Brother KH840 knitting machine is a standard-gauge machine with 200 needles, 4.5 mm apart, and punchcard reading capabilities for patterning. Read more about the pros and cons of this model in my Knitting Machine Encyclopedia. This post is dedicated to a specific Brother KH840 serviced and tested in my shop in November/December 2025.
Per my usual routine, I deep-cleaned the punchcard reader, the timing belt cams, and the carriage. I removed all needles, cleaned them, and inspected. First visually and then while knitting on the full bed to ensure all needles (even after they passed the visual inspection) form the correct stitches. See the video of these tests. I knitted tuck, slip/part, and two-color fair isle. All tests went great with no mispatterning.
In the video, I forgot to attach the row counter during my tests. But a new row counter (new stock) will be included with the setup. The lace carriage was not tested but all buttons and levers move freely. It is a simple carriage and does not need extensive testing.
I treated minor rust spots on the inside of the case cover with a protective coating and Rustoleum. The needlebed itself did not have any rust spots.
The machine will come with all major accessories and with only some minor accessories missing.
The lid has new plastic end caps. The old ones were cracked. Thus, you might see some color difference between the case end caps and the lid end caps. I also attached the lid end caps with brand new snap clips instead of old, yellowed ones.
Table clamps, row counter and claw weights are new (new stock).
The missing accessories are:
Tapestry needle (any needle of your choice will work)
Lubricating oil (use Hoppe’s oil available on Amazon)
The cast-on combs are not original to the KH840 setup but I am including a two-part Brother cast comb with a clip for extension.
All 25 punchcards are included but they are not the original Brother KH840 cards but they are for the Brother punchcard machine. The lace card #25 was damaged, so I replaced it with a card from another set. Some cards match those in the manual, and some don’t.
Imperfections:
The case has some very minor scratches (not shown)
some mismatched discoloration because of the age-related yellowing and some parts being new(er).
handle for the main carriage has some very minor scratches
After this thorough cleaning, the machine behaved really well despite some minor imperfections.
Brother KH860 knitting machine combined with Brother KR830/850 ribbing attachment is a powerful standard-gauge knitting setup capable of producing garments, blankets, and other knitted items. Read more about pros and cons of KH860, KR83,0 and KR850 in my Knitting Machine Encyclopedia. The post below is dedicated to the particular setup serviced and tested in my shop in November 2025.
A typical first step for any needlebed is to remove, clean and inspect all needles. Bent needles or those with bad latches are replaced with new stock. Then I clean the needlebeds and carriages from old gunk and grease. I opened both carriages and cleaned under the lids as well. All the needles were then tested while knitting various fabrics: tuck, slip, fair isle and ribbing (see the videos of the ribber and the machine).
Knitting machine:
I replaced the end caps for the lid and the main bed as they were cracked. You might see slightly different colors between left- and right-hand side plastic caps.
The machine was tested on all needles. I knitted tuck-, slip- (same as part) and two-color fair isle. I discovered several faulty needles during these tests and replaced all of them.
Punchcare reader was cleaned from old grease, insides were cleaned from lint and old gunk. Its functionality and needle selection were tested using card #1, where every other needle is selected on every other row (easy to see if there are any problems).
The machine came without many accessories, but I collected a nice, almost all-new stock of accessories.
The missing items are: oil (use Hope’s oil, available on Amazon); a tapestry needle (any needle of your choice will work); and wax.
Brand new (new stock) Brother row counter. Because it is new, its color is lighter than the plastic panels of the needle bed (they show yellowish discoloration due to the sunlight, which is typically seen with these machines).
The cast-on combs are in good shape, too.
New tension mast (new stock). A tension mast that came with this machine did not include a slot for the wax and a slot for the garter carriage sensor. The only “original” accessory is probably the carriage lock.
This KH860 does not include built-in garter carriage rails (in the past, I worked with some KH860 that indeed include those).
