Singer 29-4 Tredle Machine

[landy]

My patching machine will skip a stitch once in a while. Sometimes it will skip 3or 4 stitches. I am sewing patchs to leathervests and such using a #16 needle which I am sure is not bent or blunted. If the upper thread tensioner grabs the thread tighter every so often will this make it skip util it pulls it loose? The spindle on the upper thread tensioner has a groove cut into it from years of use. I wonder if it might be snagging the thread a little? I am also using a B69 thread any help would be greatly apprecciated.

[Kevin]

When you're sewing something that is a little awkward to feed it is very easy to deflect the needle enough that it doesn't pick up the bobbin thread. I have to sew a lot of things one stitch at a time.

Kevin

[cdthayer]

My patching machine will skip a stitch once in a while. Sometimes it will skip 3or 4 stitches. I am sewing patchs to leathervests and such using a #16 needle which I am sure is not bent or blunted. If the upper thread tensioner grabs the thread tighter every so often will this make it skip util it pulls it loose? The spindle on the upper thread tensioner has a groove cut into it from years of use. I wonder if it might be snagging the thread a little? I am also using a B69 thread any help would be greatly apprecciated.

Anything that changes the flow of the upper thread while sewing can cause stitches to skip. If the loop is not created properly, and at the right time, the hook won't be able to catch it.

Old grooves from previous use may have been made by continuously using a thread size smaller then you're now using, and could inhibit the flow of your thread. I try to "wallow" out any deep groove I find on my machines with a small rat-tail file or Dremel tool, since the item that has a groove worn into it is essentially worn out anyway. Sometimes I can get a little more use out of it by removing a small amount of additional material that could cause the groove to pinch or restrict the thread. Thread take-up lever eyes get grooves in them too.

I'd use a larger needle than a 16 with 69 thread, but then I tend to over-size my needle to my thread size anyway. An embroidered patch tends to hide the over-sized hole that I'm making (that the thread doesn't fill up), whereas sewing stitches straight onto leather would not.

CD in Oklahoma

Edited May 22, 2011 by cdthayer

[catskin]

My patching machine will skip a stitch once in a while. Sometimes it will skip 3or 4 stitches. I am sewing patchs to leathervests and such using a #16 needle which I am sure is not bent or blunted. If the upper thread tensioner grabs the thread tighter every so often will this make it skip util it pulls it loose? The spindle on the upper thread tensioner has a groove cut into it from years of use. I wonder if it might be snagging the thread a little? I am also using a B69 thread any help would be greatly apprecciated.

Have you checked that little T shaped spring in the needle bar above the needle? If it is broken or bent or the thread is not under it it can skip stitches sometimes.

[landy]

When you're sewing something that is a little awkward to feed it is very easy to deflect the needle enough that it doesn't pick up the bobbin thread. I have to sew a lot of things one stitch at a time.

Kevin

Kevin I believe you could be right I started noticeing the skipping when I started tredling mor and one stitch at a time less.

thanks Landy

[landy]

Anything that changes the flow of the upper thread while sewing can cause stitches to skip. If the loop is not created properly, and at the right time, the hook won't be able to catch it.

Old grooves from previous use may have been made by continuously using a thread size smaller then you're now using, and could inhibit the flow of your thread. I try to "wallow" out any deep groove I find on my machines with a small rat-tail file or Dremel tool, since the item that has a groove worn into it is essentially worn out anyway. Sometimes I can get a little more use out of it by removing a small amount of additional material that could cause the groove to pinch or restrict the thread. Thread take-up lever eyes get grooves in them too.

I'd use a larger needle than a 16 with 69 thread, but then I tend to over-size my needle to my thread size anyway. An embroidered patch tends to hide the over-sized hole that I'm making (that the thread doesn't fill up), whereas sewing stitches straight onto leather would not.

CD in Oklahoma

cdthayer, thanks for the info I found that using a larger needle helped the problem but I wasnt sur if it was the needle or coincidence.I cant locate the spring your talking about the only spring I can see on the machine is on the upper thread tensioner.

[CowboyBob]

Turn the machine around so the needlebar is all the way down,now look up where it comes out of the machine,underneath,it's on the left side & catskin is correct it'll make it skip if it's bent.

Bob