Improved Crossbar Hardware
When I built the first workstand, the initial machine I tested was a White Rotary 41. As may be seen in an early post to this thread, I used little clips, four of them, to secure the machine to the baseboard and frame. This required drilling holes in the metal swing frame for each clip.
I used the same technique for a Singer three-quarter sized baseboard. At this point, the first swing frame had two sets of four holes in it for mounting clips. One evening, in demonstrating how a machine could be secured in a swing frame using clamps and a crossbar of wood, it was accidentally discovered that this made an easier and more secure method of mounting.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...ml#post7216831
Since that time, we have used the crossbar method exclusively for mounting machines in the workstand. While I used two crossbars in the previous experiment, it has been learned that one is sufficient. I was just being overly careful at first.
With the Singer universal board being the next baseboard I made, the crossbar discovery turned out to be very advantageous.The Singer universal baseboard posed problems not seen with other types of sewing machines. The variety of machines that must be accommodated with this baseboard makes using mounting clips very difficult. So many different machines must fit into the baseboard that four standard mounting locations for the clips may not be found. Almost anywhere a clip is located will pose a problem for some other machine. Round bobbin machines and long shuttles may need different clip locations. Transverse shuttles are different still. And a Singer 301 (short bed) needs different clip locations than anything else. I made marks on the original Singer universal baseboard for each machine to see if I could find four "all purpose" clip locations. I could not.
(Original Singer Universal Baseboard)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]554636[/ATTACH]
Using the crossbar method with C-clamps solves the problem. Advantageously, the same crossbar may be used with all the different baseboards we have, and any machine.
Some improvements have been made since the first crossbar was made quickly for the above experiment. First, the turn-key handle used to tighten the clamp is removed by cutting off one of the heads and removing it, as shown. This prevents the loose rattling of the turn-keys as a machine is rotated in the workstand. It also eliminates the possibility that the little handles would bump or scrape the finish of the machine. The turn-key handle is made into a little wrench, used only when installing or removing a machine from the workstand.
(Clamps With Turn-Keys Removed)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]554637[/ATTACH]
Another improvement to be made was to add small cups in the ends of the crossbar, which helps to hold the clamps while they are being installed. Prior to the detents, clamps were a bit unwieldy to get positioned and tightened on the front and back of the machine, at the same time.
(Crossbar With Cups)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]554638[/ATTACH]
A picture of the typical use of the improved crossbar may be seen below. The crossbar is best placed immediately inside the pillar, out of the way of most work. The bottom of the crossbar is felted. It is my preference to use a piece of manilla file folder material under the felt, as a safe, inert surface to contact the machine. Doing this, there has never been a mark left on any of our machines.
(Typical Crossbar Installation)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]554639[/ATTACH]
The machine shown is an Anker we got at a thrift store recently. It's shiny with great decals and turns very smoothly. We got it without much hesitation. While clamps may be installed with the threaded portion either up or down, we find that with the threads up, as shown, provides the best clear access to necessary parts of the machine to be worked on, particularly the underside..
More soon,
John