111W117 on a table at last

[dikman]

I finally got around to making a table for the 117, because it has a longer baseplate than the "normal" Singers I couldn't just swap it out with an existing one. I had an old cast Singer industrial base and used a spare ordinary tabletop I had that I cut down to fit.I carefully measured and routed out the hole, but when it came to routing the depth of the corner supports even though I carefully measured and double checked I still cut them too deep!! Oh well, I figured I'd build it up with hard rubber later. The hinge cutouts were an absolute pain, I thought I had them right but they were too high so it was matter of cut a bit, drop in the machine, lift it out, cut a bit more etc. etc. Lifting that lump in and out all the time hasn't done my back any good! Finally got it right but boy, they're deep. As for the corners, it occurred to me that if I used wood screws in the corners I should be able to adjust them to get the correct height. It actually worked!

Due to the weight of this lump, and the fact that the table is chipboard, I fitted a piece of angle iron underneath the middle, resting on the top of the legs and screwed to the table to add some stiffening and support.As it is going to live in my garage I need to be able to move it around. Fitting wheels was a problem, as everything I came up with was either very complicated or lifted the table too high - so I took the simple approach and tack-welded casters onto the bottom of the legs. My intention is to keep this as a hand-operated machine, but if I should decide to motorize it I'll just stick the motor on the top of the table behind the head (as Uwe has done before).

Oh, and fitting the knee lift was another pain-in-the-butt, took me about three hours to get it sorted!!!!!!

[brmax]

I remember you talking about that being a bit longer. You sure made a good top for it, and the stand turned out great.  In doing the routing I understand it can be like splittn hairs 

Them corner shelf pads and hinge places are tough and a pain.

On some tops, I had on hand and so used some fiber glass resin. It worked great for sealing the newly cut out surface. Seem to me with a few deep cuts it has also been a benefit.

Most tops I seen had the cut out area saturated with oil from the many years. So I used this method on the new tops. 

I agree and am partial to casters myself it sure makes easy work when moving these machines as needed.

Floyd

[Yetibelle]

Looks Good.  I love that base. 

 

[Chayse]

Looks great! I have found that if you would like to replace the chipboard tops on the cheap, scour the local sell-it websites for a solid core door...they make very good table tops!! It looks as if persistence has paid off @dikman, now sit back and enjoy a cold one!!

[dikman]

No cold one yet, Chayse. As it's Winter I'm having a nice hot cup of tea instead!

The feet height still have to be adjusted and when I put a needle in it hit the hook, so some tweaking is going to be needed there, but that's all fun stuff compared to building the table.

[Chayse]

I do apologize, as the seasons are opposite from one another (states vs Oz....Go All Blacks)!!!  Not to get off topic but did play Division 3 Rugby (Hooker) here in the States and would absolutely love to see the All Blacks play live...oh how I miss it (but my spine doesn't)! Sounds as if you have a winter project...we don't really get a 'winter' (Florida)...so it is year round projects for me!

After building the table for my Chandler, although shorter and less complicated, I am pondering the idea of building one to replace the chip board table that my Singer 111W155 sits on currently. I, however, am not looking forward to routing the appropriate slots, such as you have done. Although it may look easy, it gets quite involved, as you have found out. Ugh...I may just settle for the chip board...but a custom table does really set off the machine tho...decisions...decisions....

[dikman]

You nearly got it right, Chayse - the All Blacks are Kiwis (NZ).

The list so far -

Had a  homemade thread tension and release - replaced with a proper assembly and internal release fitting.

Both feet needed adjusting to get the correct clearance

Needle bar had to be adjusted to take 135x17 needles (first needle I tried went Twang! when the hook caught it). I've no idea what it was set for.

Feed dog was set too high

Came fitted with 1/4" piping feet (nearly all my machines came with these , most peculiar). For some reason the vibrating feet off my 111/211 don't line up on this machine so because these feet fit I've decided to fill the piping grooves with epoxy and sand flat to give me usable feet.

Chayse, the routing itself wasn't difficult. Rather than make a template to use as a guide, I clamped a guide along one edge of the table , with stops so I didn't go too far, and took 3 or 4 passes, going deeper each time until I went through. I then shifted the guides to the next edge. It was a bit time consuming, but I'm pleased with the cutout itself. Where I went wrong with the corners is that I should have taken shallow cuts and checked as I went, instead I relied on my measurements and tried to do it in one go. Dumb!

 

[Chayse]

My apologies @dikman...I misinterpreted your location! We'll just settle for the Tri-Nations Cup...how's that? LOL!! I am by no means a woodworker but I have made similar mistakes on the mill. But at the end of the day, it is all the same...it fits and looks good!! I am sure you will get it sorted in short time!

[leecopp]

Hey Mr dikman  .. did the machine come to you with the handwheel mod?  Looks like you should have great control... bet that chipboard top weighs almost as much as the machine.   Keep having fun.

 

Lee

[dikman]

G'day Lee, no, it came with a standard handwheel that the previous owner had fitted a wooden handle to (pretty rough job though). While on holiday recently, browsing through second-hand stores as one does, I saw this 8" alloy pulley for a couple of dollars. It had a bit of corrosion on part of the rim but I figured it would make a good handwheel. I cleaned it up, drilled and tapped for a handle and gave it a coat of paint - but I did have to make a bushing 'cos the centre hole was to big for the machine shaft.

Once I get the feet sorted I need to find out what the limits are leather-wise that it will work with.

[dikman]

Figured it's time to see if this wee beastie will actually work! Foot clearance measured at 3/8", which is what I expected given that it's a 111-class machine. I shoved several layers of veg under the feet and fitted a #22 needle (no thread). It punched through ok, but tended to lift the leather on the upstroke. I couldn't get enough tension on the feet to stop it lifting. It was fine if I reduced the thickness of the leather. Changed to a #18 needle and no problems, went through whatever I could jam under the feet, with no lifting. Fitted a bobbin and some #69 thread and it sewed beautifully.Top tension was off a bit but that didn't matter. Back to the #22 needle and some #138 thread top and bottom. As long as I kept the thickness down a bit it sewed fine. I figured the 22/138 combination is probably pushing it past its design parameters, but the fact it will work if I keep the thickness down is a bonus, as far as I'm concerned. My original intention when I bought it was just to use it to pre-punch  leather when handstitching, but the fact it sews is great, considering what I had to do to make it into an "ordinary" machine.

Not bad for $150 .