The Surprising Genius of Sewing Machines
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- čas přidán 1. 05. 2024
- Sewing machines are mechanical marvels - here’s how they work. Get your first month of KiwiCo FREE at www.kiwico.com/veritasium
If you’re looking for a molecular modeling kit, head to ve42.co/SnatomsV to try Snatoms - a kit I invented where the atoms snap together magnetically.
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A huge thanks to Prof. Andy Ruina for suggesting this video topic, guiding us in the research, and giving deeply insightful notes.
Massive thanks to Noah Johnson and Tina Vines for teaching Derek how to chain-stitch, and letting us shoot with your embroidery machine! Please check out / stitchrite and / tina_vines if you're interested in seeing more of their gorgeous chain stitch embroidery.
Thanks to Denny Stanley and the whole crew at Las Vegas Props for building the large replica model of the sewing machine. www.vegasprops.net
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References:
Parton, J. (1870). History of the Sewing-machine. Howe Machine Company, No. 38, N. Charles St.. -- ve42.co/Patron1870
Gregory, J. M. (2006). A History of the Sewing Machine to 1880. Transactions of the Newcomen Society, 76(1), 127-144. -- ve42.co/Gregory2006
How America Spends Money: 100 Years In the Life of the Family Budget, The Atlantic -- ve42.co/Budget1
Buckman, J. (2016). Unraveling the Threads: The Life, Death and Resurrection of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, America’s First Multi-National Corporation. Dog Ear Publishing.
Lewton, F. L. (1930). The servant in the house: a brief history of the sewing machine (Vol. 3056). US Government Printing Office. -- ve42.co/Lewton1930
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Special thanks to our Patreon supporters:
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Directed by Petr Lebedev
Written by Petr Lebedev, Derek Muller, Felicity Nelson
Edited by Trenton Oliver
Animated by Mike Radjabov, Fabio Albertelli and Jakub Misiek
Filmed by Derek Muller, Raquel Nuno, Gene Nagata and Taylor Cody
Additional Research by Gregor Čavlović
Produced by Petr Lebedev, Han Evans, and Derek Muller
Additional video/photos supplied by Getty Images and Storyblocks
Music from Epidemic Sound
My mom, who is very good at sewing, didn't do it in a while because her machine wasn't set properly anymore after decades. As an engineer, I searched for the old instruction manual online, and carefully followed the instructions and oiled everything up : the machine was working flawlessly again. And I realized that I had NO IDEA of how it did work in the first place. So she explained it to me. I was litteraly amazed, so 1) seeing your video and your own amazement is so pleasing to me, and 2) blessed be my mom.
Not an engineer (yet), but did the same for my grandma, she was so happy.
That's just wholesome, good job :)
God bless her.
*NO BRAGGING PLEASE*
I wish we still made stuff like that man, try finding something made today that will sing with just a little maintenance in two or three decades time.
I'm a mechanical engineer and a grown man. I still consider a sewing machine to be a magical device. Thread go down, thread come up. Magic.
Hahahaha. Same.
You must be a very bad engineer
@@sgddfgfghfgh The amount of development that needs to go into a sewing machine and its production must be enormous.
@@sgddfgfghfgh Opposite, I'd say. Sure, a total neophyte could have similar perspective on the surface, but it takes a learned eye to appreciate the complexity going on under the hood for what it is. While I'd consider myself a bad benchmark and optimistically just somewhere between those two ends, I can often find myself momentarily floored by complex injection molded parts for example. Just thinking about what kind of wild multi-part die had to be designed and iterated on multiple times, and how many odd failure states that had to be worked through to get whatever widget I'm staring at.
@@StopChangingUsernamesCZcams that's a long way to agree he's a bad engineer
I am Italian, i live near the famous "Rimoldi" factory and I am a specialized sewing machine technician, just like my father. I've been working in this field for 8 years now, and you have no idea how many machine models exist to create hundreds of different types of stitches. Each one has its own operation, adjustments, and tolerances. One must anticipate the behavior of the fabric and threads being used and adapt them to the process. Learning never stops. It's a wonderful industry!
So good you are involved in a specialized profession that is also intellectually and emotionally engaging!
That is awesome! You found a great niche!
Im a qualified Technician at Bernina , you sir are correct, there are so many different machines with ALOT of different stitches but you only really need to test the honeycomb to see if the balancing is fine and zigzag to check tension, thank god we don't have to go through all them stitches on high end machines that would make this fun job very un fun😂
Super random suggestion, but if you happen to collect vintage machines, the Netherlands seems to have tons of them. I collected them for a while and found really nice ones over 120 years old for 30,- to 60,-. Lots of different brands outside of Singer as well.
@@NoScope_SoTcan I ask what a honeycomb is? And how you test the machines? I love sewing and am so happy to be learning more!
Surprised the different inventors of the machine didn't sew each other
I sew what you did there.
Boo. 😁
how is this not a top comment?
😂 Boo.
Let's keep this thread going!!!
Puzzled me for years and never bothered to look - amazing that they invented these things!
same here
totally
*oh my God*
Same
me too!
I’m a mechanical engineer and forever promised myself to someday take time to figure out how sewing machines work. You crossed this item off my list in just 15 minutes. I owe you the pizza of your choice. Thank you!
+1
The Earth is also Flat. Please check it out.
@aymanne5107Yep. Another example of this is the dishwasher.
Ok, but how do you hold the bobbin? That's the real engineering genius that is disappointingly hand=waved away in the video.
Agreed. I'm an engineer and a physicist (one that incidentally happened to be Derek's TA in university many, many years ago!) and after years of doing the same I finally crossed this off my list just a few years ago as well. I can't count the number of times I stared at a sewing machine perplexed at how what it does could be topologically possible.
I remember a teacher telling me that one doesn't always need to move miles for a revolution. Sometimes it is just one inch. Then he showed the ordinary needle and the needle of a sewing machine. We were so much influenced by those words.
