#sewing cams

[whilomm]

Random thing ive been learning about, ive been looking into vintage sewing machines (just got an elna supermatic im gonna try and get working!) and learned a cool thing about how they used to make different stitches before things were computerized: these discs called "cams"!

simply put, theyre like lil gears that move the needle around to make diff designs, similar to how computerized machines do just like, mechanically. there are both built in cams (usually in cam stacks) and drop in cams that you can switch out.

now, the problem is: cams can be hard to find apparently! theres only so many of course, and while they arent that expensive individually (a few bucks apiece from what im seeing), it seems like its a pain in the ass to track down specific ones (ive seen so many people bemoaning the ducky elna cam. everyone wants that duck!)

because theyre usually just bits of plastic, it wouldnt be THAT hard to just. 3d print em. maybe it wouldnt give the best results, but hey, a ducky thats gonna wear out a lil too fast might be better than not having a ducky at all, and if people had the files at least someone could theoretically produce them thru better means, like injection molding or whatever.

but of course making a 3d printing database of cams is easier said than done. not for lack of trying apparently! ive found stuff like this thread of someone trying to put together a project to make a database of elna cams (which was later abandoned going by the comments), i found at least one for the elna zigzag cam (nice, might need it if i get my machine working!) , and there are at least a few files available for more popular cams like on singers. heres a thread with someone sharing a buncha files, which i cant verify bc i dont have a printer but they have the duck! and also apparently the dick, which is nice.

if you reverse engineer this shit you could design your own cams, like heres someone who made a 3-step zig zag cam, and a couple of projects for "design your own cams" which. sound cool but idk how modeling works so idk how to do this lmao. but thats so neat!

and theoretically it would be SO easy for someone to just make a database of every cam they could find and upload em for anyone to use but well. again, easier said than done. im finding a lotta scattered files, but unless im missing it i dont think anyones made a single nice lil page filled with the files for cams across diff machines.

...anyway, if anyone knows how this shit works I think it would b really cool if someone made a heartbeat cam and a lil bat cam. those would be fun!

[give-grian-rights]

This season im gonna be even MORE abnormal about Joe Hills and STAY CAUGHT UP

[intramoon]

Say goodbye to W&A old apartment, time for them to move into a home.

[barneysbigstompers]

ive been on a fence.

[yuriathames]

In celebration of mother's day, I'm working on projects that would/ have take(n) a long time to explain to my mother. We're starting with my new oshi Enya, then then biblically accurate crossbag. 🔥🚒😇👁️

🦑 https://www.twitch.tv/yuriathames 🦑

[im2tired4usernames]

Every single time I defend someone shitty who has done nothing but be a cunt to me because they did 1 (ONE ) decent thing THEY ALWAYS TURN AROUND AND DO SOMETHING SO MUCH WORSE TO ME

[thespookywoods]

There is an indescribable kind of gender I found hidden in a kilt when I was 12 but also. I want a goth jig dress

[common-grackle]

🍏🪡🌄 guess who

ummm........shjfhskhdhsj help

[fuckmaster-unlimited]

i think having a pair of fursuit paws would be fun

[camstardust]

I NEED ALL THE POSSIBLE FABRIC TO MAKE ALL THE POSSIBLE PLUSHIES I'M SO NOT INSPIRED

[limirinse]

𝑰𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 ⌖

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

"the heart keeps pumping like you know that you're mine"

[unidentifiedfuckingthing]

ive for real been building in my mind all the things youd need to figure out to make a sewing machine &/- embroidery machine and besides the fact that theres just some compromises that have to be made in replacing cast iron parts with anything else i really truly do believe it wouldnt even be that hard. like probably more mechanically complex at the most basic level than a 3d printer but not THAT mechanically complex and a lot of the weird little bits are more or less standardized. you can buy an old style tension assembly for like $10 or something. you can buy metal bobbin cases & bobbins in packs for like $5 on amazon. mostly not sure about the hook assembly part but its probably simpler than im making it in my mind

[freemusicdonut]

cam follower do? The Cam Follower is a compact and highly rigid bearing with a shaft. It contains needle rollers and is used as a guide roller for cam mechanisms or straight motion. Since its outer ring rotates while keeping direct contact with the mating surface, this product is thick- walled and designed to bear an impact load. meant by cam and follower? The cam and follower is a mechanical device used to achieve the desired reciprocating motion. The cam is the rotating member, and the follower is the reciprocating member. The cam is a profiled disc, cylinder or sphere that rotates. The shape or profile of the cam influences the motion of the follower. cam and follower used? The range of movement of the follower will depend on the distance from the shaft supporting the cam to the upper and lower points of the rotation circle. Cams are commonly used in engines to control valves (in which the valve is the follower), sewing machines, children's toys and many other mechanical applications. cam work? Image result The CAM system works by substituting hand-made jigs with software that defines the actions and processes of a machine directly. Computer-aided manufacturing software translates drawings and data into detailed instructions that drive automated tools/machines cam follower? Followers move vertically to the axis of the cam when the cam moves in a reciprocating motion. The follower is a part of a machine that follows the cam that is either oscillating or reciprocating in motion. In brief, a driver member is a cam, while a driven member is known as the follower

