Uwe

I recently posted some instructions on picture resizing in this topic:

There is actually a manual for Singer 153K103: 153k101 (1).pdf I too recommend replacing that 3-phase motor with a simple servo motor.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net Mr. JeepishGrin! Post some pictures of your machine when you get a chance. I actually have no idea what it even looks like and there seems to be absolutely nothing online about your machine. In the absence of an original manual, sometimes your best bet is a manual of a machine that is very similar. Check out the Sutton Rapid-E Outsole Stitcher Manual and see if the Sutton is a similar design to yours. If yes, you may be able to thread yours the same way, or you may be able to figure out how yours should be threaded just using the Rapid-E threading as a starting point.

The timing belt synchronization should be one of the very first steps in the timing sequence. If that is out of synch, none of the other adjustments will make much sense. I have a Singer 153W102, which is the bottom+needle feed version. The bottom feed and arm design should be identical to your Singer 153W103. Mine has instructions right on the part they talk about in the manual: First you have to turn the handwheel so that your thread take-up lever is as it's highest position. Then make sure the marks align like this: In case your machine doesn't have the part with the arrow and the instructions, the mark on the safety clutch cog wheel points straight down when properly aligned. If the marks don't align, you may have to take the belt off the safety clutch, align the marks, and then put the belt back on the safety clutch. That may be tricky if your belt is a fabric belt like mine - the newer rubbery belts are easier to pull off after warming them up with a hairdryer.

Nice photos! The Singer 153W103 Manual has some "Instructions for adjusters and Machinists" starting on page 15. That would be a good starting point. I'd take a close look at the timing belt synchronization first (page 23) - it may just be all you need to do to get feed dog motion back to normal.

Hopefully Bob will find some, or other trusty banner vendors will jump in (or just contact them directly). They probably have them in stock in a neatly labeled drawer. The hinge hooks are readily available new from the usual supplier suspects. I'll probably order a dozen sets with my next order, just to have some new hook sets on hand for my own vintage machines. The new hooks are too cheap to even bother looking for old, used ones in my not-yet-organized vintage parts stash.

[Jedi voice:] "The Cobra 3 is not the machine you're looking for" For the sake of marital bliss I'd strongly recommend two machines. Get two used ones for about the same or just a little more than one new Cobra 3. For your wife's bags, a medium duty cylinder arm machine in the Juki 341 or Pfaff 345 class would be a good fit. For your own flat workpieces, a nice vintage flatbed like a Juki 563 or a newer Consew 206RB will make you a happy sewer. Check out your local brick and mortar vendors in the LA area (Atlas Levi, Alberoni, etc.) to see what they might have in their used corner. If you must have a Cobra for the manliness factor, they're fine machines, too. Trying to sew all the things you both want to do with just one Cobra 3 is like like hiring an army drill sergeant to recite your poems - he'll do it but it won't sound quite right. If you must make do with just one machine, I think a Juki LS-1341 clone like the AtlasUSA AT3341 is a much better fit for your range of projects than the Cobra 3. Our banner vendors also sell similar versions of that class machine (e.g. TechSew 2750), but having a local, no-shipping, carry-in-service option is a BIG advantage.

Binding and tape folding is an art and science in my experience. If your binding setup worked flawlessly, you got lucky by using the right combination of mount angle , alignment and height, tape folder width and thickness, tape width and thickness, material thickness, and a few other factors. Change one thing and all bets are off.

Please report back after you get it. I enjoyed reading the Amazon review of the football player who struggled to get this magnet off his fridge.

I'd recommend spending a day for little road trip to visit Gregg and his showroom - it may save you weeks of frustration and is very likely your best bet for getting off on the right foot with the right machine (in good working condition.) After you know a little more you can start playing the CraigsList roulette for your second machine.

Both the Singer 153W103 and the Adler 105 are very nice machine designs, well suited to sewing leather bags. But the two machines are not in the same weight class, meaning there's very little overlap between them in terms of what materials and thread they handle well. The Singer will be good for softer, thin to medium weight leather and lining materials, and up to size 138 thread. The Adler 105 will handle thick, stiff leathers and thick thread up to size 415, but won't be very good at handling thin materials and liners. For $800 that Singer should be in nice condition and in good working order. The Adler 105 is easily worth twice that in good condition. Get both if you can afford it. Parts for the Singer will be much cheaper than parts for the Adler. Working on these machines can be tricky and the learning curve can be steep. It's best to start with a machine that works perfectly - plan to spend some money on having the machines adjusted by a good sewing machine technician. Then you can learn how to do things yourself if you're motivated and mechanically inclined - not everybody is.

There's a sweet spot with plain (non-switchable) rare earth magnets - strong enough to stay put, but not so strong as to be dangerous. It's tempting to think that stronger is better. My coworkers experimenting with rare earth magnets for electric motors had warning signs plastered all over their cubicle about the magnets. The truly strong magnets will pinch/remove skin and fleshy parts of your finger in a split second if you handle them wrong. Definitely not for households with kids and pets, either. If you swallow one, you're in deep trouble, if you swallow two an hour apart, you're on the operating table.