At last! I have asked so many people how sewing machines work. I have looked at the machines, consulted experts, read manuals, and none told me how they work. I was amazed that people who worked with sewing machines for a living had no knowledge of, nor curiosity in, how they work.
I started out by collecting them and now I've had them all and they're all amazing and I understand everything
Look for The Secret Life of Machines in CZcams, it's an old tv show but charming and it explains how many machines work.
I don’t believe you because I just disproved you with a simple Google search “how a sewing” didn’t even fill it fully out and there is all the information you could ever need.
Because maybe when it's your job you have no real interest in it.
It's the same nowadays with computers. Most people have one in their pocket but much less care about the inner "magic"
Curiosity is basic human nature so I guess when something is a part of everyday life one doesn't ask for the how but accept the fact it's working because it's so ordinary. New stuff tend to be more interesting. Maybe some doesn't care when they know something is complicated and/or they wouldn't benefit from learning about it. Thus their curiosity is spent elsewhere.
I absolutely love how you built your own giant sewing machine model to explain this.
I'll admit I didn't expect to see the author of Chocolate Doom here. Fellow man of culture.
If you want to see an even bigger sewing machine look for ..the secret life of the sewing machine....one of a series of videos (vintage 1980s) a genuine master of technical education Tim Hunkin.. All of utube. best regards.
IKR?! 😁👍
@@neilfurby555Tim Hunkin's youtube channel is great!
@@RCAvhstape Pleased you think so, he is a bit of a legend in the creative engineering/entertainment world !!!
My parents own a sewing machine shop. My dad repairs them as well. I find it amazing that people can bring their old machines in, sometime 50 years old and they can just be repaired. No planned obsolescence, just a product that lasts a lifetime. Something that barely exists anymore with e-waste garbage piles that keep on growing without end.
If your parents have or ever come across a Standard Sewhandy, or an Island or General Electric Sewhandy in decent shape, I would love to buy one. They are the inspiration for the Singer Featherweight and I like this model better than the Featherweight. I should have bought one about 3 years ago when I first learned of their existence. They have at least doubled in price, and often quadrupled, at least in the asking prices.
I'm also looking to replace a Pfaff 230 that was my husband's grandmother's machine that was destroyed when our house was involved in a fire a couple of years ago.
Thanks for any assistance in locating any of these machines!
I would so appreciate it!
They can still produce long lasting stuff. Even in electronics. They just decide not to in order to make more money
My mother bought an industrial Singer sewing machine in the early 1970s. It has a big electric motor under the table. It still works to this day.
@@KpaxlolYes, as OP mentioned, planned obsolescence.
It's the same reason why I'm not worried about robots taking over all jobs.
Robot companies would make more money if their machines only lasted five years instead of three decades.
That plus crappy warranty/refund policies combined with mandatory subscription to their proprietary software and suddenly, robots are not that good of an alternative.
It's a symptom of money creation. Because of the constant devaluation of our savings, we start to put higher and higher valuations on short term gratification of needs, instead of planning for the future. It's a well studied phenomenon@@Kpaxlol
My Great-Grandmother had a Singer machine, was incredibly proud of it and it still works today. In the Balkans, we have a saying "Radi k'o Singerica!" - "It works like a Singer!", when something works perfectly. Incredible piece of history lodged in our cultures. Thanks for this :)
Hahaha we have the same in Finland!! "Käy niinku Singeri" is said when some machine works well! :)
Older saying here in the USA particularly about cars and engines. "Runs like a sewing machine."
What is even more mind-poofing is the fact that very elaborate and elegant fabrics like velvet, satin and silk have existed for way longer than sewing machines. So the loom was really the first complicated sewing machine ever invented in a sense. Still, sewing those fabrics into garments couldn't be done with a loom but I'd say that most of the inventive work was already there.
The explanation of the shuttle would have been a good point to mention the precedent of the loom.
Weaving cloth from thread with a loom is not sewing.
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Hi Jasmine
Hi
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At 67 years old, and as a physician, I have episodically wondered about this since I was a child watching my mother sew. Back then, and ever since, I realized I could not imagine how the machinery worked to make this mechanical miracle work. Thank you for finally explaining it to me before I die.
I too, am an orthopedic surgeon and former high school shop teacher and had vague but unclear understanding of the functioning of sewing machines until now . THANK YOU!!!!
I’m not sure how being a doctor is at all relevant but nice, transparent, humble brags gentlemen
You posted this 8 hours ago when I saw your post and I’m wondering, are you still alive?
Hahah relax now, people these days live longer than 67 years old.
@@P_steez😊🎉😢🎉🎉😂 18:43 18:43 😂
I like how everyone in the comments is a mechanical engineer
You got me
What a funny first comment to see
As a mechanical engineer, I can confirm I am everyone in the comments
Aeronautical engineer here. My Mom used to sew all the time when I was a kid and I even tried my hand at it. Never really thought about the mechanics of it until I desired to do some sewing for the boat. Have a brand new Sailrite machine sitting in the box. Your video lifts the curtain off the mystery of stitches, making assembly and operation more intuitive.
Thanks.
I have a Singer sewing machie built in 1926 and still use it (because if it works - it works).
The surprising part was when I broke a needle in 2016. I thought I will never find a spare one, but when I took it to the nearest fabric shop, they immidiately gave me similar one that perfectly fit in.
It's amazing that needeles didn't change after a century.
I inherited my mother’s sewing machine foot pedal made around 1956. I love it
They changed a lot to the better, in terms of material. they are still changing today, but to the worse: the last package of needles had mediocre quality eyelets polish, possibly too much cost savings in production.
If you want good stuff buy a machine from before 1960, needles and spools from before 1990, and have a motor and a frequency converter from today fitted.
It's fascinating how 'early' some tech is that is still unchanged today... Take the AA battery.. It came out in 1907 - 117 years ago & counting... And yet its format is the same.
Hopefully they let you know that you're supposed to change your needle sometimes (5~10 hours of sewing and make sure it matches the weight/type of fabric) instead of just waiting for it to break? 🥲🥲
@@xiola
Never knew there are different types of needles.
