How can I smooth out a rough needle hole on the throat plate?

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01-31-2016, 08:04 AM

#11

elnan

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Join Date: Oct 2012

Posts: 1,131

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatriciaPf

Both of these really got bashed repeatedly by needles over the years. (I have to wonder if the needles weren't secured tightly enough, or if the machine has a flaw and can't hold them).
Pat

Most likely, the needle was deflected by pulling or pushing on the fabric while sewing. Would it help or hurt if that hole turned out a bit larger after the smoothing work on it?

Cari-in-Oly and Annette in Utah, glad you posted links to tools. I need those, or at least one of them.

01-31-2016, 02:03 PM

#12

phansen

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Join Date: Jan 2016

Posts: 2

I like these diamond needle files
http://www.harborfreight.com/needle-...-pc-69876.html

Last edited by phansen; 01-31-2016 at 02:03 PM. Reason: spelling

01-31-2016, 09:27 PM

#13

Cari-in-Oly

Banned

Join Date: Aug 2014

Location: Victorian Sweatshop Forum

Posts: 4,096

Quote:

Originally Posted by phansen

I like these diamond needle files
http://www.harborfreight.com/needle-...-pc-69876.html

Another ha! I have a set of diamond fiddly bits for my dremel. Why don't I think of these things I already have? Probably because my stuff is scattered in different places since I don't have a garage or a shop. That's soon to be remedied.

Cari

02-01-2016, 12:50 AM

#14

steihy

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Join Date: Oct 2015

Posts: 82

Quote:

Originally Posted by elnan

Most likely, the needle was deflected by pulling or pushing on the fabric while sewing. Would it help or hurt if that hole turned out a bit larger after the smoothing work on it?

I agree about the cause.

The reason the needle hole is as small as possible, is mainly to avoid the needle pushing the material down, and get a clean entry. The hole should be as small as possible. That's one of the advantages of the SS only machine, and the reason we should dig out the extra throatplate that came with the ZZ machine, for SS. But if all things are done right - new needle and correct thread for the material, holding the thread tails when starting, etc - we usually don't have any problems sewing SS with the ZZ plate. And that hole is larger than the SS hole. Point is, I don't think we need to worry about widening the hole a little bit, it's much worse to leave sharp nicks and burrs. I'd be sceptical to opening it enough to avoid hits in the first place, though.

Thinner needles will deflect more easily, but the size is a given for the project. Then there's stiffness. I've read some people are concerned with needle quality, and choose needles for minimum flexibility. Organ is the brand mentioned often, but this is not something I have tested.

Last edited by steihy; 02-01-2016 at 12:56 AM.

02-01-2016, 06:33 AM

#15

Sewnoma

Super Member

Join Date: Jun 2012

Location: Sonoma County, CA

Posts: 4,299

Check beading supplies - look for a bead reamer. Very small, round file.

02-01-2016, 06:43 AM

#16

PatriciaPf

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Thread Starter

Join Date: Jan 2016

Location: NE Kansas

Posts: 71

I agree, too. The feed dogs on this machine don't look very "toothy", for want of a better term, nor do they rise very high. Maybe that is why the seamstress thought is necessary to pull on the fabric: It just didn't feed well. Has anyone noticed this as a problem with these Nationals? I won't know for sure until all the parts are installed.