DonInReno

I also joined a while back, but now hide the notifications because it is a pretty constant stream of content that mostly doesn’t interest me. There’s nothing wrong with it - it’s just not in a user friendly format for my tastes. I suppose that applies to most FB groups that get popular and have a high post count.

The previous owner just rigged up a tension unit he had on hand, or didnt know what he was doing - there’s no reason for a second tensioner on a single needle machine. I think your money is better spent saving for a walking foot machine and don’t sink anything new into this one - that’s also exactly what the previous owner thought as well. Having said that, parts are cheap and if it’s fun for you who’s to say otherwise :-)

Northern CA has a lot of machines that come up for sale for decent prices. Just make it a habit to make daily checks on Craigslist, marketplace, eBay, here and any local auctions. The best deals are gone in hours, good deals are gone in a day, average prices sell in a week, and most of the worst deals have been posted for longer.

I’m not sure what end of Cali you are in, but there are a lot of triple feed industrials that pop up. I did a quick search of the San Francisco Craigslist and this popped up. If it were closer I’d buy it, tune it up and gift it to a relative. These are the kinds of machines I’ll buy, clean up, make sure it’s timed, replace tension disks and tension spring and sell for $400 to $500. In the last 6 months one triple feed industrial was given away near Fresno. $400 triple feed machines are fairly common - it’s just a matter of travel distances.

Lol - I like those kind of trips. The juki lu-563 bobbin is a size U and the part number is #B-9117-563-000 Searching for that part number will bring up a lot of options. Genuine Juki bobbins are quite nice and expensive, but the import bobbins are very affordable.

Whenever I see pneumatic foot lifters it automatically reminds me of worn out factory machines that have been repainted two, three or four times and ridden hard. Yours looks like it’s still the original paint - that little made in Japan sticker on the back would have been painted over and not replaced. Looks like a nice machine!

The way shippers handle heavy packages is horrible - and that’s not only based on the number of damaged items, but the observations of our youngest when he worked part time loading delivery trucks. Essentially plan on a boxed up sewing machine being dropped on the floor from waste height - that’s simply what’s accepted by all the major carriers now. I won’t buy and ship from an inexperienced individual outside of eBay because there is an 80% chance of it being damaged. If something is damaged in shipping and purchased through eBay they have a good system to make sure you get your money back. Having said that, beware of anyone who wants to shift the burden of shipping onto you - then if it’s damaged in transit it’s your problem.

I’d suggest you have someone adjust it - they can also sort out the tension issues so you’ll be able to avoid the frustrations you’ve been having.

It’s quite similar to the 111w155. You might have a hard time telling which is which if you were sewing with a 153 and 155. This is a screen shot from the Singer user manual. Googling user manuals can be a quick way to learn about a machine - most have a description of the machine early in the manual. For any singer models, Ismacs has a good (but not perfect) list and brief description. http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/model-list/classes-100-199.html

The skipped stitches in the leather combined with roughed up thread have me wondering if there is damage to the point of the hook and/or the gap between hook and needle is too wide. It would help if we had a close up photo of the point of the hook as well as a close up of the hook as it is lined up with the needle (without thread). You're getting closer to figuring this out - hang in there.

What brand of white thread is this on top?

I really like that little Singer - what a great idea for a table top machine. All those 1500 watt motors grabbed my attention - did you get a good deal buying a bunch of them?

I can list a dozen ways a full size machine is significantly better than a sailrite or one of the half dozen or so clones, but the marketing hype makes the design of the sailrite sound quite ideal and many people buy them despite all our warnings here. In addition to what others have said about them, keep in mind that despite having a built in reducer pulley, they are not capable of slowly sewing thick material. The “monster wheel” accessory to increase slow speed torque should be considered essential - and an additional $120 or so. For leather work the feed dog is way to coarse and has to be filed down or replaced. Sailrite now has a smooth feed dog for $40 or so. These little machines are also not needle feed, so despite having a walking foot it won’t perform as well as a full-size triple feed model.

