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Awesome! I was going to look up the model and serial number next week. I figured this was one of the first machines purchased when the theatre building was built in 1959. So thereabouts or shortly after. It’s also possible they purchased used machines at that time potentially making it older.

@@calstatelaalproductions2358 yup, used machine is quite possible for a small theater group. BTW, if the mfgr doesn't have a listing I'd bet there's a collector group out there with a forum.

It advertises itself as a dust mop.

But you don’t have to watch the bobbin wind correctly. All you need do is get it started. It happens in the background while you sew. No monitoring necessary. Bobbin is full and gets released automatically before I have used even 1/4 of the bobbin in the machine.

It's highly possible I was told/shown this at some point and it just never stuck until now. That's how learning works. It only really sticks when you are ready to receive it. Or for a physical skill, when you have done it hundreds or thousands of times. I'm all about sharing little secrets and tips like this; it does no one any good for me to be the keeper of specialized knowledge. That's the main purpose of my YT channel here. Share as many of the secrets and tips I know for backstage work in theatre and entertainment.

@@CarolLawson-h1o I do! I have 3 different commercial Singer machines, the youngest is at least 65 years old, the oldest close to 100. I have 2 domestics that are a bit newer at about 55 years old.

This is an industrial straight stitch head and table. It may look like an antique, but it is still a solid work horse. My guess is this particular model is between 40-70 years old. Industrial straight stitch machines have changed little in the last 50+ years. They do their primary job and they do it well. It's the ideal machine for sewing stage scenery fabrics: velour curtains, muslin/canvas drops, other stage fabrics and drapes. The biggest change in the newer machines is the motor. Most come with a servo motor now, which is much quieter than the motors these tables came with. And I think the newer machines have reverse; this old singer does not have a reverse. None of them have a release on the sewing mechanisms for winding bobbins like the home user models do. So when you put the bobbin on the bobbin winder and run the machine, the needle goes up and down the entire time. The revelation that I learned this week is that I don't have to stop to wind the bobbin, I can be winding it while I am sewing my stage curtains. The bobbin winder is shown in the video when I pan to the right, it just doesn't have that release function. We have newer machines in the costume shop, but the costume shop is upstairs. So our choice is to haul 50-100 lb (or heavier) curtains upstairs to sew on the newer machines or bring the machines downstairs. You don't just casually carry an industrial sewing machine up and down stairs when you need to sew in a different location. Plus the costume shop doesn't have the layout space for larger stage scenery fabrics. We also don't do stage curtain builds and modifications frequently, maybe a dozen times a year or less. So I'm not going to invest in a new $2500-5000 machine that is going to sit unused 95% of the time. That's where this beauty comes in. It stays on the ground and rolls into place wherever needed to work on stage scenery. The other advantage of this particular machine is the bobbin size. It holds almost twice as much thread on the bobbin as other machines. That comes in real handy when you are trying to sew a seam or a hem on a 60' long/wide stage curtain, scrim, or drop. The last thing you want to have to do is change out the bobbin in the middle of those long runs.

Check out this video, as this method is similar to what you are calling a "step leg". th-cam.com/video/rRjWkUfXpDY/w-d-xo.html The disadvantage of legs screwed to the frame and also resting under the lid is that if the screws fail, the lid can de-laminate from the frame. Which is why I always screw my lids to the frames rather than gluing and stapling. Screws would provide additional holding strength in the event of catastrophic screw shear failure. But in reality, the screw shear failure is very very low, especially if you are using construction screws. T-25 construction screws or deck screws have better shear strength than 3" drywall screws. I think 4x4 legs is super-overkill for anything under 6' or 8'. I'll build up to 8' tall and maybe taller using 1x6 framing and hog's-trough legs with screws and appropriate cross-bracing. Folks have asked for a demonstration of this method, and I do want to make a video, but don't know when I will be able to get to it. I like to keep everything light, so I avoid 2x4 framing and generally avoid 2x4s , 2x6s, and 4x4s. A hog's-trough is just as strong as a 2x4 in vertical orientation but has the advantage of less bowing and warpage over its life. Hog's-trough stock doesn't store very well though because of its odd shape.