Imperfections:
Overall, the machine is in great shape. The case and the case lid are in good shape. The lid has one medium-sized ben,t but overall is almost free from scratches and scuffs.
2. Carriage has some minor rust spots on the plate where the sinker plate attaches, which I treated but not painted with Rustoleum (it sometimes creates too thick of a layer and might prevent smooth gliding). No rust inside the carriage or on the undercarriage side.
3. The lace carriage has a superficial crack and some minor scuffs on the handle.
4. The retaining bar with a newly replaced sponge strip goes in with a bit of effort. This configuration is the only one out of several I tested (I had to reglue several different sponges) that provides 100% accurate patterning on the whole bed. If the tape on the ends wears out (which happens if you remove the retaining bar often to replace needles, etc.), just tape with very thin medical tape with just one (non-overlapping) layer. Medical tape is the best because if it comes off, it is not as gluey as other tapes (like electrical tape).
Despite all the imperfections and a couple of missing minor accessories, the machine works great (see the video). The carriage slides on all needles (without yarn) very easily, with just one hand, with different carriage settings. Even with the yarn, it glides easily.
RIBBER:
The ribber bed is KR830 model but the carrigae is for the KR850 (the lili buttons are a give-away).
The carriage was deep-cleaned and inspected. All buttons, levers, and pressers work and move smoothly (see the video).
The ribber brackets were cleaned of old grease to ensure smooth movement (but you don’t want it too smooth to prevent the ribber from unplanned sliding down).
The machine comes with all accessories (including a hard copy of KR850 manual; KR830 can be found online). When attaching the needlebed, refer to the KR830 manual. When operating the carriage, refer to the KR850 manual. I do not have a plating feeder at the moment; that is an accessory to the KR850 carriage. Nor do I have the pressers (when I knitted, I did not use them at all). My understanding is that these are not all that critical. Most knitters do not get that advanced in choosing plating.
KR830 accesories
KR850 accessories
The ribber was tested using two different combinations of every other needle (it is easier to knit on every other needle than on all needles: problems associated with yarn and tension selection are less pronounced) to ensure that all needles form the correct stitches. I used two separate yarns but they are only different by color.
BTW, I am including the yarn I used while testing the ribber (the bluish one) for you to practice with a knwon-to-work thread
I am also including a manual for the KR850 for the carriage functions. I do not have a spare manual for the KR830 but it is available online for free. The only difference between KR830 and KR850 beds is the brackets: how they are inserted and attached to he main bed. All other settings and functions are the same. As a result, some of the accessories that typically come with the KR850 ribber bed will not be included with this KR830 bed.
Imperfections of the ribber:
The cast-on combs are not as smooth as I wished, but the yarn does not get pulled. So I left them alone.
The knob for the I-II change lever (at the bottom of the carriage) is in a bit rough shape. But it sits pretty tightly, so I left it along.
When attaching the connecting arm to the main carriage, sometimes the plastic from the oister screw-on knobs comes off as small shavings (the metal screws rub against the thread on the oister knobs). It is pretty typical for these old machines.
These imperfections are mostly cosmetical. They still did not interfere with me knitting several pieces of fabric that I converted into the items below.
Studo by White SK740 knitting machine is a standard-gauge knitting machine manufactured by the Silver Reed company under the Studio brand name. The machine has 200 needles, 4.5 mm apart, which makes it a standard-gauge knitting machine. Read more about this model in my Knitting Machine Encyclopedia. Also, read the general details and pros and cons of a similar machine, Singer mod. 740. The post below is dedicated to a specific Studio by White SK740 knitting machine, refurbished, served, and tested in my shop.
I performed the regular maintenance on this machine.
The drums were oiled, inspected, and serviced to ensure they move freely.
All needles were removed, cleaned, and individually inspected.
The spongy strip in the metal retaining bar was replaced.