[kirkscarr]

ok so i just finished my book cover for First, Best Destiny - Part 1 by the amazing @ophelia-j !!

admittedly i was going to wait until i actually attached the text block to the cover before i posted this haha, but i was SO excited after making this cover that i decided to just post it and then update with the finished product later!!

this book is absolutely embedded in my soul, and words cannot even describe how gorgeously it’s written. it’s a book that made me realize - hey, the adventure doesn’t end as you grow old.

you can read it here. i promise you won’t regret it!!!

anyways!!! here’s all of my other bookbinding steps for anyone interested.

cam’s somewhat incomplete bookbinding guide

please note that i am an AMATEUR hobbyist. please do not actually use this as a tutorial.

oh also!! bookbinding terminology will have a * by it which will be explained at the end in order to make this flow better. i’ll also link the tutorials i used at the end of this for anyone interested.

1) Formatting the document! I downloaded the original text as a PDF, and then designed a cover page, grabbed some art from the internet (i know, frowned upon, but this is just a personal copy so it is what it is), and then designed a table of contents and chapter icons!!

*side note! i added which episodes each chapter follows to the table of contents (pictured below) as this book was written as an accompaniment to TOS and the movies.

2) Next, I printed out all NINE HUNDRED PAGES??? admittedly i could have done it in less if I’d used a bigger page size, but sending things out to be printed is expensive so we made do. after printing, i folded them into signatures*.

*there’s an additional note about the paper i used at the end

3) punching out holes in all the signatures! although not technically necessary, I honestly don’t think i would’ve been able to sew this behemoth without doing it.

4) sewing the pages into a real!! actual!! book!! this was the part i was most nervous about. i’ve NEVER attempted to sew anywhere near this large of a book before, so i tried out a new method of sewing in hopes of making it a bit more sturdy. we won’t know if it worked until this book endures some wear and tear, but i’m pretty optimistic!

5) next up is glueing the spine! this is where it really hit me that a lot of bookbinding is just…glueing shit together. later i also added cardstock to the spine in hopes of helping it adhere to the cover better, and a book headband* for decoration.

5) now we’re onto the book cover!! they only sell bookboard in minor bulk around here, so we’re not even gonna discuss how much bookboard i now own… anyways! i glued the faux leather onto the bookboard and then let that dry.

6) last up! off to the cricket! a huge thank you to my friend for letting me borrow her cricket AND supplies! anywho, this is where i designed my cover art. i then adhered the design to the cover. after this step, i realized i…definitely need some kind of sealant - so, if any more seasoned bookbinders have suggestions for this i am all ears!!

all in all, this was a super fun project, and a great way to kill some time while i recover from surgery! i absolutely plan to bind the sequel at some point, but that may be a…ways away. i’m a STEM major and school starts back up soon so…time will be in short supply lol!

To be continued...

Terminology

*signature: group of sheets folded in half, to be worked into the binding as a unit.

*book headband: just look up a picture if you’re curious because tumblr says i can't add any more pictures lol.

*about the paper!! i actually got it from a local specialty paper store, but if you want something similar i've heard amazon has some good bookbinding alternatives!

Tutorials

please PLEASE go check out Jess Less on youtube. she's phenomenal. here are her vids and what i used them for.

don't laugh!! i actually stole MOST of my techniques straight from this video.

i used this one to help me format the book correctly! although i still ended up with some goofs haha (see: any pages on the left side have the page number in the margin LMAO).

[stephaniesblogxx]

Girlblogger Questions ᥫ᭡

Last song you listened to: without you - lana del rey

Favourite song: dance till we die - lana del rey

Last movie you watched: gentlemen prefer blondes

Favourite movie: the misfits (1961)

Places you want to visit: rome, paris, brooklyn

Hobbies: sewing, crochet, reading

Anything you love: 40s-60s fashion, old hollywood, lana del rey, silent films, marilyn monroe

tagging! @honeymoonswan @hollywoods-angel @hrts4kenny @trxpico @unknownn-girl @ultraviolencegirly @ivoryteacups @parisqx @purebbyfawn @aurora-doll-333 @aetheriis @ang3linebn @stellablahh @dollsleeping @dangeroustaintedflawed @diizzzie @dreamysnowangel444 @georgiannesblog @gossipgirlblogger101 @justcallme1anangel @knowitsforthebetterr @lanaswansblog @lizzyforevah @lanadelreystan101 @lilblondedarling @lipglossuser @cryingporcelaindoll @crucified-cam @velvetpetalss @ballerinainterrupted @notyourfavlolita @neptun4ngel @maxxxthewpoet @mimiicritter @manicpixieangel444 + anyone who wants to join

[logicbutton]

Hey guys what's up I learned bookbinding to make @cindthia a physical copy of Synchronized Cardioversion for our anniversary :3

Pics and process documentation below!