@@calstatelaalproductions2358 thank you so much for your thorough answer! I have been perusing some theatre construction books, especially Stock Scenery Construction Handbook, which highlights the step leg (which is essentially a half lap made out of two 2x4s). I'm hoping to find reusable/stock/easy to reassemble type procedures for our school, since it's almost always parent volunteers who are just DIY types (like myself, although I'm taking extra steps to learn). Our most recent production had 8' and 7' platforms that actors were on, and also crossed under in multiple directions, so we were happy to use 4x4 legs. We added diagonal bracing but could only put them at the top few feet, from the middle of the platform frame to about halfway down each leg. Our 3/4" ply lids are all screwed to the 2x4 framing with a LOT of screws. I'm super relieved to hear that the shear strength of 3" T25 construction screws is stronger than what I thought, because we are putting our literal own children on top.

Glad you found the video showing off a parallel structure. That’s still one of the best easy-to-build and easy-to-set-up re-usable options. There is a manufacturer who sells a metal bracket for the inside corners of 2x4 platforms to readily accept 2x4 legs and you don’t have to screw through your platform framing every time. Not sure what they are called off the top of my head but probably easy to find somewhere like BMI Supply or other theatrical supply vendors.

How to Tie a Snub Knot th-cam.com/video/XBlmFgUxTH0/w-d-xo.html I am using 3/8” double braided nylon rope in this video, which ranges between 4700 and 4900 lbs tensile/breaking strength depending on the manufacturer.

Thanks, your awesome!

Surprised you have to drain yours after every cycle. I clean mine once every week to ten days. Or just before I run a load with floor rugs. Most front load washers (not just this washer/dryer combo) have this style of pump drain filter that needs draining/cleaning regularly. There are some videos of folks who never cleaned it and they squeeze sludge out of the drain tube. No idea how their machine works with that kind of gunk because my experience is that at 75% full of fibers and animal fur, my machine refuses to drain properly and does an OE error. They also make a pedestal for these kinds of machines which brings the pump drain filter higher off the ground.

Most stand alone front load washers have a similar drain pump filter.

You mean the eye bolt on the underside of the arbor? I was pinching the bend down to keep it from slipping while tying the first half hitch.

The only requirement is that it is HE detergent. Can be liquid or powder. I don’t use pods but I think pods should be okay too. Do they come in an HE variety? My previous machine was a 1993 top load washer so I learned a lot quickly about newer machines and not to use excessive quantities of detergent, that it’s the agitation, not the quantity of detergent, that cleans the laundry. I stick to 2 tbsp of liquid detergent or less, depending on the size of the load. I do toss the tub clean packets directly into the tub before running a tub clean cycle, so that is a similar thing to pods.

Still haven’t had time to make it. I probably can do a narration with scale drawings more quickly than I can manage to put together a video of the actual process.

Our asbestos curtain was removed decades ago. This one is made of Zetex.

@@calstatelaalproductions2358 last I worked at a CSU level theater was 22 years ago. Nor Cal still had asbestos fire curtains… so you were likely ahead of them. I am sure they all converted by now. I mean, a lot has changed… DMX LED Lighting… conversion of reel to real sound cues… I was trained to splice tape… kids these days have no idea what “lead time” is… think running cues off Spotify will work. Anyway wanted to say thanks for these videos, I have been using them in the classroom.

Yikes!

Awesome!

Gosh no. All the water drains out the same tube that the wash water goes out. But most front loaders have a pump drain filter that it passes through and you need to clean that out regularly. In order to clean that filter, you need to drain out the 3 cups of water that is left behind by any wash or dry cycle.

