Members Gamekeeper Posted January 11, 2009 Members Report Posted January 11, 2009 Just wondering if anyone has any tips for the use of it. One hell of a machine, wouldn't like to get my fingers in the way of the needle! Hopefully now I can get stuff finished quicker, 3 days worth of hand sewing gets painful!! Cheers Dave Quote The Gamekeepers Shed There's many a badge that's unco braw Wi' ribbon, tape and lace on; Let kings and princes wear them a' Gie me the Master's Apron.
Members badger Posted January 11, 2009 Members Report Posted January 11, 2009 Hi Dave, The 45K is a good machine, solid and relaible. I don't know how experienced you are with this kind of thing, so forgive me if I'm preaching to the choir. As with all machines, you'll need to test sew a piece of scrap before you sew a work piece to be sure your adjustments are OK. Mine went out of adjustment fairly easily. It always needed a tweak when changing thickness of the leather being sewn. This is true of lots of machines. I would imagine it's hooked up to an electric motor. If this is the case, spend some time getting used to the clutch and finding the 'biting point'. I spent days just sewing different bits of scrap to get used to the machine. As you noted, it can be a beast. It won't notice sewing right through your finger. I liked my 45K and it was a reliable workhorse capable of handling up to half an inch of leather without any trouble. There's an occasional missed-stitch issue, sometimes attributed to this model. If the groove in the needle faces straight forward, toward the operator, the bobbin assembly can sometimes miss picking it up. If you turn the needle clockwise a bit, say 40 degrees, it should help stop this. Hope some of this of use to you. Cheers, Karl Quote
Members Gamekeeper Posted January 11, 2009 Author Members Report Posted January 11, 2009 Many thanks for your reply. I have the groove in the needle facing left so all seems well at the moment. I'm just trying to get the stitch length correct, at the moment it varies from almost cutting the leather to 4-5mm stitches!! Also need to get some thread lock, the pivot nut for the lifting of the foot keeps coming loose!! Think I'll have to practice, practice, practice!! Quote The Gamekeepers Shed There's many a badge that's unco braw Wi' ribbon, tape and lace on; Let kings and princes wear them a' Gie me the Master's Apron.
Members badger Posted January 11, 2009 Members Report Posted January 11, 2009 The needle position sounds good. It was something I had to pick up, but it really works. Superglue works as well as threadlock, just be sure both parts are well oiled so the glue doesn't bond for good, just fills the gaps between the threads. I use this trick a lot. Is the stitch length knob on the front of the body, to the right at the back? Kind of a screw down knob over a vertical slot? Mine was a 45K58 which had this arrangement. I found the knob would shift slightly with the vibration of the machine and the stitch length would alter by itself. Bear in mind that the adjustment increment is very fine and a slight movement of the knob could translate as a huge difference in stitch length. Cheers, Karl Quote
Members Gamekeeper Posted January 11, 2009 Author Members Report Posted January 11, 2009 Hi, mine being the 48 has no stitch adjustment screw or knob, it's got the slot for it though, not sure if the mechanism is there for it though. It's a strange machine (to me) there is no auto feed of the material so I presume this is what determines the stitch length. I'll post a picture when I get round to it, got a bit of a bargain to say the least. Dave Quote The Gamekeepers Shed There's many a badge that's unco braw Wi' ribbon, tape and lace on; Let kings and princes wear them a' Gie me the Master's Apron.
Members badger Posted January 11, 2009 Members Report Posted January 11, 2009 Dave, There must be a feed mechanism for the material. Mine had 'feed dogs' (kind of clawed feet) under the material. I'd be interested to see pics of the machine. I guess it mught be able to be fitted with a stitch adjustment mechansim. Hmmmmm.......... What kind of a bargain, if you don't mind me asking? Karl Quote
Members tonyc1 Posted January 11, 2009 Members Report Posted January 11, 2009 Hi,mine being the 48 has no stitch adjustment screw or knob, it's got the slot for it though, not sure if the mechanism is there for it though. It's a strange machine (to me) there is no auto feed of the material so I presume this is what determines the stitch length. I'll post a picture when I get round to it, got a bit of a bargain to say the least. Dave I think the one you have is just for darning bags or horse rugs etc. You just move the material around yourself, no feed! Tony. Quote
Members Gamekeeper Posted January 11, 2009 Author Members Report Posted January 11, 2009 Thats probably the one. Got the machine & table with motor for a princel sum of .......£97!!! Quote The Gamekeepers Shed There's many a badge that's unco braw Wi' ribbon, tape and lace on; Let kings and princes wear them a' Gie me the Master's Apron.
Members badger Posted January 11, 2009 Members Report Posted January 11, 2009 Dave, Well, you can't go wrong for that kind of money. I sold my 45K about 8 weeks ago for over £600.00 Since they are basically the same chassis, with different configurations and features, I wonder if it's possible to add a stitch regulator/feed mech of some kind. What do you think Tony? Karl Quote
Members Gamekeeper Posted January 11, 2009 Author Members Report Posted January 11, 2009 Forgot to add, also got 4 24x60 bridle butts with it too!! Quote The Gamekeepers Shed There's many a badge that's unco braw Wi' ribbon, tape and lace on; Let kings and princes wear them a' Gie me the Master's Apron.
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