Thoroughly wiped on the outside (I do not apply too many harsh chemicals to not cause further long-term damage to already fragile plastic components)
The machine was oiled thoroughly. Some lubricating oils might still bleed during your first knits. Just wipe them with a cloth.
The lid for the machine was rusted, so I covered the rust on the lid with a special coating and then applied silver-colored Rust-Oleum. It might not look super artistic and pretty, but the rust is stopped and the cover looks very presentable.
End caps on the main bed have discoloration. End caps on the lid are new (I specially 3D printed them out of a very durable material because they were cracked). The plastic rivets are also brand new.
Additional maintenance performed:
completely replaced the plastic top cover for the carriage; replaced with new stock
I installed new rubber wheels on the sinker plate
The lever covers (little knob-like plastic pieces) are replaced with new 3D printed ones.
I cleaned the minor rust spots inside the punchcard mechanism and then covered them with Rust-Oleum to stop further corrosion
I tested the machine by knitting several patterns on all needles. The video of these tests can be seen here. I demonstrated that the machine successfully knitted tuck, slip/part, and fair isle patterns. I made three different items (hats and neck warmers) from the panels I knitted while testing this machine.
The brim on the last hats was made with the matching Studio SRP50 ribber (which is also available for purchase).
The machine will come with all the major accessories needed to knit.
Some of the accessories will not be included and this is why the price is lower than other machines of the same type sold in my shop. Also none of the missing accessories and imperfections prevented me from knitting and making beautiful things on this machine.
They are:
cast-on thread (any silky and strong thread can be used)
tapestry needle (any needle of your choice will work)
pattern paper for the knit leader
stitch scale
oil (it was old and I discarded it; use Hoppe’s oil from Amazon)
Magic Cams: They can be purchased on Amazon for under $30. They are neded for single motif knitting.
The knit leader accessories are missing, but my experience shows that knitters who are just starting do not even use the knit leader for garments. In fact, I do all my calculations for sweaters still by hand (its just how I was taught and I am just used to it).
All accessories fit inside the built-in box:
Twenty punch cards will be included. The fifteen cards are generic ones with just one line on them, but most correspond to the cards mentioned in the pattern book for Studio mod. 700 machine. The other five cards were made in the 1980s specifically for the Studio/Silver Reed/Singer machines. The markings on these cards are in red, and they have three lines. These are not generic but cards from a special edition set that I am including to complement the punchcards set to 20.
Some other imperfections (besides missing accessories) of this machine:
Some of the silver-colord rustoleum pain blead on to the cover because I also had to cover some rust spots on the cover.
Table clamps need to be whiggled in a bit with force, but i like that they sit tightly.
There are some dents on the case, but they do not prevent the machine from functioning and closing well.
Hoping you will adopt this great machine for your knitting needs.
Brother Profile 551 (Or KH551) knitting machine is a standard-gauge knitting machine with 200 needles, 4.5 mm apart. Read more about the pros and cons of this model in my Knitting Machine Encyclopedia.
The article below is dedicated to a specific machine tested and serviced in my shop in October 2025.
The machine was cleaned and oiled. All needles were removed, cleaned, and inspected individually. Their latches and straightness were checked and confirmed. The carriage was cleaned and serviced (oiled and inspected). The sponge in the metal retaining bar was replaced with a new one.
I first knit a swatch while testing the machine to demonstrate that the carriage, all its levers, buttons and knobs as well as the needle selection mechanism, work well.
Additionally, I tested the machine on all needles to ensure the needles form correct stitches. The video of these tests is posted on my YouTube channel. I used several different yarns. All tests went really well. I tested the machine using several different yarns. I will include a skein of one of the yarns I used and liked the most for this machine.
In the video, you will see that I first checked how smoothly the carriage runs on the needlebed. I moved forward (to B position) one section of needles at a time and ran the carriage in different settings across these needles. Thus, I ran the carriage across the needlebed after moving the Russel levers to I, II< and III positions and pushed the “tuck” and “part” buttons on the carriage.
