Upgrading foot pressure adjuster

Old machines usually come with a simple thumb screw for a foot pressure adjuster. Nothing wrong with it in itself, simple and effective. But I am fussy. On machines where I tend to change foot pressure frequently, I like to have a more modern adjuster that goes in steps. These adjusters are very common on…

Low shank foot difference between antique and modern machines

Low shank foot fitting has been around since time immemorial, i.e., pretty much from the beginning. However, for some reason the foot height was raised by 1mm some time around 1920, and after that everyone followed that new standard. If you try to use a modern foot on an antique machine, thinking low shank is…

Lengths of presser bars

When considering a presser bar replacement, finding a new bar of exactly the right length may prove problematic. To help with the search, here is a list of presser bars I've encountered so far, with their lengths, as measured from the lower end of the foot mounting screw hole, and to the top. ​ 15.3cm:…

Changing foot fitting by replacing the presser bar

There can be several reasons for wanting to replace the presser bar on your machine, the main one probably being to change the foot fitting. Some machines have really odd foot fittings for which feet are hard to find, for example the old Singer back clamp or the White top mounting foot, or even more…