J Miller

Just some observations about presser feet if anyone is interested.

Sometimes I've had to buy new presser feet for my machines. Some of them have come to me with the bottoms of the feet just chewed by the feed dogs. Some can be polished down, others have to be replaced.

I got my last Sew Classic order yesterday. I had ordered some of the generic low shank ZZ feet with the curled up toes and one high shank one too. They looked really good, fit OK and worked good too. I had a magnet handy for something and started checking the feet.

A lot of them were made from aluminum or some other non ferrous metal. Some of them had steel feet with aluminum shanks. Some had steel shanks with aluminum feet. And some had an aluminum shank with the feet made from some alloy that just barely attracted the magnet.
Then there were some that were genuine steel that about jumped at the magnet.
Visually, you can't tell them apart. They are all chrome plated and look nice.

I just hope the aluminum and bi-metal ones last as long as the steel ones.

At least you can see the plastic ones and ignore them if you want to.

Joe

J Miller

43 views and no comments. I guess I was right, nobody is interested.

J e

amyjo

I guess we just didn't take the time to reply Joe. I was wondering about those myself. Need to find a walking foot for my one machine. the 15-91. thought I had one that fit, but off a bit.

sweet

I haven't had any problems with the feet I have. One thing new that you mentioned is that I have never heard of feet being scratched up by the dogs. Interesting. The metal combinations seem to be in our future, hope they work out for you.

J Miller

All of the chewed up feet were on older machines. They looked like somebody had run the machine with the presser foot down on the feed dogs for an extended period of time. And they are all steel feet.
That's why I was curious about the aluminum ones.

I have a 1/4" foot with the little spring guide on the side I got a couple months ago. I've used it enough that the plating is wearing off the bottom already. So .......

Joe

Caroline S

I always keep a scrap of cloth under the presser foot of my old girls. Every sewing machine manual warns you not to run the machine unless there is material under the presser foot. I never thought about presser feet being made of anything other than steel.

J Miller

I've been taking two pieces of denim and cutting on piece smaller than the other. Then I center the small piece in the large piece, fold the edges of the larger piece over the smaller piece and sew them together. It makes a perfect cushion for the presser foot.

Joe

jaciqltznok

hahah...I think everyone ran to their machines with a magnet to try their feet....I know I did..I have hundreds of them here for many different machines....can't beat the OLD feet...

J Miller

Day before yesterday we did an experiment with our Dial 'N Sew machine and one of the new feet. The D'NS machine uses high shank feet and I'd bought a ZZ foot to try because the toes really curl up out of the way. The toes on the original foot are almost flat by comparison.
I sat and watched as my wife sewed a couple shopping bags. That curled toe foot glided up and over the seams and multi layer joints like they were not there.

It is aluminum, and I'm hoping it lasts.

Joe

May in Jersey

Thanks for this idea Joe. I had never thought to protect my machines this way. May in Jersey