I do have a singer 27K. It's now 123 years old and I use it to sew my own clothing, or fixing damaged clothing. It's handcranked, no electricity needed with a shuttle bobbin. I love this machine. It works fantastic to this day. I've sown some cyberpunk tech wear style clothing with it. The contrast of the 123 year old machine and the futuristic clothing it helped to create is something I enjoy a lot. ❤
that's so cool!!
Now with plan obsolete, we can no longer have lasting machine. Rip my oldhoood
i have a singer machine with a shuttle bobbin! its from around 1910 so about 113 years old and its very robust its also hand cranked, the first time i tried to thread it i was very confused due to the shuttle bobbin but other than that its great
I'd love to find a 27 or 28 in really good shape, It'd be a worthwhile and important addition to my collection.
My Singer (originally my mother’s) is a 1940 “featherweight” machine. She sewed many of the clothes I wore when in school, bequeathed to me, and now I sew things for around the house. Wouldn’t be without it.
Can't believe how much work has been put into this video in terms of animation and actual hardware. Brilliant!
amazing. my husband watched this today and mentioned it to me. I love the thought process of the stitching but that line "The tension must be exactly the same" has been the bane of my existance as a someone who sews.
another awesome video. my dad and brother are engineers and my mom is a seamstress, so it was cool to see a video that everyone in my family could enjoy!
i bet they were so fascinated by this.
probably the same way i did when i first found out how rice cooker works in elementary. that blew my tiny brain. they just used magnet and heat and boom you got yourself a ricecooker
🥰
A rice cooker is pretty useless....
@@jackgunn8112 cool
@@jackgunn8112 I'm a bit lost. It makes rice, no?
I'm so impressed by that giant needle and fabric model you built! It really shows what is happening.
Really! This guy is passionate about his videos
Large scale replica is credited to Denny Stanley and the Las Vegas Props team, shout out to them
He didnt make it. He borrowed it from other people.
As someone who has been sewing my entire life and now works as a seamstress for a furniture company, it's nice to see the humble sewing machine getting the attention it deserves. It's also nice seeing how others are impressed by it. That's right, what I do is pretty cool. These diagrams and models are some of the easiest to understand that I've ever seen.
There was a British television show from the 1990s called "The Secret Life of Machines". The program explained the invention of the sewing machine, as well.
This needs to be Waay up higher. SLoM is fantastic! We use so much of that in our teaching. His explanations are just perfect.
I used to watch these too and they produced booklets with fabulous little drawings explaining everything. I have a collection of them including the sewing machine one. I'm a sewer myself and fascinated by the mechanics of each type of machine. They should bring that TV prog back.
Props to the animator(s) on this vid, I can't imagine how nightmarish it probably was to animate those threads in 3D.
What software did he use to achieve that?
@@Kamil-mo3kj Probably blender lol.
Eh, you animate it once in probably 90/120 frames and it can loop, not too bad to do, but the artist did a great job, they're nice renders, very clean read!
@@jynxbot352 Yeah, the physics is nutty xD.
Bro 'this rotating hooks are messing with my mind. How in the world is the thread going past the axel? I don’t know if anyone can understand my problem. 😮
This video triggered some serious childhood flashbacks! In humble Pakistani homes, my mom was the sewing maestro, and that machine was her magic wand. Always wondered how it worked, but back then, no CZcams and definitely no disassembling privileges - that was a one-way ticket to punishment! Thanks to this channel, I can finally decode the sewing machine mysteries without risking timeout or grounding. Sewing, science, and a hint of childhood rebellion - who knew it could be this entertaining? gonna show this video to my mum
Even touching the bobin mechanism was not a previlage.
I likewise had a similar upbringing, per mom’s sewing skills and me, NOT BEING ALLOWED to even ‘think’ of approaching her machine with any tool, to figure out what secrets lie within it’s complications or complexities.. I was mystified by its actions, being an A.D.D. child of the 70’s. That all said, by the time I was in Junior High School, I had already taken so many things apart of a massive variety of fields, that I was making side dough during summers, servicing/refurbishing /restoring/repairing vacuum cleaners, typewriters, film cameras, lawnmowers, pool pumps, vintage radios, record players, reel to reel machines, stoves/appliances & of course, sewing machines! But I never ever messed with mom’s machine.. less oiling it and, once in a blue moon, changing belts! I remember once though, while typing this, that it’s treadle pedal variable resistor speed control, had its “smoke leak out” (I had a college teacher for automotive repair certification, explain this rather hilarious notion of how electricity is actually ‘smoke’.. you never want to see it leak out of things! POOF! The item/part/component is now dead. 🤣). My mom was so bummed out over that happening.. she allowed me to take THAT apart.. just had bad wiring that grounded out. I rewired it and had it back up and running in no time! Of all the times I’d tinkered with various vintage/antique sewing machines, for general service procedures, I recall being always a bit intimidated by their engineering, with not quite having a thorough understanding of what exactly was taking place, between above and below.. until this breakdown you’ve so carefully put together! THANK YOU!
Glad to know that someone from my country also enjoys varitasium and not the usual and useless TikTok
Same story here in iran, neighbour😂
I always wondered how did it work😂😂
Same here in India, neighbour ❤
I haven't even tried to think about how it worked...
But the video blew my mind
I'll explain this to my mother and see her reaction
I took like a 6 month break from this channel and came back to what feels like YEARS worth of amazing new content. Derek might be the goat youtuber, every single video is entertaining and informative.
WOW, I am blown away. I have seen many animations and demonstrations of how antique and modern sewing machines work, but this one tops them all!!! thank you!
As someone who is a sewist and also an engineer, there is a lot more overlap in these fields than you'd expect. Everything about sewing is clever ways to connect two things to make large complex 3d shapes.
I am a student studying engineering and I love sewing too. Design patterns and connecting the pieces is just like engineering
I know right! Lots of geometry, topology and trigonometry involved!
