Singer 29K Tension Issues

[AzWmrs]

Hi all,

New here. This forum is really great! Lots of good information - thanks! I just got a Singer 29k. Got it all cleaned up and oiled. Thought I had the tension all straightened out, but today I am sewing a patch on and when I sew in three directions (left, right and towards me) it sews fine, when I sew in the direction away from me, the top thread loops and is very loose? I would appreciate any advice. Thanks again, Shooter

[celticleather]

Welcome to the Forum . . . a bottomless pit of (mostly) useful information!

It's worth checking that you have the needle facing the right way in the needle-bar . . . with the long groove to the left. Having it in the wrong orientation can sometimes cause the problems you are experiencing.

If you don't have a manual for the machine, I posted a pdf at http://leatherworker...=1entry134713 a while ago. It's for the 29K71 and 29K73, but the information is pretty much the same for most models.

Hope it helps!

Terry

[UKRay]

In addition to everything Terry said, you might want to check that you have threaded it correctly. Although it will work, up to a point, with almost any sort of threading, it works a whole lot better if you follow the instructions in the manual exactly. I learned this the hard way but you don't have to. Have fun, 29Ks are great little machines when you have sorted out their foibles! Ray

[AzWmrs]

First I want to apologize for not replying sooner - had a computer melt down! Still trying to recover from it. I have checked the needle position and the threading accuracy and I believe that I have followed both correctly. I tried adjusting the different tension thumb screws and thought I had it close, but now it is completely off and won't sew correctly at all. I would love to start back at square 1, but I don't know what to do from here. Thanks again for the suggestions and any more that might be posted. I would be extremely grateful for the help.

[CowboyBob]

Hello Shooter,

you mention that it isn't sewing correctly at all,so what is it doing?

Edited February 16, 2010 by sewmun

[akasanchez]

I have a singer 29k70 and a user manuel. The manuel decribes my problem as "needle thread tension to strong". Can someone help explain what i can do to regulate my stitches?

[Wizcrafts]

The "needle thread" is the top thread that is feeding off of the spool of thread on top somewhere. If that thread is too strong, or tight, try backing off the knurled adjuster nut for the top tension disks. Also, check the path of the thread to see if it has twisted around something, or itself. If the spool is sitting on the little thread platform bolted onto the right-front of the machine, put something slippery under it, like a washer cut from felt. Eliminate as much drag as you can, along the thread path. I went to the extent of installing regular industrial thread stands on my patchers. They feed up, off the top of the spools, and have no appreciable thread drag.

Make sure the bobbin thread feeds under the tiny spring in the outside cutout of the bobbin case, then goes up through the tiny hole over the spring, and that the tension screw has enough tension to apply a little resistance, but with a smooth pull. If your machine uses the larger bobbins, you also have to feed the bobbin thread through the top hole in the center post on the bobbin case.

Edited August 10, 2014 by Wizcrafts

[cdthayer]

If you’re using a cone of thread, here’s how I feed the cone thread on my Singer 29K70. I use the small cones because I normally just do repairs, so I don’t use much thread, but I need as many colors as I can find. I used an old peanut can to set the cone in on the front side of the pillar, routed the thread up around the original thread spool pin, and on to the lubrication pot and beyond. Later on, I cut the top out of a Justin Roper Boot, stuffed a plastic butter dish down in it, and then put the peanut can inside of that. The peanut can keeps the thread from catching on the boot pull-on straps when it feeds off, and the boot top looks a little better than the peanut can by itself. On another machine that I have at home, I had to turn the boot top inside-out to keep the thread from catching without a peanut can inside of it.

I probably should make something a little more permanent like Wiz was talking about, but it’s been working for several years. On another note, my machine is stored near the large front windows of the shop, so the boot top keeps the sun from shining directly on my thread cone when not being used.

CD in Oklahoma

Edited August 10, 2014 by cdthayer

[Darren Brosowski]

Could be as simple as a burr in the needle plate that only comes into play when sewing in a certain direction.

[akasanchez]

I have a singer 29k70 and a user manuel. The manuel decribes my problem as "needle thread tension to strong". Can someone help explain what i can do to regulate my stitches?

I have a singer 29k70 and a user manuel. The manuel decribes my problem as "needle thread tension to strong". Can someone help explain what i can do to regulate my stitches?

[Wizcrafts]

I have a singer 29k70 and a user manuel. The manuel decribes my problem as "needle thread tension to strong". Can someone help explain what i can do to regulate my stitches?

I have a singer 29k70 and a user manuel. The manuel decribes my problem as "needle thread tension to strong". Can someone help explain what i can do to regulate my stitches?

I answered your question, in this topic (belonging to somebody else, from 2010), on the 10th of August. Did you not read my reply?

Edited August 21, 2014 by Wizcrafts

[akasanchez]

Everyone who replyed to my tension issue Thank you. The stitches are blanced. I have a thread stand that allowed my heavier spools to feed smoothly through the machine. The top tension, take-up lever thumb screw and the screw and lock nut have been lightly adjusted. Needles are good, no burr.

My only concern about my threads is they don't pass thru the spring in the bobbin. Nevertheless the stitched are good.

[Wizcrafts]

If necessary, loosen the bobbin spring slightly, lift the leading edge with a jewelers' screwdriver, then pull the bobbin thread under it. Tighten the spring for a smooth pull, with just a modicum of resistance. Be careful to not unscrew it so far that the tiny screw pops out.

[king666james]

Question:  I have a Singer 29k71, never had problems with it until a couple of days ago.   I replace the bobbin shuttle with leaf spring with a new one and also replaced the shuttle carrier with spring.   Now the problem is that the shuttle gets thread from the upper thread inside the leaf spring and gets tangled.   This machine never used to do that before so I uninstalled all the parts and its still doing the same thing.  Please Help.....

[Wizcrafts]

3 hours ago, king666james said:

Question:  I have a Singer 29k71, never had problems with it until a couple of days ago.   I replace the bobbin shuttle with leaf spring with a new one and also replaced the shuttle carrier with spring.   Now the problem is that the shuttle gets thread from the upper thread inside the leaf spring and gets tangled.   This machine never used to do that before so I uninstalled all the parts and its still doing the same thing.  Please Help.....

If you opened the gear box you may have reinstalled parts slightly out of sync. Try tweaking the timing of the hook, either by moving the gears, or the long rod under the arm. It is connected to an eccentric that comes down from the top. There is a hole in the base for a flat blade screwdriver to turn a big screw that moves the position of the hook. There is a locking nut on the inside of the parts that needs to be loosened first.

[king666james]

It seems to be working now, had to loosen the needle plate a bit.  I guess the new shuttle carrier was a bit thicker than the original.  

Thanks for your help.

[Wizcrafts]

Yeah, new parts cast in the Orient almost never have the same dimensions as the originals made in precision Singer manufacturing plants.