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TIL I was overloading my sewing machine with too many signatures
Been bookbinding for about 2 years and always struggled with the sewing step. A guy at a workshop in Austin told me I was cramming 10 signatures into one sewing session. He said to cap it at 5 per session and let the machine cool down for 15 minutes between. I honestly thought he was being dramatic but tried it anyway. Now my stitches are way more even and I haven't snapped a needle in 3 months. Has anyone else gotten feedback that seemed annoying at first but actually helped?
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finley_flores286d ago
The 10 signatures thing is wild, but honestly I think the 5 cap might be a little overkill depending on your machine. I've got a vintage Singer and I can get 7 or 8 through before it even starts feeling warm, no cooling breaks needed.
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gavin_allen481mo ago
Wait you were running TEN signatures at once without breaks? My machine would've started smoking after like four (I learned that the hard way with a burned up motor on an old Singer). I always thought the cooling advice was one of those old wives' tale things they tell beginners to make them feel useful. Now I'm wondering if I should be timing my cooling periods too instead of just guessing when it feels "ready" again.
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The "let it cool down" advice sounded like nonsense to me too until I actually tried it with my machine. Now I set a timer on my phone and walk away between batches of signatures.
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