Perfect use for Touch&Sew
 

It finally paid for itself by propping open the garage door for the hose I had to use to drain the hot water tank. It has been a headache inducing day. Please send some positive energy this way, if you get a chance. Thanks.


http://www.quiltingboard.com/attachm...d=493163&stc=1

:D I think you're taking that whole doorstop thing too literally. Been taking lessons from Miriam? :D
I actually like my touch & sews.
I absolutely hate water heater problems. Mine was a plague all last year trying to limp it along.
Let me know if you need anything with it. Positive energy coming your way for sure.
Rodney

Thanks, Rodney. It sprung a leak from somewhere at the bottom, underneath. Luckily it had only been lightly streaming for a few hours before I found it. The Internet helped me to shut it off and drain it, but I think it needs professional help. I've somewhat insanely taken apart (and repaired!) the washer, dryer, and stove over the years, but I do draw the line here at gushing scalding water.

I will admit that I was indeed inspired by Miriam. It was in close proximity, and I wasn't going to use the 201.

I wish our hot water heaters were downstairs. They're up, and if they start something, they'll be on our head or lap. By the way, I think that touch and sew will be okay.LOL

It may take a few minutes for the showers to heat up, but I am very glad it is in the garage! The furnace is in the attic though, so if it ever needs replacing the labor costs are going to be scary. This house is a weird mix of brilliant (4 good sized bedrooms) and loony (gas fireplace in a pillar that is smack in the middle of the living area and totally useless). If we ever want to sell it we'll have to move out first, because the faults are screamingly obvious with furniture in it. Without furniture it seems to make sense.

At least yours puts out enough hot water for a shower. Mine gives a 5 minute stream of lukewarm water, followed 20 minutes later by a 2 minute stream of sort of hot. The kids say it's hot enough but I worked in a commercial laundry for a few years where hot means HOT and mine is not hot.

Cari

BTW, I have a couple of those machines. I think I've just found a use for the 2 in the shed.

Sawhorses? Jackstands? Lamps?

No, doorstops! :D

Cari

ROTFLMBO YES! Although it is likely if you replaced the gears and rubber feed dogs and make sure the bobbin winder doesn't swallow up your thread and follow the manual to the letter you might have a cool machine.... I have one, too. It is in the category of too good for a sledge hammer but too many unkowns to deal with at this point. HM I don't really need a door stop right now...

My,My, So Sad--love my Touch N Sew machines ! Use one daily and never any problems.

I like mine too. I think the biggest thing is you NEED the manual for those machines. They're not a real intuitive machine. My 628(? I don't quite remember the last number) is pretty complicated to setup the decorative stitches. What I like though is it has a built-in camstack that you can use in combination with the disks for even more stitch patterns.

Monopas-how's your water heater nightmare going? If it's leaking out of the tank, your tank is rusted thru and it will need replaced. If it's leaking at one of the fittings there might be hope. Sending you a PM.
Rodney

What a shame. I love my Touch and Sew 706. Had it from second hand for about 34 years now. Mind you I do have a brilliant sewing machine repair man at out local shop, who likes working on them. I know lots of repairers call them "Touch and Throw". Mine has been fine since a major repair about 5 years ago.

Me too. Soooo Sad. I have 5 and they run perfectly for me even with after market cheapo plastic bobbins. One of my favorite machines.

I think if you figure out how to use them correctly, maintain them and use them often they would be just fine. I think they have kind of become a joke because some people just don't get along with them. I picked one up yesterday and I think it will be a winner. It is a Singer 603. All metal. It does need the disks. It only has a zz disk. Those are simple to use if you read the manual on winding the bobbin. They are just like a 401 but can do chain stitches.

Great use for a Touch and Throw! Maybe next take the top off and plant some flowers in it:>

Yours looks identical to mine. It's 42 years old and worked like a charm from Day 1. I've done wedding dresses, prom dresses, quilts, and on and on. Love it but got a new Janome a few years back and took this one to my local
quilt meeting house and use it weekly there instead of carting one back and forth.