All water from the wash cycle or extracted moisture from the dry cycle (after it is re-condensed into water) exits first through the drain pump and drain pump filter on it’s way to the hose and your washer drain hookup. But there is a reservoir and 3 cups of water or so always remains behind there. You don’t want to leave that water sit there for a long time. And the pump drain filter will catch fibers and other things in both the wash and dry cycle and will need regular cleaning. I do it at least once a week.

Yeah I typically use L-brackets to secure platforms to the stage. I prefer that over toe-nailing the legs with screws. If your stage doesn’t allow screwing or you are putting the platform up on a surface they you can’t secure to, then more cross-bracing is likely your best option. Or consider making traditional parallel platforms (I have a short video in the platform construction playlist showing off a parallel and discussing how it works. I don’t yet have a video building one from scratch.) I’ve used parallels on carpeted areas to great success.

Awesome! I still can’t get the students and staff to do the daily care that is needed for this machine. But we have not had a recurrence of the caked on rusted metal shavings disaster. Fairly certain students were using plain water and not mixing it with coolant and that caused the issue.

When used properly, yes. I make platforms out of 1x6 and hog’s-trough legs out of two pieces of 1x3. With good cross-bracing, I’d go up to 8’ tall platforms with this construction. With some traditional scenery practices that most don’t use anymore, you could go bigger than that. I prefer the 1x construction because it keeps the weight down.

@@calstatelaalproductions2358 I am looking to use it as an event/concert stage at about 16" high. This is good to know as I was going with 2x3s or 2x4s. But this way will make it much lighter for travels etc.

16” high platforms are perfect candidates for 1x6 framing and 1x3 hog’s-trough legs!

When I am doing PVC with purple primer and red hot blue glue, the excess is me just not caring about the extra slop. It’s going to be buried in the ground anyway. 😃

I do use a go gauge regularly to confirm my tools are properly calibrated. You shouldn’t need to use it on every swage, except for some hand tools like the LocoLoc 1/16” crimping tool. That one relies 100% on the user’s strength whereas most larger tools have a mechanical advantage/leverage built into the tool for consistent crimping. A Go Gauge is an essential part of your tool kit. Some crimpers ship with one. I would never do a Flemish eye or an eye splice with aircraft cable for entertainment. For my preference, I feel there is too much room for user error when making those. Swages and wire rope clamps are much more reliable and easier to use/do. The Flemish eye is more of an emergency solution. When you need something on site and don’t have the proper tools to do the other options or the use is in a non-critical situation. I don’t do them regularly, so I would not trust myself to do an eye splice in wire rope and then suspend something over people’s heads. I would trust myself to make eye eye splice in hemp/manila rope long before I would do so with wire rope.

Contrary to some reviews I read before purchasing, the contents of the drain pump filter have no affect on the ability of the machine to dry clothes. One reviewer suggested that you needed to drain the pump filter before drying to ensure that you had faster and better success with the dry cycle. I tried this, and the result was that the drain pump filter just filled up with more water during the dry cycle, so conclusion is that the water at that point is removed from the tub and has no affect on the dry cycle. My experience with clogged drain pump filters is that your wash cycle will never finish in order to even get to a dry cycle. The couple times it happened, I had to stop the wash cycle and drain the water out of the tub through the drain pump filter, which was slow and tedious and took many more containers than normal drain pump filter maintenance. Now I clean that filter out every week or two, and especially before I do any kind of load that sheds fabric fibers or has higher cat hair content to wash out. If you were able to get a mostly clogged drain pump filter through to a dry cycle, it must have an impact on dry cycles because that is where the condensed and extracted moisture has to go through to get to the machine drain during the dry cycle. 3 plus years later, and I don't have any known drain pump issues. So I can't speak to how that can affect drying. In another video I discovered that many of these machines have a glitch with fresh care, where when the cycles finishes and it goes to fresh care for hours, the drain pump switches on and runs constantly. If you use fresh care a lot, you might cause the drain pump to burn out prematurely. LG would not respond to my questions about this being a manufacturing or software/firmware programming issue. So I just don't use the feature. The best thing you can do to improve drying efficacy is run regular Tub Clean cycles, and using a tub clean additive like Affresh or similar. The manual says every 30 cycles, but I do every 15-20 cycles, or at least once a month. My guess is that the sensors work better immediately after a tub clean cycle. That maintenance, as well as cleaning the drain pump filter and wiping down the lint out of the door seal between loads are the most important things to keeping your machine working at peak efficiency.

