How To Assemble A Knitting Machine Tilt Stand - Brother, Studio, Singer, Silver Reed
There are two types of Japanese knitting machine stands, tilting and non tilting. Being able to adjust the stand is helpful when a ribber is attached. If you want to knit flat, you can shift the main bed down and forward for a more user friendly angle without removing the ribber.
Clarisse has uploaded a scan of the tilting stand instruction sheet. Assembling the non tilting stand model ST-3 is almost identical. I’ve uploaded its instruction sheet here.
I’ve always attached my machines to large tables so I don’t have a lot of practical experience with these types of stands. If anyone has any tips on how best to use a Japanese stand, please leave a comment below. I’m especially interested if anyone has put additional support under the back of the knitting machine. It seems like a lot a weight to be hanging by two c clamps.
Let’s begin.
1. Lay out all the pieces. You should have four legs, a main cross bar with two securing L arms to adjust the tilt, and two case holding bar assemblies with wing nuts and nuts.
As you’ll see towards the end, there is also a safety stopper.
2. Grab a pair of legs. If necessary, insert the rubber feet. Notice that they must face in opposite directions.
3. Line up one of the legs with the top bar.
4. Insert the leg and push up until the holes align.
5. Repeat step 4, installing all the legs.
6. Locate the two L shaped securing handles under the center of the main bar. These control the tilt of the stand.
7. Loosen the handles so the main bar moves freely. You do not need to remove them all the way.
8. This shows the main bar tilted forward. This is the front of the stand.
9. This shows the main bar level with the floor.
Leave it in the horizontal position for now. It is easier to attach your knitting machine when the main bar is level.
10. If your stand is unmarked, place a sticker on the front. Remember, the front of the machine is the side where the tilt faces down towards you.
11. Locate the two sets of case holding bars and remove the nuts.
12. From the back of the stand, insert the bars through back and front paired leg holes. Attach the nut and tighten.
The purpose of these bars is to stabilized and secure the leg sections while also providing a place to set the lid of the knitting machine.
13. If the arm protrudes too far through the nut, your knitted fabric may snag as it comes off the machine.
14. Adjust the nut and wing nut so that the bolt is more flush. Don’t recess it. You want the arms securely attached and your stand rock solid.
15. The stand is now assembled and ready for your machine.
16. With a friend, set the knitting machine on the stand and secure with the two c clamps
Make sure you position the machine such that the clamps attach to the tilting portion of the main bar, not the fixed center section. You will want to adjust the tilt while the machine is attached.
17. Here is the machine attached with the tilt on horizontal. The weight of the machine causes it to fall back a bit.
If anyone has tips on how to better support an attached machine, I’d love to hear them. I know thousands of knitters have successfully used these stands. This picture makes me a bit nervous.
18. Here is the same machine tilted all the way forward to show the stand’s range of movement.
19. As mentioned at the top of the post, this stand came with a small piece of metal called a safety stopper. In order to use it, you must have two of them, one for each side.
20. To install, your machine must be off the stand and its lid on to protect it.
Turn your knitting machine upside down. Unscrew the original clamp brackets and replace them with the safety stoppers. Secure the stoppers to the side closest to each end of the machine.
21. Here is how the safety stopper works. When it is screwed to the underside of your machine, place the c clamps in and secure as normal. The bend in the metal plate catches on the back of the stand when the machine is tilted forward. This prevents the machine from falling in your lap and onto the floor should the c clamps slip.
Since my used stand only came with one safety stopper, I can only show you how it works in theory. If I had a pair to install, I’d try reversing the c clamps, inserting them from the back of the stand, so gravity was working with me. The only hitch would be if the screw head got in the way.
22. Set the lid of the machine on the case holding bars. Your stand is assembled and you are ready to knit.
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June 30, 2008
10 comments
got the machine down from the attic, the machine looks fine,but how to assemble the parts looked impossible until I found your site ,many thanks now what about the motor and the ribber! Well at least I still have the manuals, but I wish they had clear step by step photos like yours. Many thanks have added you to favorites!
Thanks so much for these wonderful articles — with photos. It seems like such an easy task — but to determine which is the front vs back is not so eacy.
thanks again
You can imagine my frustration when after 8 years when I finally decide to begin machine knitting again… I pull out all parts for my knitting machine…and do not have all parts for the stand. I am missing the threaded brackets that hold it all together. I cannot afford to buy a new stand. Any ideas?
Thanks
Sandra,
Other than trolling Craigslist for a cheap replacement, you could try Home Depot to see if something could be retro-fitted. Buying a refurbished part from a dealer is usually ridiculously expensive since nothing is available new anymore.
I need a k-carraige for a Brother KH588. Actually I just need the handle to pull the carraige across the needle bed. Any chance of finding this relic?
Sandra,
I’m not familiar with the Brother KH588.
However, I once had a Studio 280 that was missing its plastic carriage handle. My husband rummaged through his shop, found a piece of wooden closet rod dowel, combined it with some thin metal straps to elevate it off the carriage, secured it with some nuts and bolts so it would move forward and back, and gave me a make shift handle.
It wasn’t pretty, but it worked. I wish I kept pictures. I sold the machine awhile back.
thank-you and help!!!!
first the thank you for this web site.
so glad i found the info about setting up my trestle stand, only one question…it seems like the stand is top heavy when the machne is on it…i’m afraid it will tip forward, what do you think? (i don’t think mine is a tilter it doesn’t have l arms)
now the help!!!
i’m a novice knitter and have enjoyed my brother 355. just made an investment on a used silver reed 155 and can’t wait to get started…only one problem…i don’t have the manual. i surfed the net to see if i could purchase one but no luck…any suggestions would be greatly appreciated i’ve got lots of yarn to knit!!!
peace christina
your website has been immensely helpful to me. thanks.
regarding numbers 17 and 18 of your tilt stand instructions–
i mount the main bed on the untilted stand with the ribber clamps . this way , when the ribber is on it , it works in this position. then, when i want to use the main bed alone, i tilt it forward and it is level to the ground.
thanks to you i finally know what those safety stoppers are that have been kicking around my accessory box for years!
i have also dug my machines out of the attic after probably almost 10 years and am missing the slanted clamps to tilt the main bed to attach the ribber, any suggestions. this site will also help me as it feels like i am starting from scratch. was able to find some missing parts on e-bay. my machine also survived a fire, but looks like the only thing wrong with it is the sponge was melted to nothing on the needle bar. found a site that gave instructions on making one, so am going to try it before spending more money on another part.
thanks so much for your information on how to update the needle bar, i couldn’t find any thin foam in town so used weather stripping and it worked great, now i have my machines up and running and was even able to teach a friend how to use the LK 150. is there anything on how to use the garter carriage with the compuknit IV. my instructions demonstrate using a punch card macine. thanks. s.
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