The one in the photo is pretty battered, a 758 that I picked up at Goodwill because I needed the 0 cam (horrible irony is that I had ordered a repro 0 cam just that same morning for the same price). Some of the plastic bits in it are broken. My house has been where plastic bits T&S machines have come to die. I had several, none of which worked for a variety of reasons, until I did a major purge in 2010 and got rid of all of the junk machines. It was after that that I learned what machines were worth saving and got interested again.

On the other hand, I found a 603 (original version not E, so no chain stitch), in case and very very clean. Once I figured out that the not E version had a different bobbin winder switch (Singer has condensed the manuals for the two versions in a way that is not helpful), I discovered that I quite like it. And I had kept all of the accessories and cams from the T&S Swarm.

I was thinking about getting a little propane blowtorch and making a nice video. I could call it Torch & Slag!

As for the water heater, it looks like it may just be time to replace it. We just have to clear out the garage enough to get a clear area for installation. Fun.

Oo! While you're here, other T&S people, does the needle on yours go when you wind a bobbin? Is it supposed to do that? I know you wind the bobbin from the threaded needle, but I kind of expected it to not run while actually winding.

Yes you leave the needle in. You need to thoroughly read the manual and follow it step by step. I was hoping the 603 did chain stitch. BUMMER.

The 603E does chain stitch with the right parts, but not the first version 603. The bobbin winder switch on the front vs. in the bobbin area is the only was to tell them apart, as far as I know.

Hhmm, maybe I should hang on to the 600E I was gonna part out. I don't have a cord/controller so I don't know if it works.

Cari

That 600E is most likely a good machine. They were all metal gears up until the 620s. I remember watching one guy do a comparison of a T & S to a 400 series. They're very similar inside except the bobbin winder assembly. Oh, that's right, IIRC you're not fond of the 400s either.
Rodney

I've got a cord set/foot controller for that 600E, Cari. One of the ones that I was going to see if you wanted anyway.

Sending positive vibes. I agree about the touch & sew my mom bought one for me and all I ever had with it was problems

Hey great, thanks! Guess I'll leave it in the house instead of putting it in the shed.

Cari

I bought one at a garage sale not long ago. I can do minor repairs myself so I wasn't fretting but I couldn't make it work. Luckily one of my good friends does repairs and I had him look at it. He did fix it but he said in the repair industry the Touch & Sews are referred to as the Touch & Throws because they want to throw them out the window.

I don't use the machine. I pick them up when I see them for next to nothing and keep them to give away when someone says they need a machine. I did stitch it out once it was fixed and it had some pretty stitches on it. Someone will hopefully like it.

Once upon a time, about 30 years ago, (not sure just when) I had a T&S like the garage door stop. It now resides with one of my daughters or one of their daughters. Last I heard, it was sewing just fine. I sewed a tent with screen windows and roll downs to close the windows when it was raining on it...way back when. I don't think it has ever been cleaned professionally, adjusted or oiled. It is/was an amazing machine. I doubt it gets used now for anything other than a quick repair, if that even. I now have about 20 Vintage/Antique machines, 2 newer (about 30 years old also) Berninas and a Pfaff embroidery machine that is about 10 years old. Love them all (most of the time). Got a bit "unhappy" with the Pfaff when I was trying to do my Ashlea block and it messed up no matter what I did.

I might end up with a Touch and Sew (Golden 625) - my husband serviced his Mom's machine and had it all running perfectly and we took it down there this spring. Unfortunalty MIL never got a chance to sew on it after that, and now it may be coming to live with us. Depends on how much room DD has in her truck when she leaves, she's been cleaning and going through everything. Though if DD wants it, she can have it. Mostly I don't want to see it go in the trash.

Even after working on it, my husband is NOT a fan of it. I'd take it just because it belonged to MIL and she sewed lots and lots on it for many years.