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Crafty Thread - what are you working on at the moment?

Laser engraver?
I missed the resin printer, and the washer/curer.
What are you planning on making?
Yep on the Laser. I got it years ago with some vauge plans.

Basically the same story for the 3d printer. I gave a filament printer a go and found it interesting but a pain in the arse given the normal temperature of my room often causing warping.
I thought I'd give the resin version a go.

Now I'm taking the plunge to try and print a model for a freind. He designed something and sent me the stl I've put on supports and sliced it and am now just waiting for resin.
Before I do that complex print I'm going to print a end cap for a bench leg as a test.

I have these set up in a spare room for light/heat/ventilation purposes.


I'm thinking of using them for model making.
 
Help! I'm making my clown dress and my sewing machine seems to have stopped working properly.

I think the feed dog isn't working as I'm getting these stupidly tiny stitches and the material isn't moving through like it should. I've messed about with the stitch length and tension to know avail.

I've taken it all to pieces as much as I can and dusted it all out.

I do remember a "clank" at some point but I ignored it and can't say whether than was when it went odd.

The feed dog does move up and down but should it be going forwards and backwards as well? It's not.

It it fucked? 😆

It was cheap and it is years old.
 
Yep on the Laser. I got it years ago with some vauge plans.

Basically the same story for the 3d printer. I gave a filament printer a go and found it interesting but a pain in the arse given the normal temperature of my room often causing warping.
I thought I'd give the resin version a go.

Now I'm taking the plunge to try and print a model for a freind. He designed something and sent me the stl I've put on supports and sliced it and am now just waiting for resin.
Before I do that complex print I'm going to print a end cap for a bench leg as a test.

I have these set up in a spare room for light/heat/ventilation purposes.


I'm thinking of using them for model making.

The engraver will produce a lot of fumes, and possibly toxic ones, depending on what you're engraving. If there's a place to add an extractor to it, I'd recommend one.
I've wanted a laser engraver/cutter for years, and I was hovering over the buy button on a 150W one before Christmas. I wish I'd bought it, as I blew the money I was going to spend on it.
I have a few filament printers here, and warpage can be a pain, so I opted for a heated chamber for my latest one. I can finally print ABS, so I think the others will be getting retired.
 
It has a fan and a tube I can shove out the window for now. If I start to use it more I'll look into more aggressive extracting.
I was planning trying to get the room well ventilated and not hanging around to start with.
 
Help! I'm making my clown dress and my sewing machine seems to have stopped working properly.

I think the feed dog isn't working as I'm getting these stupidly tiny stitches and the material isn't moving through like it should. I've messed about with the stitch length and tension to know avail.

I've taken it all to pieces as much as I can and dusted it all out.

I do remember a "clank" at some point but I ignored it and can't say whether than was when it went odd.

The feed dog does move up and down but should it be going forwards and backwards as well? It's not.

It it fucked? 😆

It was cheap and it is years old.
On some machines you can lower the feeddogs so that you can do freehand embroidery or darning. It's usually a switch somewhere down the bottom.

1721147902501.png
 
On some machines you can lower the feeddogs so that you can do freehand embroidery or darning. It's usually a switch somewhere down the bottom.

View attachment 433633
This is true. Mine has a dial thing that looks like nothing, maybe something to hold two bits of the machine together, but that's what it does.

I properly read the manual again the other day and realised I've been using the wrong foot for years, which may be why my zigzag stitch comes out puckered :rolleyes:
 
On some machines you can lower the feeddogs so that you can do freehand embroidery or darning. It's usually a switch somewhere down the bottom.

View attachment 433633
Ive tried that but then the fabric just doesn't move at all and its too tight under the foot to pull it. I've had a good look at what else I can fiddle with and can't see anything. Is the foot down too tight? I didn't change anything though and it was working just fine when I used it a few days ago.

I've bought some sewing machine oil. Maybe that will help.

Then I think I might take it to a sewing machine hospital. I could.buy a new one but I'd rather see if it can be fixed. I hate just throwing things away and it might be something really simple.

It's annoying because the dress is almost finished. I've just got to top stitch around the neck and hem it.
 
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Ive tried that but then the fabric just doesn't move at all and its too tight under the foot to pull it. I've had a good look at what else I can fiddle with and can't see anything. Is the foot down too tight? I didn't change anything though and it was working just fine when I used it a few days ago.

