Cheap sewing machine in the UK

[toxo]

I know nothing about it but it's got a new servo motor on it for £100. The person selling it can't have much idea - in the picture the head is on the wrong way round. Might do someone a turn.

Marketplace – Industrial Singer Sewing Machine | Facebook

[kgg]

3 hours ago, toxo said:

I know nothing about it but it's got a new servo motor on it for £100.

It's a Singer 196k5 which is a drop feed, high speed garment machine probably do heavier weight items like denim. Not meant for leather work. However the table's legs and other frame parts are the old style using real heavy gauge metal not the cheap stuff out of China usually found in the newer machine setups. If someone needed / wanted a new table setup the bones are there and assuming the servo motor works it could be easily modified for a cylinder bed or flatbed with a new table top.

When I need a frame to modify I look for the old frames at industrial repair shops and usually get a complete frame / pedals / cross members for about $60 CAD ( ~ £35, ~$45 USD).

 

kgg 

[toxo]

3 hours ago, kgg said:

It's a Singer 196k5 which is a drop feed, high speed garment machine probably do heavier weight items like denim. Not meant for leather work. However the table's legs and other frame parts are the old style using real heavy gauge metal not the cheap stuff out of China usually found in the newer machine setups. If someone needed / wanted a new table setup the bones are there and assuming the servo motor works it could be easily modified for a cylinder bed or flatbed with a new table top.

When I need a frame to modify I look for the old frames at industrial repair shops and usually get a complete frame / pedals / cross members for about $60 CAD ( ~ £35, ~$45 USD).

 

kgg 

Turns out the frame is more important than I thought. This is the last machine I bought. I've brought the two treadles closer together than they were and I still don't like it. I'm used to a knee lift but that bar in between makes it even harder to get used to a treadle and I'm fairly sure I'll be changing to a knee lift at some point.

[kgg]

2 hours ago, toxo said:

Turns out the frame is more important than I thought.

I see your problem and it stems from the "T" frame leg design. IMHO those are not meant for sewing machines and are more for a craft table design. The problem as I see it is you can't put the foot pedal support brace on top of the leg base as it will raise the foot pedals up to high off the floor. The options I can think of:

i) is to move the left leg either about a 12" closer to the other leg which may cause stability problems

ii) move the left leg to the end of the foot pedal support brace to free up that space which will require other mods to the table top support

iii) move both the "go" pedal and the "left" pedal to the left so both are to the left side of the "T" leg. This will require some modifications to the pedal linkages but would be the simplest and fastest solution.  

kgg

Edited June 6 by kgg

[toxo]

11 hours ago, kgg said:

I see your problem and it stems from the "T" frame leg design. IMHO those are not meant for sewing machines and are more for a craft table design. The problem as I see it is you can't put the foot pedal support brace on top of the leg base as it will raise the foot pedals up to high off the floor. The options I can think of:

i) is to move the left leg either about a 12" closer to the other leg which may cause stability problems

ii) move the left leg to the end of the foot pedal support brace to free up that space which will require other mods to the table top support

iii) move both the "go" pedal and the "left" pedal to the left so both are to the left side of the "T" leg. This will require some modifications to the pedal linkages but would be the simplest and fastest solution.  

kgg

My clicker press is sitting on an old singer flatbed table and I've just remembered it still has the knee lift on it so I'll be robbing that. It still has the clutch motor on it as well if anyone wants it (Kent UK). I think I harboured thoughts on making a bench grinder/buffer at the time.

[kgg]

59 minutes ago, toxo said:

My clicker press is sitting on an old singer flatbed table and I've just remembered it still has the knee lift on it so I'll be robbing that.

If your machine is a true copy of the Juki LS-1341 adding the knee lift will be easy if it a copy of the Juki LS-341 then this video may help.

kgg

 

[toxo]

50 minutes ago, kgg said:

If your machine is a true copy of the Juki LS-1341 adding the knee lift will be easy if it a copy of the Juki LS-341 then this video may help.

kgg

 

Thanks Brian. I'll hopefully find a better position for the through table bit. Over time that might saw through the table a little bit.. 

[kgg]

4 hours ago, toxo said:

Thanks Brian.

The main problem with the "T" table frame and "U" cutout table top shown in the video is the table top can sag at the front right corner of the "U" cutout. I have experienced table top sag as well as machine bounce with this style of table. The machine has the least amount of support and is totally dependent on the strength of the uncut rear section of the "U" cutout. My solution with a "K" leg frame was to brace that front right corner of the "U" cutout down to the left side "K" leg base.

kgg

[dikman]

22 hours ago, kgg said:

iii) move both the "go" pedal and the "left" pedal to the left so both are to the left side of the "T" leg. This will require some modifications to the pedal linkages but would be the simplest and fastest solution.  

kgg

That's what I did, so I could move the lifter pedal to the left of the go pedal - but it took a bit of fabrication!!