Sometimes when you are sewing the fabric, you may find that the cloth or the clothes keep on being trapped under the table. This keeps on interrupting the flow of work. It may even break the needle if you do not stop to unhook it.
To avoid this problem, you have to make a drop in the sewing table. This is a simple exercise that can be carried out by anyone, so long as you know how to operate the carpenter’s tools.
So how does one make a drop? What are the tools required? Read on for more information.
The Tools Required
Before settling on the types of tools required, it is important to distinguish whether the table is made of wood or metal. This informs the choice of tools required to undertake the work. For our case, let us work with the wooden sewing table.
The tools required in this case are:
- A drill.
- Glue.
- Jigsaw having its blade on.
- Wood screws and
- A sander
Step By Step Guideline
On the table, mark out where you will build the drop
Carefully identify that point on the table where you will create the table. Place the top of the machine on the table and make an outline of it too.
Make some drawings by the use of a pencil or a marker pen. The outline should be in the shape of the sewing head of the machine.
Remember to provide some little extra space when drawing the outline. This is to avoid squeezing it while fitting it into the slot on the table.
Make a hole on the table by use of a drill
Take a drill and make a hole on the marked outline. The hole should be large enough to accommodate both the jigsaw and its blade. When the hole is done, put aside the drill and work with the jigsaw blade.
Cut along the marked outline being conscious of the marked outline. If you cut a hole larger than the outline, it will be difficult for the machine to fit.
It is better to cut a small hole since you can always adjust the size. Having a larger hole will be difficult to rectify since it is difficult to patch up the wood. This point requires a lot of care to be observed.
At every step of cutting, please confirm to see if the machine fits. It should be able to fit including its cables. You can always adjust the cutting until it fits perfectly.
Always remember to make an adjustment with a lot of care so that you avoid making holes larger than required.
Construct the base
The base is instrumental in holding the machine in position. Take the correct measurement of the machine’s high and with so as to build a stable base.
Where you need the head to sink in deep, you will need to attach some wooden blocks to the table. This exercise can be done with the use of glue.
Now attach the wooden base using the glue and use the screws to fasten the relevant places. Make the attachment as firm as possible since the machine head is quite heavy.Give it sufficient time for the glue which you had used to attach the wooden blocks to dry. The glue is also used to attach the wooden base across the entire length and width of the table.
You need smooth edges
By use of sandpaper or any other element that can smoothen the table, remove those rough edges on top of the table. These edges can tear your fabric when sewing it. Such irregular shapes arise when you are cutting and drilling the hole.
Attach the machine to the drop
Since you are done with building, not attach the entire sewing machine to the table. The table should perfectly cover the bottom of the sewing head such that it should be seen as a continuation.
How do you insert bobbin to a drop in case?
The procedure is easy, and anyone with the knowledge of sewing can insert it. Here are the steps to follow when doing the insertion:
- Raise the needle. It should be at its highest position. To do this, rotate the hand-wheel towards where you are. Having the needle in the highest point provides enough space to make all the adjustments.
- Remove the bobbin cover plate. Push the release button to the right, and it will pop up. That will allow you to remove the cover with a lot of ease.
- Insert the bobbin. Make sure that it can rotate in an anticlockwise when you pull the thread. Test the system before you lock it down. If you do not make it work well at this stage, then it might cause a lot of sewing problems. The bobbin can unthread and rotate in a clockwise direction.
- Pull the thread through the slot on the bobbin, then to the left. Confirm if it rotates in the counterclockwise direction. Note how the thread behaves before you close it up. The bobbin usually has two slots, A and B. The thread should first come out through slot A.
- Hold the bobbin with your finger, gently but firmly. Pull the thread towards the left side until it stops at slot B. From there, pull it down towards the presser foot, and it should go through the back of the machine. Make sure that the thread reaches all the points before completing the task.
- Put back the bobbin cover plate to seal it.
- Test run the sewing machine to see if it functions properly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why should the table have smooth edges?
If it has rough edges, it may tear the fabric when you are sewing. You will need a piece of sandpaper to clear all the rough patches from the drop table.
The rough edges come bout when drilling or cutting through the wood. Apart from tearing the fabric, it can also cause some harm to the user, especially to the hand.
A smooth surface will allow the cloth to move freely and softly over the table. In the end, you will have a quality product for yourself or even your client.
How best is a drop bobbin?
For a beginner, it offers much easier lessons. It is easy to work with this kind of bobbin, especially when sewing for the first time. The modern types of drop bobbins are better than the old generation ones.
The new ones provide a better stitch quality, and they are also easy to thread. Anyone can operate it!
What is the importance of a drop feed system?
It makes the sewing to be fast and seamless. The needle plunges in and out of the fabric to make a stitch. It also moves the fabric along the line of the needle.
A drop feed system can also aid in the stitching of the embroidery patterns.
Unlike other types of feed systems, the drop one also saves a lot on the usage of the thread.
Conclusion
Making the head is not as complicated as it may seem to be. If you deploy the correct tools and the right woodwork knowledge, it won’t be difficult.
It is important to make appropriate measurements before building. This will help save you the trouble of building a wrong sized drop. Give it a try.
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Taisha personally working at home in sewing, embroidery machine & Others. She created this blog to share her experience.