When knitting the “butterfly” pattern (the very first “holding” pattern) I deviated from the pattern and instead of alternating between pressing buttons 1 and 3, I pressed 1 and 3 and then 2 and 4 to demonstrate that machine, buttons and needle selection function properly.
The machine will come with all major accessories and almost all minor.
The accessories that are not included are:
one of the yarn hangers, used in the plating type of knitting (page 19 in the manual). On one of the previous machines, I used a paper clip. My experience also shows that knitters rarely use these.
oil. It was too old and I discarded it. Use Hoppe’s gun oil available on Amazon.
A tapestry needle was rusty and I discarded it as well. Any needle will suffice.
A hard copy of the manual will not be provided.
The original manual can be found online, but the resolution is poor. For patterns, it is better to use this manual, which is for the 8-pushbutton machine, but the functions of the carriage are all the same. When converting those patterns, in the pattern table, cut the number of buttons by half and just follow the rest of the directions.
I noticed that the claw weights do not come with this machine. But you can easily order them on Amazon (as well as a smaller cast-on comb for swatches). The price on Amazon is even better than I would offer.
When knitting tuck patterns, especially on every other needle, watch that the stitches come off the round section of the needles. Always remember that the tuck (other stitches too, but tuck especially) is always an interplay between the correct yarn, tension, carriage settings, and static, among a few aspects. I will include a skein of yarn I used for my tets to use as a reference yarn.
A couple of hints to avoid mistakes with the set lever and pushbuttons:
Make sure the ratchet tool goes ALL THE WAY to the left when activating the needle selection and all the way to the right (to the OFF position); otherwise, incorrect (or incomplete) selection might happen.
general rule of thumb: tuck requires higher tension (smaller number on the tension dial) than stockinet. So does slip/part.
Notice in the video that I am adjusting the tension as I am going from stockinet to tuck/slip.
For consistency, I recommend the very last two needles (on each side) to be in B position. For example, in the video when i was knitting tuck stitch, I was checking if the last needles are in B or C position. I like my last needles to be in B position, so I moved the needles pushed to C position up.
PROS:
Overall the machine is in great shape with no visible rust
cast on combs are in great shape: all teeth are straight, and there are only a couple of minor scratches
Most of the tools are original
Imperfections:
couple of missing minor accessories and a hard copy of the manual
minor scratches (some of them are shown below)
some minor discoloration on the pushbuttons (shown below)
cast on combs have just couple of minor scratches (not shown)
The case and the lid are in great shape with only minor, barely noticeable, scratches (not shown)
Picture showing minor scratches on the carriage:
Picture showing pushbutton up close to demonstrate the minor discoloration and minor scratches:
Please keep in mind that my house is a dog-friendly household, so some dog hair is unavoidable.
Hope all looks good and if it does – Happy Knitting!
I loved this pattern so much that I tried a few combiantions of yarns and i am will experimenting. Basically, all hats have 21 rows of 1×1 ribbing (pattern 532 in the stitch book), then one full pattern with snoflakes (pattern #541 in the stitch book). For bigger/deeper hats I sometimes finished with 1×1 ribbing.
Color combo #1: The main yarn (on the right-hand side) is 50/50% wool/acrylic blend for handknitting. It is a teal color more on the green spectrum
What the two-color garter carriage did for me is hard to put in words. My journey with knitting machines started when i realized i had too much yarn on hands. After experimenting the crap out of Addi (I knitted sweaters, with cables, after NUMEROUS hats, scarves, and fingerless gloves) and Brother KX350 (also seaters with cables and socks), I needed more challenging projects. I could not decide which machine to choose, so to try them all I ended up buying multiple second-hand knitting machines… All kinds… So many that I started running out of space so I had to pass along all those machines. I cleaned them, tested them, figured out what I like about them, and did not. Moved on to the next one. … But I still really never had a chance to sit down and experiment and craft with all that yarn I accumulated…
Then I discovered Garter carriage. Thank god, out of a dozen garter caraiges I picked up along with the mahcines, one was fully operations (I am still fixing 11 others). The minute it created the perfect 1×1 ribbing, without curse words and snags that I was getting on the ribber, I was in love. I immediately knitted a blanket, and, as usual, multiple scarves and hats. I would not say I got bored (there were so many patterns and projects still to experiment with). But I saw the wonderful effects that two-color garter carriages created, so I wanted to continue to experiment (and along the way, to use all that yarn I have). So, I got the adapter.
