New To Butterfly Head/universal Head Patcher Machines

[Art]

Bob and Wiz have given good instructions and advice here, you might want to send the head off to a good mechanic if you are still having trouble, PREFERABLY a Singer (not modern) mechanic. Why an old singer mechanic? Because they know that Singer screws had positively the wackiest thread system in creation (ok the world, I have no idea what the Klingons use). Good old Singer mechanics have screw collections salvaged from old junkers etc. I have an old Singer screw chart somewhere, but I suppose someone knows where one is on the Internet, if so please post it here. I have heard stories of Singer thread gauges, but have never seen one.

If you have a 29 (or 30), get it running and keep it, there are just some things only it will do, and if you have a repair business, a 29 or a post or both are pretty much must have things (unless you LIKE hand work).

If you have to take it to a mechanic, first thing to do is contact the local shoe repair guy and see if he knows who to take it to.

Art

[suem]

Bob and Wiz have given good instructions and advice here, you might want to send the head off to a good mechanic if you are still having trouble, PREFERABLY a Singer (not modern) mechanic. Why an old singer mechanic? Because they know that Singer screws had positively the wackiest thread system in creation (ok the world, I have no idea what the Klingons use). Good old Singer mechanics have screw collections salvaged from old junkers etc. I have an old Singer screw chart somewhere, but I suppose someone knows where one is on the Internet, if so please post it here. I have heard stories of Singer thread gauges, but have never seen one.

If you have a 29 (or 30), get it running and keep it, there are just some things only it will do, and if you have a repair business, a 29 or a post or both are pretty much must have things (unless you LIKE hand work).

If you have to take it to a mechanic, first thing to do is contact the local shoe repair guy and see if he knows who to take it to.

Art

Maybe you're right, I guess if I don't get the terminology I'm at a disadvantage aren't I. The man I have down the street is a wizened old industrial mechanic; been fixing them for years. I'll ask him but I bet he can handle it, now if I can just handle his fee... I got the parts so he wouldn't have to mess with getting them, maybe he'll be kinder on the bill. Thanks for everything folks.

[suem]

Ok after much staring at the instructions and looking at diagrams and asking questions of a friend whose dad was an industrial mechanic when he was young, I've got the needle bar out of the machine. As usual, I have this tendency to overcomplicate things until I do it the first time. It was really nothing once I could associate the parts you were talking about with the instructions.

You know...if the stupid little screws on the tension spring weren't stuck as they apparently are on mine, you really don't seem to have to pull the needle bar all the way out. If you take off the needle holder and the foot (and you probably don't have to take the foot off) the needle bar will drop down far enough to reach the screws without pulling the bar (you only have to knock that one big pin out on top of the needle bar and I found a set of punches at lowes to do that job easily) but I can also see the wisdom in pulling the needle bar completely and lubricating it while you are in there.

My spring screws are frozen in there so hard I can't find a jeweler's screwdriver that will move them (and I have quite a collection). I'm afraid to screw with it too much for fear of stripping them out and really being screwed. I've messed a little with stubborn screws in the past but these are so tiny...afraid to use the usual methods. Going to get some blaster and hope that may free them. I guess if I can't get them out I'm looking at a needle bar...any idea what a large bobbin needle bar for the 29k 72 is running? I saw one on ebay for a hundred bucks (ouch).

Now that the bar is dropped the butterfly turns freely...I found that the butterfly spring on top was a bit broken on one end....I hope when it goes back together it then moves freely.

Any thoughts on getting those two terrifically tiny and apparently quite frozen spring screws out?

Who can sell me a couple of sets of those screws? My british place has them but the shipping is silly for a few bucks worth of parts if I can't get them over here...which I think I can because I think I saw somebody talking about these screws.

Thanks.

[amuckart]

Hi Suem,

I have a page with a little information on this class of machine here: http://alasdair.muck...singerpatchers/

At the bottom of the page are some documents written by a chap by the name of Ken Jerrems who originally posted them on Needlebar but gave me permission to host them once they became unavailable from there.

He has a pretty good set of diagrams and explanation of how the heads of these machines work.

The one thing I would say about stripping a machine like this is get a good set of proper pin punches they make life much easier and will save you marring the head trying to get pins out with something improvised.

[Wizcrafts]

Suem;

Get a pin flame torch and train it on the needlebar, around those little screws. This may expand the steel enough to loosen the screws. Alternately, or additionally, insert the screw driver and tap on it with a small hammer as you twist it counterclockwise between your other thumb and middle finger. Chances are this will free it.

[suem]

Hi Suem,

I have a page with a little information on this class of machine here: http://alasdair.muck...singerpatchers/

At the bottom of the page are some documents written by a chap by the name of Ken Jerrems who originally posted them on Needlebar but gave me permission to host them once they became unavailable from there.

He has a pretty good set of diagrams and explanation of how the heads of these machines work.

The one thing I would say about stripping a machine like this is get a good set of proper pin punches they make life much easier and will save you marring the head trying to get pins out with something improvised.

Do you have a web url to a good set of pin punches, no one around me in pinellas county carries anything except the flat headed variety, I "think" you mean punches that are caved in at the tip so they don't flatten a pin with a rounded top. I can't find those around here, northern tools has them but they are huge for working on cars etc. nothing small enough for this.

[catskin]

Did you ever considered sending the needle bar to Bob Kovar? I bet he can get those screws out and save the needle bar. Postage shouldn't be much compared to if you damage the screws and end up having to get a new needle bar.

[Wizcrafts]

Do you have a web url to a good set of pin punches, no one around me in pinellas county carries anything except the flat headed variety, I "think" you mean punches that are caved in at the tip so they don't flatten a pin with a rounded top. I can't find those around here, northern tools has them but they are huge for working on cars etc. nothing small enough for this.

I just use flat surface punches in various diameters to knock out those pins. The concave punches you mentioned are for driving finishing nails and making animal eyes in leather.

[suem]

Did you ever considered sending the needle bar to Bob Kovar? I bet he can get those screws out and save the needle bar. Postage shouldn't be much compared to if you damage the screws and end up having to get a new needle bar.

Believe me it's in the list of possibilities.............. I know when to stop, not ready to give up completely yet but not from from it

[suem]

I just use flat surface punches in various diameters to knock out those pins. The concave punches you mentioned are for driving finishing nails and making animal eyes in leather.

Lowes carries, Bostitch (stanley) Pin punch set 1.5,3,4,5,6,8 mm flat tipped punches, 12.95 for the set, seemed to work great.