Machine Fitter Career Guide and Counseling

Question: How do I find out which type of sewing machine will fit in my used sewing cabinet? I recently found a great deal on an older (1960's) sewing cabinet at a thrift store (solid wood in excellent shape with drawers!). It didn't come with a machine, but appeared to be able to accept a most machines. So I got it and brought it home, hoping to take the machine I have in an older cabinet out. However, I found that the older machine (1950's?) will not fit in my new cabinet. (It mounted differently and was too short.) I plan to sell my old machine and cabinet at a yard sale, and want to find out what kind of machine I need to look for to work with my new cabinet. Instead of having a place for a standard rectangular base, it has more like an "L". The machines I have seen in the stores recently don't match this. I love the cabinet and want to find the correct machine to fit it so I can use it for my hobby sewing. Any help you would give me on this would be great. Thanks!

Answer: I bought an older (probably 80's) solid wood cabinet and wanted to adapt it to my new machine. It had a spring-loaded manual lift in it. My BF took out the old lift and base platform. He put in an airlift from Rockler woodworking supply (like the ones in the Horn cabinets you can buy) and made a rectangle platform for the machine to sit on. Then I ordered an acrylic insert to fit around the bed of my machine from http://www.dreamworld-inc.com/ that fit perfectly. The guy at Dreamworld was very helpful, if you measure the opening in your cabinet, perhaps they could tell you what maker your cabinet is or how to adapt it for what machine you want. Good Luck!

Question: The water stays cold in my new 'cold feed' Washing Machine, is this normal? I have bought a new washing machine ( A Whirlpool AWo/D AS148) it has a cold water feed only as most of them now do. On washing clothes (on any cycle) if feel the front the water doesnt seem to warm up, also if i open the door as soon as the wash has finished i can feel the clothes are stone cold. Why? I thought the machine heated the water to the required temperature. This has really confused me. Is my machine fitted wrongly or broken or is this normal?

Answer: Yes. The washing machine does (or at least should) heat the water to the requested temperature. Mind you, the rinse cycle uses cold water.

Question: I need to know what rights I have with a faulty Brandt washing machine under a year old? I had a Brandt washing machine fitted with a new kitchen - it developed a fault which was reported on 3rd February - it still has not been repaired & I have now asked for a new machine, but they still want me to accept a repair. Wht rights do I have?

Answer: Thinking back to my days as a volunteer at the Citizen's advice bureau..... It is best that you are seen to be giving the seller a fair opportunity to fix the machine before insisting on a replacement or your money back. (If you took them to court now the judge may decide that you have been unreasonable by not allowing for a repair to be made.) I would be inclined to write to them explaining that you will give them the opportunity to repair the machine (give them a time limit of no more than 2 weeks) but that you do so on the understanding that if the repair is not successfully completed within this time frame that you will be insisting on a new replacement or a full refund. Send the letter recorded delivery, first class. After this, you would be perfectly entitled to take them to a small claims court demanding a full refund.

Question: Answer for a new washing machine pipe fitting problem? Servis Machine delivered today but looks like it fits only hot or cold tap, not both! We have plumbed it into hot, done a wash, but after spinning, the clothes are lifted out very warm. (prob due to hot water rinse). Is this normal, or should we plumb her into cold. Answers greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone, you have all been so helpful. I wouldnt have done anything special in the hot wash, until i checked it out. Changing it over later 2night. xox

Answer: you have connected it to the wrong supply. trust me i am an engineer. the machine that you have is a cold fill only. it has an onboard heater which will bring the cold water up to the temp that that is needed for the setting that you have selected.

Question: What type of needles fit an old Singer 99k sewing machine? I am looking to buy some needles for denim sewing. The ones that I have found say that they are Flat sided Standard Fit 130/705H. Will they fit my 1927 machine? I have looked at the current needle and one side is straight, I am not sure if this means it is flat sided. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I plan to use the machine quite alot and need to know what to buy. Thanks.

Answer: Yup. It's what I use in mine. AKA Singer 2020 or 15x1 needle system. Size 10 for lightweight fabrics, like a light shirting, 12 for heavier shirtings and light skirt/pantsweight, 14 for pantsweight, 16 for heavy denims, coatings, etc. Have you got a manual for it? If not, go here for a free downloadable: http://www.singerco.com/accessories/manuals.html

Question: Anybody know of a washing machine that is about 56cm wide? It's for my mum who is 88 and does not the kitchen knocked about but her old washing machine that fit in the gap has broken. Can't seem to find one that isn't 59/60 cm wide. Normal height please not a draining board one. UK only I've looked at most of the main sites but there are hundreds to look at and click on to find the measurements - just wondered if anybody knew of one before I get mouseclicker finger!

