Workshop series

We all need to feel comfortable in our spaces in order to be productive. I know I definitely do! I am lucky that I work from home AND love my job... how cool is that.

I don't have much space at all, so every little nook and cranny is important. I have several different spaces - my workshop, a tiny sewing room, two storage sheds and I also rent a storage unit down the road.

This week I thought I'd show you my main workshop. I have all my equipment along one wall, which also features a full-length double shelf. You can click on the photos to make them larger....

Sanding station (left) and double back doors to storage sheds.

Photo 1: The set of 4 drawers on the left is my sanding station. Inside I keep my sanders and sand papers. The double doors lead to my back garden where the storage sheds are and leaning against one of the doors is my folding wooden table covered in a heavy fabric. I use this for putting pieces on for sanding. On top of the drawers is my vacuum cleaner, and next to that is our upright freezer and dryer (lol, we've nowhere else to put them!)

Woodworking station. Includes hand tools and electrical tools

Photo 2: This is my woodworking station. This bench holds everything I need to work wood, such as hand tools, clamps, screws, nails and safety gear etc. In the pink plastic bin is my electrical tools, the drawer underneath has my stash of drawer handles and the next one full of drawer runners and small wooden blocks. I have my blue rubbish bin here and also my dustpan, brush and broom. 

Left: Upholstery station. Right: Painting station (half out of photo)

Photo 3: This next bench is my upholstery station and next to that (half out of shot sorry) is my painting station in a two-door wooden unit. In the drawer of the upholstery bench is my various hand tools such as scissors, regulator, staple remover, knife, tacks etc.  Hanging on the peg board is my staplers - both hand and air guns - and my webbing stretcher. Under the bench is jute & elasticated webbing, tack strips, spare staples and glues. On the highest shelve is an old drawer full of various furniture parts like springs and opening mechanisms. The wooden unit on the right holds my painting stuff - various brushes and rollers, drop cloths, masking tape, paint, stains and varnish. 

Rear: Woodcutting station, including bench saw. Front: WIP station

Photo 4: The last photo is of my work-in-progress station (front) and my woodcutting station (rear). The work station is a low, movable storage unit. Its a great height for doing upholstery on - I just put a piece of carpet on the top - or for painting furniture like dining chairs. Behind this is my wood cutting area. There is a stack of recycled pine and oak, and next to that is my Triton 2000 Workbench. In the two old drawers on the top shelf is my stash of furniture legs - long and short - and right down the end by the door is random cans of paint and paint strippers. 

In another post I will focus a bit more on each of the work stations, including what tools and equipment I have, the minimum I recommend, and what they are used for. 

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New sewing machine, yes!

Singer 591D300A industrial plain sewer (1980s) with
auto controller, backtack and cut-off 

I'm excited today.

I've have finally found a lovely sewing machine after a long extensive search!

It is an industrial Singer 591, used but in excellent condition. It came with auto cut off and is fitted with an automatic sewing controller - although for upholstery the controller won't be needed other than for auto back-tacking. The previous owner obviously looked after it, and it comes with lots of feet/accessories.

It is suitable for up to medium heavy fabrics so should be perfect for most upholstery tasks I need to do.

The bummer is that this particular model has an oil sump which was empty when I got it. So before I could try it out I needed to buy a large supply of machine oil to fill up the tray. I'm itching to do a test run on this thick teal coloured canvas which I'm using to cover a set of modular retro chairs.

Anyhoo, including the industrial machine above I currently own the following machines:

Mercury 307 walking foot (2011) with long arm and zig-zag.
This is similar to the Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ-1 and can sew whatever
you can shove under the foot.

Close-up: Mercury 307 walking foot

Pinnock Trendsetter Royal straight sewer with zig zag (1960s).
This originally came with cams (fashion discs) and can also do
button holes. This machine is lovely to use.

Closeup: Pinnock Trendsetter Royale

Overlocker: Elna Contessa MO-103 (mid 1980's). This is a great little

machine that is light to move and compact to store. Oh, and quiet!

Closeup: Elna Contessa MO-103

Sewing Machine Tension Service

If your machine is anything like mine every so often it has a tantrum. The stitches will start skipping, or the thread keeps breaking, or the bobbin thread starts looping... you name it, my machine has done it! 

Its mostly because I'm always using different fabrics and threads which mucks everything up after a while of sewing. But its also because my machine is about 60 years old! I guess after all those years its getting a little tired and saggy. A bit like a guitar with old strings - it still plays a lovely melody, but you have to keep tuning it every 10 mins to keep it sounding good. :)

Every couple of months when I give my machine a clean and oil I'll also perform a tension reset. But on the odd occassion I start getting sewing problems I do a reset to help eliminate issues. Most sewing problems can be solved with a new needle and tension adjustment. 

So, if your stitches a looping on the back, or the top seems too tight, or you are skipping stitches here are the steps to getting perfect tension settings: