Serger

[SteveA]

Lucky estate sale purchase Saturday.  Don't know what I'll do with it - I can't make drapes or slip covers.  I'm dreading the learning curve but could not refuse the price with 10 rolls of thread. It was marked $ 50.00 and they sold it to me for $ 20.00 because there was no plug with it and I couldn't test it.  I took a chance.  My Wife went back to the sale the next day and found the plug with the foot petal - they didn't charge her.  Only one time I made arm covers and just made a 1/4 inch hem on the edge and it worked fine so not sure how I can incorporate this into the arsenal.
Do many of you use this kind of machine and if so please tell me some goods points why I have this -
SA

[baileyuph]

Have one?   Yes

Use it?   absolutely!  There are so many thin fabrics today and they FRAY!

Comment: You have a 4-spool

Mine is a 3-spool Baby Loc and very well made. 

Baby Loc now makes a 8 - spool with a long throat; Cost over $1600 because that is what the standard throat sold for.  The 8 spool is used for very decorative requirements (example - fancy quilting).

You have what the typical upholster would ever need.

Doyle

[baileyuph]

by the way, that Singer is strong as iron.  Years ago, it was the machine a lot of furniture used (the walking foot actually came out to meet auto and marine canvas workers).

There are many feet available for this machine.  Japan made a console copy of the Singer and
I have it.  There are fabrics that are too thin to run through a compound walking foot machine.

Lucky You!

Doyle

[65Buick]

Serging is fun. Threading is really not that big of a deal.
Why do you have it? Only time will tell.

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

What brand of serger is it?  I bought a Juki that I can actually do a 5 thread overlock with.  Only stitch I can do involves 3 stitches and it worked well the couple of times I did it.  I was supposed to work at our local "Buckle" for 6-8 weeks while their alteration spet was out for knee surgery.  One day a week.  Mostly hems but some actual alterations.  At the Buckle you don't cut off the existing hem, you cut material off about 1/4 inch above the existing hem.  serge the two pieces together, press and then narrowly top stitch.  If done correctly, you can hardly see the top stitching.  That's where I fell in love with serging as the knife clips off any unevenly cut fabric while serging.  Fabulous! 

One of my retirement goals is to become better friends with my Juki.  I have a book with small projects you can make which is supposed to make you serger friendly.

[sofadoc]

I have 300 choir seats to do. I serged the bottom so I don't have to staple any kind of bottom cloth on the bottom of the seats.

[65Buick]

Sofa: nice idea. 300? That'll keep you busy for awhile.

[gene]

I have two sergers.

One serger I use to serge the edge of thin, loose weave, or stretchy fabrics. I don't do this very often but it's great to have when you need it.

I will occasionally serge the edge of arm guards so I don't need to sew in a hem, if the serger thread looks great. I had a fully upholstered chair with cream colored fabric and a secondary green fabric used for the welt cord. Serging the arm guards with green thread really looked kool.

If I want to sew gathered fabric, I use the differential on my serger to serge the fabric. This is an awesome time saver. Instead of sewing on elastic banding, I can sometimes use the differential to gather the fabric.

One my second serger, I don't have any thread in it. I run all my welt cord through the serger to cut a perfect 1/2" lip. I know this is an extra step but this is how I was taught and I do it out of habit. I never have to worry about not having straight lines on my cushions.

gene

[MinUph]

Oh Boy!
  Now I'm going to have to look for a serger. I haven't used one in 30+ years but remember going next door and using the girls there for big pieces of fabric. All these other ideas sound cool also.

[SteveA]

Mine is a Toyota Differential SL-1T.  The last owner was using it with one needle and three spools just doing a rolled edge.  I want to get it going with all the stops.  Difficult to get parts - I was finally able to track down the Asian Co. and order a new thread stand that was cracked - from Aisin Seiki Co, here in the States.  No where else on line was I able to find parts. 
What is the differential adjustment - Gene you mentioned it briefly could you expand ?   Doc your machine looks like the one I'd rather have - battleship ready - not too much plastic -
SA

[sofadoc]

Mine is a Toyota Differential SL-1T.  The last owner was using it with one needle and three spools just doing a rolled edge.  I want to get it going with all the stops.  Difficult to get parts - I was finally able to track down the Asian Co. and order a new thread stand that was cracked - from Aisin Seiki Co, here in the States.  No where else on line was I able to find parts. 
What is the differential adjustment - Gene you mentioned it briefly could you expand ?   Doc your machine looks like the one I'd rather have - battleship ready - not too much plastic -
SA

I don't use the second needle in mine either. I did at first, but the "safety stitch" created by the second needle seemed to serve no purpose for me.

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

I really like the cutter (knife) doing its thing.  I'm excited to finally (in a few months) have the time to learn how to use my serger.  I also have a long arm that I've never gotten anywhere with.  The gentleman who services my industrial machine said he would work with me on the long arm.

I use my domestic (Bernina) for sewing, embroidery and quilting.  I purchased two different types of rulers/templates so I can do most of what you see on quilts entered into shows.  I'm currently quilting a t-shirt quilt that I've made for my oldest brother.  It measures 106 x 106 and it's doable on the Bernina but cumbersome.  Would be much easier on the long arm if we were friendlier for each other.

Retirement fun ... I can hardly wait.  82 days and counting.

Virginia

[Mojo]

We bought a new Juki serger last year from Toledo Bob. I used it once and then let Ingrid deal with it. All I know is it is a heavy duty 5 thread model that will sew several layers of acrylic and will sew with V92 thread. It sure as hell wasn't cheap.

Ingrid has been using sergers since she was a teenager doing alterations and dress making. What I know about serges you could fit into a thimble. It is essentially her machine. I stay clear of it. She knows sergers inside and out. I know enough to stay away from it.

Paul, if you want to stop by the shop and take it for a test run, help yourself.

Mojo

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

My main issue with sergers and clothing is that any more seams are serged rather than sewn with a conventional sewing machine.  Serged seams, when they tear, generally lose the entire seam whereas a conventionally sewn seam will just pop 3 or 4 stitches.  I can see using them for hemming drapes and so forth but any seam that is going to be torqued, like center seams in clothing, need to be sewn more securely.

[MinUph]

So if anyone see a serger for cheap let me know please? I know nothing about them and don't know how much it would be used so I don't want to spend alot on one. Someone has one sitting and collecting dust in a give away kinda mood. :)