Printed Sewing Machine Parts Extend Singer’s Line

[Grow Your Own Clothes] had finally found their ideal sewing machine for doing zig-zag (/ / / ) stitches and converting to a pedal (mechanical foot) drive – a Singer 411G. This is a well-respected workhorse of a machine, and if you see one in a thrift store, you might want to grab it. The only problem is that its multi-step zig-zag stitch is 4-step and not 3-step, that’s what [GYOC] favorite. After hearing that it was possible to hack them by doing a step in 3, [GYOC] set about learning Tinkercad and developing their own sewing machine parts.

So, once upon a time, sewing machines didn’t just do a bunch of things out of their boxes. They needed a set of plastic cams to make different stitches, much like swapping out the item or disk in a typewriter to print in italics. While most machines still have interchangeable feet for different needs and special pieces for sewing things like buttonholes, most servants now have decorative stitches and their built-in cams.

The 3-step zig-zag camera was just the start. [GYOC] decided to make a few more parts before their Tinkercad knowledge wore off: a needle adapter with an improved design, tension sprockets for a different machine, and a few buttonhole patterns to make different sizes with a buttonhole. Although they don’t give the files away for free, all of these parts are available for a fairly low price in their Shapeways store.

Got an old machine you don’t know what to do with? Try to convert it to a computerized embroidery machine.

Thanks for the advice, [Raphael]!