After overcoming the initial learning curve, I started enjoying watching my two-color garter carriage making various fabrics so much, that I would bring my coffee into the room and just watch it knit. I would be combing impossible yarn. Consult with my son, who is an artist on colors and designs. Create my own designs… Oh boy. I finally had that long-awaited creativity and experimentation that I was yearning all this time. I still fix my machines and pass them along, but I also create these new designs, comine colors, test new patterns, create my own patterns…. The level of satisfaction it brings is just indescribable. Being creative and crafting, according to smart scientists, increases the levels of dopamine… These levels are now spilling to other areas of my life. Double benefits. Thanks, two-color garter carriage. I cherish and appreciate you!!
Studio SK303 is a metal flat-bed knitting machine with 200 needles, 4.5 mm apart, which makes it a standard-gauge knitting machine. Studio SK303 is capable of creating patterns with automatic needle selection governed by the turn-knob control center and buttons and levers on the carriage.
This post is dedicated to a specific machine serviced and tested in my shop in July 2025. To learn all the pros and cons of the Studio SK-303 model, refer to a post in my Knitting Machine Encyclopedia.
The machine will come with almost all major and most minor accessories.
The toolbox (and its lid) is pretty sturdy (normally, those boxes become so fragile with time and exposure to elements that they just crumble apart).
The S-shaped table clamps are original. I am also including two brand new claw weights (which are not even part of the original setup) because they are very useful, especially for beginners, to put on the edges of the fabric or to assist with the cast-ons.
The missing minor accessories/tools are:
hard copy of the manual. You can refer to a manual available online for free.
card copy of the pattern cards. They can also be downloaded for free. The manual also has some basic patterns. The pattern shown in my video for a blanket is a variation of the pattern in the manual. I also include patterns that I printed out from that pdf file.
original metal carriage lock is not included but I am including a 3D printed plastic replacement
clips to hold the cards did not come with the machine, and since there are not cards, they are not really necessary.
the case for the spare needles was falling apart and thus will not be included
oil was too old and I discarded it. I use Hoppe’s gun oil available on Amazon.
the yarn tension guide will be included but it is not the original one: it does not look like two bunny ears but more like a triangle.
the cast-on wires also did not come with this machine but I will include two identical medium (in between the short one and long ones shown above) wires.
I did all standard maintenance on this Studio SK303 machine: cleaned the retaining bar from the old gunk, replaced the sponge strip in the retaining bar, inspected all needles, cleaned inside and oiled the machine as well as the turnknob and patterning mechanisms.
I tested several acrylic yarns with this machine (just small swatches and also on the full bed), from super smooth to a textured wool yarn to a relatively thick one. Smooth fibers are sometimes problematic because a lot of static might form. The machine handled the slightly thicker (than I normally use on standard-gauge machines), almost sport weight, very well, although there were some hiccups. Additionally, it handled a two-thread 2-color fair isle pretty well, too. Textured wool yarn was not ideal – I should have selected every other needle, but still knitted a decent-sized swatch. All the tests are shown in the video I put together. The machine behaved pretty well, especially with thinner yarns. I tested two-color fair isle, tuck- and slip-stitches and all stitches and knitted fabric looked great.
