The Upholster.com Forum

General Upholstery Questions and Comments => General Discussion => Topic started by: Mojo on September 06, 2010, 05:35:13 pm

Title: Nice Going Dummy :)
Post by: Mojo on September 06, 2010, 05:35:13 pm
I thought yesterday that I would try out this new double welt foot so I went ahead and took off the standard foot and threw the welt foot on. I checked my needle clearance and it was perfect but I must have moved the dang thing as I was tightening it because when I hit the pedal......BANG....... It broke the needle.

No Biggie right ?? Wrong.  I went ahead and changed the needle and like a dummy broke the damn screw off in the needle bar. In order to gain access to the broken screw I had to remove the small thread guide and damn........I broke the head off that as well ( and I was unscrewing it ).

I had to get my dremel tool out and grind the screw out of the needle bar. I was extremely lucky as I never got into the threads and got the pieces of the old screw out. The other screw had just enough of the head left to where I could unscrew it with some needle nose pliers.

I was able to rob a screw off my old machine to get it up and working but will have to order two new screws. ( Hello Bob ). :)

The moral of the story is never use a large screwdriver and full force with your hand to tighten tiny screws. I learned my lesson. :)

Chris


Title: Re: Nice Going Dummy :)
Post by: Cheryl on September 06, 2010, 07:54:25 pm
Have you checked Harbor Freight for a  teeny tiny itsy bitsy torque wrench??   With the right adapter it could prevent such disgusting dilemmas in the future...
;)
Title: Re: Nice Going Dummy :)
Post by: fragged8 on September 07, 2010, 04:03:05 am
hey chris
you're keeping that nice guy in Toledo in a job   ;D
Title: Re: Nice Going Dummy :)
Post by: Mojo on September 07, 2010, 05:12:21 am
Thank God Bob has the patience of a Saint. He is so low key and easy going that typically when I call him
with a problem ( and am frustrated ) he can calm me down and get me back on track. :)

He is probably wondering if selling me a new machine was a good idea afterall. LOL....

Cheryl, I think I need to find one of those mini torque wrenches. Either that or start having my wife tighten the screws on the machine.

I think my problem is from working on cars and trucks for so many years I think everything is a 3/4 " bolt that needs 70 lbs of torque. :)

Chris
Title: Re: Nice Going Dummy :)
Post by: fragged8 on September 07, 2010, 02:48:44 pm
perhaps he should change his business name to

'Thank God Bob'

heheh
Title: Re: Nice Going Dummy :)
Post by: bobbin on September 07, 2010, 03:20:23 pm
Don't you just hate it when you go ahead and do something you know is fraught with peril and could have bad consequences if it goes wrong and then the worst case scenario presents itself?  You knew at the outset it was a dangerous thing, and you were right!

Last time for me was using a seam ripper and I used it with my hand in the way... sure enough! I jammed that sucker right into the pad on my thumb.  It really hurt... for a couple of days.  Why don't we ever remember these things?