Ray White Student on Day Four

Ray White Class Friday

I left the camera at the class room today.  So, I don't have any photos from  today.  We were all very, very intent and purposeful.  Yesterday, our first day on our own, was filled with laughter and excitement.  Today, we were more serious.  Certainly I accomplished more.  Since I knew what to do to check out the Beige and Maroon Elna Supermatic today I set right to that task.  The "flat" on its friction wheel was not as pronounced on it as it was on the Green Elna.  Ray suggested that I just GENTLY  hold an emery board against the friction wheel at the proper angle and run the motor.  That would allow me to file the rubber down and eliminate the grinding noise.  Well, it did rather work.  I think it would be best to replace the friction wheel if I were to ever sew with that machine.

Ray White Class Day Two

Wendy Skinner of Sew Green

Wendy Skinner brought Ray to us and I am ever so grateful.  She also runs a non-profit organization Sew Green http://www.sew-green.org/.   Check out the website.  She has been mentioned in Threads the magazine, too.

RAY WHITE CLASS

Today was the first day of the Advanced session of the Ray White Sewing Machine
Repair class. Betsy and her sister, Peg arrived.  Now I had two great and wonderful friends on my vacation with me.   I worked on an Elna Supermatic ALL DAY.  I should say that Ray helped me on the Elna all day.  But she stitches and now I am in love with this Elna.  The friction wheel  had a flat.  This is a common problem in Elna Supermatics  that have been sitting for a long time.  Now this should be a simple fix.  And we headed into it thinking this was easy.   It looked pretty straightforward once I got the handwheel off.  BUT, this was the FIRST time that Ray has ever had to move the motor down and out of the way to replace that friction wheel.  He did it and when he was pushing the roll pin out (not the one that holds the friction wheel, the other one), it came out in two pieces.  WRONG.  That told us that someone had been in that machine and just replaced that roll pin with the two pieces.  So I went to AutoZone today and bought a combo kit of various pieces because it looked like the roll pin included might fit and well, it was good enough.  So the machine stitches and one day I will tell you the whole story.  Tonight,  I am posting this one picture.

Ok well maybe two pictures:

Tom and I were working on the same machine.  A green Elna Supermatic.  His was a mess electrically, even popping the circuit breaker when he plugged it in.  Tom is an amazing electrician and he got that thing up and running.  But he had to take the bottom off to do so.  Well I had to take the bottom off of my machine too.  And we both made the SAME mistake.  We screwed the bottom back in UPSIDE DOWN.  Oh you should have been there.  I laughed and laughed so hard at my error, but then when Ray caught Tom doing the same thing well, I almost wet my pants.

Oh friends who love sewing machines, this is a blast.  We are all there working and playing and laughing and joking.  Poor Ray, I accused him of taking my light and bless his heart he just handed his over to me.  Then, at lunch, when I took off my apron, I found my light.  I had to eat crow then.  THEN, he had been missing his handy little HUSKY convertible screw driver.  Guess where it was? tucked away with my tools in my bin there (the one with the Frack button on it).  This is a great man and generous with his knowledge and his time.  He knows so much and is so practical about sewing machine repair.  I am truly a lucky woman today.

 Finally!!! After two days of listening and observing and cleaning and oiling and greasing  we were able to actually STITCH.  My SINGER 338 had a very nice ss and the tension was perfect.  How did I know? I sewed a test stitch on the diagonal of some woven light colored fabric , at 8 spi, with CHEAP white thread (EXCEL).  When I pulled on the fabric, the thread did not break. Oh, yes, the stitch looked quite beautiful as well.  The ZZ was another story but with tweaking the tension a bit I was able to get it PRETTY GOOD.

We also learned how to set the tension at the factory setting.  The stitch was very nice at  the number 3.  But my tension dial has a range from 0 -9.  Five would be about in the middle and would indicate a well balanced test stitch on lightweight woven fabric.  I wanted my dial to read 5 in this circumstance.  On the 338 it was a simple task.

First I loosened the set screw in the tension stud nut.

Then I removed the insert.

Making sure that the tension stud does not move,  I turned the number dial to the desired setting, in this case five, tightened the nut gently, replaced the silver insert and tightened the set screw.

 

 Beautiful

Since this machine was all ready, I got out my latest acquistion, a 301a.  I promptly forgot everything I had learned in the previous two days.  I lost a screw, bound up the machine, over oiled and greased it and basically did everything wrong.  Still, I got the machine sewing, even if it does have a very annoying high pitched hum.  Ray immediately thought it was gear noise but when he came over to help me and sat down at the machine, the noise stopped.  Magic.  We figured it was dry somewhere and the lubricant finally reached the dry spot.  Despite that theory, the machine still screeches and I know I could never stand sewing on it.  I think I have to go back to that machine and try to figure out if it really is a gear noise.  I think it is.

This is Ray and Jae working on her black ( I am jealous) 301.  It had a bent needle bar.

It would bind up in a certain position, but then would release and be ok for a bit.  Lapping compound did the trick.  I did not know what lapping compound was until today.  It is a very fine grit powder that will reshape metal but grinding away at the metal where you place the powder.  First put a drop of oil on the area and then a very small amount of lapping compound.  then start working it in .  It will wear away the high spot, in this case the very slight bend in the needle bar.  It worked.  By the end of the day, Jae was stitching with her 301 that she thought was a goner.  That is my screecher in the background, behind Jae.

Speaking of goners.......  Andrea brought a really pretty White into class to fix the stitch length.  it would only take small, tiny, stithes.  After an afternoon of trying to adjust the stitch length, she declared the White a goner.  I got the motor.  Who knows if I can use it?

