Edge Guide for Consew 225 (and clones)

[KeithHideWorks]

12 hours ago, mixmkr said:

http://www.sailrite.com/Deluxe-5-1-2-Magnetic-Sewing-Guide

Looks like a winner. Thanks!

[Uwe]

Since this topic is sorta-kinda morphing into a show&tell of DIY magnetic edge guides, I started tinkering. I live near an IKEA and IKEA hacks are one of my favorite things. I made a magnetic edge guide based on an IKEA  $9 GRUNDTAL magnetic knife rack bar and a small $4 BLANKETT handle (longer ones cost more). Each knife rack has twelve rare earth magnet bars glued to the back. The magnets can be removed carefully (the magnets are brittle, I broke one out of the twelve.) The BLANKETT handle comes in different lengths, has a low and a high guide edge and a nice, smooth anodized brush finish.

The small version of the handle is just the right size for a set of three of the magnet bars and fits on the slide plate. I cut a longer handle to size to fit nine magnet bars for a stronger hold and longer guide edge. Simple double sided adhesive tape a or a few drops of glue will hold the magnets to the handles. The handles are big enough to grab with your fingers when pulling the guide off and the holding force can be adjusted by adding/removing magnets.

I didn't spend quite enough time to scrape the glue residue off the magnets to make it look super pretty, but it's functional and can be made to look nice. I'm attaching a few pictures. 

 

 

[mixmkr]

Dang... that's a mighty big wall.  Who's going to pay for it?  ;-D

[SARK9]

I've never really cared much for the magnets as an edge guide....most of the ones I've played with all look like they will tend to abrade away the paint if they are strong enough to be reliable...just from the friction of making position adjustments over time. I've been using a captain obvious quick-change plate that has a set screw on the back end...it secures the plate into the bobbin cover dovetails for the machines like the 225/226 or 111w types that don't have a spring lock like the Juki 563's etc. use.

-DC

 

[SARK9]

OOPS. This is the guide mounted in the table.

 

-DC

[mixmkr]

now that's nice

[OLDNSLOW]

Lowes as well as home depot carry small packets of rare earth magnets, I made a guide out of the plastic wood that they sell, I don't have a photo handy but it is similar to one of the builds above.  The nice thing about the packets of magnets is they are not all that expensive to buy and of course for us here in the states there is usually a store near by.

[NCArcher]

On 1/27/2017 at 0:30 PM, KeithHideWorks said:

So I got the Magnet it in. Lets just say its a little too powerfull for this machine. Going to look into getting a smaller one and trying that.  This one is WAY WAY to powerfull and takes everything I have just to move it. I really don't want to operate the machine with this massive magnetic field that attracts everything metallic within 8inches.  I am thinking a smaller, round one will work better as an index.

This is a N50, 71LB magnet and is 3x.5x.5.   Something with much less than half this magnet power, I'm thinking in the 25lb range would be a much better choice.

Debating between:

https://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=BX884DCS&cat=173

or 

https://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=DA8

I used two this size.  https://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=RC22CS-S&cat=173

They seem to hold well but not so strongly that I have to leaver it off.

It's had a couple of coats of polyurethane now too.

 

Edited January 28, 2017 by NCArcher

[Uwe]

Nice one, DC! I like the simplicity and the brassy steam punk look of it. A tight screw beats a magnet most of the time. 

[dikman]

NC, the wood looks nice. Now, as for the rest of the machine.....

Sark, yep, I agree, a screw-attached fitting would be the better choice. The problem I have is that I have several different machines I may need to fit an edge guide to and after much pondering and fiddling I figured the magnetic type would allow me to shift one guide between several machines.

Uwe, thanks for ripping open the knife holder, I have, for some time, been curious what they were made of.