georgeandgracie

Thank you, Ralf. That information gives me some more options.

Thanks for saving me the all-day trip to the auction! I have not yet found a Singer 211G157 for sale. 211W151 models are out there, on Ebay and Craigslist, for $350 to $400 for a head only, plus shipping plus, of course, the servo motor. Are 111 models, as opposed to 211, similar enough to be worth considering?

In the lower right of this picture (an auction preview) is some sort of industrial sewing machine. I don't suppose this is a Singer 211W151?

Definitely The Thread Exchange. I had the same question as you, just two years ago, and someone here directed me to The Thread Exchange - some of the best advice I've ever received.

Do these Singers run like the proverbial bat out of hell, the way the Consew 206RB did before the servo?

I am now officially on the lookout for a Singer 211G157. Meanwhile, I will loosen the pressure and try the pulling technique. Eric, thanks a bunch!

I'm using polyester, size 92.

As I study my sewing with Eric's comments in mind, it seems to me that the problem is not stretching but rather the opposite. Puckering occurs when I am sewing parallel to the lengthwise grain of the fabric (parallel to the selvedge). In waxed canvas, the fabric just doesn't stretch much if at all in that direction. If you look at the attached photo you can see that the stitched seam is shorter than the original fabric. Stitching has drawn-up the fabric.

Eric and Glenn - is "compound feed" another term for "walking foot"? I thought it meant something about the foot and the feed dog moving together. The way Glenn asks makes me wonder if I misunderstood the terminology. He does imply that "needle feed" and "compound feed" are mutually exclusive.

Aha!! So that is why the advice from Fairfield to loosen the tension did nothing but cause additional problems. Apparently this means that I need to replace my Consew 206RB with something else. Yikes! What might some appropriate needle feed machines be? I think there is an auction coming up that may have some industrial machines, maybe old Singers.

Yes. That helps somewhat, temporarily. When the item (tool rolls, in my case) are used, though, the puckering tends to return.

Why do I get these awful puckers when I sew waxed canvas with my Consew 206RB-3? The company that makes the fabric says it is a tension issue but I cannot resolve it. If I loosen the top thread any more there will be loops on the underside. If I loosen the screw on the bobbin the screw falls out. Other people's work doesn't seem to show this puckering.

I wasn't certain that the link would work because it goes to a PDF. Try googling for this: navy manual sewing machine repair. Pick the link that says US Navy Course NAVEDRA 14217. I am not certain that it's the same Consew as yours but it sure looks a lot the same.

That looks similar to the machine in this manual: keysew.com/Webpages/.../USNavySinger111WConsew225REPAIR.pdf

SantaFeMarie: thank you so much, but that is the opposite of what I need. What you show has the zipper sliders at the ends of the zipper when the zipper is closed. I need them to meet in the middle of the zipper when closed. I've emailed to Ohio Travel Bag to inquire. I have had some limited success trying to make these odd zippers using two existing one-pull, one-closed-end zippers. I take the open-end stops off one zipper and open it up to a Y. Then I take the slider off the other zipper and winkle its wide end openings onto the raw ends of the Y. The result is the right configuration, lacking only another closed-end stop. But the added slider doesn't slide very well - it feels like it's going against the grain of the teeth.

Here is the best response I've gotten yet from a zipper company, Supreme Zipper: "You are in need of a very particular type of metal zipper that would allow for double slider application (head to head). We carry #5 brass & nickel Excella (two-way) zipper chains that is made specifically for this purpose but have a very limited selection of tape color options. I must also let you know that this is very costly. If you provide me with more details such as length/yardage I can get you pricing."

What I have learned is that this type of zipper is weird, odd, obscure, and will drive you to desperation if you want them. You cannot just make them the way you can with other types of metal zippers. With plastic teeth, yes you can, but not with metal. And no, not every zipper place has them. Also, some online zipper suppliers are abrupt and unhelpful when you email to ask. Riri zippers are twenty dollars apiece!! How does the Riri sizing system work? I understand YKK sizing: the number matches the mm width of the closed teeth. DavidL, thank you for the information that these are called O type zippers.

My customer wants some bags with brass luggage-style zippers, the kind with two sliders that meet in the middle of the zipper when closed. I thought I could make these myself with parts but sadly, that appears to be possible only with plastic-tooth zippers. I don't need custom sizes; I can tweak the bag dimension to fit standard lengths such as 30", 36", and so on. If necessary, I would be happy to order 10 at a time or some such quantity, but certainly not a thousand zippers. Where on earth can I find these? Google is not helping locate a source.

My Consew 206RB-3 came to me looking well-used but I don't know how old it really is. The serial number is TH 0401594. I bought it in Denver through Craigslist but it has a sticker from an industrial sewing machine dealer in California. Is there a source for determining the date of manufacture?

The machine is now back home from Ralph's sewing machine hospital in Denver. It was indeed a timing problem. Janet

Thanks! This is information I can really use.

I can't think of a button like you describe. This is a Consew 206RB-3. Is it too old to have such a button? Or am I just looking in the wrong place?

I was sewing along quite nicely when suddenly there was a crunching sound from below the feed dogs. When I got the fabric detached from the machine I found tangled stitching and several cut ends of thread sticking out of the bobbin. The needle did not break, but I replaced it anyway. Now the needle and top thread do not pick up the bobbin thread. Did something happen to the hook?

I'm anxious to know about this, too, because I have an earlier version of the same machine.

At http://www.fairfieldfabrics.com.