Random Announcements
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Something weird happened at the Regent Street Apple Store in London today…
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I don't understand why chainstitching machines exist that make a really wide hem. Case in point:
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So annoying, I'm literally afraid to get my jeans chainstitched for fear that the hem will look like the first picture. Seriously, it looks so terrible, is rather do it myself at this point!
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Yeah, I got burned on that by SELA as a matter of fact, not happy with the hem on my 5105s. Iron Heart does a much better job.
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Sweet, nice tension, actual roping.
Mine:
That hem eliminates what's so cool about Union Special chainstitched hemming. No horizontal tension (to create a roping effect) and the hem is too wide. If shipping weren't so costly I was going to send them to Giles.
Versus IH:
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I had my Mister Freedom 64 Okinawas chainstitched at a local place in Chicago (the only place here with a Union Special), and it's probably the worst hem job I've seen. The hem is probably a half inch wide with absolutely zero roping, the distance between each stitch is absurdly small. and the width of the stitch itself is wider than any i've ever seen.
I'd have been more pissed about it, but I'm guessing it's partly due to the fact that they rethreaded the machine to match the olive stitch that comes stock on these. I didn't ask for this, but I appreciate the effort. I would have preferred a yellow stitch with more pronounced roping.
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It is the hem folder that causes the roping, NOT the actual chainstitch or chainstitching mahcine itself. It is relatively easy to chainstich a hem, even on a Union Special 42300G, without a folder and cause no roping.
The roping is caused by the feeder on the stitching bed of the sewing machine pulling the bottom piece of fabric forwards, the folder forces the double hem through what is effectively a small hole. That retards the progress of the top 2 layers of hem. It is that conflict between the bottom piece of fabric moving freely and the top 2 layers being retarded that causes the roping….
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Is it very difficult to adjust the width of the hem folder permanently? It seems most here prefer a narrower hem, so I'd be surprised that retailers wouldn't get on that. But I saw on twitter that all se locations now chainstitch to 3/8", which is great!
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Like Giles said - usually, the folders are not variable: separate folder for a different width.
I seem to remember that there were at least 2 different original folders out there. Also, there have been a few aftermarket options and, not to mention, attempts to retro-fit the D, F or J models of the machine family in the meantime… -
Actually @FOXY , I mean't it was pretty easy.
Most of the after market models (I have seen and own anyway) have a bolt for adjusting width…
This one is ridiculously expensive, but it does have hem width adjustment capability...
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Yep, I understand the differential tension causing the roping, I don't really care if the dog ate SELA's homework, I just want a good hem. It's a shame to mar an investment of several hundred dollars with anything less. The only place I trust now is IH. I know Railcar can do it as well but I think they can have extended turnaround.
So, random announcement, I'm wearing my 3W herringbone with the white runoff threads and someone tells me they had no idea I was Jewish. After a few moments of thorough confusion I figured out they thought the runoff threads were little tzitzits.
Shabbat shalom!
Nice trick though.