...and using 2D fabrics to cover the 3D shapes of the body relatively smoothly.
And in the case of supportive undergarments like bras and corsets, garments can be surprisingly supportive and change the shape of the body. A good, supportive corset or bra is a truly a garment engineering marvel.
complex 3D shapes indeed but definitely not large
I’ve been a Parachute Rigger for the Navy for over 18 years and we still use some of those old Class 7 oscillating machines. Some of them are nearly 100 years old and they are powerful enough to punch through a stack of 3 quarters.
I’ve worked on a few that came through the shop which have the Navy anchor stamped beside the serial number. Converted a few to have reverse and to sew synthetic lifting slings.
Is the Speedy Stitch, or something like it, used by the military?
Class 7s are true beasts!
Can confirm the information from 10:47 because I have a treadle sewing machine with this style of bobbin that I purchased this past year and cleaned up. It was still in fully working order when I purchased it, aside from the leather drive belt needing to be replaced due to age. Working on a treadle is an entirely different feeling to a modern sewing machine, and I love working on my treadle machine when the projects I’m working on allow for it.
Yes, as long as you clean and oil them regularly they will last you, your children, your grandchildren, I have an 1869 Florence needle sewing machine that performance as if it just came off the factory floor. It was produced the same year my great-great-grandfather was born.
A machine that we all take for granted - it is actually quite fascinating. I bought an $80.00 Singer (on sale) machine from Walmart and it works quite well. Sewing is more complex that I ever thought.
I design exhibits for museums, and frequently those designs include an interactive component that requires some sort of mechanical gadget. Let me say this:
Whoever designed and constructed that demonstration model deserves a freakin' Nobel Prize.
Thanks brother. Not gonna lie, it took me a minute to figure out how to actually get it to work. Thanks for the kind words
@toxicimagestudios9547 I was in awe of the model too! So good!
@@toxicimagestudios9547someone should make a few of the models. Kiwicrate makes kits for kids to assemble and learn from. They might buy a thousand from you if you made the design smaller.
Ha! What I get for commenting before the video is even over
@@toxicimagestudios9547 Seriously, extremely well done. It's hard enough to figure out how to get the real machine to work, but to make an EXTREMELY simple version of it, that can show off multiple forms all in one display is impressive work. Well done, sir.
My mom literally paid for everything that kept my family alive thanks to those sewing machines. I would love an episode on the complexity of a serger, using 4 spools instead of 2!
Second this. How the heck do those things work??
Right? My wife uses one, it appears to have more moving parts than the space shuttle!
🤯 4 spools?!
My confidence from this vid was suddenly deflated
Oh lord, yeah. Those things are nuts. Even ignoring all the computer interaction now.
Minimum thread for serger starts at 3 and goes up to 5. Big probability to find and see what 3, 4 and 5 thread serger stitch would look like here on CZcams. Good with 3 thread serger is that you can tighten the lower thread looper and loosen a bit the upper looper to create those finished edges for ruffles. No need to fold the edges. 😊
So the best thing if you plan to buy a serger, opt for a 5 thread serger which is a bit pricier BUT you can also use the same machine to function as a 3 or 4 thread serger. Serger stitches does NOT only work as an edge finisher. It also makes as good edge finishing decorative stitch using a different soft nylon yarn on it's LOOPER. 😊 HAVE FUN.
This video was fascinating!
Love your vids JaredOwen!
SAME HERE
Show how s generator works
I have seen my mom sewing clothes using sewing machine since my childhood....every time I wondered how that works....and Today as a ENGINEERING student i got to know how this incredible piece of engineering works....!!!
One thing i find fascinating about sewing machines is that back during the world wars, the sewing machine factories were repurposed to make rifle bolts, since they’re able to make things at high precision that were able to handle incredible numbers of reciprocal motions
Singer 1911s are highly sought after by collectors and shooters alike.
@@Bob_Smith19Those bring serious money.
@@Palaemon44 oh snap....one went for auction and sold for over 400K back in 2017.
They were tooled to do such tasks.
As I understand it though, the Singer 1911's were *too* precise, and more easily got jammed.
I studied engineering physics, and during the pandemic I learned to sew clothes as a hobby, and ever since I've been fascinated by the inner workings of sewing machines! So this video was an awesome overlap for me 😄 When you talk about the mindblowing amount of clothes that end up in landfill, I wish you had mentioned that this is the awful impact of the fast fashion industry. The invention of sewing machines are not to blame, the problem is the overall mentality of consumerism nowadays.
Welcome to capitalism heh
@@3nertia99% of these clothes come from "communism" but go off with the anti-capitalism queen, if only you knew how much more waste China produces in-house(not export) compared to any other countries in the World. I am not sure you even know what capitalism is as it's not relevant to the industrial revolution which is the cause of these landfills.
Consumerism indeed, people just can't stop buying
He did mention planned obsolescence. A problem with our machines and a problem with our clothing.
damn i wear clothes and shoes until they start falling apart and sometimes (but rarely) i hand sew soemthing if it's not too big of a damage
I recently found my great-great-great grandmother's sewing machine, it's amazing how these things work.
my mother owned a "new home" sewing machine for over thirty years, it's older than me, she used it to fix our clothes and make pillow covers, I miss the sound of it, I openend once for maintenance and I was amazed how synchronised and brilliant it is, it's a mechanical masterpiece, love it, you should do a part 2 explaining how threads sizes adjusment happens inside.
I frequently show my Maths and Physics students your videos for many years, I would like to assure you that all my students (and of course myself) are very grateful for your amazing teaching. Thanks again.
you sir are a great teacher :)
Just a heads up; the lockstitch is way older than your video implies. It's been a common method for Sailmakers, sailors, and Leatherworkers for many centuries before the sewing machine was first invented. Though, I forget if the modern stitching awl was invented in the 17th or 18th century, but that and/or a regular needle would do the trick when used with a shuttle or bobbin. Weisenthal's two sided needle may have been the precursor of the stitching awl-and-bobbin; if the latter was invented in the late 18th century. Or, it could be the other way around, if the stitching awl-and-bobbin is from the 17th century. I believe that the groove wasn't added to the awl until at least the last last half of the 19th century, possibly the first half of the 20th.
