The Sewing Place

Hobby lock HL-603A

rubywishes

Hobby lock HL-603A
« on: February 09, 2018, 08:07:37 AM »
I hope someone can help me here...I'm going cross eyed and losing the will to persevere!

I have bought this old overlocker from a Thrift shop for $5.00 AUS and want to get it working again to gift to someone who can't afford an overlocker and makes a lot of her own clothes. Now I've cleaned the little toad up...dug out a heap of " goodness knows what" from behind the looper cover including earwigs and bits of twig and am now attempting to thread it. (I have a babylock air threader so I am waaaaay out of my comfort zone here I may add!) . I have started with the left looper as per the instruction book but I'll be blowed if I can work out how you get the thread from one end of the long arm thingy through to the other end of the long arm thingy. Can anyone help me here as the picture in the manual leaves me scratching my head. I would be soooooo appreciative if anyone knows of this machine and can help me.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2018, 08:41:19 AM by rubywishes »
Juki TL2010Q, Juki DX7,  Singers: 1917 27K treadle (aka Gertie), 1957 99k (aka Vincent), 1951 99k knee lever (aka Shirley), 1950 99k handcrank (aka Alice), 1927 28K (aka Dora), 1947 201K treadle with motor conversion (aka Livvy)
....and the dusting and vacuming can wait!

Ploshkin

Re: Hobby lock HL-603A
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2018, 08:43:51 AM »
I'm sure someone will know something about this machine, I'm afraid I don't but in the meantime, are there any bits that you can move to gain access to the bit you want.
Threading the lower looper of my Elna, after putting the thread through one point you push that bit downwards (if clicks) and that movement causes the next threading point to appear from its otherwise hidden position.  After threading it you click the moveable piece back up and it disappears back into hiding.
Sorry that's a bit of a clunky description.
Life's too short for ironing.

b15erk

Re: Hobby lock HL-603A
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2018, 08:48:23 AM »
Can you post some pics Rubes?  I have a really old Riccar O/L, and the looper threading is awkward, and involves tweezers.

I have a manual with threading instructions if your machine is similar.

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

StitchinTime

Re: Hobby lock HL-603A
« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2018, 08:49:18 AM »
My overlocker came with a pair of tweezers to use when threading the loopers. There's an old comment on Sewing Pattern Review saying this model is difficult to thread and that an overlocker threader tool was useful.
(Here is the link she posted - it is to Amazon USA but it will give you an idea of what to look for https://www.amazon.com/Dritz-Serger-Needle-Threader-Tool/dp/B000A86FGK)

Efemera

Re: Hobby lock HL-603A
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2018, 09:45:15 AM »
My Bernina has a long length of looped wire that you feed from the left behind the looper to pick up the thread and then pull to the right before threading through the looper eye.

rubywishes

Re: Hobby lock HL-603A
« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2018, 13:13:04 PM »
Well it's taken me 3 hours and a lot of terribly blue language but I have finally got it threaded.

Yep, Ploshkin, I needed to flip a side panel down to find "my next hole"! Lordy, why didn't they mention THAT in the manual!
 Oh Jessie, "awkward" looper thread threading is an understatement with this old toad of a machine!  I'm going to take photos of all the threading points and make notes as well for my friend.....she's going to have kittens when she sees what has to be done!
Thanks Stitchintime I'll check that out....glad it's not just me being a numpty with this machine. Gosh the manual is just woeful!
 Ahhhh interesting you should say that Efemera...in amongst all the debris I cleaned out of the guts of this machine there was a weird looking bit of wire someone had fashioned into a loop of sorts. I must retrieve it from the bin and see if that would help me and my friend next time.....gasp.....does there have to be a next time...maybe my friend won't want it and I can with much relief ceremoniously drop it back to the Thrift Shop!!!!!!

So it's threaded with 3 different colored threads and it is stitching a nice looking overlock on the front but a bit wierd on the back but it's after midnight and I am truly done in......I'll tackle the tension tomorrow. Thanks again everyone.
Juki TL2010Q, Juki DX7,  Singers: 1917 27K treadle (aka Gertie), 1957 99k (aka Vincent), 1951 99k knee lever (aka Shirley), 1950 99k handcrank (aka Alice), 1927 28K (aka Dora), 1947 201K treadle with motor conversion (aka Livvy)
....and the dusting and vacuming can wait!

rubywishes

Re: Hobby lock HL-603A
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2018, 00:49:00 AM »
Alrighty, I'm doing stitches with the old girl but they don't look right to me for a 3 thread overlock.
The first picture is of the right side of the fabric, the second picture is the back of it. The green thread is my needle, the white is the upper looper and the black is the lower looper.
Is there something wrong with this? I thought the lower looper should be stitching "lower" in the stitch formation?
Juki TL2010Q, Juki DX7,  Singers: 1917 27K treadle (aka Gertie), 1957 99k (aka Vincent), 1951 99k knee lever (aka Shirley), 1950 99k handcrank (aka Alice), 1927 28K (aka Dora), 1947 201K treadle with motor conversion (aka Livvy)
....and the dusting and vacuming can wait!

Ploshkin

Re: Hobby lock HL-603A
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2018, 07:11:48 AM »
I think the green needle thread should be much tighter - you should see standard straight stitches on one side, as in first picture, and just little dots of it on the reverse, not loops as in the second picture.  The tighter green thread would then pull the black lower looper thread into the required zig zag formation.
The black and white looper threads seem to be meeting in the right spot on the edge of the fabric at the moment but that could change if you tighten up the needle thread.
Life's too short for ironing.

rubywishes

Re: Hobby lock HL-603A
« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2018, 09:44:42 AM »
Thankyou Ploshkin..... I took your advice and I think I'm pretty much "there" now.  Phew...what an ordeal but I'm pleased with what I have managed and feel a bit more confident handling the machine now.  I think the machine is at a stage where my friend can practise with it and then decide if she wants to keep it and pay to have it serviced professionally.

Thanks again everyone.
« Last Edit: February 10, 2018, 09:47:20 AM by rubywishes »
Juki TL2010Q, Juki DX7,  Singers: 1917 27K treadle (aka Gertie), 1957 99k (aka Vincent), 1951 99k knee lever (aka Shirley), 1950 99k handcrank (aka Alice), 1927 28K (aka Dora), 1947 201K treadle with motor conversion (aka Livvy)
....and the dusting and vacuming can wait!

Lizzy777

Re: Hobby lock HL-603A
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2018, 10:43:41 AM »
Well done you :)

That's a lovely thing to do for your friend.

Ploshkin

Re: Hobby lock HL-603A
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2018, 10:47:08 AM »
That looks more like it, well done for persevering.  It definitely helps to see what's going on using different coloured threads.
Life's too short for ironing.

b15erk

Re: Hobby lock HL-603A
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2018, 08:40:31 AM »
I know it's too late for you Rubes, but I found a video from Sourdough Girl (she does excellent videos), giving in-depth information about the Hobbylock 788.  I know this is a 4 thread, but there will be useful stuff for other models I'm sure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5FxufebIS8

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.