On Monday I was packing up my things to go to our Sewing Circle.  I was in a hurry, and when I grabbed the case of the featherweight I found last month, I managed to rip a 1.5″ long gash in my left hand.

Now, I’m naturally clumsy, but this only happened because the hinges had been cut off the case when someone lost the key at some point, and I hadn’t gotten around to replacing the hinges yet.

When the hinge is cut, there’s the tip of a spring that’s no longer covered.  It’s purpose in life is to “flip those latches” in that so distinct sound that we all recognize as a featherweight case opening.  When the hinge is cut, this part is exposed, and very rigid.

If you’re in a hurry, it would be really easy to drag your hand or clothing across it, and do a fair bit of damage, like I did this week.

So what’s a person to do?

A couple of things:

1. Don’t cut the latches!  If you did lock it (or someone else locked it on you), then lost the key, there are a couple of ways to get into the case.  Do you have a friend with a FW?  There are only two types of keys: The “American” key, that’s mostly flat, and the most common one you”ll see.  Chances are, you know someone who has one.  And the “British Key”, this one is harder to find, but not impossible.  There are several people online who sell these keys.  And I think there’s a good chance you have another machine to use in the meantime. 😉  Seriously, how many of us only have one machine and it’s a featherweight?  Or, if you have a Singer dealer in your area, there’s a really really good chance they have a key you could use at their shop.  It’s also possible some of the non-Singer shops have a key too.  It’s that common a machine.
2. Don’t bother locking your featherweight case.  If someone’s going to steal it, they’re going to take the whole thing.  This way, you won’t have to cut the hinges if you lose the key. Let them slice their hands instead of you.  I can hear some of you saying: what if you’re leaving your FW unattended at a workshop or something?  Someone might get into the case!  Remember, half the people there probably have the same key.  It’s false security.
3. If you do cut the latches, please take the cut portion off immediately.  It can be pried gently off.  This is a step you’d have to do to replace the hinges anyway. This way there’s no risk to your skin, car upholstery, clothing, quilt project, etc.

New “aftermarket” hinges are easy to find at most sewing machines suppliers online.  They’re not identical, they look shinier than the originals, and have a different key.  They will work though.

Alternatively, there are also sites online where you can find original hinges.  Dave McCallum has a great tutorial on how to change the hinges in his DVD set.  I highly recommend it.  I will be using that process on this case as soon as my hand heals up and my replacement hinges arrive.

And when you get those new hinges put on?  Hold the latch when you flip it, don’t let it make that “slap” noise when they open.  The hinges will last longer.