BIG hole in feed dog!

[toxo]

I'm certain I'm not the first to bring this up. Seems enormous on my 341 and because I use a variety of weight leather including upholstery weights and sometimes sew close to the edge the hole is a problem. How can I make it smaller? Solder? Maybe ram a thick copper rivet down there and re-drill the hole? Any other suggestions? I'm about to Whatsapp my Chinese lady to ask if the company does one with a smaller hole but I'm not holding my breath.

[DieselTech]

On my class 441 machine I bought narrow feed dogs & needle throat plates for it, because of this problem. 

I do not know if they are offered for the class 341 machines. 

The narrow feed dog & throat plate fixed/solved a lot of my problems I was having. 

I'm sure you can modify them to your needs if careful. 

[purplefox66]

Silver solder it closed and then re drill the hole.

[toxo]

40 minutes ago, purplefox66 said:

Silver solder it closed and then re drill the hole.

I soft soldered it and it filled it nicely but it's a straight bore hole so didn't stick. Never used silver. I know it's harder/higher melting but will it stick?

[DieselTech]

11 minutes ago, toxo said:

I soft soldered it and it filled it nicely but it's a straight bore hole so didn't stick. Never used silver. I know it's harder/higher melting but will it stick?

Toxo can I ask, does a magnet stick to your feed dog? 

High percentage silver solder will adhere to most metals. 

If a magnet don't stick it is probably stainless & will require a good flux for stainless & a high percentage silver solder. 

Thanks. 

Edited October 30 by DieselTech

[toxo]

11 minutes ago, DieselTech said:

Toxo can I ask, does a magnet stick to your feed dog? 

High percentage silver solder will adhere to most metals. 

If a magnet don't stick it is probably stainless & will require a good flux for stainless & a high percentage silver solder. 

Thanks. 

Magnet sticks so must be a mild steel. Been meaning to try silver for a while now. I have two large compasses?/dividers and the bit that holds the pencil  has fallen off both. Tried soft solder but didn't work so I can see some more learning on the horizon. (If I can find the bits that fell off).

[DieselTech]

30 minutes ago, toxo said:

Magnet sticks so must be a mild steel. Been meaning to try silver for a while now. I have two large compasses?/dividers and the bit that holds the pencil  has fallen off both. Tried soft solder but didn't work so I can see some more learning on the horizon. (If I can find the bits that fell off).

Good silver solder has a lot of good uses. Expensive as heck. But a good supply to have around. 

Make sure to get flux too when you get silver solder. A lot of times for me the flux is the key to good solder job. 

[toxo]

16 hours ago, DieselTech said:

Good silver solder has a lot of good uses. Expensive as heck. But a good supply to have around. 

Make sure to get flux too when you get silver solder. A lot of times for me the flux is the key to good solder job. 

Seems we are both boy scouts. I also like to be ready for all eventualities.

I will go out for some silver later but I found some "JB Weld" and without much hope I stuffed the hole with that and blow me it seems to have worked. I got impatient and drilled the hole before it was fully hardened and so is a little bigger than I wanted but much better than before. Got some sewing to do today but if alls well now it's fully hardened i'll bung some more in there and do it again. I've asked China to send another feed dog to modify.

[toxo]

Update! The JB Weld didn't work very well. It looked ok but after using it the thread wore through it a bit so now I have some silver solder I'm going to do it again. Just wondering what can be used as a kind of resist to block up the hole and stop any going straight through?

[DieselTech]

29 minutes ago, toxo said:

Update! The JB Weld didn't work very well. It looked ok but after using it the thread wore through it a bit so now I have some silver solder I'm going to do it again. Just wondering what can be used as a kind of resist to block up the hole and stop any going straight through?

Aluminum will work as a stop/stopper. Then you can solder it up. 

If you use aluminum foil make sure to fold it over multiple times to make it a thicker piece of aluminum foil. 

Edited November 8 by DieselTech

[toxo]

2 minutes ago, DieselTech said:

Aluminum will work as a stop/stopper. Then you can solder it up. 

If you use aluminum foil make sure to fold it over multiple times to make it a thicker piece of aluminum foil. 

Just what I needed to know DT. So, an aluminium can then?

[DieselTech]

20 minutes ago, toxo said:

Just what I needed to know DT. So, an aluminium can then?

Should work fine. You might burn the coating off the can before using. Just hit it with your torch so the fumes & such burn off. That should help from contaminating your solder job. 

[toxo]

13 minutes ago, DieselTech said:

Should work fine. You might burn the coating off the can before using. Just hit it with your torch so the fumes & such burn off. That should help from contaminating your solder job. 

I'm thinking I don't have to fill up all of the hole so I'll try to cut some small discs and jam them in from the top.

[shoepatcher]

Pic of the hole in feed dog please.

glenn

[toxo]

2 hours ago, shoepatcher said:

Pic of the hole in feed dog please.

glenn

Just sat down to utter some words that are alien to me. "I can't do it"

Got some silver solder wire (thin) and got some tiny silver solder squares. Tried em both, separately and together. Two lots of easy flo flux powder and three or four other solders. Tried em all. Part of the trouble is that it's a straight through bore with nothing to hang on to. Tried all temperatures. Tried packing the hole with aluminium but it didn't like it. Pic to follow but I'm thinking about breaking out my little mig welder that I haven't used for about 4 years. Hopefully some Argon left in the bottle. In extremis I could screw an oversize screw in there and drill through that.

