Two-speed sewing machines

Posted by Bill Boyce on March 25, 2009, 9:19 am

Looking for an older (1950's-1970's) machine I can slow down for fussy
work. My research has only shown up the Elna Grasshopper and the Viking
Husqvarna series 20 machines. Hard to find.

Anyone know of any others? The Grasshopper uses a gear to slip in the
drivetrain to slow it down. Anyone know how the Viking works? Switch or
what? Thanks, JPBill

Posted by Claire Owen on March 25, 2009, 2:01 pm

Bill Boyce a écrit :
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Possibly not old enough but I use a Bernina 1030 which does have a half
speed setting.

Claire in Montréal. FRANCE
http://claireowenperso.free.fr

Posted by on March 25, 2009, 2:39 pm

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Use something called a "motor speed controller", available from
Grainger and others (about $40, for a sewing machine size
controller). It will slow down a "DC type" (essentially meaning it
has brushes) motor to near nothing, yet keep full power available to
the motor. I use one to tame my serger, which I still need a lot of
practice controlling.

I think all home sewing machines use DC type electric motors. I
believe industrial machines, with the big motors under the table, use
phase induction (right term?) type motors which can't be effectively
controlled for speed (except with a friction clutch). Maybe Ron can
comment.

I bought a motor speed controller on ebay for about $8, plus shipping,
as I recall. I recall a number were available on ebay.

Posted by Ron Anderson on March 25, 2009, 4:20 pm

Posted by on March 25, 2009, 5:24 pm

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Sorry, let me clarifiy my statement.

When producers of motor speed controllers use the term "DC-
type" (electric) motor, they use the term very loosely and mean an
electric motor that "can" run on DC, i.e., it has brushes. It's a
shorthand way of saying phase induction motors (big stuff, generally)
or "shaded pole" motors (very low performance electric motors, such as
electric clocks and some others for which low manufacturing cost and
extremely long reliability are more important than high output) don't
work.

Motor speed controllers work well on brush type motors (and only on
brush type motors), and are wildely used equipment in the industrial
world. MSC's are a totally different mode of control than a carbon
pile rheostat (such as a foot pedal). MSC's allow full power to the
motor at whatever speed you select (with a turnable knob), while
carbon pile rheostats limit the amount of current going to the motor
(which will operate at whatever speed the instantaneously variable
load on the motor allows).

For $10 to $40 Bill can make his sewing machine go at any reduced
speed he wants, as long as his motor has brushes.

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