Answer: have a look on the argos website and on Comet and curry's website......they give measurements. I'll take a wee look.........brb EDIT............ i think your out of luck.....they seem to start at 59.5cm and upwards.

Question: Question to PLUMMERS about fitting a washing machine? I know that to fit a washing machine you need to take out the hot and cold water supply from the old machine, but first you need to disconnect the hot and cold valves. The problem that i have is that when we disconnect the cold tap,even though the cold valve is turned off water keeps gushing out, ... Does this mean the valve is not working and why would that be? As a female this is the minimum of my plumming knowledge...lol Thanks folks!

Answer: All right ... everybody take a deep breath ... Let's think of this as a force of nature. To begin with, whenever you change out a washing machine (etc), the first order of "bidness" is to (1) find the main water shut-off for the entire house & close that valve. It is NOT necessary, nor even POSSIBLE in most cases to turn off the existing "cheap-o" cutoffs behind the old washine machine. They tend to "freeze up" with mineral deposits within a couple of years. Lever-type handles should be turned diagonal to (or 90 degrees from) the direction of the piping rather than in-line with piping to stop the flow. "Wheel-type" handles turn clockwise to close .. counter-clockwise to open. (2) Understand that in stopping flow to the entire house supply you also turn off the HOT water supply at the same time. BUT - even with the main water source cut off, there will still be a certain amount of municipal or well system water PRESSURE remaining in the lines .. usually at least 40 lbs. or so, that can be relieved by opening another tap around the house somewhere. I prefer a tub valve, or even better, an outside hose bibb ... something "lower" than the connections at the washing machine location. Note: If your house is 2-Story, consider that there may be considerably more water line that has to drain down before the flow stops. When there is no more water draining back at your "relief source", you can then safely remove the hoses from the old machine. Also, IF the hoses are still in good shape, simply reconnect them to the NEW machine. (But it's usually best to replace the old hoses at the same time you replace the machine.) Another note: If you have particularly hard water, you may have a bit of debris in the lines when you turn the main supply back on ... dislodged as a result of it breaking up inside the main valve itself. That sandy deposit can clog the screens you'll find in each of the hoses, and should be cleaned out of the screens before you reconnect. If you're feeling industrious, you can also have a helper turn the main valve on and off a few times while you leave your relief source open to blow it through. Just make sure you have the hoses reconnected to the new washing machine first. (3) When you're done, turn the whole-house valve back on (slowly, to allow for gentle refill of the piping, rather than a sudden "burst" of pressure), and check for leaks. Small leaks can be dealt with by tightening the fittings without having to shut everything down all over again. Good Luck. Have confidence. You can do it ..... we can help.

Question: I have a bread machine but I lost the manual, do I change regular bread recipes to fit the machine? I want to make some bread. I would like to use my machine. Its a Webilt if that matters. I just need to know if the yeast measurement needs to be adjusted or if you do anything different compared to an oven?

Answer: The amount of yeast doesn't need to be adjusted. But, it must be put into the pan in a specific order. My recipes call for the active dry yeast last. For example Basic French Bread 1# loaf 3/4 c water 2 c unbleached flour 1 tsp. sea salt 1-1/2 tsp. active dry yeast place ingredients in loaf pan in listed order. you should be able to download the manual from the manufactures web site.

Question: Can you tell me what parts will fit with my Kenmore model 158 sewing machine? I believe the needle that is currently on my machine has been there....forever! It still works, but I bet a new one would be better. I'm assuming that not every needle will fit with the machine, is there a specific type I should buy or look for? Also, I have recently started making rag quilts and although my machine suffices for making them, I feel like a walking foot would make a better looking finished product. What kind of walking foot would be compatible with this machine? Thanks!