It is really too sad,  that is such a pretty machine.

Well I have my certificate from Ray and tomorrow I start in the advanced class.  We are already talking about having him come back next year.  I hope so.  I love this kind of vacation.  But I would like it if it were in the summer.  Ithaca is a lovely city, but the traffic is pretty intense. 

Ray White Class

I actually also video taped Ray explaining timing.  That helped me finally understand this concept.

We covered feed dog timing and hook timing and all the things that look like a timing problem but really are not a timing problem.   Needles, needle position,  bobbins, bobbin cases, thread, bobbin winding, did I mention needles?  Ray really likes Tri Flow as the only lubricant. Too much oil is worse than not enough oil.   Grease on gears and no grease is necessary on plastic gears (which Ray does not think are bad at all.  Some, of course are better than others) and if the machine sounds better after putting Tri flow grease on some plastic gear(s) well then, ok.  He is an advocate of compressed air from a compressor for cleaning the inside of the machine to blow out the lint and loose stuff.  ALWAYS TURN THE HANDWHEEL TOWARD YOU when working on a machine.  ALWAYS CHECK THE MACHINE BY HAND BEFORE  ANYTHING ELSE.  DO NOT GET OUT THE TOOLS UNTIL THE MACHINE TURNS FREELY.  Lube it up first, then start with the simple stuff.  The simplest is the needle.

More tomorrow.  I need my rest .

Ray White Class

This is a lovely lamp in my room at Frog's Way Bed and Breakfast in Ithaca, NY's very own Ecovillage.  The gourds were grown on this land and the lamp is hand crafted.  I love it.

BUT  not as much as I  LOVE LOVE LOVE being here at the RAY WHITE SEWING MACHINE CLASS.  Today's lessons: Ray's method of learning about sewing machine repair,  tools, needles and thread which of course must include tension. One of the first things Ray said to us  was something his first instructor told him, " You know nothing about repairing machines"  And he was right.  He taught me so much today that I will never look at another machine the same way.  There is a true system and he is very methodical about his approach.   At three thirty we finally got to get our hands into a machine.  ONLY for observational purposes.  I learned to locate the feed dog adjusting cam and corresponding set screw  on the 338 and probably many other machines.  I also found the  zz needle swing adjustment worm gear and corresponding set screws.   I had to put the machine all back together and head out the door at 5:00 sharp so that I could find my way up here to Rachel Carson Way.  I met Elan Shapiro, my host, and settled in to my room.  Then back downtown (only 3 miles or less) for dinner with Andrea, Jae and Ray himself.  We ate at the Moosewood Cafe and talked sewing machines OF COURSE. 

A Master and his students

 I am in HEAVEN.  My class mates have traveled from as far away as Michigan and as close as Ithaca itself.   I was late.  I got a bit lost, having failed to enter the correct address into the Garmin.  But I arrived just in time to introduce myself, but had missed the rest of the introductions.  Our classroom is in a former storage space for Sew Green.  Wendy Skinner, of Sew Green, told me that just 36 hours previously they had cleared out the stored items and prepared the classroom.  What a BOAT load of work that must have been.

More tomorrow. I wish everyone could take this class. If you love sewing machines and love to tinker then this class is just perfect for you.  Go to Ray's website http://www.whitesewingcenter.com/index.php to find out more.

How many sewing machines does it take?????

  

There are seven sewing machines in the car.  I cracked the 338's case when I was putting the seats up.  No worries, I used lock tite and it is all ok now, but I use a strap around the whole machine just in case (do you think that is a pun??)  I am supposed to bring functioning machines.  Technically the machines all function, not necessarily correctly.  Honestly I have not tried the 206.  I had wanted to toss (I use that term figuratively since it weighs 30 + pounds) in the Riccar.  No room.  Unless I want to wear the same clothes all week.

This exercise was very good for me.  I have my tools organized and condensed.  The shop looks much better, now too.  I think it is time to start working on the cabinets.

I sold a machine last week and sent a cabinet along with it.  I got a phone call today and learned that the machine is working very well.  And the buyer wants to come over and have me teach her how to service her own machines.  She has more than two.  I can't wait to see what she has!!!!  I bet she catches this affliction.  OOHH LA LA.

More blogging from class all week.  I know I will learn so much.

Packing for class

I plan to take eight sewing machines with me to class next week.  There they are, seven of the eight.  I still have to pack up the 401a.

I may just throw the Riccar in as well.  I would rather have too many machines, than not enough.  None of these machines are as filthy as the Lotus.  Oh well, maybe the 206 is .  The new 301 is very clean, but the motor sounds sluggish.   

I tried to organize my tools.  We all know how challenged I am in that regard.  (for new viewers refer to previous posts).

I used a 301 out in the shop to make a roll up for my picks and tweezers.  I used old jeans and just threw it together.  Very functional.  But not at all pretty.

I used Irene to make a much nicer one for the pliers and scissors.  That was a fun little project.  I love to treadle.

Room for a couple more tools....

And I love Irene.  She just sailed right through that denim.  Not like the plastic machines of these days.  I don't mind that she doesn't have back tack.  I would not want to make a big project on her for that very reason.  Still, she makes a very nice stitch and I am getting much better at treadling.

Getting ready for Class

I am getting ready to go to class next week.  Liquid Wrench is not allowed.  Ok  i can live with that.  After all I am anti fracking......

I have been waiting for this class for about six months and here it is less than a week away.  I will be blogging from Ithaca, complete with photos from class, and maybe one from the Moosewood Cafe.  I am such an old wanna be hippie.

Watch for more fun postings as we all learn from a master.....