Overall, an amazing, top-notch video, as always.
(Edited because I had to disembark the bus before I got the full post written)
I’ve seen a lock stitch on birchbark canoes also, but it’s essentially created by using two needles and doing two running stitches. Is there any evidence that sailmakers etc ever passed a bobbin through a loop of thread and maintained one thread on the top and the other on the bottom? In leathercraft it’s called a Saddle Stitch.
@@michellebwilson2610 Yes. I've been a sailor and practiced Marlinespikemanship, and my maternal grandfather was an old salt and a Naval History Professor. It was usually done with a shuttle, but bobbins were also quite common. Both were used for net working as well.
Edit: IIUC, a saddle stitch is very different from the lockstitch, as the saddle stitch requires both needles to pass through the leather. Kinda like two running stitches that knot at each pass through.
disembark is not a word i've heard in modern context in a long time
@@JBG-AjaxzeMediayeah lmao. Just get off the bus bro.
@@whannabi 🤔 But that... That's what disembark means. 🤓 Why use four words when you use one? 🧐
My great-grandmother had an in-table Singer from the early-mid 1900s. I remember being young an asking her how it worked. She sat me on her lap and showed me how to thread the machine from spool to needle, open the casing to fill and set the bobbin, and set up the stitch-width and feeder rate. It seemed so complicated, but it worked so flawlessly (most of the time), and as of a few months ago still functions just fine! This brings back memories, seeing how it all worked. I deeply appreciate the video Derek.
Thank you so much for this video! I teach sewing to kids and adults. This week I showed this at the beginning of all my kids classes. They loved it! I've been hoping for a video like this to come out. It was brilliantly done. It was easy for kids to even understand. BRAVO!!
I don't know what's more awesome: The engineering "below" sewing machines, or the fact that you build a gigantic model to show us the process. Simply one of the few remainig actually great channels in YT.
Now, about sewing machines, as impressive as these are, there are other, more complex machines, such as the "flatlock" and other specialized industrial machines.
And the animations were awesome too!
I think my favorite sewing machine has to be Merrow (overlock), I can't get past how good they sound
@@user-tn8uu2cu8g I have said your words and nothing happ... wait... oh, oh, Allah! Yes! You are the only one! What are you saying? Two twin towers? I think that they don't exist anymore my lord... please choose other building so we can show the world your love!
I use my sewing machine often to reinforce stitches when they start to come loose on my clothes, I hand stitch buttons back on, to mend clothes and dog toys and have made clothes from scratch. I had a reasonably good idea how the machine worked, but it was great to see it on a large scale to really appreciate how precisely the machine has to run to catch the loop on the underside. Gave me an even greater appreciation for the engineering that went into a sewing machine.
I have seen cobblers stitching like this. They have a needle that kinda looks like a screwdriver🪛
My mother is a seamstress by education and throughout my childhood she constantly sewed all sorts of things (mostly special clothes for church servants). Every time she "recharged" the bobbin, I was always very curious about the device of the sewing machine. Even when the car was unattended, I opened all sorts of technical doors and looked at the mechanism, in which I could not understand anything, but the variety of details hypnotized me. Since then, I have forgotten how much I was interested in the device of the machine at that time, because there was a school, friends and it was not up to that. Now, many years later, I came across this video, which looked through the eyes of a little boy who is very curious about what is inside and how it all leads to a neat stitch on the fabric. (thanks to the translator)
The engineering brilliance of a sewing machine seamlessly intertwines precision, innovation, and efficiency, transforming the intricate art of stitching into a marvel of technological ingenuity.
I remember when young asking grandmas and aunts how sewing machines worked. They could tell me how to make a sewing machine work, but not how the machine actually achieved the feat. Great video. Loved the super large model and how you kept adding improvements to it. It's truly amazing how people can get things to work with such fine tolerances.
My mother was a seamstress and knew sewing machines inside and out.
I took that and well, always have been good with mechanical things and figured out the finer details, such as gear timing and finding timing marks to sync up the shuttle and needle. Came in handy when removing a shuttle, as someone forced the cloth through and bent the needle, burring the shuttle and catching and not releasing the thread. And figuring out bobbin tension problems.
I'm a sewist and own 7 machines ranging in age from 1907 (Singer treadle model 27), some vintage ones, to modern computerized ones. I had no idea how they worked until I learned how to take apart, clean, and put back together the oldest ones.
You did an excellent job on this video.
I still don't understand how the bobbin and the top thread twist around each other. Would you explain, please? I keep expecting the axle to be an obstacle, and I'm not clear about how the yellow thread got around the orange thread.
I'm talking about 11:00.
@@eugenetswong Not sure if the video link in my following comment works, but if it does (CZcams has a tendency to block links) it should show animations on how they work. A video by a needle manufacturer Groz-Beckert. If the link doesn't work the video is titled "Stitch Type 301: Double Lockstitch in Slow Motion" and the CZcams channel is called "Groz-Beckert" with a green thumbnail with "G . B" (the dot is in the middle between the G and B).
@@AlexKallThank you. I'll check it out.
In the mean time, I want to mention what I learned from another video.
In that video, we can see the thread go around that first hook, plus a frame-like thing. It's all 1 piece of metal. I think that we would be able to wiggle it. The frame holds a case, which encapsulates a spool. So, there are 3 parts, and all of them do not contain an axle, and none of them are stuck to the machine.
In other models, I think that the hook is separate from the outermost frame, which means that the hook would need to come back.
@@AlexKall I watched your video, but the video that I saw seems better.
How a sewing machine works - Animagraffs
Your video implies that there are 2 parts plus the spool inside, but it isn't clear about what holds the bobbin in place. I assume that in the actual machine there is another component that does the trick.
It's so much clearer now. Thank you!
