gottaknow

I have the operators change them twice daily. But that's about normal in a factory. For leather work, change it when it's getting dull. You can compare a "scratch test" on a piece of hard leather, I've always used the top side of a fingernail. It's something you develop a feel for. Regards, Eric

I go to the same 35k sq. ft. box everyday and try to make machines sew smoothly at 3800 spm while you guys all get to sew very slow, the slower the better! You all appear very sane to me. Except Uwe, he seems a bit obsessed. 😀 Regards, Eric

If by chance you moved that positioning finger out too far, they can sometimes hit the feed driving arm that sits just next to it. Also, changing your tension can make your check spring actually do what it's supposed to and travel all the way down to its stop. This can produce a clicking noise as your take up lever drops down and the thread goes slack slightly. There are many things that can make odd noises in a machine. New mechanics tend to overreact and then get in over their heads. I use these for teaching moments. My logic from what I know, is that you moved the positioning finger and then your tension. That's where you start looking. The more you become familiar with your machine, the ability to solve problems will greatly increase. Regards, Eric

If your machine is sewing, even with bad tension, your clutch is ok. Check your threading, readjust your tension starting with the bobbin. You want just enough tension to give a bit of resistance. Then start tightening the top. You must use at least two ply of leather to set your tension. Regards, Eric

One thing to keep in mind on this style of hook. The positioning finger has to be set into the notch in the bobbin basket just enough to prevent the basket from free spinning. If you have removed the hook, pay attention to where this positioning finger ends up. If you moved it on your first removal of the hook, it needs to be reset. Irregular loops on the bottom are often caused by this being too tight or having a nick on it. I reposted one of your pictures so you can see what I'm talking about. If you did remove the hook and you're no longer getting bottom loops, you likely have it push in farther (away from the positing finger) Just keep in mind the positioning finger must be checked every time you move your hook right or left. Have fun! Regards, Eric

I allow operators in the factory to change needles and presser feet. That's it. I don't let the supervisors do anything more either. I have over 100 machines to keep in top working condition. I still have folks that take the liberty to "touch" things they have no idea what they do. The arguments I get are usually based on their experiences with their home machines. Apples to oranges. The two machines I've helped people with on this forum were butchered by people who supposedly had good intentions but lacked the knowledge. The dealers on this site go above and beyond from what I can tell. There are always two sides to the story. Wow. That was a whole lot of rambling. Regards, Eric

Tinker is correct in his assessment and best use for kerosene. It's a down and dirty first step in a preparing a rusted machine for total disassembly. It's not the cure-all for what ails the machine in this thread. You better bring your big boy pants,several pullers, emery cloth, brass punches, dead-blow hammers, and a bunch of other stuff. Actually a fun process if you're not in a hurry. Regards, Eric

I love restoring old machines, but it's not practical in a factory unless it's very rare and special application. I do have a few waiting for that reason. I've rebuilt some for private parties, including a couple for folks here. I love the process. If that machine were mine, I'd stick it in a tub of kerosene for a few months and see what was left, then decide. Regards, Eric

Hey DC, That machine in the foreground of #83 is a Singer 300W. It's a multineedle chainstitch and we still use them in the factory for several operations. They are very versatile. Most of the Consews I saw were the 327 class. These are Japanese clones of the Singer 212 double needles. They are ok machines, but not close to the durability of the Singers. They are needle feed machines. I'd really like to look at some of their seam sealing equipment. Those have a lot of value and will likely sell for a fraction of their value. Regards, Eric

They have a pretty good array of equipment there, a lot of the machines I have in my factory. The enormous red flag that I see is that a lot of the sewing machines, (in particular the Singer 300W chainstitchers, and the Singer 269 bartacks are in various stages of having been taken apart and left that way. Makes me believe whomever was in charge of their repair wasn't qualified. It appears their expertise was more geared to the frame construction and these are the machines I'd be interested in if I had an awning or tent business. For what you want to sew, I didn't see any cylinder machines, which you'd need for doing bags. The Singer and Consews I saw are worth no more than $300-$400, tops in good working order. You may want to check out a section or two of their cutting tables. They make great work stations. Sand them down a bit, treat with lemon oil and they'll last forever. They come apart in 4' sections. Regards, Eric

You are most welcome. Regards, Eric

I'll take a look at my big reference book of everything Singer tommorow and see what I can come up with. Regards, Eric

I have never liked repairing blindstitch machines. I do it. I just don't like it. Regards, Eric

Safety clutches are a really great time and problem saver, no matter what you're sewing. Machines can jam for other reasons than thick materials. The less you know about industrial machines, the more you need one. Regards, Eric

