Hi there!
I’m a newbie to this and have a Toyota KS858 which hasn’t seen the light of day for many years.
Could anyone advise as to:-
1. Where I might be able to obtain a sponge bar to fit.
2. What ribber would be suitable.
Apologies if this post appears twice or if I’ve made any basic blunders, any and all help would be much appreciated.
Thanks and kind regards
Your machine will take a KR501 or KR506 ribber.
Sponge bars are a bit of a problem – Toyota bars are difficult to find. There is an American website – www.theknittingcloset.com – that has them.
Some people also recommend using a Knitmaster or Silver Reed sponge bar as a replacement because they are fairly narrow.
Hope this helps.
Sue.
I have found a better alternative to sponge on the sponge bars. I have replaced the sponge with a row of 12 conical springs – the type found in AAA battery packs purchased from Maplins electronics a battery pack costs 89p and has four springs. The springs are attached to the sponge bar then covered with a length of metal tape the type found in retractable tape measures the smaller type which are usually 1 metre long and the same width as the sponge bar. Purchased from our local hardware store they are £1.29 for a twin pack.
When the tape is cut from the holder remember to put Sellotape over each end they are very sharp.
You just have to remember when inserting the sponge bar it has to be inserted upside down so that the springs are facing away from the needles. I use this method in both the main bed and the ribber attachment.
The bar works perfectly and I have been using it for over a year now and the springs are still in perfect condition. Until I created this method the sponge bar was the absolute bain of my life very hard to find and messy to replace on a DIY basis. I hope this helps.
With respect to sponge bars I collect knitting machines and sponge bars are always required and as would be a very expensive thing to buy (some of my machines cost less than the sponge bar required to ensure they knit) and this is how I do it I buy a roll of draught excluder – (it is smooth on top and sticky underneath and normally brown or white in colour) from say Homebase then I remove the old sponge bar and scrape it clean. I then lay a length of the draught excluder along the bar (sometimes it may need a double layer depending how thick the foam is) and I secure it well on both sides using Scotch Tape. The next part is important push it back into the machine carefully. There is of course a risk with this method ie that the sponge could come off and stick in the machine but I have never had any problems and I have done it many times. An important tip is when removing the sponge bar check to see how it goes into the machine. When the job is done the needles should be flat against the bed. Signs of requiring a new sponge bar is needles that are raised from the bed.
Your machine will take a KR501 or KR506 ribber.
Sponge bars are a bit of a problem – Toyota bars are difficult to find. There is an American website – www.theknittingcloset.com – that has them.
Some people also recommend using a Knitmaster or Silver Reed sponge bar as a replacement because they are fairly narrow.
Hope this helps.
Sue.
I have found a better alternative to sponge on the sponge bars. I have replaced the sponge with a row of 12 conical springs – the type found in AAA battery packs purchased from Maplins electronics a battery pack costs 89p and has four springs. The springs are attached to the sponge bar then covered with a length of metal tape the type found in retractable tape measures the smaller type which are usually 1 metre long and the same width as the sponge bar. Purchased from our local hardware store they are £1.29 for a twin pack.
When the tape is cut from the holder remember to put Sellotape over each end they are very sharp.
You just have to remember when inserting the sponge bar it has to be inserted upside down so that the springs are facing away from the needles. I use this method in both the main bed and the ribber attachment.
The bar works perfectly and I have been using it for over a year now and the springs are still in perfect condition. Until I created this method the sponge bar was the absolute bain of my life very hard to find and messy to replace on a DIY basis. I hope this helps.
With respect to sponge bars I collect knitting machines and sponge bars are always required and as would be a very expensive thing to buy (some of my machines cost less than the sponge bar required to ensure they knit) and this is how I do it I buy a roll of draught excluder – (it is smooth on top and sticky underneath and normally brown or white in colour) from say Homebase then I remove the old sponge bar and scrape it clean. I then lay a length of the draught excluder along the bar (sometimes it may need a double layer depending how thick the foam is) and I secure it well on both sides using Scotch Tape. The next part is important push it back into the machine carefully. There is of course a risk with this method ie that the sponge could come off and stick in the machine but I have never had any problems and I have done it many times. An important tip is when removing the sponge bar check to see how it goes into the machine. When the job is done the needles should be flat against the bed. Signs of requiring a new sponge bar is needles that are raised from the bed.