AlZilla

Maybe this will save someone trouble down the road. My education about the shuttle driver on my 44-10 Singer. I recently dragged home the aforementioned machine. It spun loosely enough but would only make a partial turn in either direction before it came up against some kind of a hard stop. The needle was broken off so wasn't causing interference. I quickly figured out that removing the bobbin case would let it spin fine. A little investigating revealed that the hook timing was off. Way, way off. Like a 1/3 or 1/2 turn of the hook off. The 44-10 is apparently a short arm version of the 31-15 so there was plenty of information to sift through. Looked for info on how to set the timing only to find that all the adjustment is supposed to be by tweaking the needle bar height. Well, unless I have a 3 foot needle bar, there's no way I was going to make this thing work. I went looking for how to reset the shuttle driver position. Nothing, absolutely nothing to be found. So, flying blind, I took the bobbin area apart and removed the shuttle driver (those of you familiar with these machines may see the problem at this point). Cleaned everything up and reassembled it based on how the stitch is supposed to form and where things are supposed to be positioned in relation to each other. Got it working right, picking up the bobbin thread just like it's supposed to. Great! I went to give the shuttle driver set screws a final tightening ... and lo and behold, there before my eyes ... a perfectly lined up pin hole in the shuttle driver and hook shaft! Sure would have saved me a lot of trouble if I had known there was supposed to be a pin in there. Now, where to find that pin ...

Thank you. I went through that timing belt process a few months back when I first got the machine. I didn't know how much resistance there should be turning it freehand, but it seemed a little tight. It had been sitting for a decade or more. So I took the belt off in order to turn the top and bottom independently and isolate where any tightness was happening. I found that each the top and bottom rotated pretty freely with the belt off and decided the tightness was just the belt. It runs free and easy with the motor. I'm going to go through the process outlined in the above videos and check each adjustment before I try too much stitching. Partly as self-education and to be as sure as I can that the machine is as close to factory fresh settings as I'm able.

Thanks, guys. I have it stitching pretty fair at this point. I have just a little bit of top thread peeking onto the bottom. Next time I get to sit down with it, I'm going to loosen that bottom tension a 1/16th turn and see how it goes. I haven't gone through all the adjustments yet but it's my next step. Make sure everything is at baseline.

Cool. Thanks for this.

Well, neither of those really. I thought somewhere I read that the feed dog adjustment could affect hook timing. It makes a kind of sense that the different systems on the sewing machine can affect each other. For example, setting the needle bar height is necessary before setting hook timing. I just wondered if there were other things to check before setting the timing.

I'm working on my 111W153 and reading lots of resources. Somewhere on this forum someone mentioned that another adjustment went hand in hand with hook timing (can't remember what, offhand). I'm wondering if there's an order of operations or list of other adjustments to make when looking at hook timing on these 111 machines? My timing seems to be right on but I'm not entirely convinced something else doesn't need to be tweaked. Thanks

Not at all. The thread is #0-80. I just shortened it. If it were a flathead I'd be in business. A. new hook and case will be here in a day or two.

The pan head screw does not work. The original one is a slotted flat head because there's not much clearance between the hook and the bobbin case. It rotated fine until I needed to back it out to decrease bobbin tension, then it binds. I suppose I could pull it out and reshape the head. But another hour or so of screwing around isn't worth the effort. Too bad, I was >this< close to having the tension balanced ...

Oh, I never found either of them - I bought 8 screws to start with. I'm surprised it only took 3 tries! The screws are just stainless steel "pan head" screws. Right in the section with all the screws, nuts and bolts. I ended up holding one in a small vice grips and gently grinding it on the bench grinder. If you have a different machine, you'll need to look up the part number of the screw. Then check the size and pitch here: https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/screw_threads

That machine sat in garages and sheds for a decade or more before I got it. That screw is loooong gone. I ordered a new hook and bobbin case. Meanwhile, that screw happens to be a standard thread (#0-80). My local hardware store had some longer ones. I was able to shorten one up, after shooting a couple across the workroom with the Dremel. But, I have it back together and working. I ran a couple of stitch lines and have some obvious tension issues. I need to study up and try to isolate it so I can ask some focused questions if it doesn't work right. I'll start a new thread if I need more hand holding. Thanks for the help!