The Singer 111w155 is such a good solid performer it became somewhat of a go-to design copied more or less by a number of other companies. Parts are readily available and inexpensive. Well used, but fully functional with a table and clutch motor these seem to be available in the $400-$500 range. At this price don’t worry if you pass one up because another will take it’s place eventually. A good deal if you don’t have one would be $300ish. At $200 if it is in sewing condition it makes it worth my while to picking it up, do a quick clean and adjust and sell it for $400. At $100 it’s worthwhile to buy sight unseen if need be, able to make a stitch or not, because chances are it won’t take a lot to get it working. Every year I see one or two of these being given away in Northern California. If you get the 111w156 it is the same machine with reverse and is is worth an additional $100. The slightly newer version is the 211w155, but the values are about the same. Essentially the same design as the 111w and 211w machines are models from Juki, Consew, Seiko, and others. The important thing to look for is to insure it’s a triple feed walking foot. This means there is a walking foot and the material is advanced by rearward movement of the needle. Shop around for a functional name brand machine in the average price range and you can sew with it for a year or two and still be able to get all your money out of it - it’s essentially a free machine for as long as you want it! There is no shortcut list of suitable machines - as you come across one you’ll need to google it to see if it’s a triple feed or not. For tabletop use I had played with the idea of a compact 5:1 planetary gear reducer directly coupled to a compact servo motor and mounted directly to the head instead of the table. As you can see in the photo it is quite compact, but I never made the mounting bracket, because the reducer and servo were well over 10 lbs and combined with the head it was just too heavy and awkward to be practical.

Gregg was generous to those around him, a likable person in all dealings I’ve had, and genuinely enjoyed helping people. A good soul. RIP my friend.

3L and 3v pulleys are for 3/8” belts, but I don’t know how much of a difference there is between them.

I see a lot of gc/fy810 machines - could it be the person listing it for sale omitted the “c/f”? https://www.amazon.com/Yamata-Lockstitch-Reverse-Assembly-required-DIY/dp/B01MRPOWDC/ref=pd_sbs_1?pd_rd_w=4hKkI&pf_rd_p=651d64d1-3c73-45b6-ae09-e545600e3a22&pf_rd_r=WNR7DMEE0TPMQVBWZWZ0&pd_rd_r=a5a2b476-553f-48aa-bcba-461c5f521e18&pd_rd_wg=wXtj2&pd_rd_i=B01MRPOWDC&th=1

The photos are scattered about and impossible to search for it seems, but many people in your situation have cobbled together sewing tables for full size machines that can be used on a kitchen table and hid in a closet or under a bed when not being used. The major downside to this is the high weight of a full size industrial - 50 lbs is awkward to carry and dropping one can cause considerable damage. If you had a sailrite machine set up next to a full size and used them both it wouldn’t take long for the full size to be the favorite. Artisan is one of the few that has a table top setup for cylinder bed machines.

That’s for sure! :-) I passed up a few 132k6’s two years ago on the left coast near me - I kicked myself for not getting them and ever since the only ones have been halfway across the country!

Good job - looks great!

At first it can be overwhelming making sense out of all the feet out there. One big difference is between smooth and grooved - of course smooth are better for leather and grooved are for fabric. By looking at the type of feet people normally keep on their machine for everyday general purpose use you will notice left outer foot and smallish inner foot is very popular. This combination allows a very good view of the needle and edge of material. If you have a lot of small details it’s not uncommon to buy an extra small inner foot, or even file down and polish a normal foot. You’ll find wide and more narrow inner and outer feet, as well as long and short toes. Your personal sewing style will influence what foot becomes the favorite for a particular task. It’s not a bad idea to wait until you need a foot of a certain kind rather than buying 10 different sets. Most of the piping feet and those with edge guides sold in sets are never used.

Uwe, that’s another great video!

When buying thread I still catch myself only looking at the size and not if it is bonded or not. You only want to use bonded thread - it is stiffer and more reliably makes a proper stitch.

Could your presser foot pressure be too light and the material is being lifted up off the plate and falling down as the needle pulls out of the material? If not that, it’s hard to picture which linkages might be binding, but I’d be tempted to to take the cover off, put the needle at the point things are binding and try to pass a slip of paper between the various bits in there.

What point in the needle’s movement does the noise happen?