop

Do you have a stitch length lever? If so, lower the number of stitches at the end of your seam to make very small stitches close together. Nearly on top of each other. I do that, not with the stitch lever, but by holding the fabric under the needle for the last 3 or 4 stitches, which does lock the end of the seam. You may find it easier to use the stitch length lever.

Interesting! Photos? Web site?

-- Mark

It will be a few days for me to get out all these hammers and take some pics. then upload tomy website. thanks for the interst. ted.

There's also option 3: decrease the stitch length to near 0 or 0, and/or hold on to the fabric and keep it from feeding for a few stitches at the end of the seam. Either will lock a line of stitches.

Kay

The stitch length IS adjustable, but not while the machine is running, and not easily done with a heavy load of fabric on the bed. To change the stitch length you have to have the machine at a very specific point on it's rotation, then press a button on the bed of the machine and turn the hand wheel until the number of stitches per inch appears in a hole on the front of the machine. I think I might try the other technique of trying to slow the fabric so the stitches are closer together. Hadn't thought of that one.

Wayne

For canvas, cotton, and thin leather you should be fine with a typical "workhorse" sewingmachine from the swapmeet or a garage sale. Look for a brand name metal-bodied sewing machine, like Singer, Kenmore (Sears), Viking, or Husquvarnia. A good machine around here goes for ~50. If you can, try to get one with the little box of accessories... there should be some extra feet for making button holes or different kinds of hems.

I don't know what you're making, but I'd guess that you don't need to go crazy with the stitches, just straight and zig-zag and maybe a button hole should do it for you. If you are looking to make clothes or something that will be washed a lot you might want to check out a serger. They'll sew up a seam, trim it and finish it so it wont fray all at the same time.

If you know that you are going to do a whole lot of a particular kind of stitch you might want an industrial sewing machine. For example, if you are going to make a few tents or awnings you might want a straight stitch industrial machine and table w/clutch motor. If you don't have experience sewing I wouldn't recommend going that route.

BTW, you might take a look at Sewing for Dummies, or other sewing books, or checking out alt.sewing, rec.crafts.textiles.sewing; or other forums.

| | The stitch length IS adjustable, but not while the machine is running, and not | easily done with a heavy load of fabric on the bed. To change the stitch length | you have to have the machine at a very specific point on it's rotation, then | press a button on the bed of the machine and turn the hand wheel until the | number of stitches per inch appears in a hole on the front of the machine. I | think I might try the other technique of trying to slow the fabric so the | stitches are closer together. Hadn't thought of that one. | | Wayne

That sounds weird! What kind of sewing machine do you have? I've owned various types of sewing machines in the past and presently, I still keep 12 vintage machines in my collections( Pfaff, Elna, Necchi, Singer, Viking ). None of them have to be stopped to adjust the stitch length. All of them have infinitely variable stitch length( up to the max length) adjustments that can be done even when running at full speed. If you want a simple machine that would last for many generations that could do all you wanted to do as have been discussed here, I recommend a Pfaff

138. It is a real industrial machine for heavy duty work built like a tank with adjustable stitch length, zigzag, reverse and a very convenient knee-operated foot lever to raise the sewing foot. It's very simple to maintain or adjust and the design is straightforward for any mechanically inclined person to understand. The older Consew machines are good choices too.

Btw..this reminds me. Anyone in the sewing machine repair business?

I bought one of those units with all the little drawers in it..just filled with every kind of sewing maching foot you could possible think of. Some Ive never seen before. Came out of an auction as part of a lot.

Most of the feet are marked $10 and so forth. Got a couple hundred of them.. Anone want to make me an offer for the whole shooting match?

Gunner

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. Lazarus Long

If you go over to alt.sewing and pose your question there, Ron Anderson will probably come to the rescue. He has a sewing machine repair shop in upstate New York and has been astonishingly helpful to many of us. BTW, that group has waaaay more traffic than this one does, so you might get more replies. If you can't find alt. sewing, come back and I'll get you a link.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

be very, very careful how you phrase it. They are death on anything remotely resembling advertising -- which is how they keep the spam content low enough that you can hear the conversation.

Thanks for the excellent replies.

Any suggestions as to types of thread and other supplies to have on hand?

What type of workspace, desk, table, etc. works best for you?

Thanks

TMT

Hi Olwyn Mary, unfortunately you stripped out the one newsgroup I know for a fact 'Gunner' reads as I read the same one on a daily basis (along with this one and alt.sewing and several others ;-) ) so he will probably never see your reply :-( .

I believe this thread originated on rec.crafts.metalworking and was cross-posted over here so a reply to the above group would probably get the info to 'Gunner'.

HTH

I think in my intital post I said that it was a Singer Model 152 but it is really a Model 111W. To be more precise, 111W152 from around 1940.

For a picture, go here and scroll down to the 152:

This is actually one of the machines that became the "standard" in the industry and the parts for this machine were readily interchangeable with other manufacturers for quite a number of years. A great many parts for this machine are still readily available. If my info is correct, all but the major castings.

Wayne

Wayne

Why don't you list them on Ebay a few at a time?

Because Ive not a clue on how to do it, nor do I have the time or inclination.

Shrug..I can take pictures, get some numbers off them..and dump the entire thing into a USPS box and let someone mess with em.

If someone wants the parts bins..shrug..take a bigger box.

Gunner

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. Lazarus Long

Actually not uncommon at all for industrial machines, I can think of several off the top of my head, the 111W and it clones , Singer 241/251, 245, Union special 64000, most any industrial overlock, etc.

Hey Gunner: i'll be glad to take em off yer hands Contact me at snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com Name a price and I'l "dicker" wid ya!!

Want some pictures of em? I can show you the pile and take some close ups. Where you at?

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner