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Vintage Singers NYC

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Posts posted by Vintage Singers NYC

  1. Posted · Report reply

    Hi [Whatever your name is],

    If the timing is only off by half a tooth: Have you tried loosening the grub screws in the hook-driving gear, tapping it slightly to the left or the right to compensate, then tightening the screws back up? As long as the teeth still catch you're in business.

    One other thing to check: Open the slide plate so you can see the hook, then jiggle the handwheel back and forth, the absolute minimum amount you need to get the needlebar to move up and down. Now look at the hook and see if it responds to even the tiniest jiggles of the handwheel. When I did this with a well-used 111w155 I picked up, I observed that while the needlebar moved even if I rotated the handwheel a millimeter, it took several millimeters of handwheel movement before the hook responded. In other words, the hook gear was worn out and had enough slop that it was affecting the timing.

    I ordered a replacement hook gear and corresponding hook-driving gear online, but the damned things were made overseas and had less than fine tolerances. I had to take the hook gear to a machine shop and get them to shave a couple thousandths of an inch off of the top of it to get it to fit between the bearings. Even then, if I meshed the gears up snugly they'd start to grind once a rotation, as the teeth are not 100% consistent. I had to compensate by tapping the hook-driving gear quite far to the left, but not so far that the teeth don't grab, and finally managed to get the timing right with some back and forth.

    hope that helps,

    - Nick

    Vintage Singer Sewing Machine Blog

    http://vssmb.blogspot.com/

  2. Posted · Report reply

    I have castors on my Cowboy 4500. Like your new machine, it is big and heavy, so moving otherwise would be a problem. Since the whole table, legs and rollers where made to work together I get no "wobble" when using.

    Adding you own later MIGHT be an option, like CD has done, but it will raise the height of your table. If you are vertically challenged, as I am, that could be a factor.

    On the other foot, ~$130 over..10 years of use..may knot be that large an issue, for the right set-up. (all puns intended).

    Kevin

    Hi fellas, you may be interested in taking a look at this; it's photos and videos of "DIY Designs of Retractable Wheels for Tool Bases" that different people have whipped up:

    http://www.core77.com/blog/tools/diy_designs_of_retractable_wheels_for_tool_bases_23197.asp

    These guys have the same needs as us: Need to occasionally wheel the machine out of the way, but do not want to change the overall height, and need the wheels to disappear when it's time to use the machine, so that the vibration does not cause the table to wander. Only difference is they're using tablesaws rather than sewing machines. In any case, there are some cleverly jury-rigged solutions there.

    - Nick

  3. Posted · Report reply

    HI NIck:

    Ken said it best with his "good hand" comment and maybe you didn't get what he was saying. The Servo motors give you a RANGE to operate in. The right hand on the wheel really controls your speed. In the OLD days with a clutch motors and leather belts, you would let the belt SLIP on the wheel, controlled by your hand, to set your speed. Now, I let the Servo.. SLIP. It's the right hand on the wheel that really controls the speed of the stitch.

    Some, are now trying to get the Servo so precise that the foot controls the speed of the stitch. I don't know about you, but, my hand is still more sensitive than my foot.

    Just try putting you foot all the way down, and control the speed with your right hand on the wheel. You will find it works really well.

    Kevin

    Hi Kevin, thanks for the tip--and the clarification. For years I worked as an industrial designer, and whenever someone was particularly adept at modelmaking or drawing we'd say "That kid's got good hands." I figured Ken meant the same thing, didn't realize it was an actual technique. Will give it a shot sometime.

    - Nick

  4. Posted · Report reply

    Thanks to all of you for sounding off, and thanks for the info, Steve!

    - Nick

    Hi Nick. This is probably a Highlead 318, made for Mitsubishi. Highlead makes this machine for many companies, including us. Our machine is the Class 17. The original machines were the Brother 797, and the Chandler DY 337. On the machine in the video, he is using the upholstery feet instead of the leather feet that we use. Thanks, Steve

  5. Posted · Report reply

    Like Kayak45 says.....Knowledge and a Servo Motor.

    Haha. Luke & Kayak, I have no such pretensions; I'm interested in knowing the machine model the guy is using out of general curiosity. Primarily I repair machines as a hobby. I've got three industrials in here with servos and enjoy expanding my horizons with YouTube, but I've never seen a machine move as slowly as what that guy was using.

    Any guesses as to the make/model?

    thanks,

    - Nick

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