Job Specific Sewing Machines

[Evo160K]

While searching for a picture of a particular Singer 45K, I stumbled upon this unusual Union Special bag closing machine that I thought was pretty trick.  I'm fairly new to sewing machines, so this one may be old hat to many of you.

http://www.industrialsewmachine.com/webdoc1/union special/2200.htm

Perhaps it would be interesting to see pictures of other unusual job specific machines..... particularly leather.

I saw a picture once of a huge, long arm, Singer on a stand that was being used to sew aircraft wings onto fuselages. You read that right, I couldn't believe my eyes,  I tried several times to find it again, but couldn't.  Anybody see that one?

[jimi]

Hi Al, Hows things???What 45k were you looking for??? 

I used to use one of these machines for sewing sacks when i stayed in London. It was like one of those electric jig saws for wood.. same sort of size and when you finished the sack there was blades for cutting the thread, you just turned it into the blades. (not a very interesting job that one?? making muesli by the ton

Was this the singer you were looking for Al???http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/Trade-Literature/Sewing-Machines/NMAHTEX/0148/ 

this one is for Aeroplane Hangars....

[Constabulary]

For sure a handy machine - you never know when you have to sew the next airplane hangar for you friend or neighbor.  I think last year we had a post with this Singer 8-8 machine - not sure if Bob @ Toledo Sewing had one - or so - do not recall.

[Mark842]

5 hours ago, Constabulary said:

For sure a handy machine - you never know when you have to sew the next airplane hangar for you friend or neighbor.  I think last year we had a post with this Singer 8-8 machine - not sure if Bob @ Toledo Sewing had one - or so - do not recall.

I don't have a Singer 8 but I did pick up a Singer 7-31 last year and it is an absolute beast. I still need to figure out how to modernize it with a new pulley so I can use it with a servo motor. I've only used it by hand so far to see if it stitches and it punches through harness leather at 12 ounces like nothing. Unfortunately the shaft I need to find a pulley for is a weird size 1-1/16" on the I.D.. Can't find anyone that makes a belt pulley in that size so I'm thinking I will need it custom made.

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

These bag closers are popular not at all unusual, we sell a few a year of the Consew model CN10NS is a common one, CLICK HERE

[Evo160K]

 

20 hours ago, jimi said:

Hi Al, Hows things???What 45k were you looking for???

I used to use one of these machines for sewing sacks when i stayed in London. It was like one of those electric jig saws for wood.. same sort of size and when you finished the sack there was blades for cutting the thread, you just turned it into the blades. (not a very interesting job that one?? making muesli by the ton

Was this the singer you were looking for Al???http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/Trade-Literature/Sewing-Machines/NMAHTEX/0148/

this one is for Aeroplane Hangars....

 

Jimi, we're okay here, thank you.  Hope you're the same.

That's some unusual job specific machine pictured in your link.  Is that lower spool of thread continuously feeding the bobbin?  Isn't that' sort of the holy grail of sewing?

The machine Singer made during WWII for Boeing had a very, very long arm and sat maybe 7-8 feet in the air on a roller stand..... incredible looking machine sitting along side a bomber.  Sure would like to see it again... other unusual machine as well.  Those job specific machines are fascinating.

 

[CowboyBob]

On ‎2‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 7:51 AM, Mark842 said:

I don't have a Singer 8 but I did pick up a Singer 7-31 last year and it is an absolute beast. I still need to figure out how to modernize it with a new pulley so I can use it with a servo motor. I've only used it by hand so far to see if it stitches and it punches through harness leather at 12 ounces like nothing. Unfortunately the shaft I need to find a pulley for is a weird size 1-1/16" on the I.D.. Can't find anyone that makes a belt pulley in that size so I'm thinking I will need it custom made.

Get a flat steel pulley with large enough center to go over the shoulder of the wheel & drill through the side of it & the handwheel that is on the machine,use 3 or 4 bolts & nuts evenly spaced.

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

8 minutes ago, CowboyBob said:

Get a flat steel pulley with large enough center to go over the shoulder of the wheel & drill through the side of it & the handwheel that is on the machine,use 3 or 4 bolts & nuts evenly spaced.

For sure this will work, or get a 7-33 handwheel and bore it out for the larger 7-31 top arm shaft.  We used to do this a lot.  

[jimi]

21 hours ago, Evo160K said:

Is that lower spool of thread continuously feeding the bobbin? 

I think that cone of thread on the floor is for refilling the bobbins Al, you can see it in the first picture.

[Mark842]

4 hours ago, CowboyBob said:

Get a flat steel pulley with large enough center to go over the shoulder of the wheel & drill through the side of it & the handwheel that is on the machine,use 3 or 4 bolts & nuts evenly spaced.

 

4 hours ago, Gregg From Keystone Sewing said:

For sure this will work, or get a 7-33 handwheel and bore it out for the larger 7-31 top arm shaft.  We used to do this a lot.  