Where do i get a manual​@@calstatelaalproductions2358

In the workplace, you need to post at the tank your certificate showing the tank’s last inspection and when the certificate expires.

When I first started teaching stagecraft years ago, I had a short ppt early on the semester on “the mighty hog’s-trough”. We throw around lots of terminology with the assumption that everyone knows what these common things are, but a brief explanation of a term goes a long way.

It doesn’t take 6 hours to wash and dry a Queen sized comforter on the 3998. I steam wash my comforter on Bedding cycle which is 2 hrs wash. Then it’s 90 minute dry. Done. Defo could wash it on a faster cycle. The new 6998 is also a larger cu ft capacity, and as I say in other videos on the 3998, a queen sized comforter wash and dry is actually over the capacity that you can expect good performance on for this machine.

Forced perspective is going to depend on how subtle or pronounced you want it to be. Sounds like you want to err on the cartoony range of things. I think you have a range of options that will work. I don’t think there is a formula or anything like that to guide you. You just have to go with what feels right, knowing that if it is your first time doing so, you will likely err on the side of caution. So push yourself past what you think is “safe” in the forced perspective. Subtle example of forced perspective is Main Street and Disneyland. When you arrive from the gate, the forced perspective is getting larger toward the castle, so it makes everything more grand. When leaving the other direction, the road narrows, which makes you feel like the exit route is faster than the arrival, to complement your exhaustion level at the end of the day. I did a similar subtle thing in my small kitchen. I bought three sizes of drawer/cupboard handles. The largest on the lower doors/drawers, the mid-size on the drawers just below the counter, and the smaller on the upper cabinets, to try to help make the small room feel bigger. You can also look up Italian renaissance theatres with their raked stages and forced perspective environments if that helps. Though those weren’t done for cartoon effect. I would recommend distorting other parts of the shape and getting away from realism that way to get more of a cartoony feel. In 2003 I made several train cars for actors to carry in the melodrama Love Rides the Rails, or Will the Mail Train Run Tonight, and it was one car per person, so all the train cars and their wheels got stretched vertically to make that work.

And as I wrote that I was picturing ToonTown at Disneyland as a good example of cartoony with whacky perspective.

The alternating directions ensures that your cable will uncoil without generating twists and kinks and bends. The action of uncoiling from the side rather than off a spinning spool will cause your thinner and more delicate cables (audio, DMX, Cat5/6, clearcom, etc.) to develop twists and kinks similar to what happens when I drop the original coil that I pulled out of the road case (or worse kinks/twists/knots).

This is a clip from a longer video where I demonstrate three of four cables and a couple of different methods, some okay for backstage work, some not okay for backstage work. In truth, I will often bend to what the cable wants to do, particularly with 120v power cable and extension cords. If it wants to over-under, I’ll do that. Which is fine for lower gauge extension cords, but when you get to 12/3 SO cable or bigger, it just starts to become impractical to do over-under. I wouldn’t even try over-under with 4/0 feeder cable. At home I will do over-under with my garden hoses, but even those are large enough diameter that they don’t like to be coiled that way. I started doing that because I was tired of the garden hoses getting kinks in them. Audio cable is 100% necessary to do over-under. (I have a regular video demonstrating audio cooling too.) Most power cable though, it’s not necessary, and if it’s SO cable, you will get a nicer looking coil if you do over-over. I have not seen SO cable get tangled when uncoiling after an over-over method. Compressed air hoses definitely want to be done over-under. (I have a third video demonstrating air hose coiling.) Your garden variety of general purpose extension cords are good either way, but they will start to develop a memory of whichever way you train them to be coiled.