New sewing machine - turbo pledge

[Charles Yarnold]

Hello all,

After chatting on IRC a few of us decided to try and get a new cheap sewing machine for the space, we are getting this one http://www.johnlewis.com/231616750/Product.aspx

We currently have 4 people pledging for it and require 1 more person to chip in a tenner. Any takers?

Sol

[Clare Greenhalgh]

Does that include me? If not I am right there :)

Noko

--

[Charles Yarnold]

Yes, we still need 1 more person.

[Naomi Lehane]

Yes I will, I didn't know about this sorry, I would have pledged sooner.

Naomi

[Charles Yarnold]

Hi Naomi,

Well it only started about 10 mins ago so you were quite quick!

Will pick it up today and bring it with me tomorrow :)

Sol

[Naomi Lehane]

just happened to see this at the right time :), how do I go about fulfilling this pledge, do I come in tomorrow or..., I can't see the pledge for this on the wiki.

sorry I'm still a noob!

Naomi

[Wren Montgomery]

My landlady has one; she has found as it is made of plastic it cannot take much abuse.  It's very portable and good for quick repairs on lightweight fabrics.  (I think it's intended as a portable for piecing quilts, but that's rank speculation on my part.)

Despite Melissa Fehr's glowing review of it, it doesn't handle multiple layers of heavy fabrics terribly well.

Wren

[Akki]

We've not had a working sewing machine at all in the Space for half a year probably.

This is a bit of a social experiment to see how long this one lasts in the hackspace. The previous machine was "fixed" repeatedly using parts from different machines which didn't help things and it no longer works and no one knows how to fix it.

In this case it's a matter of something is better than nothing.

~Akki

[Mozsáry Zsuzsanna]

What's the situation with the Singer machine we have according to the wiki? Here is a free old one on gumtree btw.

Zsuzsanna

[Clare Greenhalgh]

That belongs to me, and was on loan to the space. People paid no attention at all to the notice on it saying you need to be trained to use it, and after putting it back together properly again for the umpteenth time I took it home again.

I love it and don't want it broken as it is such an excellent machine. I did not appreciate people tinkering with it without having a session with me or someone else who knows how it works properly.

Noko (but I have pledged for the £50 machine!)

[cr3]

I come with good news and bad news.

Good news: I have one of these you're welcome to for free, if someone collects it from SM6 (I cycle to London and it's too heavy to lug up). It's not John Lewis branded but it's the same exact machine.

Bad news: It's available free because it is not a good machine in any way.

Paul

[Adrian Godwin]

That's disappointing, but I'm not expecting much. I was thinking it
would be a sacrificial machine to protect a good one from people
who've never used one before.

I would still like to see another working machine, and my preference
would be an industrial one that can tackle jobs that home machines
normally struggle with, as most people wouldn't have the space for it,
or a frequent need to make it worthwhile. I wouldn't suggest a fancy,
delicate, all-mod-cons machine, but even an industrial one would need
to have restricted access.

-adrian

[Charles Yarnold]

This is now in the space (slightly belated) it is in the fabric cupboards down the end of the members shelf's closest the windows.

I have popped on a DNH just requesting that someone knowledgeable unpacks it and sets it up for the first time, if that's you go nuts!

Sol

On 21 October 2012 11:38, Charles Yarnold <charles...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Errant]

Thanks for organising this guys, I'll try and keep a maintanency eye on it too.  Really missing my own machine in storage, so it's great to hear you've WV it, cookies all 'round!

I'd also be interested in a future industrial machine, with access control.  

[Adrian Godwin]

I spotted this place yesterday :

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ll=51.567105,-0.112344&spn=0.004948,0.021222&t=m&layer=c&cbll=51.567105,-0.112344&panoid=x8D7VRobkWNmXV4L90GZMg&cbp=11,6.01,,0,11.33&z=16

Could be useful as either a source of a machine or of spare parts.

-adrian

[Akki]

I went in on Saturday and took a few minutes to set it up, do a little documentation. I took pictures and updated the wiki as much as I can, really.
http://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/view/Equipment/Sewing_Machines#John_Lewis_Tiny_Purple_Machine

Major things to note:
* This is for lightweight fabric ONLY! Absolutely no thick fabrics like denim (jeans material or similar lab coat material etc). It'll most likely break if you try.
* It is LOUD. It's surprisingly loud for a cute tiny thing
* Its free arm is very wide which is limiting for sewing the edge of narrow tubular things like the edges of sleeves or small pouches (which was the first thing i tried to make)
* Extra empty bobbins are in the haberdashery box of thread etc as pictured on wiki page
* Currently it has a bobbin of black thread in it

Otherwise it seems fully functional. Enjoy.

~Akki

[peetamber schomberg268@safe-mail.net]

Hey guys!!!! I have 3 solid  sewing machines at my home in Hertford [50 mins on the train from Old street] they are all metal, 1970,s zig-zag,all in good working order.I cannot bring them to Hackspace, but who ever shows up can take his or.

 her pick for £25- £40,depending on the machine .All proceeds to developement org.,Tools For Self Reliance.Phone me on 01992 445 392 or e-mail,A>S>A>P

 

                                                            I will be visiting Hackspace,on or around the first week in DECEMBER,with lots of cheap hand tools for sale.

 

                                                                  Peetamber.

[Adrian Godwin]

The plastic one was kind of a snap decision. We know it's not very solid but a few people who wanted to have one available were able to pile in and get it bought .. we didn't want to wait around and make big perfomance out of buying it, as we thought it wouldn't ever get done.

I think it might not last too well (if it does, that's great!) but with luck it will drive a bit of a community forwards and we'll eventually need something that will get better care than the previous one.

-adrian