Sovran81

Thank you. Already have that dye on the way. Happy to know it will work with slight adjustments. It is hard for me to experiment on roo considering its cost.

That color purple would be perfect since it will be braided with natural. What brand dye did you use? and any special technique other than cutting the dye and oiling it?

@bikermutt07 I have heard of dying a lighter color as a base to make the primary dye pop. but I dont understand your comment of cutting the dye to improve the color. I want a deep vibrant purple color, not something washed out and lilac.

I normally use predyed leathers but an upcoming braiding project needs to be purple and I have plenty of natural roo. I am worried I wont get the vibrant purple I am looking for just daubing on Feibings purple before cutting. Any tips to make the color pop?

Wiz is the man and I know he is right. I just cant wrap my head around the operation like I can other machines that allow you to watch it knot.

I didnt use a dial indicator. On the old set I could 'feel' play, New I could not feel play. Check for play between the needlebar and bushing also. Too much in this area will affect stitch length and the ability for the hook to pick up the top thread. The .080" deflection(at the needle tip) that was in mine caused intermittent skipped stitches.

I understand what you mean about the top thread looping over the bobbin to form the knot. I tried watching it last night without the needle plate in place and the bobbin kept popping out before a stitch was formed. I will have to make a plexi needle plate so I can see whats happening. I know the thread cant get around the hook because of the shaft and I dont see how it can get between the hook and bobbin holder to form that loop. I guess it will have to wait until I cut out the clear needle plate and watch it work.

I wont say that college sewing freight to the USA is cheap but considering they are new parts many of which can not be found over here, it is reasonable. Be aware all prices are in British pounds so the exchange rate makes them a little more expensive.

Check the bottom end. On the -4 with out a replaceable gearbox(lower arm) that is where the line is drawn for repair. If that is good, then it might be worth replacing other parts needed. The closest machine new is 2600USD from techsew. I think I would rather a rebuilt old Singer though. Definitely worth going through for the price you paid.

5TPI is the best a new 29k will do in thin leather. Anything more than 8 in thin leather is worn out because if you try and sew anything thicker the stitches just get smaller quickly. Mod- drill hole down through the center of the hook shaft. Bend a piece of metal brake line to work as a thread guide/protector to get the thread along the outside of the arm to the bottom of the hook shaft. Feed the thread through the tube and up through the hook shaft. Pass the thread through the bobbin holder and tension spring. Install the bobbin holder. I would not attempt this on a machine that was not like new. Normal wear causes sideloading of parts which greatly increases the amount of force to turn the machine over. That added force may be too much for the weakened shaft, though since it is in the bottom end, top end wear may have no effect. I am hoping to try the mod within the next couple months. When I started the rebuild of mine, it was taken completely apart, cleaned, oiled, assembled and adjusted. I even followed a page I found online to shim the feed cam. It would sew but the new belt slipped often and parts slammed as they overcame spring tension. I replaced, the feed ring and cam, the needlebar and bushing, foot bar revolving bearing(broke it trying to drive a pin out for disassembly) Once those sloppy parts were replaced, I have 6TPI on 4 oz leather, The machine rolls over very easy and there is no slamming of parts as it rolls over. @RockyAussie In theory, as long as the thread was feed through the bobbin holder which houses the tension spring, it makes no difference if the thread is fed from the bobbin or up through the center of the hook shaft. Here is the link for the procedure of shimming the feed cam for those that want to try that route first. I used stainless shim stock instead of brass to reduce wear. It did work, but I still wasnt happy with the results. http://needlebar.org/main/restoration/Singer29K13.doc

OK I hope it works for you. Remember even though they are old, they were finely machined. No rocking or play between parts. I didnt realize just how tight they were until I started replacing some meshed parts. needlebar and bushing rocked slightly but the new ones were very close fit and slid as smooth as butter. The old feed cam and ring had some play in it, but I managed another 2-3 TPI by replacing those. The new parts had movement clearance but no play. Now I am working on a mod to sew without bobbin. No more short runs.

A few other things to think of. You will need rubber tires for the rewinder and a threading tool unless you already have those items. Also the needleplate is very rusty and I would guess pitted(mine was too) I cleaned it up buffed it nice and shiny and even waxed it, but it still created drag which affected the feed. Plan on getting a new needleplate. It made a world of difference once all the other new parts were installed.

The ring and the feed cam are high wear items. The -4 is an old machine. I would replace the parts with new. A used ring is almost impossible to determine wear without using a new cam as a gauge although it tends to only wear in the position most used for sewing. College Sewing has all these parts new. Chances are you will be stuck with a tiny stitch with worn used parts. You might want to check how loose the bobbin gears and shaft is before sinking any money into it.

I use shellac on the finished product. Brushed or rubbed very thin. Since it is alcohol based it soaks in and does a good job of both getting through soap or grease and sealing the surface.

IMO the ATF is a good choice for the clean up because it is high detergent and thin. It will get into the tight areas and break up any gunk and old grease while providing a lot more lubrication than fuel oil. After you get it all cleaned up, you can switch to a more suitable lube.