The Machine That I Fiddled With Today
07-06-2014, 01:51 PM
#412
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I'm thinking I would want to pick it up by the bottom anyway. Some of the old bent wood cases have places for your hands to grip the bottom as you pick it up. I think that would be a nice feature for your cases or frames.
07-06-2014, 02:56 PM
#413
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Centralia, WA, USA
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I think the screws will be fine. It's a sideways pull on them. If the forces were on the end like pulling a nail I would have found another way. There may be enough metal in the latches where I could drill and countersink them for the next size up too. I did give the case a brief test by putting the machine in then lifting it a couple inches and giving it a few good shakes. It may not be a really scientific test but things seem to be fine. I don't expect it will see a lot of carrying anyway. It's more just to protect the machine.
The finger holes on the bottom aren't a bad idea.
Rodney
The finger holes on the bottom aren't a bad idea.
Rodney
07-06-2014, 09:47 PM
#415
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Springfield Oregon
Posts: 1,481
Originally Posted by oldsewnsew
Okay, back story, I had a Willcox & Gibbs Automatic (chainstitch) like many, that had no drive mechanism. Actually, it's a New Home, same difference. And then I got what I thought wasn't too bad of a deal on a W & G with a motor, but no foot pedal. Well the motor wasn't just missing one brush and its threaded plastic retainer, the casting that it threads into is mostly broken out, so I'm going to have to find a W & G motor (Westinghouse) that I can either get parts from or just use it.
So what about the Hand Crank?? drum rolllll......
Ta dah!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]480962[/ATTACH]
this is sort of a mockup, test of concept, kind of thing. Another view..
[ATTACH=CONFIG]480963[/ATTACH]
Actually my first trial was to put 2 screws thru the wooden disc, into threaded nylon posts, to go into the drive wheel, directly like the motor would. However, alignment might be a little fussy, and if it's off even a little it will add vibration. So, what we have here, is kind of a universal test jig, or, you could actually sew with it. For any youngsters out there, who might not understand what you're seeing, it's a hand crank grinder, sharpener. These things turn up relatively often in the same kind of places that old sewing machines do. Online auctions, garage sales, antique stores, etc, but I can't recall the last time I saw one in a thrift store. If you want to try this, I'd suggest finding one that has a stone less than 4" diameter, a 5 or 6" stone capacity is too heavy and large. This one has a gear reduction that gives a 9.5 turns ratio, so for each turn of the crank you get 9.5 rotations of the machine balance wheel. I think that hand crank sewing machines often turn around 5:1, which is easier on your arm.
My initial idea was to wear a groove in the grind stone, to drive a belt. I have a lathe, but there are other ways to come up with a wooden disc, a hole saw in a drill press, careful sawing, sanding and filing, or,...you could actually take a roughed out piece of wood and turn it down using the grinder as a lathe, and it's tool rest, to steady your cutting tool, then cut a groove, sand and spin it while wiping in some danish oil or?
If I use it on a base for a different, more conventional style of machine, it will have a larger balance wheel than the W&G, which will make it easier to turn but slower. There are a number of options for mounting, it could be in front of the W&G, or below another type machine's balance wheel, since it clamps on, you can adjust the belt tightness. More later...
So what about the Hand Crank?? drum rolllll......
Ta dah!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]480962[/ATTACH]
this is sort of a mockup, test of concept, kind of thing. Another view..
[ATTACH=CONFIG]480963[/ATTACH]
Actually my first trial was to put 2 screws thru the wooden disc, into threaded nylon posts, to go into the drive wheel, directly like the motor would. However, alignment might be a little fussy, and if it's off even a little it will add vibration. So, what we have here, is kind of a universal test jig, or, you could actually sew with it. For any youngsters out there, who might not understand what you're seeing, it's a hand crank grinder, sharpener. These things turn up relatively often in the same kind of places that old sewing machines do. Online auctions, garage sales, antique stores, etc, but I can't recall the last time I saw one in a thrift store. If you want to try this, I'd suggest finding one that has a stone less than 4" diameter, a 5 or 6" stone capacity is too heavy and large. This one has a gear reduction that gives a 9.5 turns ratio, so for each turn of the crank you get 9.5 rotations of the machine balance wheel. I think that hand crank sewing machines often turn around 5:1, which is easier on your arm.
My initial idea was to wear a groove in the grind stone, to drive a belt. I have a lathe, but there are other ways to come up with a wooden disc, a hole saw in a drill press, careful sawing, sanding and filing, or,...you could actually take a roughed out piece of wood and turn it down using the grinder as a lathe, and it's tool rest, to steady your cutting tool, then cut a groove, sand and spin it while wiping in some danish oil or?
If I use it on a base for a different, more conventional style of machine, it will have a larger balance wheel than the W&G, which will make it easier to turn but slower. There are a number of options for mounting, it could be in front of the W&G, or below another type machine's balance wheel, since it clamps on, you can adjust the belt tightness. More later...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]481916[/ATTACH]
07-07-2014, 01:15 AM
#416
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Join Date: Mar 2011
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I was wondering about that reach on the hand crank, Jim.
There was a man in Florida welded a tool handle/hand crank part to his clutch knob or maybe just the balance wheel... I should have taken pictures. It turns an industrial Singer 15. It is also on a treadle. He uses it both ways to sew alligator hide.
There was a man in Florida welded a tool handle/hand crank part to his clutch knob or maybe just the balance wheel... I should have taken pictures. It turns an industrial Singer 15. It is also on a treadle. He uses it both ways to sew alligator hide.