You have a few options with varying degrees of expense, utility, and installation work involved. A simple, strong rare earth magnet that attaches to the slide plate works for many folks. You can buy a commercial version, or just a plain long bar magnet for around $10. Having holes in the magnet allows for attaching a knob/handle or additional guide bits. I buy magnets from http://www.apexmagents.com You can also make your own edge guide that attaches to the slide plate with screws, like this: The fancy swing down edge guides are nice and versatile, but you have to drill and tap mounting holes on the back of your machine.

System 331 (Size 10) is indeed a candidate for my mystery needle, according to this Schmetz Needle Size Comparison Chart at Universal Sewing. In the Singer world it would be a size "30". The Singer 7-33 takes a needle 7x5 Size 31 that is one size bigger than mine, at 350 Nm or 3.5 mm thick.

The long-arm Adler 220 style machines (also Consew 744, Singer 144) have even bigger bobbins. Those machines run $4-5K used. True monsters. I could barely lift up one end of the machine head high enough to get them off the ground and onto a dolly. Rough bobbin size comparison: Juki 562= 1x Juki 1508= 2x DA 867 (XXL option)= 2.7x Adler 220 = 4.5x

My needle is bigger than yours. I actually managed to find my mystery monster needle where the shank is thinner than the main part of the needle. Here's a picture comparing it to a System 7x3 size 27 needle:

I just looked up my Singer 7-33 manual. It looks to me like fabric needles from size 19-27 belong to system 7x1, and starting with size 28 through 31 the needles belong to system 7x5. I've seen needles where the shank is actually thinner than main part of the needle, perhaps the 7x5 system belong in that category. In most "normal" needle systems the main part of the needle is the same or thinner than the shank, but not thicker.

So what are "7x5" needles then? Are they real, mystical creatures, or a typo?

Thanks for turning screws for us, Yetibelle! I'm glad you left at least one screw in the machine! Love your vintage ruler, by the way. The Part# 128 description of "Leg Screw" fits better, too.

Personally, I think a proper upgrade from the average Juki LU-562 setup would be something like a Durkopp Adler 867. Both machines do essentially the same thing (single needle flatbed for medium weight materials,) but you just know you're not in Kansas anymore the moment you sit down in front of it (or try to lift it out of the table.) I can hook you up. Call me after you explain the situation to your first-born.

The old 29-4 Parts.pdf manual unfortunately isn't super clear about which part goes where. I think the screw with part number 118 (you know it's an early part with a part number that low) is a good candidate, depending on how you interpret the description of "Arm of Machine Base Screw". The only online price reference to that screw I could find was at http://www.singer29-4.com (which redirects to http://horsenharness.com/singers29-4.html) with a solid price tag of $13.50 per screw (ouch!) Those had better be originals! You want to make sure it's the right one before you order four of them. On the plus side, while researching this I stumbled across a very nice scan of a Singer 29K71/72/73 service and parts manual (Singer 29K.pdf) which has, among other useful info, much more meaningful parts illustrations that indicate parts locations. I was curious if the later versions of the Singer 29 used the same screws for mounting the machine to the base. The Singer 29K71 shows two different kinds of mounting screws on page 41, depending on which type of base it's being attached to. Unfortunately, the base mount screws part number for the 29K71 (Part # 50616) does not appear in the 29-4 parts manual, so the screws are at the very least not identical (not sure about interchangeable)

That Ebay listing is an auction, by the way, not a buy-it-now listing. I'd talk to the guy before bidding and find out exactly how he plans to ship it. Many perfectly good machines have been destroyed in transit, especially if they're shipped by people who don't ship sewing machines for a living.

@dikman :That black speed-knob-like looking thing is just the main fuse cover, not a remote speed dial knob. Aside from the bobbin size, the built-in bobbin winder and stitch length dial knob is nice, of course. I think $500 for a nice used Juki LU-1508 would actually be a bargain - I've never seen one for that price (I'd probably own it if I had.) The horizontal axis hook Juki DNU-1541 look-alike costs about half of what a Juki LU-1508 costs new. Seeing a used Juki DNU-1541 for $500 used would be more common. The two machines look like twins above the bed and you really have to pay attention to tell the difference (and justify the price difference.) A brand new Juki DNu-1541 head can be had for as little as $1,225 with free shipping in the U.S. I do wonder what exactly makes the Juki LU-1508NH cost twice as much as the Juki DNU-1541S. It can't be just the vertical vs. horizontal axis hook and different feed dog motion. Spot the difference: Juki LU-1508NH: Juki DNU-1541S:

Please start a new topic for your Necchi when you get it.

If your thread tension release mechanism is working properly, lifting the presser feet will separate the top thread tension disks and it should be relatively easy to pull out the material (and thread.)