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-   -   Vintage machine that does a blanket stitch? (https://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage-antique-machine-enthusiasts-f22/vintage-machine-does-blanket-stitch-t272507.html)

amcatanzaro 11-21-2015 07:54 PM

How about an early 70's Kenmore? I only have half the cams for mine, isn't there a blanket stitch? My machine is 158.18130.
Third row from the top, on the right.
http://mysewingmachineobsession.blog...continued.html

ArchaicArcane 11-21-2015 07:59 PM

I have to admit, I cringed a little with the hammer use but if it's working, that's great. ;) I don't think you'll ever get an elna supermatic to quiet down to 201 levels. 201s are amazing in their sound levels. I have a HC 201 I got around Christmas last year. After a good cleaning (and some body restoration) the only thing you hear when you crank it is the HC, not the machine. It obviously changes with thread and fabric on it, but not much. (At the time, the shellac was still too wet/fragile/new for me to run fabric on it.)

I don't remember what that motor was like. I'm sure it's got brushes though based on the carbon I found inside - so those should be check and the rest of that maintenance. I don't think it's a greased motor though. There may be a few bushings that would enjoy a single drop of oil though.

I think the pulleys warm up just like the tires on a race car, then they have great traction. The machine that ate that pulley didn't have an elnagraph. It was the mystery machine with the swing needle and no zig zag control.

The aluminum pulley thing looked like the best way to me too. I'm glad it worked for you and that someone made one for you. :)

I've never had trouble with the speed of the Elnas, it's just that I don't like the pulleys or that bobbin case (did you follow that YouTube video with all the stills? It's unreal what you can find in there! That will contribute to noise too - not all lint is sound deadening material! Then some of the tuning to get bobbin tension just right after that is a little bit of a pain but once it's there, it's got great tension. I also don't like their tendency to bite me. Once they're set up though, they're nice machines. I guess I just find them high maintenance.

ArchaicArcane 11-21-2015 08:22 PM

1 Attachment(s)

Originally Posted by amcatanzaro (Post 7383396)
How about an early 70's Kenmore? I only have half the cams for mine, isn't there a blanket stitch? My machine is 158.18130.
Third row from the top, on the right.
http://mysewingmachineobsession.blog...continued.html

It sure looks like a blanket stitch, you're right! Does your machine take the same cams as the 1914?

These ones:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]536285[/ATTACH]

I didn't see anything that looked like a blanket stitch in it. If it's the right one for your machine, it's yours.

elnan 11-21-2015 08:22 PM


Originally Posted by amcatanzaro (Post 7383396)
I only have half the cams for mine, isn't there a blanket stitch? My machine is 158.18130.
Third row from the top, on the right.
http://mysewingmachineobsession.blog...continued.html

At a distance it could resemble a blanket stitch, but to me it is a blind stitch that has been monkeyed with.

ArchaicArcane 11-21-2015 08:35 PM


Originally Posted by elnan (Post 7383414)
At a distance it could resemble a blanket stitch, but to me it is a blind stitch that has been monkeyed with.

Which would explain why I didn't see a cam if it's the same set. I had thought that it was a little too "old" for a true blanket stitch. It's possible that it's as lose as they could come before the pulse motors could stop the dogs completely and start them again...

sewbeadit 11-22-2015 02:59 AM

I checked out google for blanket stitches on sewing machines and they show pics of many different blanket stitches, so I guess it depends on the type you are looking for. I have one that goes 2-3 stitches straight then stitches over 2 stitches like a hand done blanket stitch, sort of and it is on a Janome 8900. Not much help.lol

Mickey2 11-22-2015 04:14 AM


Originally Posted by ArchaicArcane (Post 7383398)
I think the pulleys warm up just like the tires on a race car, then they have great traction.

That has to be it, I didin't think of it like that. I did wonder what it could be, one less unknow factor is one less worry when sorting issues out. .


Originally Posted by ArchaicArcane (Post 7383398)
The aluminum pulley thing looked like the best way to me too. I'm glad it worked for you and that someone made one for you. :)

I was very lucky there, and by a guy who has made quite a few of them. It's something I could not do on my own, and finding someone with the right machinery and willing to do it is easier said than done.


Originally Posted by ArchaicArcane (Post 7383398)
...it's just that I don't like the pulleys or that bobbin case (did you follow that YouTube video with all the stills? It's unreal what you can find in there! That will contribute to noise too - not all lint is sound deadening material! ...I guess I just find them high maintenance.

I don't mind the pulley as much if it works, it should be less of a maintanance problem with the O-rings. Yes, I did follow that still picture video, and had to watch it over and over. It was full of lint and fluff dow there, major thread mess, everthing was jammed, but not worse than the neglected machine in general. Previous owner used class 15 bobbins and had needle in the wrong way. I did find it a bit cumbersome to have to loosen two screws to take out the bobbin case though, but after the initial cleaning I hop I can manage to maintain it with q-tips, tweasers and a brush.

Compared to the 201 I find it the Supermatic bit abrupt, everything feels "thightly fit" in a way, but it's much faster, speed and swing needle movment are very different. The easy feel when maneuvering fabric on those old straight stitchers is one of their advatanges. I am getting used to the bobbin case; I had problem with the thread jumping out of the bobbin tensioner until I figured out how to pull it down correctly. I am getting better at lifting up the bobbin too, it has to be a light finger in just the right place for it to come out smoothly. I'm getting more into this macine as I gradually become familiar with it's quirks.

miriam 11-22-2015 04:22 AM

My Elna Carina has a couple disks, 150 & 152, that might be considered to be a blanket stitch. One is straight and the other has a slant to it. I bought it last summer - it was in need of some bobbin area adjustments. It is one nice machine though. Igor's wife, Igora, may have taken it apart and reassembled it wrong. The slide show guy on Utube to the rescue and bobbin carrier is good to go. I'm finding myself using that machine a lot for appliqué. I'll have to try the disks out some time.

Mickey2 11-22-2015 08:17 AM

Miriam, does the Elna Carina take the black plastic type disks same as the Supermatic? If these stitches aren't any good there's no point in me hunting them down. Blancket stitchesof are often just as much for the decorative as the functional aspect of it though. I am looking for a couple of stretch stitch disks and #146 I thought was pretty close to a blanket stitch. Lock stitch machines will never have a real blanket stitch anyhow.

Mrs. SewNSew 11-22-2015 08:29 AM

My Go TO machines for blanket stitch are my Elna's. Typically I use my SU Air Electronic only because it's my baby but the Supermatic or the Elna Super would do it too-just pop in the disk!


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