I used the following resources:

How to Make a Book by ArmoredSuperHeavy

Bookbinding Resources Master List by Renegade Bindery

r/Fanbinding

the fanbinding tag on AO3 - shoutout to r3zuri's fanbinding of a FFVII fic for their extremely informative cliff's notes version of the process

the Intro to Hand Bookbinding class at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, an incredible resource for anyone in or near Minneapolis interested in learning how to bind their own books.

First, I typeset the fanfic. I did this by downloading it from AO3, trying to figure it out myself, checking How to Make a Book for help with a problem I was having, and realizing that I should have just used it from the beginning in the first place. I used Microsoft Word 2013.

Fonts: Palatino Linotype, Helvetica (for the characters' text messages), Beatline (for titles) Margins: .88" top, 1" bottom, .75" inside, .75" outside, .25" gutter Front matter: - Title page with only the title - "Praise for Synchronized Cardioversion" with comments from the fic - Title page with title, author name, and a colophon I made - Copyright page with fic copyright, fic URL, TLT series copyright, disclaimer, AO3 fic summary, first chapter author's notes, copyright for in-text art, book design credit, font info Back matter: - Acknowledgments (from the fic) - "Also by CindFourth" with all their TLT fic separated into Synchronized Cardioversion Extended Universe (might make another book of this at some point); Other Camgideon, Campal, and Team 69; and Other Locked Tomb

I set the page layout to "book fold" with 16-page signatures. As for the art, one of Cind's requests in last year's TLT Holiday Exchange was for art of this fic and they got not only a fantastic one-page comic from their assigned creator, our friend @anaeolist (who also did a sketch of Cam and Gideon kissing - we'll come back to that later), but also a lovely piece as a treat from our friend @kat-hikari. I got permission from both artists to include their work in the book.

The finished file was 408 pages, so I added four blank pages (two sheets) to the beginning and the end to make 26 signatures even.

Next, I printed the pages. I used my Brother DCP-L2550DW and Hammermill 11x8.5 24/60 lb. cream bookbinding paper from Church Paper. I'd read that sometimes using short-grain paper in a regular printer could cause it to jam, but it went fine. The cream color made the pages look so professional.

I folded the pages into signatures and then pressed them overnight. Since I don't have a book press, I sandwiched them between two sheets of bookboard and put a heavy box on top, and that worked well.

The next step, punching holes and sewing, was my favorite. I'd made a punching cradle using instructions I got in my bookbinding class. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, and it only used bookboard and PVA glue, so I didn't even need to buy anything I hadn't already bought for the project.

I used three pieces of tape and sewed them on using a kettle stitch.

Then I went to MCBA to use their guillotine on the text block and their board shear to cut boards for the cover.

I chose orange cardstock for the endpaper, and because I am a novice making novice mistakes I unfortunately forgot to get a size of cardstock that would let me fold it on the grain, but anyway. I trimmed it to the exact size of the pages and glued it to the text block. Next I glued the spine of the text block, rounded it a bit (not the way an expert would; you learn that in Intermediate Hand Bookbinding), added a strip of super mull and headbands at either end, and sat it under a weight to dry while I made the cover.

The Bristol board I cut for the spine was probably 1/8" too wide, which makes a bigger difference than you would think. Next time I'm going to err on the side of slightly too narrow when I'm already giving myself three board widths of a buffer on either side.

Aside from that, the cover turned out great! I could have done a better job lining up the endpaper when I glued it in, but that's the kind of thing you practice I guess.

I love the way the navy blue bookcloth looks with the cream paper, the orange endpaper, and the red and white headbands.

Now that I had the exact dimensions of the book, I could finally design the dust jacket. Remember that sketch of Cam and Gideon kissing that anaeolist did for the holiday exchange? I commissioned them to turn it into a finished piece for the cover, and boy did they ever deliver. I also asked some of our other friends who had read the fic to give me blurbs for the back cover, and they delivered too. Cind's and my relationship wouldn't have been possible without the wonderful community we met in and I wanted this gift to reflect that.

I created the jacket in GIMP at a print resolution of 300ppi and saved it as a pdf. The final step was to get it printed, which I was nervous about because it was the only part of the process that I had no control over at all. Long story short, I ended up with something I was very happy with done by a small chain print shop where I had to go in and talk to a human about what I needed.

I also posted this to AO3!