Hand Crank Machine
09-25-2011, 07:10 AM
#44
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: St. Louis suburbs
Posts: 6,084
I received one of the hand crank sewing machines from my DH as a gift, he knew I loved the old machines. But I have no idea how you hold the fabric when you crank. I asked him if I could sell it and he said sure. Guess I need to clean it up first and see how well it works (but he needs to crank it while I sew !).
09-25-2011, 06:07 PM
#46
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Cedar Falls, IA
Posts: 918
I just converted two Singer 99s to hand crank a week ago! It was quite easy. You have to take the motor and light off, change out the hand wheel, then add the hand crank. It took about 30 minutes each and only a few hand tools (screw drivers and a wrench). I bought one for $40 (all cleaned up and an original spoked hand wheel) and another for $20 (broken light, no cord). The hand wheel for the one machine was $12.50 and the hand cranks were also $12.50 each.
I'm looking forward to using them while camping since I frequently camp without electricity. It really isn't that hard to use. As an earlier poster said, you give one turn of the hand crank for 3 stitches. Remember that the feed dogs pulls the fabric and all you have to do is gently guide it.
Pam
I'm looking forward to using them while camping since I frequently camp without electricity. It really isn't that hard to use. As an earlier poster said, you give one turn of the hand crank for 3 stitches. Remember that the feed dogs pulls the fabric and all you have to do is gently guide it.
Pam
09-27-2011, 08:45 AM
#47
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Nashua, NH
Posts: 1,463
Beautiful! I bought a hand-crank from someone who frequents my favorite LQS. It was her grandmother's and an exact match to the one my Nana owned.
People always ask me how can I sew using only one hand to guide the fabric. Easy! I say. Sews so straight, you only need one hand.
Welcome to the Club!
People always ask me how can I sew using only one hand to guide the fabric. Easy! I say. Sews so straight, you only need one hand.
Welcome to the Club!
09-27-2011, 09:07 AM
#48
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 1,663
I spent Sunday afternoon watching football and piecing a charity quilt on my hand-crank. Honestly, to me there is nothing more relaxing than cranking away on my Ambrozina; for some reason, it seems to slow down my mind so it's not racing a mile a minute, and I feel no pressure to get the sewing done quickly. It's a very strange phenomenon.
[Edited to add: Ambrozina is my hand-crank's name; she's named after my wonderful grandmother who is no longer with us. She is a Singer 66 Red-Eye.]
[Edited to add: Ambrozina is my hand-crank's name; she's named after my wonderful grandmother who is no longer with us. She is a Singer 66 Red-Eye.]
09-27-2011, 01:04 PM
#49
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North TX
Posts: 764
Originally Posted by ThayerRags
Here’s a tip for anyone using a Singer HC like QuiltingHaven’s converted 99K or my 201K machine. Her hand crank is after-market and mine is original, but this works for both of them.
It helps to coordinate the HC handle with the needlebar each time after winding a bobbin or disengaging the HC finger from the wheel, to make it easier to stop with the needle in the up or down position as needed. .....
Now, since this type of HC is at a 3:1 ratio with the needlebar, the needle will be down at three points of the crank revolution, one of them being when the crank handle is straight down. Same thing with the needle being up: there will be three points where the needle is up during a complete revolution of the crank handle, one of them being when the handle is straight up. .....
CD in Oklahoma
It helps to coordinate the HC handle with the needlebar each time after winding a bobbin or disengaging the HC finger from the wheel, to make it easier to stop with the needle in the up or down position as needed. .....
Now, since this type of HC is at a 3:1 ratio with the needlebar, the needle will be down at three points of the crank revolution, one of them being when the crank handle is straight down. Same thing with the needle being up: there will be three points where the needle is up during a complete revolution of the crank handle, one of them being when the handle is straight up. .....
CD in Oklahoma
09-27-2011, 02:04 PM
#50
Super Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Frederick, OK
Posts: 2,031
Originally Posted by Bennett
That's a good tip, I wouldn't have thought to do that. I was also wondering what the ratio to cranking and needle movement was, so you answered another question for me as well. Thanks from across the Red River in the Falls!
When I’m piecing quilt blocks, I like to chain several blocks together that need the same seam, and leave the needle down at the end so that I can raise the presser foot to place the next pieces up close to the previous ones. My wife doesn’t take time to raise the presser foot, and is better at getting the new pieces to feed smoothly under the front of the foot. The problem with my method is that every once in a while I get an overlap and have to carefully nip them apart without damaging the fabric when I’m cutting my chains apart. With the crank handle set to be down when the needle is down, at least I don’t have to worry so much about the needle moving while I have the foot up.
We’re making a “Show Quilt” with a pattern that has fairly small block pieces. We named it that because we only work on it when we’re Vendors at a Craft Show or Quilt Show, so it will be our “Show Quilt”. We’ve done all of the piecing on a variety of hand crank sewing machines at shows. We don’t work on it at all any other time. I always select a HC machine to have in the booth during shows, and it gives us something to do during slack times, plus it generates activity at our booth. We prefer to run a “cold” booth instead of a “hot” booth (electrically hot) simply because of the logistics, so the hand crank machines fit in nicely. We encourage onlookers to have a go at the HC if they want to, and many of the blocks have stitches in them by show visitors.
I had a little girl watching me intently at a Quilt Show, but I couldn’t get her to try cranking the handle for me no matter how much I urged her. She was just too bashful. At one point, after waiting patiently for me to quit talking sewing machines with another booth visitor, she blurted out “do another one!”
LOL! I said “Yes Ma’am”, and got to cranking! She didn’t want to try it, she just wanted to watch it.
CD in Oklahoma
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