Knitmaster 120 Chunky Spongebar

Hi
I’m getting quite desperate now. I bought a lovely chunky machine, a Knitmaster Empisal 120 which I’m told was also sold under the name Singer SK120. I intend to use this to knit sock blanks for dyeing. However I can’t get started as I cannot find a replacement sponge bar for this machine. I will even consider a kit to refurbish if necessary. The bar is very narrow compared to the one from my Brother KH-836 (about 3 mm across and 8 mm deep). I can’t get my business off the ground until this is up and running!
Many thanks, Jenni Pitt

Hi

In the September issue of MKM in Trading Post p.46 there are Chunky Needle Retaining Bars listed in the Silver Reed section. The code is SR26 and the price is £33.75. You need to state the model number of the machine. However they are not listed on the Trading Post on this Website. It might be worth contacting Silver Reed to see if they are still available.

Another thing to try is to replace the sponge with some draught excluder. The brown type is best as it has a firm top and the consistency of the foam is about right. You might need two layers of it on your bar. Make sure it is well stuck and bind the ends with tape to hold them in place.

I hope you can get it sorted and happy knitting.
Sue

Sue P
2013-08-16 13:47:04
i contacted Silver – and they do not have a replacement for the 120 Sponge Bars.
If you are a memmber of Yahoo Groups there a few people with “ideas” on how to replace a 120 sponge.
Yahoo has JUSt changed their layout and I cannot find which group I saw it in yesterday.
Kari
2013-09-12 16:57:44
Jenni If you join the Sk120/Bulky Yahoo Group(very easy to do). In the files is pdf of how to refurbish your existing sponge bar. Avril
esme48
2013-09-12 16:57:44
Hi
I’ve owned many SK-120s over the years and trying to refurbish the sponge bar is a nightmare. The last one I had (two years ago) I tried so many times that in the end the metal just became non-usable. Frustrated I looked around my garage and found a thin flat rigid metal bar to which I glued a thin length of sponge with ribbon on top. I slid it into the machine and it worked brilliantly. So my advice is this: think outside the box. A rigid piece of plastic or maybe even wood that would fill the retaining channel should serve equally well as a good base for the sponge. This is a very ‘forgiving’ machine and you can’t break it by trying. I’ve just been lucky enough to win another 120 on eBay (arriving on Tuesday) and despite that one shortcoming I believe this to be the best chunky/bulky machine out there as its stitches are far more attractive than those produced on a 9 mm machine.
britlady52
2014-02-26 17:50:24
Hi

In the September issue of MKM in Trading Post p.46 there are Chunky Needle Retaining Bars listed in the Silver Reed section. The code is SR26 and the price is £33.75. You need to state the model number of the machine. However they are not listed on the Trading Post on this Website. It might be worth contacting Silver Reed to see if they are still available.

Another thing to try is to replace the sponge with some draught excluder. The brown type is best as it has a firm top and the consistency of the foam is about right. You might need two layers of it on your bar. Make sure it is well stuck and bind the ends with tape to hold them in place.

I hope you can get it sorted and happy knitting.
Sue

Sue P
2013-08-16 13:47:04
i contacted Silver – and they do not have a replacement for the 120 Sponge Bars.
If you are a memmber of Yahoo Groups there a few people with “ideas” on how to replace a 120 sponge.
Yahoo has JUSt changed their layout and I cannot find which group I saw it in yesterday.
Kari
2013-09-12 16:57:44
Jenni If you join the Sk120/Bulky Yahoo Group(very easy to do). In the files is pdf of how to refurbish your existing sponge bar. Avril
esme48
2013-09-12 16:57:44
Hi
I’ve owned many SK-120s over the years and trying to refurbish the sponge bar is a nightmare. The last one I had (two years ago) I tried so many times that in the end the metal just became non-usable. Frustrated I looked around my garage and found a thin flat rigid metal bar to which I glued a thin length of sponge with ribbon on top. I slid it into the machine and it worked brilliantly. So my advice is this: think outside the box. A rigid piece of plastic or maybe even wood that would fill the retaining channel should serve equally well as a good base for the sponge. This is a very ‘forgiving’ machine and you can’t break it by trying. I’ve just been lucky enough to win another 120 on eBay (arriving on Tuesday) and despite that one shortcoming I believe this to be the best chunky/bulky machine out there as its stitches are far more attractive than those produced on a 9 mm machine.
britlady52
2014-02-26 17:50:24