Answer: 1) Go to http://www.sears.com and look for "parts". Enter the entire model number (which will be of the form 123.456789) and get a manual and, if they have it, a parts diagram of this machine. You need to maintain your machine... clean and oil it (if required) regularly. My machine gets at least a minor cleaning every time I sit down to use it. Needles need to be changed every 6-8 hours of needle use time. Machines used regularly need a deep cleaning, oiling and adjustment, usually professional, about every year -- especially when used on linty fabrics like flannel. Read your manual and do the maintenance. 2) The needles you want are plain old 130/705H needle system, aka 15x1H, sold in any fabric store, sewing machine repair shop and even places like Walmart and grocery stores. Buy a decent brand, like Schmetz, Organ, Klasse, Groz-Beckert. Size of needle depends on what you're sewing. For a couple of layers of shirt weight fabric, about a size 10, maybe 12. For light pantsweight, 12. For heavy pantsweight, 14. For a rag quilt, minimally 14, more likely 16. Sharps for wovens, ballpoint for knits. Specialty needles are available for tasks like quilting or embroiderying with metallic threads. All home sewing machines for the last 40+ years have used this needle system. 3) You may not need a walking foot once you've gotten your machine cleaned up, tuned up, and fresh, appropriate needles (changed promptly!) in it. If you decide you want one, take the zigzag foot off the current machine to a sewing machine dealer and they can find you an appropriate generic foot. Chances are it'll be a short shank. Please do yourself a favor and do a little reading on sewing machine care. Your local library can get you the following books -- chances are at least one is on the shelf already: 1) John Giordano: The Sewing Machine Book 2) Gale Grigg Hazen: Owner's Guide to Sewing Machines, Sergers and Knitting Machines. 3) Carol Ahles: Fine Machine Sewing (first and last chapters)

Question: Do you remove the top off an INDESIT washing machine to fit a new door seal.? I need to fit an Indesit door seal to my washing machine.Do I remove the top or the front panel,or none at all.?

Answer: Hi, you can download the Indesit maintenance guide from this site, just click on the web address. http://www.kal.ie/contentv3/index.cfm?fuseaction=page&pageID=5953 Good luck. Sue. S

Question: My son has a flip out sofa that wont fit in the washing machine. What would be the to easiest way to clean it? It doesnt have any zippers or any way to take it apart to fit inside the washing machine. I was just wondering, apart from spraying it down with the waterhose, how else to clean it?

Answer: I would vacuum it as good as i could , then rent a steam cleaner with an attachment for furniture , clean it well , spray it with febreeze and then let it dry well for a day before using it again , : )

Question: We have just moved into a new house and the hose from our washing machine doesnt fit the drainage pipe? We have tried using a sping clip to tie it on but it still leaks water. Does anyone have any other suggestions

Answer: This is a quick fix. We had the same thing happen when we moved. We went to Home Depot and the guy who works the plumbing aisle was very helpful. We just changed the pipe size. Even my unhandy hubby was able to do it. Apparently is it a very common issue. Good luck!

Question: How can I fade an a comforter that's too large to fit in a washing machine? I'm a big fan of the "shabby chic" pallette--I really want fade this comforter until it's as uberpale as possible. Do dry cleaners provide fading services? The comforter is cotton and king sized. ihear tintex works--but it's used w/ a washing machine and my comfortr is much to large to fit .

Answer: You could try putting it outside in the sun. Depending on where you are and the material, it might fade pretty quickly.

Question: I have a Bosch Classixx 1200 Express washing machine. It builds up frequently with mold in the washing powder? My Bosch Classix 1200 Express washing machine frequently has a large amount of mold build up on the washing powder compartment. I use tablets. I cannont get rid of the mold as the compartment wont come out. Unless someone knows different. How do I get rid of this mold. The clothes smell after one wash. Have taken the drawer out and scrubbed but can't get to the top of the compartment. Please can anybody help. Could it be the way the machine has been fitted.

Answer: I have the same machine and the same problem. If you are using a concentrated Fabric Softener, this can encourage it, and so dilute this down in it's drawer with a little water. I find this helps. But, when it all gets TOO bad, I use a mould cleaner spray (as recommended to me when I asked the same question about 6months ago!!). I've found that 'Dettoll Mould and Mildew cleaner', sprayed into the compartment, and all around the drawer (remove the drawer to completely cover the area) and leave for recommended time, works fine. Before I do a wash I just run a rinse cycle through it to remove all traces of product. You'll be amazed.... But I don't know Why it happens, just how to treat it.

Question: Does a dishwasher use the same plumbing as a washing machine? Moving into a new flat and it has plumbing for a washing machine. Could I fit a dishwasher instead?

Answer: No it is different. You would have to make some modifications.

Question: My washing machine 'front loader electrolux' is leaking at the back where the water pipe fits into the machine? I have replaced the water pipe but it still leaks when machine is in operation and even worse when the machine is off. Any suggestions on repair men? Has anyone else had this problem? I've only had the machine for 3 yrs.

Answer: Where the water pipe is screwed in you will find a rubbery washer, it is usually black. This has probably compressed and hardened and may then be causing a leak. Replace that washer only. Screw the connector up tightly but do not over tighten as this will distort the connector and another leak will result. If you try the "plumbers tape" as well, it is called PTFE tape. Wrap that around the thread twice only and screw up the hose tightly.