@@eugenetswongthe guy says "the loop can pass around the bobbin", which sounds like the axle of the bobbin should end up inside the loop. Think of it instead as the loop being grabbed by the hook on the bobbin and rotated in a full circle by the bobbin. Then the hook lets it go, and waits to catch the next loop. Every time it catches a loop, the bobbin slips its own thread through the loop before letting it go.
The power of this video is in the clarity of it's illustrations! I have been confused about how sewing machines work for 40 years. Using video with the image blown up till the thread is the size of knitting yarn, I can finally see what's really happening. Over the past several decades, I have read books and articles, and watched documentaries on cable TV, but they all left me with questions about details of the dynamics of the process. Thank you for creating this excellent explanation!
this solved a question ive had for years! most videos only go as far as demonstrating the chain stitch, and that simply wasn't enough detail for me to understand how a modern sewing machine actually works. super amazing video!
Thank you for this video. My mother is a dressmaker, and ever since I was about 16, I have pulled apart her machines and tinkered, fixed and broken them when they have stopped working well. The mechanism is amazing. What is more amazing is that they can be made and sold for as little as $50.
*welcome*
welcome
In the 1960s there were children's toy sewing machines that cost very little. They did the chain stitch, maybe not with complete reliability.
It was also possible to buy very cheaply 100 year old Willcox & Gibbs chain stitch machines from antique shops and auctions; these were really well made, with spherical bearings at the ends of the connecting rod that coupled the upper and lower mechanisms. Most of these very old machines will last forever if you oil them occasionally.
@@cedriclynch My sister had a toy machine that did the chain stitch, that would have been the late 70s. You just triggered my memory, thank you. The thing used to run on batteries and chew through them in about an hour. My sister, being older and therefore my boss used to make me wind the wheel on it once the batteries were gone so she could make another dress for her dolls.
@@spindoctor6385 The thought occurs to me that toy sewing machines are probably now banned in many countries, unless they are dummies that do not actually sew. In the UK and the European Union it is now illegal to sell anything with an accessible sharp point to anyone under the age of 18.
i found an 1890s White brand vibrating shuttle treadle machine at a town dump last summer! it was such a lucky find - it had everything except the drive band, which was maybe a $10 replacement part i bought online. i have no idea how long it had been sitting, or where, but it was pretty grimy and the treadle base had a fair amount of rust on it. i cleaned it up, oiled all of the parts, and sanded/repainted the rusty cast iron base with some black rustoleum. this took a few afternoons of work, but it immediately started making perfect stitches during the first test! i’ve had it for around a year and a half now and i’ve made so many projects on it. it powers through everything i’ve thrown at it, even heavy weight denim and canvas. i use it all the time!
How wonderful! Thank you for giving it another life! I hope it serves you well for decades to come!
I have wondered how a sewing machine works for ages. I learned how to sew from my grandmother by watching her. I recovered to a 2-cushion sofa by using the old fabric as cutting guides; as a pattern. Fascinating! Thank you.
This is so interesting, the way you showed what actually happens out of sight on the sewing machine, made me understand that this is even more magical to sew.
Our father glanced inside a sewing machine as a kid and exclaimed, "Oh, that's how they work!". He tried to explain it to us as kids but only this video made it clear. Thanks.
I've always been curious about how sewing machines work. Thanks for sharing this!
It's funny you say that.
I turned 40 this year. I've wondered for a LONG time how sewing machines work.
But I never...ever...looked it up. I would just mull it over in my mind....and give up. It seemed impossible. Yet, clearly, it's more than possible. So this was quite interesting. Finally....I can lay this one to rest lol...
@@avedic Same! getting close to 40 and man did i spend some time wondering about it, but not looking it up, it seemed magical and yet real, how could these thread cross?? Still seem a bit magical even seeing it happen on a big model and step by step to be honest, but quite the day, lol!
@@GabrielPettier This video...and the comments...made me realize this was an unaddressed mystery for a LOT of people 😆
We're not alone apparently!
I LOVE dedicating videos to technologies and we all take for granted and don't think about at all. Makes us learn to be observant. THANK YOU!
never really thought about how a sewing machine works. but those things really are smart (or their inventors are) and your animations and demonstrations make it so good to understand
When I was a kid I was always amazed by this, I actually asked my aunt who used to sew a lot how it work and she opened her machine and showed me. I went on to study mechanical engineering after that.
Need a Bernadette Banner Collab. Those stitches need work, son.
the statistics for 35 kilos of clothing thrown out for every man woman and child in the US should be worded to include the fact that it's corporations that are throwing out these unsold clothes-- not the consumer who is buying 35 kilos of clothes and throwing them out yearly. From a profit perspective, It's cheaper to throw away, discard and burn unsold clothes rather than distributing them to people who need it.
This video is so cool. I love it when some random video about something random that I never thought of just shows up and blows my mind like this.
Thanks for this one! As a professional sailmaker I was very entertained and amazed by the historical facts of these machines. And yes, the quality of those older machines is amazing. Our workshop has 2 machines older than 50 years still going strong on a daily basis. Just keep them greased! I've shared this one with my collegues resulting in entertaining conversation! Made my day!
I used to live and work at Georgetown Yacht Basin Marina in Maryland, those sailmakers' tables are the longest tables i have ever seen in my life
My grandmother was a seamstress and grandfather was an industrial arts teacher. When I would visit them growing up, I would spend hours in their basement, which was divided in half-one half being full of my grandmother’s sewing equipment, which she used to operate a home business, and the other half was my grandfather’s elaborately appointed wood and metal shop. Despite being divided in half by two seemingly diverse crafts, the whole basement was unified by the fact that both sides contained all kinds of fascinating and ingenious tools and machines, and I spent hours examining and secretly operating them. I was always fascinated by my grandmother’s ancient Singer sewing machine and its confounding array of sundry implements and accessories, and I taught myself to sew both by hand and by machine at a young age, and have always kept a sewing machine in the house since. It’s a very practical skill and tool to have in your belt.