I've bought some sewing machine oil. Maybe that will help.

Then I think I might take it to a sewing machine hospital. I could.buy a new one but I'd rather see if it can be fixed. I hate just throwing things away and it might be something really simple.

It's annoying because the dress is almost finished. I've just got to top stitch around the neck and hem it.
That sounds like it's the foot pressure switch rather than the feeddog one?

But it looks as though it is time for hospital. What make and model is it?

I have been buying secondhand machines for various charity projects and have become a bit obsessed. I have been thinking about volunteering with Tools for Self Reliance who refurbish and send machines to Africa, but I've realised that my interest is a selfish one (can someone teach me how to fix the bloody things) and I'm reflecting on whether it's a good idea or not.
 
That sounds like it's the foot pressure switch rather than the feeddog one?

But it looks as though it is time for hospital. What make and model is it?

I have been buying secondhand machines for various charity projects and have become a bit obsessed. I have been thinking about volunteering with Tools for Self Reliance who refurbish and send machines to Africa, but I've realised that my interest is a selfish one (can someone teach me how to fix the bloody things) and I'm reflecting on whether it's a good idea or not.
It's a John Lewis machine JL100.
I can't remember when I bought it but it must be about 20 years ago. I can't remember when I last used it but it could be up to 10 years ago. It was working fine to start with this time around.

I can't see any levers to specifically change the footer pressure and there is no reference to it in the instruction manual.

Do I perhaps need to fiddle with this scew?
20240718_084942.jpg

It's dismaying because now I've started, I have ambitions to make more but if I have to buy a new machine, that will have to go on hold for a few months.
 
It's a John Lewis machine JL100.
I can't remember when I bought it but it must be about 20 years ago. I can't remember when I last used it but it could be up to 10 years ago. It was working fine to start with this time around.

I can't see any levers to specifically change the footer pressure and there is no reference to it in the instruction manual.

Do I perhaps need to fiddle with this scew?
View attachment 433807

It's dismaying because now I've started, I have ambitions to make more but if I have to buy a new machine, that will have to go on hold for a few months.
No that will just make the foot drop off.

It's quite a basic machine, so no ability to lower the feeddogs I think. All I can suggest is that you push these levlrs outwards, take out the bottom spool holder and clean out the dust.

1721304241064.png
 
So I've picked this up in a sale for £100. They're about £230 usually so quite a good deal I think.

It's somewhat more complicated than I'm used to! It seems to be able to do things I never even knew I needed.

Feels like I've gone straight from a dial telephone to an iPhone 😆

I'm sure I'll get used to it.

20240728_122058.jpg
 
So I've picked this up in a sale for £100. They're about £230 usually so quite a good deal I think.

It's somewhat more complicated than I'm used to! It seems to be able to do things I never even knew I needed.

Feels like I've gone straight from a dial telephone to an iPhone 😆

I'm sure I'll get used to it.

View attachment 435323
You won't use any of the stitches except plain, zigzag and buttonhole.
 
You won't use any of the stitches except plain, zigzag and buttonhole.
I use the stretch stitches occasionally too (despite owning more than one overlocker:facepalm:) , although not to be done lightly, as they are a bugger to unpick.
So I've picked this up in a sale for £100. They're about £230 usually so quite a good deal I think.

It's somewhat more complicated than I'm used to! It seems to be able to do things I never even knew I needed.

Feels like I've gone straight from a dial telephone to an iPhone 😆

I'm sure I'll get used to it.

View attachment 435323
Nice!
 
Hummm....

I made the 'stone' lower floor out of foam.
The hot wire cutter that came with the kit is shit.
My walls were looking wonky, particularly the short ones.
I started to think about how this place would have been built and decided one phase came first then the other bit was an extension. That allowed me to decide how the walls butted up against each other.

I then made a frame and joists to put the floorboards on. The frame for the extension really helped straighten out the walls.
I was then thinking about floorboards and doors when I realised something. There is no chimney in the plans!
I've decided to build a chimney on the opposite end of the house to the extension.
I was going to put it in the middle as that would make more sense for heating but that would block movement between the two sections unless it was really small and I want a fairy lage one.

20240728_185616.jpg
 
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