I would not use that machine to set belt loops on jeans. It will have a short life. You'd be better off using a regular lockstitch machine with a reverse and going back and forth numerous times. A machine like a Singer 211W157 is a needle feed and easily sews through 8 layers of denim. It also has a reverse and takes the longer 135x17 needle. The machines can be found for a few hundred dollars. Levi's are sewn with a variety of thread sizes, anywhere from T60 on the loopers of chainstitch machines up to T105 depending on the style. A 211 will handle the T105 just fine. The thread is polyester core, cotton wrap which is a very common apparel thread. Have fun! Regards, Eriic

Glad you got it fixed! Regards, Eric

There are several things that can make your needle thread cut too short. I'll try and describe each one so you can check them. First of all, most sewing machines with underbed trimmers should leave about a 30mm tail thread after cutting. The most common is too much tension on the needle thread when the knife cuts. When the knife is cutting, the needle tension discs should release most of the tension. When you accuate the pedal back to the cut position, there is a signal sent to the knife solenoid to engage a cam that runs the knife through its cutting cycle. Included in the cycle is having the tension release pin push out the tension disc to reduce the tension. To check it, simply cut the thread and watch the tension discs. They should release the same way they do when you lift the presser feet. If they don't, that is likely the problem. The tension release pins wear down over time and get shorter, so eventually they don't push the discs apart enough. Next is fairly simple to do. Remove the throat plate and clean out the knife are completely. A bunch of thread trimmings, fuzz, etc can throw off the timing of the knife and delay the cutting. The take up lever moves during the cut cycle and may pull your thread back. After cleaning, replace the throat plate and test. The next thing is the pre-tension. it's the smaller tension disc the thread goes through. What this does is keeps the thread clamped during the cut cycle so it can't rebound back. Simply tighten it some and test again. Most machines have a sweet spot where they like the pre-tension set. It should be just tight enough so the thread doesn't slip back through it. Lastly, your check spring travel could be too much and is actually pulling your thread back or it could have too much tension for the size thread you are using. These are the most common factors relating to your needle thread cutting too short. Good luck! Regards, Eric

It's a shame that aftermarket control boxes don't have more parameters that can be customized. I guess I'm pretty spoiled with my production machines. The new Juki 9010-SH needle feed lockstitch features a direct drive motor on the top shaft, controlled by a SC-920 control box. The box has 124 programmable parameters to cover every single condition that you can think of, and some I'd never heard of. The cost does however reflect the additional features. Regards, Eric

They would probably work for a continuous run motor as long as the rpm was in range. For a regular clutch motor, you pretty much need a clutch motor made for industrial sewing machines. They are fairly inexpensive. Regards, Eric

As long as the motor is a continuous running with about a 2" pulley and 1700 something rpm you'll be fine. One of our sponsors here can probably get a motor for you. If not, I buy them from Universal Sewing Supply. The machines are very sensitive about going the correct direction. You do not want to cycle it backwards. Ever. If you're standing at the back of the machine, the belt should turn CCW. I also have a lot of coverstitch machines in various makes, including Union Special. Once you understand the differences between lockstitch and chainstitch, they aren't that difficult. The terminology is different, the parts are different, and once you understand those differences, the majority of the settings all have to do with thread controlling which is critical to all chainstitch machines. Have fun! Regards, Eric

You just need a regular motor, no servo, no clutch. My 269's run at 1750 rpm with about a 2" pulley. The motor drives the belt all the time when the machine is on, which is called stop motion. The actual clutch is on the top shaft and engages after you fully depress the pedal. You need the combination of the correct speed and torque in order to drive the cam through it's complete cycle and end up at stop motion after the cycle. Timing is everything. These machines are somewhat mechanically challenging, not for the novice as is the case with most bartacks. Parts are still available. I have about 12 of these in various sub-classes, and I'm usually using a couple on any given day. Have fun! Regards, Eric

I would not (even if possible) change to a different size hook and bobbin. Main reason being the take up lever is matched to the diameter of the hook. Changing the diameter of the hook changes its realationship to the take up lever. It would be like changing your top and bottom shaft timing. Buy a machine with the bobbin size you want. My 2 cents. Regards, Eric

We use them in the factory for lots of operations. The most common being topstitching cuffs and set on sleeve seams in oil cloth jackets. With a flat felling folder and a table adapter, you can join seams with it, though a flatbed or feed off the arm machine is more common for that. I keep a couple set up all the time it seems. When we made tactical gear, they were handy for duffle bags. Most jeans use a two or three needle chainstitch for flat felliing. A chainstitch stretches and gives with the jeans as the person moves. Regards, Eric

It never fails when I try to find a certain folder, I've ended up putting it somewhere I couldn't possibly forget. Regards, Eric

I probably have at least one here somewhere. 😀 Regards, Eric