The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-07-27
How to Manage" Sowing Ma
chimes.

10 the average manufacturer.
whose business does not JUSTIFY the
keeping of an expensive expert, there
is no piece of machinery that gives
SO mnch trouble and annoyance as
the sewing machine. Very few men
haye patience enough to wrestle with
one of them if it happens to be re-
tractory. This ingenious and indis-
pensable piece of mechanism, like
most ether things, is docie and tract
able, however, when in the hands
of one who understands it. Not long
ago a Philadelphia merchant essayed
to adjust his wife's sewing machine
After working short time he became
interested. He passed from that
state of mind by regular stages to
agitation, disgust, and to towering
rage. The result was grand denoue-
ment with an ak and succession of
vigorous strokes.
The great trouble about amateur
tinkering with sewing machine 10
that too much is done. When any
portion of the mechanism fails, it is
usually for some trifliDg cause. Two
or three little faults will make com.
bination calculated to prove intense
ly exasperating. The first endeavor
then should be to find out just what
is the matter, In this sort Of doctor.
ing, as in the science of medicine.
the first, and by far the most difficult,
thing is diagnosis. Having formed
reasonable theory of cause and eff
feet, proceed with your remedy, and
if trial shows your Judgment to
have been defective, undo or replace
the part altered before going any
further. To belin with, one thing
may be wrong which escapes your
notice. Hence each time you make
a change, the difficulty IS in conse-
queuce multiplied. To become mas.
ter of the art of repairing sewing
machine, it is requisite to understand
the principles upon~which the stitch
is formed and the work fed. Little
manual skill is needed. The parts
are made by machinery. ard are in
Interchangeable, obviating the necessity
for filing and fitting. Any observing
and competent foreman or woman
of a fitting or stitching room can
learn to repair the modern sewing
machine.
The breaking of silk or needles and
skipping Of stitches can be remedied
nine times out of ten in q few mo-
ments by turning screw. or adjust
ing some part that has become dis
placed. If the needle is dull, or bent,
or sharp in the eye, discard it at once
and try again. If your machine
breaks the silk, examine the broken
end and determine whether it was cut
or torn, also measure the end down
from the take-up, SO as to decide
at what point in the revelation
the trouble occurred. Turn the
wheel slowly and watch the silk
pass around the shuttle, and see
that every part touched is smooth
and clean. Many times machine
can be made to resume its good be-
havior by simply taking out needle
and shuttle, giving it thorough
cleaning and oiling. without loosen.
ing or disturbing the adjustment,
and then starting afresh. Ofcourse,
these machines occasionally defy for
time the best efforts of experts; but
in very many cases they will readily
yield to gentle treatment.
In the various fabrics on which
machine is used there is quite d.
versity in the thickness and charac-
ter of the work required Frequent.
ly a machine working badly on one
branch can be easily coaxed into per-
forming valua ole service in another.
1t is good plan for every one hav-
ing the care of sewing machines run
by steam power to occasionally lu-
bricate the points Of greatest wear,
such as the take up cam, for instance,
with heavy oil, meanwhile keeping
each supplied with oil OF lighter dem
slty for daily use. Wheel feed ma
chimes are always more expensive to
keep III repair than the drop or step
feeds, and hence should never be
used when the latter will answer the
purpose just as well.-Shoe and
Leather Reporter.