Yea, I learned to do it at a young age as well, and now I'm the go-to if anyone in the family needs things sewed. It really is good to know how to do it.
Honestly discovering my Grandma,s old singer treadel sewing machine and being at awe of how it worked at about age 9 is what got me into everything mechanical. I took that machine completely apart and figured it out. They really are amazing. Timing has to be perfect.
A little while ago, the question of sewing machines' magical wonders came to my head. Finally, many a month and 1 video later, it finally makes sense, and its amazing!
I started crocheting recently and learning how to make stitches is actually kind of mind blowing. The fact that a sewing machine is essentially doing the same thing super fast is really cool.
The chain stitch is used quite a lot to close large bags of loose goods, like dry dog food, fertilizer, and so on.
As a experienced crochet nerd I must respectfully disagree. For one crochet sits in a grey area. It is fabric creation like weaving but it is also fabric manipulation through pointy means. It is needle work by technicality. The only crochet stitches that machines can even begin to replicate is the chain stitch. Time line wise crochet was one of the last fabric based hand crafts invited and as such it is the most physically complex. As of now it is also the only one that machines are unable to replicate. Every crochet design comes from about 7 basic stitches. The basic stitches themselves require a lot of precision hand movements that work both the fabric being made and the hook. However the real complexity in crochet comes from the fact you have to build each stitch individually. By making each stitch its own independent variable you can put basic double crochet in the same space to make a fan stitch or work 1/2 the stitch 7 times in the same space before finishing it to get a puff stitch and both stitches will give you different fabric textures as a result. Crochet has almost endless combinations of fabric density, texture, weight, and 3d shape that my be accomplished from the ~7 basic stitches. The crochet fabric itself also has unique properties. Because of the way it is made the fabric doesn’t have a grain/bias. It can stretch equally well in all directions. They even use crochet models to show high level mathematical constructs because it is the only way to get 3d shapes that can be manipulated into the complex shapes of the constructs.
Yes! The first model is totally crochet! The same crochet that is made at the borders of kitchen towels.
@@user-tn8uu2cu8g No thanks. I have no interest in your cult. Or any cult.
Well, other than the one worshipping our Lord of Pasta.
@@user-tn8uu2cu8g WTF a praying car is saying while we discuss crochet and sewing machines?!
the sewing machine is definitely one of the great marvels of engineering, coming up with these ocilating motions must take very high intelligence and dedication
You'd be surprised how commonly used oscillating mechanisms have been throughout history 🤷♂️.
Wait until you see the Dyson sphere or space elevator that we are going to build.
@@User-jr7vfhhhhhh .space elevator is joke . hope that was sarcasm
@@hehehahahmhmhm it was sarcasm 😄
@@hehehahahmhmhmhhhhh sarcasm is joke. joke that was joke joke
Dude the fact that you took the time to craft and show a giant scale of a sewing needle passing through fabric so we could see how it is tangled was awesome.
I started sewing on my Sailrite LSZ1 a few years ago. Unfortunatley I learned all about the internal workings before anything. Darn thing kept coming out of adjustment and I'd have to re-time it again and again.
Eventually I found the culprit, someone at the factory left a spare part up inside the mechanism that was in a very difficult spot to inspect. It was randomly jamming things up just enough to slip the timing where Id get skipped stitches and other 🤬 frustrating things.
After I removed the "bonus" part, I re-timed and not a problem since.
Great video, thanks for posting.
I've been fixing sewing machines for 26 years and still at it.❤. It's great to see this demonstrated in a way that I can show my customers why their needle or timing is so important! Thank you!
YES. The tension is so important. And sharp needles. Also, the correct needle for the fabric. The type of thread matters, too.
I have been sewing since I was seven years old. I learnt on a Singer treadle machine ( my nan's). It is still working. I have thought a lot about how the sewing machine works.This very informative video has explained it so clearly.
My mother was a humble poor seamstress, thus I learned embroidery at 8, and the use of the sewing machine at age 12. When I was in Grade 5, one of the practical tests given by our Home Economics teacher was winding and threading up the bobbin, which fueled up my curiosity as to how the bobbin worked, since it was placed hidden and tucked away in such inconspicuous area, which my little hands and bespectacled eyes could hardly reach. Many, many thanks for this video - you opened my eyes to the wonderful secret of the bobbin case!😁😁😁
My mom is a quilter and sewing machines have been a thing for me for a while now and I love them so knowing how they work is so cool
THIS is the BEST demonstration of anything Ive seen here on YT......thanks........worth watching......
The next episode needs to be on how you'd program these machines to have different functions. Lately I had to do some alignments on my old 70s Singer machine and I was just mesmerised by the programming shaft. A very complex, rotary set of profiles and grooves that each held a certain program allowing the machine to either sew in buttons, make various zig-zag patterns or sew around the buttonholes. I'm also surprised all this works perfectly after over 50 years of use without any maintenance really.
The model is based on "Singer 834" license and was manufactured in the 1970s by the Polish manufacturer "Łucznik"
Those mechanical control systems on these machines were incredible indeed
The singers are insanely well built. My mum still has an antique one she uses, along with the foot powered pedal table (i was fidgety so i loved that desk with a secondary input to keep my brain happy while doing homeworks).
Victorian era fidget spinner
One CZcamsr called Makers Muse has always said that a Sewing Machine is one of the best marvels of machinery out there as it has a ton of moving parts and the way in was downscaled into a 'simple' machine that can sit on your table. Super happy to see you cover this machine is such detail!
uploaders
@@mkhanman12345 ?
My father is a tailor. I have been seeing this products up-close since my childhood. Thanks of the details info about the Sewing machines.
I watched this video around when it came out and it got me into sewing. Once I understood how the machines worked it stopped being so intimidating so I was able to give it a real go. It's been so much fun since then
One thing I find fascinating is the mechanism in some purely mechanical sewing machines that can change how the parts operate to allow the same machine to make dozens of different sewing patterns. I'm not a mechanical engineer by trade, but I studied it at the university. I can't figure even how to start to design such mechanisms.