Thanks to both of you for the ideas. I was actually thinking og doing BoB's idea. I'm wondering if I can just bolt the wide belt pulley that was set up as a pressure clutch and then just put a wide pully on the servo motor and just make my own belt.

[Evo160K]

10 hours ago, jimi said:

I think that cone of thread on the floor is for refilling the bobbins Al, you can see it in the first picture.

Jimi, so you don't think the spool is automatically feeding the "bobbin"?

[dikman]

Mark, I see no reason why that wouldn't work, but if it was me I'd be looking at some way of attaching a pulley to that handwheel, that way you'll have a choice of pulleys for the motor and can use standard belts. Have a look at second-hand/used machinery places and see if you can find a cheap pulley (that's how I found one of mine, I saw it and thought "that looks like it might be useful" - and it was!). The shaft size won't matter because you'll be modifying it. I used a pulley off a car airconditioning unit by drilling and tapping the handwheel on one of my machines, like Bob suggested.

[Wizcrafts]

On 2/21/2019 at 3:24 PM, Evo160K said:

Is that lower spool of thread continuously feeding the bobbin?  Isn't that' sort of the holy grail of sewing?

You are confusing a 2 thread bag closer that forms a type 401 chainstitch that uses loopers to interlink two threads on the bottom with a type 301 lockstitch machine that has a bobbin. Chainstitch machines don't have bobbins, just loopers. Most are type 101 single thread type with a looper on the bottom. This stitch is fairly easy to unravel. A type 401 chainstitch is not easy to open.

Many people through out the history of sewing machines have tried in vain to create an endless bobbin. The various chainstitch systems were what they settled upon. The endless bobbin system lives in the same place as the Pegasus

[jimi]

5 hours ago, Evo160K said:

Jimi, so you don't think the spool is automatically feeding the "bobbin"?

I think this is how it goes Al.

[Mark842]

8 hours ago, dikman said:

Mark, I see no reason why that wouldn't work, but if it was me I'd be looking at some way of attaching a pulley to that handwheel, that way you'll have a choice of pulleys for the motor and can use standard belts. Have a look at second-hand/used machinery places and see if you can find a cheap pulley (that's how I found one of mine, I saw it and thought "that looks like it might be useful" - and it was!). The shaft size won't matter because you'll be modifying it. I used a pulley off a car airconditioning unit by drilling and tapping the handwheel on one of my machines, like Bob suggested.

Actually just found this on eBay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/AMEC-BK85H-SINGLE-GROOVE-QD-PULLEY-W-BUSHING-CHOOSE-YOUR-SIZE/323479315865?hash=item4b50dea599:m:mCYWodtYMYTO5XFlFXlLEDQ:sc:USPSPriority!84015!US!-1:rk:5:pf:0

and I'm thinking it would work. I'm trying to get my pea brain around the pulley sizes for speed control and torque. I already have a spare speed reducer pulley sitting here from the leather machine co. The place selling this pulley has them available with an 8.25" O.D. and  5" O.D.. I'm inclined to go with the 5" thinking the 8" might be too slow. I'm just judging this from using my Cobra 4 as I currently have the speed control set as fast it will go and while it is an OK speed for some stuff like belts I wish it could be a little faster...the joys of production work. All this being said, I don't even know how much I will use the Singer 7. I have a problem with just liking cool old machines!

Edited February 23, 2019 by Mark842

[Bugstruck]

On 2/23/2019 at 12:58 AM, Wizcrafts said:

You are confusing a 2 thread bag closer that forms a type 401 chainstitch that uses loopers to interlink two threads on the bottom with a type 301 lockstitch machine that has a bobbin. Chainstitch machines don't have bobbins, just loopers. Most are type 101 single thread type with a looper on the bottom. This stitch is fairly easy to unravel. A type 401 chainstitch is not easy to open.

Many people through out the history of sewing machines have tried in vain to create an endless bobbin. The various chainstitch systems were what they settled upon. The endless bobbin system lives in the same place as the Pegasus

Unless I'm completely missing something that 301 lockstitch and continuous bobbin feed thread path is fully achievable. Blows my mind nobody has figured it out yet. Not really a challenge compared to all the other machinery technology  hurdles that have been long been cleared. Push the bobbin on a horizontal hook to the floor, then engineer the path.  Barely difficult. Drive the hook from the side is the easy solution. With a gear under the hook and bobbin (as they all are now) it is rather more problematic but also achievable. Thread has to run the hook gear centerline in that instance, so a fight but surmountable. 

[Bugstruck]

Well that's what three glasses of wine will do. Wiz is correct, my idea won't let the stitch form as the upper thread won't loop the core thread (bobbin). Hey, I was brilliant for about 30 seconds, in my mind only. LMAO now, at myselt.

[Wizcrafts]

1 hour ago, Bugstruck said:

Well that's what three glasses of wine will do. Wiz is correct, my idea won't let the stitch form as the upper thread won't loop the core thread (bobbin). Hey, I was brilliant for about 30 seconds, in my mind only. LMAO now, at myselt.

And so another Hobbit learns a lesson.