Singer 29K60 Questions

[NativeCrafter]

I bought a singer 29K60 machine form a shop a while back, had it serviced, and was working fine for about a day or so. Now I cant get it to pick up the bobbin thread.... Any ideas? Also... Any ideas on what a machine like this might be worth?

[Wizcrafts]

I bought a singer 29K60 machine form a shop a while back, had it serviced, and was working fine for about a day or so. Now I cant get it to pick up the bobbin thread.... Any ideas? Also... Any ideas on what a machine like this might be worth?

The very first question I should ask is: are you rotating the hand wheel toward you from the top? The wheel, when attached to the back, rotates counterclockwise, when sewing. If you rotate it away from you, clockwise, the machine will not stitch!

Check the thread path and make sure that the thread feeds from the top area, around the little peg on top of the head, around the tension disks, out the disks and through the little looped wire, up to the front of the hole in the take-up lever, down the other side of it, then down the throat, through the little thread spring over the needle holder, down the hole to the needle, where it feeds from left to right. If the thread is does not feed from left to right, with the eye of the needle on the right, the machine will skip stitches.

Maybe the needle was replaced and incorrectly aligned. The eye should face dead right, with the long thread channel facing left. The needle should be a 29x3 or 29x4 system patcher needle and should be inserted as high up as it can go, then secured with the lower set screw. Possibly, the needle is simply to far to the left for the pickup point to take the loop off the needle. You can verify if this is happening by moving the needle up, then swinging the throat plate 90 degrees. With the cover plate off the bobbin area, move the hand wheel toward you from the top and watch as the bobbin shuttle backs up, then moves toward the descending needle. The sharp point should pass the eye of the needle just after the needle moves slightly up, then halts.This is where the loop is formed. If the needle is not close enough to the pickup point the stitches may skip. Fix this by loosening the upper screw on the needle holder and tapping the assembly from the left side, to move the needle assembly to the right, then fasten the screw back down.

Or, maybe the bobbin thread is not feeding through the bobbin tension spring. Make sure you load the bobbin so it feeds backwards to the thread loading slot and makes a sharp turn after going through the slot, then feeds under the bobbin tension spring, then through the tiny hole in the side of the bobbin case and out the other side.

I'll post some pictures showing the correct alignment of the thread and needle and timing of the bobbin, later on.

[Wizcrafts]

As promised, here are some pictures of the thread path, needle and bobbin of a long arm Singer patcher. These should help you to get ready to sew with one. Remember, if the hand wheel is on the back end of the machine, rotate it towards you from the top, counterclockwise. If the wheel is on the front of the body, rotate it clockwise, to the right.

[NativeCrafter]

Thanks for the pointers! After looking at the pictures I think I might have the bobbin in the shuttle backwards, so that is the first thing I will check. Thanks again!

[willyinky]

Mine is not picking up bobben any thing else i can try

[Wizcrafts]

Mine is not picking up bobben any thing else i can try

Make sure the needle is inserted with the scarf side to the right and the long ridge on the left. The eye faces due left-right and must be threaded from left to right.

The bobbin should go in with the thread feeding clockwise, through the slot in the case, firmly under the little spring (which should be adjusted for modicum of pressure on the thread), up through the hole in the bobbin case, through the thread hole in the bobbin case post (long arm models only), then out the hole in the throat plate.

Next item is the take-up lever and adjuster. You need to adjust the spring on the take-up lever just strong enough to pull the lever all the way up on the upstroke of the needle. Heavy thread makes it harder for the spring to lift the take-up lever. Therefore, the newer machines have a helped adjusted behind the take-up stud. You turn the spring loaded thumb nut clockwise to add lift, and vice verse. The additional take-up can also help when sewing thick or very dense leather.

Finally, there is a thin long spring with a paddle shape at the bottom, which fits inside the lower section of the needlebar, just above the needle mounting block. If this spring is missing, broken, or bent out of shape, the top thread flops around in the needlebar and this can cause skipped stitches.

[evandailey]

Make sure the needle is inserted with the scarf side to the right and the long ridge on the left. The eye faces due left-right and must be threaded from left to right.

The bobbin should go in with the thread feeding clockwise, through the slot in the case, firmly under the little spring (which should be adjusted for modicum of pressure on the thread), up through the hole in the bobbin case, through the thread hole in the bobbin case post (long arm models only), then out the hole in the throat plate.

Next item is the take-up lever and adjuster. You need to adjust the spring on the take-up lever just strong enough to pull the lever all the way up on the upstroke of the needle. Heavy thread makes it harder for the spring to lift the take-up lever. Therefore, the newer machines have a helped adjusted behind the take-up stud. You turn the spring loaded thumb nut clockwise to add lift, and vice verse. The additional take-up can also help when sewing thick or very dense leather.

Finally, there is a thin long spring with a paddle shape at the bottom, which fits inside the lower section of the needlebar, just above the needle mounting block. If this spring is missing, broken, or bent out of shape, the top thread flops around in the needlebar and this can cause skipped stitches.