If you play Minecraft, spend some time learning redstone... Plan something simple, like a door with a locking mechanism. It will help you understand the process of isolating procedures in the whole mechanism to achieve the desired result.
For example.
I had a friend that wanted to make a lava waterfall that he could switch off and then have a water waterfall and then swap back again.
Sounds simple enough, until you realize that lava moves sooooo much slower than water. So i had to add a timing mechanism that would only activate for when the lava was switched off, allowing the lava to disappear before the water was released and turned it to stone. It was difficult because i had to use logic gates to achieve this.
Once you know the processes you need to isolate/activate within a system, the design part becomes easy because you can solve the problem in a step by step process.
When this does that, this part here will do that to activate that, which will deactivate that part until its finished its full cycle.
@@cubiusblockus3973 But your example is essentially electronic. Logic gates and such. To achieve the dozen different sewing patterns using an electronic solution is totally trivial. Basically just to program it. What awes me is to achieve that with a purely mechanical solution.
@hugoiwata Afaik, the forward motion is controlled by speed of the sewing machine. The translation is controlled by a disc that is inserted to read head that is mechanically linked to the horizontal motion. So it's like the function y = f(x) where x is the position forward y is the horizontal position and the wheel height is the relationship f(x).
@@medleyshift1325 Amazingly enough, this is almost exactly how early Disney animatronics functioned. They were programmed by discs that mechanically actuated things. It's a solid solution.
There is something oddly rewarding watching this as a person who sews professionally. This video has given me a renewed sense of pride in knowing how to operate multiple types of these machines.
I have a Singer VS2 from 1889. Still works just fine. The engineering on those things is amazing.
I finally understand how my machine works, why the bobbin gets tangled, why tension is so important, and that it's actually not sorcery, lol. This is absolutely fascinating. How it works is crystal clear, the history is relevant and interesting, and the presentation is flawless. Excellent video!
My mom is a seamstress, currently specialising in doll clothing. My parents' house is filled with sewing machines from treadle powered antiques to state of the art modern machines. I've never been able to wrap my head around how they do their thing. Thanks for the enlightenment!
My wife's grandmother was a seamstress and has an entire room of their house dedicated to sewing and fabrics, and I've always wondered how in the heck these machines work. I looked it up once and got even more confused and eventually just gave up. This is a godsend for my curiosity, thanks for always being there for us Derek
Thank you for such a clear and thorough explanation of this. I am not someone who sews and I was wondering for so long how a sewing machine works and this video really helped me. 👍
This was fascinating. I'm 73 and made my first crude garment, a simple gathered skirt at age 8 or 9 on my Mom's old Singer sewing machine. I still have that machine but it is just a piece of memorabilia as the electrical cords are shot. I have always marveled at the ingenuity of whomever it was that came up with the plan(s) and now I see it was an amalgamation. Brilliant! Thanks for this.
As a child I would watch my mother using her old Singer sewing machine she got from an old sail makers shop for hours on end. I spent the last 60 years still trying to figure how that mysterious machine worked ! Thank you ! I still have my mom's machine, it was her most valued treasure.
Beautiful.
Wow!
I really love the oversized demo model you made for this video. Excellent teaching device! I spent some time looking at my mum's sewing machine when I was little, trying to figure it out. I didn't really understand it properly until I was older. They're kind of like magic if you haven't had it explained.
I'm a physicist and I love sewing. I always wanted to properly understand the mechanical mecanism behind a sewing machine. Sometimes when I spent time triying to figure it out I was constantly caught by the thought that that was not so important, that I have a lot of data to analyze and keep my mind occupied with the important experiments of my work. Turns out this video showed me that the development a complex mecanism longed the lives of many people.
Thanks for the show. I am a sewer so enjoyed the show’s demo of how the sewing machine got to where it is today. ❤❤
I would watch my grandmother sit at her pedal operated sewing machine for hours. I was totally amazed by it.
When we finally got an electric sewing machine it was quite an event in my home, since my grandmother, mother and my sister all did a lot of sewing.
This video explaining how sewing machines actually work has been a wonderful learning experience for me. Now, at 75 years old, I finally understand how they work.
I have Singer machines from about 1915, 1938, and 1969 They do run but will be even better after a good clean. It's very cool to see how they made small changes and improvements over the years. I also have an Imperial from around 1960 and like my Singers it's a beast! They will all sew through anything easily. The 1969 singer actually came with the original paperwork so I know where it was sold and how much each installment payment was. It's a fun bit of history.
I really liked the 3d animation and your physical model of the chain-stitching sewing machine, so satisfying to watch :)
I remember being really perplexed by this as a kid, but back then in the long ago days of the 1980s, there was no way to look it up. I asked people who knew how to use a sewing machine, but they didn't know either. One of life's great mysteries now seems so obvious!
My Father lived in Mexico and Was hired by the Brooklyn Shoe Machine Company in New York in the 60s to fix their machines . I always remember my Father always was working on sewing machines adjusting the timing on the bobbins and making repairs I wished I had paid attention in my teen years instead of chasing tail. This video brought back wonderful memories thank you.
Well that is one off my bucket list. I was always fascinated watching my mom sew and make our clothes. Now nearly 60 years later and being a toolmaker/ machinist I think I would be able to fix the tension on her machine for her now. Miss you mom❤
I'm an engineer and your channel has inspired something the education system just can't comprehend. I feel that your team takes the science of engineering and relates it to a daily reliance of a human being. Channels like your's are one of the reasons I still love CZcams.
I started using a sewing machine a few years back, and initially, it really didn't make any sense how it worked. I spent quite some time wondering the very questions that this video answers. Thanks a lot, I enjoyed this so much. BTW, for me it's the sound that the machine makes, that I enjoy the most, the rhythm is just so addictive.
I am a quilter and, of necessity, a part-time sewing machine trouble-shooter, and I love this video. Thank you.