DIY Cast On Comb for Singer/Studio/Silver Reed Machines

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The Studio/Singer/Silver Reed line of knitting machines don’t afford the luxury of using a cast-on comb for their cast-on methods.  I much prefer the Brother method of casting on with the comb, so have made my own combs for my Studio/Singer machines.  I’ve made several sizes for each machine, two half the length of the full bed to cover the entire bed and a shorter one to cover about 1/3 of the bed.  They aren't real pretty but do the job just fine.

Tools needed are a couple cards of bobby pins, a length of wooden molding or ruler, hot glue gun and glue sticks (or glue of choice), a couple clamps and a pair of side cutting pliers.


(Click on Photos to Enlarge)

 

1.  Determine how long you want your comb to be and prepare enough bobby pins to fit on every other needle.  Spring the bobby pin open about half way and cut at the bend.  Cut toward the ‘crinkled’ side so there will be a little curl at the end on the straight side of the bobby pin.  You will be using the straight side and discarding the ‘crinkled’ side.

 

2.  With the needle nose of the pliers, carefully bend over the tip of the bobby pin with the rubber end attached.  Bend slowly as the bobby pin will break if bent too fast or sharply.  Bend in the same direction as the little curl at the other end.
 

3.  Bring out every other needle to just beyond the front of the needle bed.  Open latches and lay a blocking wire or any other stiff wire in the needles.  Then push the needles back far enough so the wire lays snuggly against the sinker posts. 
 

4.  Begin hanging the bent bobby pins onto the wire, evenly spaced on every other needle space.  Make sure the hook faces you.

5.   Place a piece of wooden molding cut to desired size or a ruler on the back side of the hanging bobby pins.  Clamp the end pins on each side in place against the wood so that there is about 3/4” of pin above the edge of the wooden strip.  Straighten and arrange the rest of the pins so they are spaced evenly in the every other needle spaces.  Start with a ‘dot’ of glue at the bottom of each pin, just enough to hold them in place while working.  When you’re happy with how they hang, add more glue making sure to get in all the crooks and crannies.  Keep the glue atleast 1/4 “ away from the top edge.  Let the glue cool until there is a good bond.  Then remove the clamps on the end and apply glue to the end bobbypins.  Let the glue cool and get totally set and remove from machine.