Using a 211G156....properly.....

[CowboyBob]

@rac1812  When you 1st start sewing do you hold onto the needle thread for the 1st 3-stitches?

 

[rac1812]

Will try to answer al of the above........ Yes I may need a new machine that can handle at least 138 or better still up to 207........   have to rationalize the expense since I am doing linited number of parts for my truck restoration.... a hobby not a bread earning proposition.....

The idea of borrowing the use of a machine may be more practical ..... there are a few shops left that caters to truckers and for boat covers and will look them up.... they may be a good source for buying used machines or even paying to have the limited sewing I need done........  it just that I enjoy the satisfaction of doing it myself.......approaching the Canadian military is like..... the poor sods  might want to use my machine !!!

 To Bob Kovar..... yes I have learned the hard way that if you do not hold on to the threads you usually pull out of the needle and have to rethread the needle....which means removing my eye glasses, squinting and using a metal wisker device to rethread the needle.....

Now to get technical......... for both Wizcraft and Bob.......    as I can easily slow down my machine to single stitches ......I have observed.... with the steel sliding cover removed.... that the hook turns clock wise and picks up the thread from the needle....and said captured thread slides over the bobbin completely to do the stitching knot........ and repeats for the next stitch....... as it passes over the hook/bobbin holder it eventually slides over the "tang" that is held in place by the slot in the underside of the needle plate......... on my 211g it seems that the space/clearance for the thread to slide through is fine for #90 thread but does not allow the 138 to slide past the tang and a bird nest develops.......... the thread seems to slide on top and past the bobbin latch but gest hung up on the "tab or tang".......

Dikman and Keith...... as best as I can observe the thread loop over the bobbin and slips bet ween the tab/tang and the bottom slot of the needle plate..... but will look again....

Is there a way to increase the clearance on the tab/tang by honing the tab and or the needle base plate???   I have ordered a new needle base plate in case I f&&* up the the one I have.......

I just want to much to use the beige 138 thread I have as it really resembles the old stitching of the original side curtains.....

Wizcraft.... when you say moving the hook assembly slightly to give more clearance for the tang....... how did you do that????   when you remove/replace the total hook assembly is there and adjustment that allows movement.....I remember just dropping the newer one in as a single unit reassembled then fined tuned the hook itself by tapping the hook and looking at the process very slowly while hand turning.....making sure there was no burr on the hook......  I  may have missed that fine adjustment when installing the whole hook unit..... and I do have a new one as spare.....

Thanks for all you help guys.... not easy to solve this kind of issue by texting...... much appreciated.

Bob C

 

 

[rac1812]

One more question.........   some one else is using a bigger thread on a 211G ............ is there a big difference in using 135 "poly" as opposed to 138 bonded nylon??????

Advantages VS short comings......

Found my answers....did a search on Google and it referred me to previous Forum posting......ain't technology wonderful.....

Edited July 2, 2024 by rac1812

[CowboyBob]

@rac1812 Slightly loosen the 2 screws on the small hook gear & see if you can get the hook to lower,if it won't move down you could grind out the slot on the bottom of the needle plateTry to increase the size of the slot from front to back(grind on the front side) & try not to take any metal off of the top of the slot.

[rac1812]

Update........ no luck lowering the Hook/bobbin assembly.....but moved the carriage to the right too much and it no longer hooked the thread.... readjusted and broke my first needle....readjusted better now it works again.........finally went at it with a diamond jeweller's file on the groove of the needle plate...... took a few tries but NOW  it works #90 size thread.......    should I get bold and try for #105  and eventually 138 size beige thread....  I do have a spare original needle plate to fall back on now.....  it is tempting......BUT does anyone know whether if it will work on the smaller thread again......

 

Found a Singer 144WSV37......20 inch bed fully cleaned and set up....was used to do cardboard door panels for cars......Needles seem to be rare to find but nice large bobbins....... but can't justify the cost nor the pick up distance.........   meanwhile I may have found some one who will let me use his HD patcher machine....huge thing to big to move out of his basement....... since it has not been used your years ..... I suspect that I would need a few hours to clean it and  properly set it up and then do 15 minutes of my sowing..... but it is feasible.....owner claims  it handles #346 for harnesses and saddles.......  it is not a singer possibly a Pease????  massive hand pulleys works with two pedals.....

Still experimenting and learning.....

 

[Mulesaw]

@rac1812 That HD machine sounds like a beast! Could you please take some pictures of it, if you decide to borrow it for the sewing? (Just out of regular old fashioned curiosity and interest in old machinery :-)

Cleaning and setting up is still easier and cheaper than driving a long distance to get a new machine. Who knows, perhaps he'll even be willing to sell the machine to you?
Most of those old machines can be taken apart in more manageable chunks, If the head is separated from the table, perhaps it could be possible to get it out of the basement. Provided that he is willing to part with it off course.

Good luck

Brgds Jonas 

 

[rac1812]

I have written him asking for a photo...... I know he fabricated his own base on casters and he did separate it for bringing it in his house.... he is a fixer jack of all trade and knowledgeable .... he was fixing all kind of machines free for home sewers making face mask during the Covid 19 crisis.......  BUT also a collector, machinist, unofficial gunsmith, etc.....   also 35 miles from my place!!!!

I agree that borrowing it might be a good investment of my time.

Stay tuned.

[rac1812]

To Mule Saw in Denmark......... his machine is a British United Shoe machinery NO 6.......has the name Pearson and Bennion cast on the arm......  was featured on this forum some years back.

Working on a trial run later this week when the tail end of Hurricane Beryl reaches us with torrential rain....... hoping his basement is high and dry.....

Stay tuned.

[rac1812]

Meanwhile, in the cooler air of the barn, I removed my hook and bobbin assembly.  Had to make some screwdrivers with 90 degree bent shaft and wise grip to loosen the screws.  Cleaned all I could....removed the gear and now satisfied that there is NO way to shorten the kwill shaft a few millimeter as the length is set by the machined bottom of the bobbin holder.  So back in it went...lost my hook setting but easily adjusted with slight movement of the carriage...... I was able to preserve the timing by looking in the set screw hole and see the mark on the  shaft and set my screw right on it.  If nothing else I am learning the mechanics of the machine..... it is intimidating but not impossible.

Tomorrow will pick up my new thread, needles from the UPS across the border..... my chinese parts I get mailed direclty to the house....cheaper and faster.

Thanks for the help Cowboy Bob........... once I get my spare hook/bobbin assembly I may dare filing down the tang/tab to see if I can eventually do #138 or remove still more steel from the needle plate

 

[rac1812]

Help I am over my head......    My 211G156 is malade........  I replaced the whole bobbin holder assembly with a new one and got the new sharp hook line up with the needle..... played with the gears.......  Now it jammed with a bird nest and I forced it forward........ something went cluck........  could the rubber drive belt have skipped a tooth?????

So my main question is....... how do you time the belt gear which has a nice arrow slot.... against what.......  there must be a second mark somewhere that need s to be synchronized with the main drive gear....AND WHERE IS THE ADJUSTMENT????       I believe there was a video of the process but can't find it......  I have the needle bar height and the bobbin/hook adjustment down pat..... but something else is off as the material does not feed properly........     working on the sewing machine is good practice to develop "patience
..... as bigger hammers do not work!!   Now for a beer!!!!