Blue Painter's Tape Error
11-20-2014, 01:00 PM
#11
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Outer Space
Posts: 9,319
Originally Posted by costumegirl
Aren't the FWs cast aluminum? Magnets won't stick to aluminum and will not be of use as a seam guide on these machines.
11-20-2014, 02:10 PM
#12
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Samsonville, New York
Posts: 268
Originally Posted by J Miller
Where do you get the paint pens?
For what it's worth, I've had better shine with brushes, but better control with the pens. I have a few tubes of acrylic that I mix to get the right color if the pens don't match. I tried liquid acrylic in the little plastic bottle and it was horrible - no shine.
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11-21-2014, 06:53 AM
#13
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 181
Nova Montgomery has a nice acrylic guide. I still put a thin piece of fabric under it when attaching to prevent any possible damage. The only machine of mine that ever sees tape is my plastic Bernina, and even then I take it off when finished for the day. Good luck on your repair!
11-21-2014, 01:36 PM
#16
Super Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Round Rock,Texas
Posts: 6,135
Originally Posted by misseva
I use a magnetic seam guide on my FW but it only attaches on the silver part right under the needle area. I know that's clear as mud but it's the part over the feed dogs.
The throat plate (silver part under the needle area) isn't really big enough for a fridge magnet like I use with my treadle machines. You can see the acrylic seam guide in use on my 99k hand crank machine.
Sharon in Texas
11-21-2014, 02:33 PM
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 727
Originally Posted by Blackberry
I don't have a 1/4 inch foot for my FW so I do what I have done in the past and used a strip of painters blue tape to measure off a 1/4 inch. You can imagine my surprise when I finished sewing with the FW and was cleaning it and oiling it to put away for a while so I could use another one of my many machines, I pulled off the painters tape and some of the gold decals came off. Has anyone ever had this happen before. I think I can still use this method but I just must remember not to let the tape go down as far as the gold decals. It is not really noticeable but these decals were in perfect condition.
It works like a charm.
11-21-2014, 02:57 PM
#18
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 8,091
Maybe it shouldn't, but this subject always amazes me.
Since our great grandmothers time Singer, Greist, and every other company has offered a simple, effective, and inexpensive fabric guide for sewing machines. Yet most people reject them. They are still offered new by several makers and are still fairly inexpensive, but no, they are rejected. A formed piece of metal and a screw that affixes it to the bed, and holds it in place, couldn't be simpler.
Instead uber expensive, over engineered things like the huge plastic ones are suggested, or even worse, things like tape that can and do damage the finish some folks are sooo paranoid about scratching.
1/4" feet work too on some machines, but not on others. You gotta be very careful to measure the seam you actually get with those feet. On some machines the manufacturing variations of the presser foot shaft will cause you to get larger or smaller seams. On the machines I actually get a 1/4" seam, I use the foot. On all others I use the guide.
The old simple bed mounted guides are adjustable. You can adjust them to what ever seam width you want. Regular or scant seams, big wide seams, and some of them even allow you to make seams around a curve. Some have notches in the guide side so you can use them with straight stitch feet mounted on ZZ machines, or parish the thought, on left homing machines where you really can make 1/4" seams with them. Some have guides on both ends, wide and narrow, some are stamped steel, some are cast iron. A version for every need.
And if you're paranoid about scratching the bed, put a piece of felt or fabric under the right end. The left end almost always sits on the needle pate so it doesn't touch the bed at all.
Fantastic tools, if you're like me and can't keep your fabric straight without a guide, you should try them sometime.
OK, I'm off my soap box now.
Joe
Since our great grandmothers time Singer, Greist, and every other company has offered a simple, effective, and inexpensive fabric guide for sewing machines. Yet most people reject them. They are still offered new by several makers and are still fairly inexpensive, but no, they are rejected. A formed piece of metal and a screw that affixes it to the bed, and holds it in place, couldn't be simpler.
Instead uber expensive, over engineered things like the huge plastic ones are suggested, or even worse, things like tape that can and do damage the finish some folks are sooo paranoid about scratching.
1/4" feet work too on some machines, but not on others. You gotta be very careful to measure the seam you actually get with those feet. On some machines the manufacturing variations of the presser foot shaft will cause you to get larger or smaller seams. On the machines I actually get a 1/4" seam, I use the foot. On all others I use the guide.
The old simple bed mounted guides are adjustable. You can adjust them to what ever seam width you want. Regular or scant seams, big wide seams, and some of them even allow you to make seams around a curve. Some have notches in the guide side so you can use them with straight stitch feet mounted on ZZ machines, or parish the thought, on left homing machines where you really can make 1/4" seams with them. Some have guides on both ends, wide and narrow, some are stamped steel, some are cast iron. A version for every need.
And if you're paranoid about scratching the bed, put a piece of felt or fabric under the right end. The left end almost always sits on the needle pate so it doesn't touch the bed at all.
Fantastic tools, if you're like me and can't keep your fabric straight without a guide, you should try them sometime.
OK, I'm off my soap box now.
Joe
11-22-2014, 10:16 AM
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 384
sometimes I'm glad the fw I've been using already has rubbed off places. my other one does too. I did splurge on a nice 222 that's pretty much pristine- and I'm scared to sew on it! so much more relaxed on the 2 that aren't perfect. I have another that my mom bought but haven't examined it too closely yet as there's only so much sewing time I have...
11-22-2014, 11:44 AM
#20
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 8,091
Normal wear and tear and signs of use are badges of honor. An old or vintage machine that is mint has never been loved or used to create loving things.
I agree, I so much like to use machines that have signs of use on them.
Joee
I agree, I so much like to use machines that have signs of use on them.
Joee
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