I'm going to jump into this thread with an semi-related question so forgive me for the high-jack. What are these machines capable of and best suited for stitching wise? I have an opportunity to pick one up for $200 that needs a little work. I was just curious of the limitations a machine like this has. I am saving to get a 4000 class machine and don't want to make any side purchases that will just frustrate me in the end.

[Wizcrafts]

I'm going to jump into this thread with an semi-related question so forgive me for the high-jack. What are these machines capable of and best suited for stitching wise? I have an opportunity to pick one up for $200 that needs a little work. I was just curious of the limitations a machine like this has. I am saving to get a 4000 class machine and don't want to make any side purchases that will just frustrate me in the end.

A Singer 29-4 is made to patch shoe and boot uppers and sew patches onto vests. It can also be used to replace zippers on jackets and pants. Oter good uses include sewing Velcro onto bags and repairing tears in purses.

The sewing capacity of the Singer 29-4 is 1/4 inch under the foot. The practical thread handling capacity is #92, but #69 goes further.

The stitch length varies with the thickness being sewn and condition of the stitch length regulator system (inside the bottom of the head). At 6 ounces, you can expect to achieve no better than 5 to the inch. At 1/4" that drops to 6 or 7 to the inch. If the part that controls the stitch length is badly worn, which is typically the case for 100 year old patchers, the maximum stitch length drops to 8 or less, for light leather and 10 or worse at 1/4 inch. Some old patchers are so worn out that you may have to pull the leather through to get any stitch length at all.

Here is how to test the feed, to determine if the machine is shot: Lift the pressor foot lift lever, behind the head, or, rotate the wheel until the needle is down and the foot has lifted up. Take a hold of the pressor foot and see how far you can push or pull it, straight back or forward. Everything beyond 1/64" of free motion is that much less than the design maximum length. A brand new, or fully rebuilt stitch length regulator cam may not even have 1/64" free play (mine barely moves). I once bronze welded onto the worn regulator on one of my old patchers, then filed and polished the "puck" part, to the point of only the minimum clearance needed to rotate and activate the drive mechanism. This yielded a full 5 stitches to the inch, into 3/16" of veg-tan leather.

The "later" models of Singer patchers, with the larger bobbin, can easily sew with #138 thread, or 3 to 4 cord Irish linen.

Bottom line is; if the feed mechanism has very little free motion (fwd or bkwd) and the wheel turns freely and everything moves without any binding, and no springs or tensioners are missing, and the stitch length adjuster is in place above the foot, and the teeth aren't worn or ground off the foot, it is definitely worth $200, for the head alone. If you can get the machine, mounted on the cast iron base for $200, buy it anyway, then fix it up for a couple hundred more, or bronze weld the worn out parts.

[Wizcrafts]

I forgot to mention the needles used in the old 29-4 patchers. As I found on my last one, it didn't like the 29x system needles, preferring the 1138 straight stitch system. The most commonly used sizes will be #16 and #18 (100 and 110 metric). I sometimes use a #14 needle with standard garment weight cotton, or a #12 (metric 80) with monocord invisible thread. If I sew with #92 thread, I might use a #20 needle. For #138 thread, I use a #22 needle.

I always prefer leather point needles in a patcher. There is no point in stocking round points, as these machines are not normally used to sew cloth projects too often.

The availability of the system 29x4 leather point needles is diminishing, therefore, dealers sell series 135x16 as a replacement. They work in most type 29K patchers, but NOT usually in the pre K series (29-4, or earlier).

Although my 29K172 has a large bobbin and is capable of sewing with #138 thread, it is normally threaded with #69. I stock #69 thread in a wide variety of colors, on small "patcher" 1 ounce spools. These spools are not available in larger thread numbers. I also buy 4 ounce spools of #69, wherever the price is best. Number 69 thread lasts a long time in the large bobbins. Therefore, my most used needles are #16 and #18.

Edited August 14, 2011 by Wizcrafts

[evandailey]

I forgot to mention the needles used in the old 29-4 patchers. As I found on my last one, it didn't like the 29x system needles, preferring the 1138 straight stitch system. The most commonly used sizes will be #16 and #18 (100 and 110 metric). I sometimes use a #14 needle with standard garment weight cotton, or a #12 (metric 80) with monocord invisible thread. If I sew with #92 thread, I might use a #20 needle. For #138 thread, I use a #22 needle.

I always prefer leather point needles in a patcher. There is no point in stocking round points, as these machines are not normally used to sew cloth projects too often.

The availability of the system 29x4 leather point needles is diminishing, therefore, dealers sell series 135x16 as a replacement. They work in most type 29K patchers, but NOT usually in the pre K series (29-4, or earlier).

Although my 29K172 has a large bobbin and is capable of sewing with #138 thread, it is normally threaded with #69. I stock #69 thread in a wide variety of colors, on small "patcher" 1 ounce spools. These spools are not available in larger thread numbers. I also buy 4 ounce spools of #69, wherever the price is best. Number 69 thread lasts a long time in the large bobbins. Therefore, my most used needles are #16 and #18.

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?

Edited August 14, 2011 by evandailey