The full bed tests are necessary because very often faulty needles might not show up during just visual inspection. In fact, I did discover a needle with a bad latch – it formed tucked stitches (shown in the video as well). After I replaced it, no more bad stitches formed on the full needlebed.
Below is a picture of a pattern I accidentally discovered while testing this machine. It is a combination of needles in A position (to create a lacy opening) and a hold-tuck combo.
I converted this knitted panel to a blanket (the pattern is coming soon). I like the look of it so much that I knitted little booties, hat and mittens to make it a matching reversible set.
Now, about imperfections:
One of the metal slide-ins (where the row counter or the card holder are attached) is missing.
The row counter is similar to the original ones but branded as “Silver”, not “Studio”. There is an identical knitting machine model but branded as Silver SK303.
The row counter has some minor staining but it does not affect its functioning.
The turn-knobs have some minor discoloration but still feel solid (they will not crumble easily).
The case has some minor stains and scratches but nothing too major (not all are shown). The scratches do not affect the functioning of the case.
The carriage is very easy to remove from the needlebed if it is jammed
manual and pattern cards are available online for free
sturdy end caps
excellent for those who like the satisfaction of manual stitch manipulations
excellent for beginners
it is significantly faster to perform needle selection than manually and than the Brother pushbutton knitting machines (which involves the lever movement every time the needles need to be brought forward)
no ratchet tool is required to move the needles forward (like in Brother push-button machines)
needle selection pattern versus turn knob combinations is show on the front panel: no need to constantly refer to the manual
ribbers were available to convert the machines into double-beds
CONS:
bunch of knobs, buttons and levers might at first seem confusing
vintage row counter if mispalced is hard to find
somewhat limited patterning capabilities: manual needle selection is needed for complex patterns and patterns with more than 8 needle repetitions
colored fair isle requires manual yarn manipulation (the knitter will need to lay the yarn onto the needles with open latches; might seem tedious on larger projects, but makes it easy to knit single motif patterns)
limited number of add-ons: only ribber (no knit leaders, no color changers, no lace carriages, etc).
If you are new to machine knitting on flatbed machines and you just got a machine, consider the beginner-friendly projects I recommend to all my students and customers. These projects can be done on any machine with any gauge. Also, if you are unsure how to choose a knitting machine, check out an article I put together.
…stay tuned for more insights as I test other turn-knob knitting machines.
Knitting machines with punchcard capabilities have carriages with drums that glide on the back rail and also assist in needle selection when they are passed over a punchcard reading mechanism pegs.
Well, since these patterning drums are such a prominent feature (which also makes these machines stand out from Brother punchcard knitting machines), a lot of cons and pros are associated with them.
PROS:
needle selection is localized to drums/carriages, thus fewer (theoretically) things can go wrong;
Drums assist the carriage in sliding on the needle bed
I find knitting tuck-stitch on these machines is much less problematic than on Brother machines.
Patterned knitting occurs starting with the first passage of the carriage.
CONS:
Yarn and debris can’t tangle around these drums
These drums often freeze up when the machine is not in use for a prolonged time due to solidified old grease/oil.
Here are my other observations/feedback so far:
Pegs on the drums pass the needles to either B position or C position.
When the patterning dial is in the fair isle position, the mani yarn goes onto the needles in C position.
I see blog posts stating that some of the clanking noise might be due to the static in the yarn. To solve this issue, attach wax to the tension mast so the yarn passes through it.
But some knitters experience that noise even when there is no yarn in the carriage. Sometimes, if the carriage was not recently serviced or the sponge in the retaining bar is old, you might hear some clanking noise. I am discussing this issue (as well as how to address/minimize it) in my video.
When the ribber connecting arm is attached (from SRP50 ribber – maybe others, still researching), the carriage cam dial does not turn from L to Stockinet freely. You will need to disconnect the connecting arm, and the problem will be solved.
