kikilamour

Hi It is all sorted now (said with bated breath) I flooded it internally with paraffin as the grease was pretty heavy and I couldn't see how everything was moving. So just flooded it. Ignored it for a few days and then tried to move the balance wheel -same I gently tipped it on its side and looked underneath and reinspected the bobbin area. I moved the wheel with it on its side and it began spinning freely. The paraffin had obviously removed any sediment or hardened stuff that wasn't meant to be there and tippingit on it's side had dislodged something. Stood it back upright and working smoothly. All greased and oiled now. Problem with all the tinkering is I messed with the stitch length adjuster a few times and now the stitches are tiny. Anyone know how that is sorted? I want larger stitches

Sorry took a few photos of the top but it seems like my images are way too big too large to upload. I am on the tablet. I spoke to a vintage machine service man who suggested pouring lighter fluid internally and soaking the interior parts with the stuff. So this is what I am going to have to try tonight. The bit I referred to as gunky is the top opening by the handwheel where you can view the mechanisms from the top

It hasn't been used in about 2 years. I finally got it a new motor and started it yesterday but it got very very angry. It is definitely not the motor as it moves smoothly on its own. When I move the hand wheel it moves then stops short. We have oiled it in the relevant holes and tried to get as much of the lint out without opening anything up. No one is keen on that to be honest. I have opened the bobbin case and the needle feed area and it is clean as a whistle and moving smoothly however the part around the head is gunky as hell. I mean thick slimy sludge so therein the problem lies. How on earth do I get to that bit? Any tips?

So I got it a few days ago and want to get cracking with creating on it. All it needs is a bit of dusting and oiling. However the feed dogs are not feeding leather through. Could it be that the actual foot needs changing?

How intriguing. Will give him a call in the morning.

Aargh. I am about to lose it with my 133k8 and get rid of it particularly after I paid a bundle for it. The first issue is the feed dogs are too sharp so mark the leather terribly. The second is how on earth do I get my lovely harness machine to sew fiddly bits between the D ring and buckle. And do NOT get me started on keepers. I was going to ask about rolled leather techniques with the machine too but lets start small shall we. The machine is a Singer 133K8 by the way. Help!!

Hmmmm don't know what spinner knobs are. Yeah I have a 133k8 motor then a 15k handcrank, 201k treadle, 221k featherweight. All that is missing is a 29k which will be a treadle. I love treadle machines,

To be honest I am pretty hesitant about drilling into any of the vintage Singers. I am a big fan of them and they are beautiful and functional machines so I don't like making permanent changes. Apart from the 133k8 I do have a 15k domestic which I converted to a handcrank as it came with a motor so I might just check if the handcrank fits the 133k* and if i does I will purchase a separate handcrank for it. I just thought the industrial handcranks would still be knocking about.

I use my Singer 133k in a garage with no power so there is no point keeping the motor on. I intend to take it out and store it for the big move in a couple months when I have a fully functional workshop. So before I get to tinkering with the pricey 133k8 and removing the motor to convert it to a handcrank is there anything I need to think about or consider. Are any of the industrial handcranks still knocking about in the world btw

Just an update. Still in the garage and it is not as bad as expected. However we are having a milder winter than normal so I have hardly had to use any of my heating at all. For anyone just starting out especially in the more expensive parts of the world *cough* London *cough* who needs space, rent a lock up garage. Check out the area first to make sure it is busy enough. The other garage owners are always around and we all sort of know each other now so I do not worry about theft. Get a site heater and gas bottle to connect to the heater. Get a few lanterns so there is enough light and boom ready to go. Thanks for the great advice all.

Thanks guys. We are having a very mild winter at the moment so I have not even had to worry about heating yet. In terms of lighting I am using a Dietz lantern and shall be getting a couple of Aladdins. Unfortunately paraffin does not work for me as I have used it twice in the last few days and catching even a whiff gets me all headachey and nauseous. I cannot stand cigarette smoke either. So I am going to have to use a clean burning fuel instead - olive oil? I have my trust trangia set in there which I use for hot drinks and teas. I also have a large camping water carrier too. Whoop

Hmmmm do you mean this Doing ebay searches now Yes I am concerned about heating particularly since it is not too bad now but what do I do when the temperature plunges and I have to work at night time. The dog and I will freeze

It is amazingly cheap per month and is a large 16ft x 8ft space. Trying to do leatherwork in a shared house in my own bedroom became a pain and it really began to affect my work particularly when I wanted to use a stain and there was cream carpet everywhere. Have you ever tried to hoover up threads and cut up leather pieces. The downside is there is no power or running water. Because this place is rented and close to home I do not want to get an electrician in to do anything permanent. So what can I get to generate enough light particularly in the dark winter months. I do not need running water as I can bring water in daily. But what can I do for electricity or do I just get camping lanterns?? Cheers all

I did not know that. These two screws are both the same length. I will check it out with the place where I bought it and see if they have any spare screws

Hmmmm yeah I do have a clicking knife but we are talking about 3-3.5 mm of bridle leather here I thought there would be a magical solution but probably not