Singer 29K60 Questions

[Ferg]

Go to this site: http://www.thethreadexchange.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=TTE&Category_Code=nylon-thread-information

to get much information on thread. A must read for many sewing machine beginners.

ferg

Well this reveals my ignorance because I didn't realize there was a difference between the 29K and others. This machine is a 29-4 with the cast iron treadle base from what I understand. I'm supposed to go see it tomorrow. It sounds like it is worth the $200, I'm just not sure I would have much use for it. I mainly do holsters but am wanting to get into making satchels and things. But most often I am going to be doing 2-3 layers of 5-8oz. Veg tan. I also don't know enough about thread sizes yet to know whether what you listed would be what I need. Most of what I've read says 277 thread for holsters which i presume is bigger than the #138?

[Wizcrafts]

Well this reveals my ignorance because I didn't realize there was a difference between the 29K and others. This machine is a 29-4 with the cast iron treadle base from what I understand. I'm supposed to go see it tomorrow. It sounds like it is worth the $200, I'm just not sure I would have much use for it. I mainly do holsters but am wanting to get into making satchels and things. But most often I am going to be doing 2-3 layers of 5-8oz. Veg tan. I also don't know enough about thread sizes yet to know whether what you listed would be what I need. Most of what I've read says 277 thread for holsters which i presume is bigger than the #138?

The Singer 29-4 has a dime sized bobbin that holds a little bit of thread. That's why cobblers tend to thread them with #69 bonded nylon. It is thin thread that has 11 pounds test.

You won't be sewing any holsters on a 29-4. You will find uses for it down the road. It can sew up the snout. In fact, the sewing head rotates 360 degrees and the feed is performed entirely by the pressor foot.

You are correct about using #277 thread for sewing holsters. I use that size regularly. It has about 44 pounds test strength. By comparison, #138 thread has 22 pounds test. Physically, #138 is half the diameter of 277.

The machines that sew with #277 and larger thread do not do so well with thin leather or thinner threads, like #69. That's why most professional leather workers have more than one machine. I have three industrial machines right now. In the past I had up to a dozen. I use a long arm patcher for odd jobs, or jobs that need to be sewn up the snout. I have a heavy duty modified walking foot machine for medium duty sewing, up to 7/16 inch, with #138 to 207 thread, or less. Finally, I have a monster machine, built entirely in the USA, that makes 441 clones look like toys, which sews through pennies and wood, if necessary. It uses incomprehensibly large thread (8 to 10 cord linen, or, #554 bonded) if necessary. But, I have it loaded with #277, which it sews like melted butter. The bobbins are 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch wide. It is a true harness stitching machine.

[mistydawn]

Hi, could you tell me where a good place to take my newly aquired 29k60 to have it serviced in austin or san antonio, Tx That they would be knowledgeable about vintage sewing machines such as this one?

[anakim]

Hello:

I am new here and yesterday I stumbled upon Wizcraft's advice about 29k4s and the stitch length regulator problem. I am trying to get a 29k15 working and had been breaking my head, tearing it apart trying to re-adjust whatever I could to get the foot to go up and down and back and forward together. Thank you so much for this information.

I have a further question, that is, what parts would you recommend replacing to solve this problem? You mention stitch regulator (little bit that clamps around the foot bar), but I assume that it would be important to replace what is called "feed motion bell crank lever" in the manuals, and probably the "foot bar" that sits between the two parts of the crank lever. It looks like these two parts are responsible for the fwd backward motion. I could imagine that there are other parts that may need to be replaced too. Further question: you mention welding onto the "regulator". I don't understand. In a list of parts with associated pictures that I found on hensewfiles.com, it seems the regulator is just the tiny thing that clamps around the bar, and I don't see how fixing or replacing that would solve the problem, because it can already be clamped tightly around the parts that move back and forth (but please explain if I am wrong, because I am only a beginner).

Please pardon my many questions and I am really grateful for any advice!!

Ana Kim

[Anne Bonnys Locker]

Most people now use the alternative needle as Wiz said. There are however a couple of other names for them:

Leather DPX16, 135X16

Fabric DPX17, 135X17

[pcox]

My old 29-4 has skipped stitches when the work is feeding toward me ever since I've owned it (20 years). After reading this thread I got to thinking about it so I decided to try other needles I tried 135x17 several different sizes no help. It sewed good forward would also skip with work moving from right to left, but not left to right. Today I made a lexan needle plate so I could see exactly what was going on. For some reason the loop was being formed below the hook. I changed to a 135x7 needle, sews perfect in al directions. Tried size 16 with 69 thread great, 92 thread 19 needle good, 138 with a 23 good. I am readly gooing to enjoy useing this machine now. I use it to repair race horse boots and harness parts, and a few human shoes and boots.

Thanks Wiz and Darren B. your post got my mind working in a new direction. problem solved.

Wiz your post about brazing up the feed part was great I nickel plated the bell crank up put about .0015 on it now it will stitch 51/2 per inch on 6oz. Thanks again.

[anakim]

So if I have zero stitch length (the timing of the horizontal and vertical foot movements are nonsensical), then I need to fix or replace the bell crank lever and the ring slide bar? As I understand from various of the above posts, these two parts (the ring and the bit that moves around inside it) need to be tight enough or the foot doesn't move properly. Can somebody with mechanical understanding confirm this? I am unclear on whether these are the only two parts I'd need to order to make my machine work.

[Spider1956]

I have a 29K60. Great machine. Unfortunatley, I somehow broke the tab on the bobbin case. Can this tab be replaced or do I have to find an entire bobbin case? Will the 29K60 work without this tab?

[Wizcrafts]

So if I have zero stitch length (the timing of the horizontal and vertical foot movements are nonsensical), then I need to fix or replace the bell crank lever and the ring slide bar? As I understand from various of the above posts, these two parts (the ring and the bit that moves around inside it) need to be tight enough or the foot doesn't move properly. Can somebody with mechanical understanding confirm this? I am unclear on whether these are the only two parts I'd need to order to make my machine work.

In my case I brazed metal onto the puck end of the bell crank lever, then sanded and polished it for the best fit short of binding in the ring bar. The stitch length jumped from 7 or 8 per inch to 5 per inch, just from that one correction.

However, I have encountered some patchers that were improperly setup for foot lift during the pulling cycle. The foot needs to lift off the leather in order to move forward. Then, it must drop all the way down, onto the material and exert enough pressure to pull the work back the stitch length, as set by the sliding stitch regulator on the back of the foot bar.

[Anne Bonnys Locker]

The 29k33 and earlier have a flat spring that applies pressure to the presser foot and there is a slide block attached to this. Over time the slide block can wear down and reduce foot lift. I have seen a couple of machines where the owner thought the machine was faulty when all that was required was to move the slide block further to the rear in order to give more lift.

It is also a part that gets lost so I had to make some at times - mine are rather crude but do the job.

Edited to add: not necessarily relevant for anyone's problem here but a problem to watch out for.

Edited March 9, 2013 by Anne Bonnys Locker