Knitting machine Studio mod. 360 coupled with the Singer MemoMatic 360K carriage, was serviced and fully tested in my shop in May 2025. To read the pros and cons of the Studio mod. 360 and Singer MemoMatic 360K read the corresponding posts in the Knitting Machine Encyclopedia. The post below is dedicated strictly to this specific machine and not the model overall.
This girl was manufactured in the 1980s (45 years ago) so it comes with its own character (read below in Imperfections).
The machine was thoroughly cleaned. I removed all plastic panels and cleaned them. I removed plastic end caps and clean inside the needlebed with the brush until not more lint and dust as coming out. The needlebed was vacuumed from inside and outside. All metal parts were oiled. The punchcard reading mechanism was tuned and cleaned with oil. Same for the carriage. All needles were removed and inspected and then tested on the full bed (knitted on all needles). I identified one faulty needle (the video shows the incorrectly formed stitches) and replaced it.
In fact, tests on full bed were performed using tuck-, slip- and fair-isle stitches. All stitches formed as they are supposed to. There was no mispatterning (see the full video). The video also shows that all buttons, levers and wheels move freely on the knit leader and the paper advances accordingly. Read the manual carefully when setting the knit-leader parameters as some of the knobs move at certain settings. The video also shows that the row counter work great as well.
I replaced bent plastic heel protectors (plastic circles around each wheel with soft brushes on the under side of the sinker plate – now shown). They bent kinda easily when the yarn is tangled around the wheels on the sinker plate.
Installed new end racks. I replaced the sponge in the retaining bar. The retaining bar sits a bit tight so if it needs to be removed, initially use pliers to get the bar the first tug.
The drums on the carriage move freely (see the video). The carriage with and without sinker plate moves freely on the carriage across the needles in A and B positions. Read below about some accompanying clanking noise.
The machine will come with all major accessories.
Those that are not included are:
unravel cord (any smooth and strong thread or yarn will work);
tapestry needle (any needle will work)
punchcard rod (all tests i performed and shown in the video were done without it and it worked well).
oil (I get oil for my knitting machines on Amazon: Hopp’s gun oil)
punchcard set has all 20 cards and they are original Singer/Studio punchcards but some are somewhat different than in the Pattern Book
A hard copy of the machine instruction manual will not be included but it can be downloaded online for free. The hard copies of the knitting manual and the pattern book are included.
Despite some discloration of the plastic and metal of the main bed, the case lid, and the needle bed are in overall good shape.
Imperfections:
There was some yellow discoloration, which could be potential rust spots. I covered them with a couple of protective coatings. The covered spots are not as noticeable in real life as shown in the pictures below. In fact, when I am looking at the machine right now, I can’t even see it (but I know it was there).
2. One of such spots is actually the railing itself (I needed to be 100% sure that there will be no further degradation due to rust). So I applied a thin layer of protective coating as well.
In some places, the coating comes of, which comes across as some minor debris. Just be aware of it (and not alarmed). Include cleaning the debris and carriage rail in your regular knitting machine cleaning routine.
3. It seems that either the plastic panels (including the end caps) were replaced by the previous owner, or the machine was exposed to the sunlight unevenly. Regardless, you can see that some panels show a different degree of yellowing (discoloration of the old plastic due to exposure to the UV light/rays). However, the plastic does not seem fragile (I’ve seen a LOT of weakened (due to UV) plastic parts). So the difference is only visual/aesthetic.
4. When I first started testing the machine by moving an empty carriage on the needlebed (with all needles in A, non-working, position), there was some clanking noise in some areas. I tried various carriages on this machine and they all sound like this. After troubleshooting this issue, I was able to improve it (watch this video on this issue) but due to the nature of this noise, it is not completely eliminated. This video discusses how to prevent/minimize that clanking noise. However, with regular maintenance and paying attention as well as moving the carriage in one smooth motion, this will not be an issue.
Despite all these imperfections, I enjoyed working with this machine. I made the gift bag below using various stitches shown in my test video (working on the pattern now).
