Hand-cranking a Super Bull

[esantoro]

I read in another post that it's possible to hand crank a powered stitching machine, which is especially nice when you have to make a tricky manuever such as cornering on pockets.

I can hand crank my Baby Bull fine. It has no speed reducer. My Super Bull, on the other hand, has a speed reducer and is a bear to hand crank. Is there a way to make hand cranking on this machine easier?

Ed

[bruce johnson]

Ed,

The speed reducer should have nothig to do with it. I handwheel by just barely pressing on the pedal to free the motor. Otherwise you are fighting a clutch with a clutch motor or whatever holds the motor with the servo motors. Even with my motor on, by pressing a little I can free the shaft without engaging the motor. The servo motor definitely gives me more slow control, and I have to fight the urge to reach up and handwheel the machine when I would have had to when using the clutch motors.

Bruce Johnson

[wolvenstien]

My machine is older, 1940's and has a removable motor. You remove the motor and replace it with a hand crank. Very nice.... I cannot hand crank it when the motor is attached because the "hand wheel" just slips on the clutch... I add the hand crank (which actually turns the hand wheel) and it stitches fine.... Go figure... Pic is attached...

[esantoro]

Ed,

The speed reducer should have nothig to do with it. I handwheel by just barely pressing on the pedal to free the motor. Otherwise you are fighting a clutch with a clutch motor or whatever holds the motor with the servo motors. Even with my motor on, by pressing a little I can free the shaft without engaging the motor. The servo motor definitely gives me more slow control, and I have to fight the urge to reach up and handwheel the machine when I would have had to when using the clutch motors.

Bruce Johnson

Pressing down a tad on the pedal works on my Baby bull wonderfully (one reason I like this machine a lot), but not on the Super Bull. It's good to know that the speed reducer should have nothing to do with it. I'll poke around and see what I can find out. I've had the Super Bull for a little over a month now.

ed

[bruce johnson]

Ed,

I have had my Pro 2000 for about a year now, so we may have the same set up. Mine has the servo motor - no noise when turned on until you step on the pedal. I also started off with a 440 (Baby Bull) several years ago, and used that same table and motor for my Adler. It was the clutch motor set up until I swapped that motor out for the servo. The servos I have behave just like the clutch motors as far as releasing the machine with a slight pedal pressure, they just give me much more control when engaged. Unless we have radically different motors on our big stitchers, mine releases just like the old clutch motors did.

Bruce Johnson

[esantoro]

Ed,

I have had my Pro 2000 for about a year now, so we may have the same set up. Mine has the servo motor - no noise when turned on until you step on the pedal. I also started off with a 440 (Baby Bull) several years ago, and used that same table and motor for my Adler. It was the clutch motor set up until I swapped that motor out for the servo. The servos I have behave just like the clutch motors as far as releasing the machine with a slight pedal pressure, they just give me much more control when engaged. Unless we have radically different motors on our big stitchers, mine releases just like the old clutch motors did.

Bruce Johnson

Bruce,

I also have servos on both. So, really, your Pro 2000, is easy to hand crank with the pedal lightly depressed? I can do the same with mine. It's just that it's not as easy as with the Baby Bull, which I really like for this reason: ease of going between powered and manual stitching.

I'd like to change wheels on the Super Bull. Put on one that's more like the Baby Bull's.

Ed

Edited February 22, 2007 by esantoro

[bruce johnson]

Ed,

The Pro 2000 wheels pretty easily. The only thing I have to compare to was my Adler, and it was about the same. There is no big deal going from hand wheeling to motor and back. I have a Ferdco 1245 too, and it wheels maybe a little easier. It may just be that on the bigger machines, we are moving more mechanics. I only had the 440 for about a week so I can't even remember how it was. It was just too rough on the backside of my projects. I traded the 440 head for the Adler.

Bruce Johnson

[esantoro]

Ed,

The Pro 2000 wheels pretty easily. The only thing I have to compare to was my Adler, and it was about the same. There is no big deal going from hand wheeling to motor and back. I have a Ferdco 1245 too, and it wheels maybe a little easier. It may just be that on the bigger machines, we are moving more mechanics. I only had the 440 for about a week so I can't even remember how it was. It was just too rough on the backside of my projects. I traded the 440 head for the Adler.

Bruce Johnson

Yeah, I know what you mean about that feed dog. That's why I went with the Walking foot Super Bull. I even tried filing down the feed dog on the Baby Bull. It helped to some extent. I'm going to experiment more by finding someone who can grind down the feed dog 3/4 of the way. i think it will work, even though it is solely a bottom feeder.

On the Baby Bull I can actually spin the flywheel and have it do a few stitches. For the money, i really like this little guy. It's got spunk, where the more expensive machines have the power and the mechanics

Ed

[fleabitpokey]

My machine is older, 1940's and has a removable motor. You remove the motor and replace it with a hand crank. Very nice.... I cannot hand crank it when the motor is attached because the "hand wheel" just slips on the clutch... I add the hand crank (which actually turns the hand wheel) and it stitches fine.... Go figure... Pic is attached...

wolvenstein, the hand crank, is that something that comes with your machine or is it something that I can purchase for mine as well? I have a Pfaff flatbed,walking foot ,that just runs away. I haven't been able to get it under control yet. If I had a hand crank, that would be so much easier.

Thanks Stephanie

[wolvenstien]

In all honesty, I have no clue.... I bought mine on ebay and the hand crank came with it, and it fits the machine perfectly. If it is available for other machines I could not say....

[Regis]

The handcranks are available for Singer and some clones (according to my brother who collects and restores antique Singers). He says the Standar is probably a clone of the Singer 15-88.

Regis

wolvenstein, the hand crank, is that something that comes with your machine or is it something that I can purchase for mine as well? I have a Pfaff flatbed,walking foot ,that just runs away. I haven't been able to get it under control yet. If I had a hand crank, that would be so much easier.

Thanks Stephanie

Edited February 24, 2007 by Regis

[fleabitpokey]

The handcranks are available for Singer and some clones (according to my brother who collects and restores antique Singers). He says the Standar is probably a clone of the Singer 15-88.

Regis

Thank you both. Will have to check on that.

Stephanie

[esantoro]

Yeah, I know what you mean about that feed dog. That's why I went with the Walking foot Super Bull. I even tried filing down the feed dog on the Baby Bull. It helped to some extent. I'm going to experiment more by finding someone who can grind down the feed dog 3/4 of the way. i think it will work, even though it is solely a bottom feeder.

On the Baby Bull I can actually spin the flywheel and have it do a few stitches. For the money, i really like this little guy. It's got spunk, where the more expensive machines have the power and the mechanics

Ed

I was stitching with my Super Bull last night and doing a bit of handcranking and I guess it isn't so bad, just heftier than the Baby Bull.

Ed

[wolvenstien]

The manual that was sent to me with the sewing machine is for a MORSE 200. If the mores is a clone I am not sure, but I am guessing the it is and the Standard is also a clone of the Singer.... and all the guy could get his hands on was a manual for the Morse, instead of the Standard or the Singer. This is "Copyright 1956 Morse Sewing Machine & Supply Corp."