Got it. After an hour or so of checking and rechecking, I nudged the hook to the right about .010" and now it pulls the bobbin thread clear every time. Along the way, I pulled the bobbin case to see if anything was underneath (nothing there) and discovered a missing tension screw! No point in trying to run any stitches until I replace it. I have about 25 domestic machines around here dating from the 1880's to the 1970's. While I wait for a new bobbin case, are these things pretty interchangeable? Like I could scavenge a screw from something else? I don't want to start blindly pulling those tiny screws out and losing even more! Thank you, @Wizcrafts for the help1

Thank you, @Wizcrafts for giving me a trail to follow. Tomorrows tasks. I haven't gotten past the thread hanging issue to actually run any stitches yet ...

OK, I feel like this is a dumb question and the answer is staring me in the face, but here goes ... On my 111w153, the hook picks up the needle thread, it rotates around the bobbin as expected and stops dead in it's tracks when it gets back to the tab that locks under the throat plate. I can't figure out why. I found a few videos of people looping the needle/bobbin thread and it slips right around. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Some details: This is not a machine I've ever used I switched to the lightest thread I have (24) I have not had the bobbin case out I had the belt off months back for reasons I can't recall and had to re-time it. Seems I got it right, since it picks up the bobbin thread. Thank you!

I've acquired an industrial table and I need to lengthen the opening to accommodate my 111w153. The table formerly housed a 44-10. Is there a preferred way to cut these holes? I'm about 3" shy length ways. I have plenty of woodworking tools (except a jigsaw, which seems like the right tool). I've looked online and found a couple of videos and I can sort of envision how I'll do it, but I just wondered if someone had a good tutorial or video somewhere. I have the 44-10, too. Ideally, I'd like to make it so I can swap the 2 back and forth. A couple of pics, just because ... Thanks for any forthcoming help!

I can braze but I've ordered the parts and they'll be here in a week or so. I don't have any shoes waiting to be patched so I can wait. It's lifting and walking, it feeds nice and if I manipulate the foot back and forth while hand cranking it (without thread yet) I can get about 6 stitches per inch. I've learned a lot about these machines and I'll be on the lookout for more ...

Very, very nice. Thank you for posting a link to your old thread. Looks like a fast easy adaption. I'm headed to ebay today to get the parts.

Well, that's discouraging. But, I can grind. What part requires grinding? Hopefully its not a curve or, worse an inside curve. Thanks

No problem at all, just want to be sure I order the right things. In fact, it's a manual you posted I'm using! I can see where those parts could be my trouble. Thanks for your help.

These terms are confusing me a bit. Do you mean the bell crank and the ring slide bar with the cam roller and stud? 8559 and 8562?

Well, I'll go look at parts diagrams and figure out which part that is. Looking at videos tonight I also realize my foot isn't actually lifting when it comes forward. I bet that will tell someone something. I'm off to the parts diagrams ... Thanks!

OK, I have an odd problem. The foot walks back and forth fine when the foot is uu but has maybe a 1/4 of play forwards and back if I reach up and try to move it.. I tried running various things through it today without thread and that's when the problem became obvious as the material would hardly advance. The clamp is installed correctly, I believe, based on various pictures I see online. Too dark to go up there tonight but I can get one tomorrow. The result is that at max stitch length, my stitch holes are about 12 to the inch. Now - If I move the plate in the clamp from under the screw to the opposite side of the presser foot arm(s), it eliminates the play but brushes against the needle bar. I hope I just have some bone headed thing put together wrong. I know that's probably clear as mud ... Maybe I can take a short video tomorrow. Any ideas?

You must be referring to the video. I thought the guy was a little slap dash but for a newbie, seeing the head disassembled and put back together is great. Or it would have been had I found it before I got mine back together ... But I agree totally, good wrenches and screwdrivers are essential.

OK, I've got it back together and working. Mostly just old, dried lube and a touch of rust. For any future people who stumble across this thread with a similar problem, follow Wizcraft's advice above. I found the below linked video after I had mine back together. In this one he disassembles a frozen head. In the one after, he reassembles it. Would have been helpful to watch first... Thanks to everyone who chimed in. I learned a lot.

So, pics attached. I think I'm looking at the top and bottom of a part the manual calls a "Revolving Bush" (8573) and it should slide out downwards and I'll need to remove the top pin in the (8675) "Foot Bar" which will come out with it. The Foot Bar is not going to remove vertically up and out of the Revolving Bush I don't think. It looks like I'd need to unpin it and drop it out the bottom. So, Experts, am I looking at this right? Because that Revolving Bush is solid tight in the head casting. My thinking is to let some penetrating oil soak down in there a day or two and tap it with a nylon mallet. Good plan? Thank You!

Wow, thank you for taking the time for such a detailed response. I'll follow your directions exactly. I'm thinking the above parts are entombed in dried gunk. Unfortunately, there's a dearth of videos and exploded views of these old machines. Guys like you are invaluable.