07-07-2014, 05:00 AM
#417
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Springfield Oregon
Posts: 1,481
Thanks Miriam, I did fasten it with the attachment with 2 pins, (direct drive) but like I said, the step up gear ratio was over 9:1, which might not give me enough mmmph. (did he have arms as big as an alligator) With the belt and a pulley mounted, it's kind of universal, I can move it up and down the arm to get it to fit "some" belt or another. I have some 1" diameter aluminum at work. Maybe I can try it tonite. another view[ATTACH=CONFIG]481928[/ATTACH] shows that yes it is back a little far. A grandson would be likely needed to crank it, which would serve dual purpose!
07-07-2014, 11:03 AM
#418
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Centralia, WA, USA
Posts: 4,890
Fun little setup Jim. Looks like you've just about got it nailed.
I took a little time and block sanded the bed on the 99 this morning. The new shellac was pretty rough from just being ragged on straight out of the can. I used some 320 wet dry paper and mineral spirits as a lubricant to keep the paper from gumming it up. I went over the machine lightly and carefully, wiping it down and checking my progress often so I wouldn't cut through the new shellac and into the decals. I sanded just enough to flatten out most of the high spots.
Next step is more shellac. l'll probably do the shellac then sand routine a couple more times before I'm finished building up the low spots. I'm going to have to see if my good shellac brush is still good. If it is then I'll switch to my brush and thinned shellac so it'll lay on smoother. Once the shellac is at an acceptable level of smoothness I'll buff it out and wax it.
I really suck at french polishing like Glenn does. If you can master Glenn's technique you can get good results without all the sanding.
Rodney
I took a little time and block sanded the bed on the 99 this morning. The new shellac was pretty rough from just being ragged on straight out of the can. I used some 320 wet dry paper and mineral spirits as a lubricant to keep the paper from gumming it up. I went over the machine lightly and carefully, wiping it down and checking my progress often so I wouldn't cut through the new shellac and into the decals. I sanded just enough to flatten out most of the high spots.
Next step is more shellac. l'll probably do the shellac then sand routine a couple more times before I'm finished building up the low spots. I'm going to have to see if my good shellac brush is still good. If it is then I'll switch to my brush and thinned shellac so it'll lay on smoother. Once the shellac is at an acceptable level of smoothness I'll buff it out and wax it.
I really suck at french polishing like Glenn does. If you can master Glenn's technique you can get good results without all the sanding.
Rodney
07-09-2014, 04:08 AM
#419
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Frederick, OK
Posts: 2,031
I got to service a Ferguson Model 134 this past week. It’s a nice older Japanese-made machine with left-homing needle, “on-the-fly” zigzag width (or lock the width for constant width), and user inserted fashion cams. Still chugging along very nicely!
CD in Oklahoma
CD in Oklahoma
07-19-2014, 01:30 PM
#420
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Frederick, OK
Posts: 2,031
Other than using my Singer 834 Stylist to sew 99 patches onto uniform shirts at the shop (that kept me busy for a few half-days), I haven’t been sewing much this Spring. I stored “JR”, my Singer 31-15 treadle, in a spare room over the winter, using my little “bikeshop” as a triage area for incoming auction finds over the winter and for working on motorcycles this spring.
But, a couple of weeks ago, I moved the treadle back into the bikeshop ready to sew something, but I didn’t know what. A couple of days ago, I got a request for some vinyl covers made out of surplus billboard vinyl to make dust covers for some kind of equipment that is used in the local bus company to maintain their buses. Test-sewing with JR indicated that the handling during the winter had tweaked things to the point that it took me a while to get everything back where it needed to be.
I’ve made the smaller pair of covers (9x6x15) and still need to make the big one (72x36x52) to cover the computer console. The irregularity of the larger unit is causing me to take another look at how it’s going to fit, so I’m going to cut out the top of the cover, take it down to the bus shop Monday, and see how it’s going to hang before I decide on the length of the “skirt” to enclose the unit. I’m afraid that a square cover without full support will sag down unsightly on the floor and be a hazard to rolling the machine around. I use a computer program to calculate the size of fabric that I need to make a certain cover, but it works best for perfectly square, rectangle, or round objects. This one has all kinds of irregularities.
Boy, it sure felt good to get to treadle old JR again! And I look forward to him sewing up the large cover with both of us immersed in salvaged billboard fabric.
Let the sewing begin!
CD in Oklahoma
But, a couple of weeks ago, I moved the treadle back into the bikeshop ready to sew something, but I didn’t know what. A couple of days ago, I got a request for some vinyl covers made out of surplus billboard vinyl to make dust covers for some kind of equipment that is used in the local bus company to maintain their buses. Test-sewing with JR indicated that the handling during the winter had tweaked things to the point that it took me a while to get everything back where it needed to be.
I’ve made the smaller pair of covers (9x6x15) and still need to make the big one (72x36x52) to cover the computer console. The irregularity of the larger unit is causing me to take another look at how it’s going to fit, so I’m going to cut out the top of the cover, take it down to the bus shop Monday, and see how it’s going to hang before I decide on the length of the “skirt” to enclose the unit. I’m afraid that a square cover without full support will sag down unsightly on the floor and be a hazard to rolling the machine around. I use a computer program to calculate the size of fabric that I need to make a certain cover, but it works best for perfectly square, rectangle, or round objects. This one has all kinds of irregularities.
Boy, it sure felt good to get to treadle old JR again! And I look forward to him sewing up the large cover with both of us immersed in salvaged billboard fabric.
Let the sewing begin!
CD in Oklahoma
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