For the past few years, I’ve been trying to come up with a “pain meter” to set household sewing machine presser foot pressure, by setting the presser foot down on my index finger to assess the pressure. So far, if it doesn’t hurt too danged much, I figure that I’m in the ballpark. If it hurts like the dickens, and continues to hurt after I finally get my finger out from under the danged thing, the pressure is too strong. If I can lift my finger while it’s under the presser foot, it doesn’t have enough pressure on it. If I can tap my finger while it’s under the foot, the spring is broken or missing. I use a light pressure on my machines that I mend jeans or sew embroidered patches onto garments so that I can easily over-ride the feed to place my needle where I want it. I use a heavier pressure on other types of sewing. [Caution: This method doesn’t work well with industrial machines, especially walking-foot machines, unless you want to get into the various degrees of blood-letting.]
Not very scientific, I know, but out here in rural farm country, we tend to try to figure out measurements without using too much high technology. For instance, two of the local law enforcement agencies in the area use the “finger method” to determine where a shoulder patch needs to be sewn onto a uniform. One uses three fingers width down from the seam, and the other uses two fingers. Now......the question remains.....fat fingers or skinny fingers? I’m not kidding. That’s the “official” measurement that I have to go by.
CD in Oklahoma