Seems like I'm making a fuss over this but the Adler 69 has gone and if I can get this new machine to sew thinner stuff I can get rid of the Durkopp 239 because I really am short of space.

Edited November 11 by toxo

[DieselTech]

11 minutes ago, toxo said:

Just sat down to utter some words that are alien to me. "I can't do it"

Got some silver solder wire (thin) and got some tiny silver solder squares. Tried em both, separately and together. Two lots of easy flo flux powder and three or four other solders. Tried em all. Part of the trouble is that it's a straight through bore with nothing to hang on to. Tried all temperatures. Tried packing the hole with aluminium but it didn't like it. Pic to follow but I'm thinking about breaking out my little mig welder that I haven't used for about 4 years. Hopefully some Argon left in the bottle. In extremis I could screw an oversize screw in there and drill through that.

Seems like I'm making a fuss over this but the Adler 69 has gone and if I can get this new machine to sew thinner stuff I can get rid of the Durkopp 239 because I really am short of space.

Are you using mapp gas? I don't think propane will get it hot enough to solder. Also a liquid or paste style flux will probably work better.

[AlZilla]

After struggling with lead free solders, I silver soldered dissimilar metals (copper and stainless) using Stay-Brite 8, liquid acid flux and Mapp Gas.  That flow through problem is a tough one.

How about filling it with epoxy?

[DieselTech]

10 minutes ago, AlZilla said:

After struggling with lead free solders, I silver soldered dissimilar metals (copper and stainless) using Stay-Brite 8, liquid acid flux and Mapp Gas.  That flow through problem is a tough one.

How about filling it with epoxy?

Can you not turn the feed dog upside down on a piece of plate aluminum. Then use a pair of vise grips to hold it up. 

Then heat the feed dog & solder it from the bottom while it's sitting upside down on the plate to keep the solder from flowing out. 

If you need I can take a pic of my explanation if you don't understand my directions. 

Lmao I addressed the wrong person sorry. @toxo will this idea work. 

Edited November 11 by DieselTech

[toxo]

7 hours ago, DieselTech said:

Can you not turn the feed dog upside down on a piece of plate aluminum. Then use a pair of vise grips to hold it up. 

Then heat the feed dog & solder it from the bottom while it's sitting upside down on the plate to keep the solder from flowing out. 

If you need I can take a pic of my explanation if you don't understand my directions. 

Lmao I addressed the wrong person sorry. @toxo will this idea work. 

I actually tried this.

Did a longer reply but went all Pete tong when looking for a pic.

[Constabulary]

I have not touched or seen a 341 clone yet but aren´t there additional accessories available? I mean there are several "341 clones" out there but no other feed dogs available? I cannot imagine that.

EDIT:

How is this one - is the hole smaller? https://www.szwalnia.pl/gb/50wf3-086-feed-dog-for-tw3-341

 

EDIT II:

what about singer 153 / Consew 227 / Seiko CW-8B feed dogs? Are they different or could they fit?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/162119694765

https://www.college-sewing.co.uk/13020-feed-seiko-cw-8b-generic.html

https://www.college-sewing.co.uk/13020s-feed-seiko-cw-8b-genuine.html

 

Edited November 11 by Constabulary

[dikman]

I think welding and re-drilling is the only real option, I suspect silver solder will be too soft and eventually wear from thread abrasion. Know anyone with a TIG? It would be the best way to fill it, otherwise a MIG should work. The downside to welding is possible rusting over time.

[toxo]

2 hours ago, dikman said:

I think welding and re-drilling is the only real option, I suspect silver solder will be too soft and eventually wear from thread abrasion. Know anyone with a TIG? It would be the best way to fill it, otherwise a MIG should work. The downside to welding is possible rusting over time.

Dug out the little mig. Mitigations first lol.

Old guy with failing eyes and shaky hands. No helmet cos the two that I have are probably over the road in the garage but being the impetuous fool that I am did it with eyes closed so not pretty. Plus exhausted after spending half a day picking up daughter from airport.

[toxo]

7 hours ago, Constabulary said:

I have not touched or seen a 341 clone yet but aren´t there additional accessories available? I mean there are several "341 clones" out there but no other feed dogs available? I cannot imagine that.

EDIT:

How is this one - is the hole smaller? https://www.szwalnia.pl/gb/50wf3-086-feed-dog-for-tw3-341

 

EDIT II:

what about singer 153 / Consew 227 / Seiko CW-8B feed dogs? Are they different or could they fit?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/162119694765

https://www.college-sewing.co.uk/13020-feed-seiko-cw-8b-generic.html

https://www.college-sewing.co.uk/13020s-feed-seiko-cw-8b-genuine.html

 

Wish I thought like you Folker. Didn't realise these parts were that generic. Will definitely look into that but need to see some better photos. There's hardly any space under the hole for the needle. If you look closely you can see the metal has been dished out to allow the needles passage. On mine the dish only goes half way so the left hand side of the needle is almost touching the feed dog at the bottom of the stroke. 

[dikman]

25 minutes ago, toxo said:

but being the impetuous fool that I am did it with eyes closed so not pretty. 

 

Idiot!

[toxo]

3 hours ago, dikman said:

Idiot!

Haha! A gloved hand over it also. Was a fabricator/welder by trade many many years ago. Before the days of the mighty mig I had a season ticket to the eye hospital to get stick welding slag out of my eyes, Probably why my eyesight is poor now.

I'm so impetuous  that sometimes I feel like an Aussie