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Sewing Machine Modifications
S. Heslop:
I want to attempt to extend and "modernise" an old sewing machine for the sake of thread painting/ free motion embroidery.
I replied to a classified ad yesterday to pick up a mystery Singer and a mystery Alfa machine. I was interested in the Singer since i've been doing some reading on them (and boy is it hard to find good information on sewing machines) and was thinking it was part of the 600 series from the photo. Which It was - a 611G. There's not much information on those online but the gist I got from reading is that Singer was cutting costs by the 600 series with plastic gears, as well as adding the bizarre and tempramental 'touch and sew' system of threading the bobbin. So it's a surprise that the 611G has the old style drop in bobbins, as well as metal gears inside.
Part of that reading up on machines was an attempt to find the ideal candidate to butcher. I was after a zig-zag machine with a top loading bobbin, rotary hook, and something rugged enough to survive running full blast for hours on end. Just that 611G seems too nice to cut up...
The Alfa machine was also included in the listing. It's hand cranked and not quite as exciting. But seems pretty durable and i'd feel alot better cutting it up.
This uses a side loading oscillating hook. I'm not a big fan of them since I find the bobbin case fiddly to load. Thread painting involves alot of switching threads out for different colours.
The 3 arms at the top and bottom of this picture deal with the feed dogs, and I don't need those for free motion stuff so they can go. It'd also let me cut out more of the frame around the hook to make it easier to access.
The top end is nice and simple.
Everything on that main shaft is held on with set screws, except for this crank in the end. Which is unfortunately the crank that drives the oscillating hook.
And here's the needle bar area.
By 'modernise' I mostly mean adding the conveniences from newer machines I quite like. Such as a slotted take up lever, guides to make threading alot faster and simpler, an automatic needle threader, motor stopping automatically at the needle up position, etc. I'm not fussed about this machine being at all useful for regular sewing though, just this one specific job.
But for extending it... replacing the shafts and links won't be a problem. I could make a coupler for that crank end onto a longer shaft since the yoke behind it is only for the feed dogs. The problem i've got is how to extend the frame itself. I believe it's cast iron and welding that seems to be a hit and miss thing from what i've read and I lack any brazing stuff. Only a cheap MIG welder and an AC only buzz box stick welder.
None of the sides are particularly parallel so just screwing plates on would be fiddly. I can't imagine id have much luck fabricating an entirely new frame either.
Guess the first thing to do will be to disassemble it so I can get a closer look at the frame.
awemawson:
Welding or brazing will quite likely distort the existing shaft alignments so personally I'd avoid it.
Decide what you want extending, and bond it on with structural adhesive such as Belzona (expensive!) or Devcon metal filled putties to give a firm base augmented by screws drilled and tapped into the original casting.
S. Heslop:
--- Quote from: awemawson on March 22, 2019, 12:48:25 PM ---Welding or brazing will quite likely distort the existing shaft alignments so personally I'd avoid it.
Decide what you want extending, and bond it on with structural adhesive such as Belzona (expensive!) or Devcon metal filled putties to give a firm base augmented by screws drilled and tapped into the original casting.
--- End quote ---
Yeah you're right about distortions. I was thinking more of just giving it a go, since the backup plan was to cut out all the protrusions that act supports and bearings since they're all chunky enough to get a couple of screws in. With enough shims and swearing I might be able to get a welded steel frame to work, maybe. But I like that idea!
Got distracted cleaning up that Singer machine after finding out my point and shoot camera is dead. Possibly just the battery but its refusing to charge. I'll try find the stand-alone charger and spare battery, but I wanted to use it more for keeping track of what goes where in the Alfa machine without getting oil all over my phone.
S. Heslop:
Got it pulled apart.
Here's most of the parts I'm gonna keep.
I think this is interesting, the thread tension assembly is the only part of the machine to use plastic and zinc. It'd also rotted and was stuck pretty fast.
Had to drill it out. I want to try adapt something else for the thread tension since this one was a bit fiddly to thread up.
Here's what i've currently got in mind but i'm a little unsure about it.
The idea is that there'll be studs with spacers/ stacks of washers and shims over them that'd give some adjustment to get it all lined up. I've got some... I think 5mm walled 50x100 box section steel hanging around from that terrible first attempt at a 3d printer, that I should be able to weld up into some sort of C channel shape.
It'd be nice if this didn't turn into an insane mess of braces, and it'd be nice to keep the weight down since it's already quite stout with the cast iron, but I'm not sure if that's going to be possible. Might be able to recover a bit of weight by cutting away all the cast iron I don't need, especially in the base.
Next step will be to strip the paint I think.
hermetic:
Looks like an interesting project, many years ago I salvaged a Singer 29K from a local tip, and my brother still uses it for sewing leather, although he has several of them now. You will have to be careful to get the needle to shuttle timing exactly right, or it will smash needles like a good un!
Phil.
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