Singer 29K Skipping Stitches

[276ccm]

Hi all, I have two Singer 29k sewing machines. One 29k-3 and one 29k-4 and sometimes they are both skipping stitches here and there, and I believe that is a common problem due to worn parts. It looks like the needle won´t pick up the thread from the bobbin. One guy said it would be fixed by replacing some small gears, and other say it can be other issues that makes the problem. I´m sure there are people in here with the same problem and if anyone of you have solved it, or at least made it better, I would be very happy for some help, tips and tricks.

Maybe someone also got technical drawings of the machine so I can take it apart and measure which parts that are "worn out" and can be replaced.

I don´t have too much experience with these machines so if anyone got links or tips and tricks to make those machines work as good as possible I would be very happy. Anything would be appreciated! :-)

If close up pictures of specific parts on the machine would help to see my problem, let me know..

Thanks a lot in advance! :-)

[Kevin]

If you're working on an odd shaped piece, what I find most often is that the weight of the item you are sewing is pulling the needle out of line slightly and the shuttle misses the loop in the thread when the needle comes up. All you have to do is push your work to the right slightly and the shuttle point will go through the loop. I hope that is understandable.

On a patching machine, YOU do the work, the machine helps you out some.

Good luck,

Kevin

[276ccm]

I think I understand what you mean, but it didn´t help much on my machine when I tried, but thanks for trying :-)

Edited August 8, 2011 by 276ccm

[CowboyBob]

You might try making sure the needle is as close the the shuttle as it can be without hitting.The adjustment for this is the screw above the screw that holds the needle in,loosen this & you can push the needle holder left or right as needed.

Also do you have enough foot pressure to hold the material down the your sewing?

Bob

[276ccm]

Thanks a lot for helping out, but that trick didn´t help much either on the main machine (29k-4).. (haven´t been able to test it on the other one (29k-3))

So if there may be anything else to try, I will appreciate anything :-)

[Wizcrafts]

The timing of the shuttle is done under the arm, by the relationship of the rack and pinion gears. If somebody has removed the bottom cover (under the gears), they may have moved the little rounded gears in relation to the racks. One round gear is an idler. The last one to the left drives the shuttle. You should turn the throat plate aside and rotate the wheel while watching the action of the needle. When the needle comes all the way down it rocks up slightly then waits a few degrees, then ascends. It is during the rise and wait portion of the cycle that the loop is formed. The shuttle moves counterclockwise to pick up the thread during this phase, as the motion continues and the needle ascends.

If you see the needle go down and enter the wait phase and find that the shuttle pickup point is not rotating into the scarf above the eye of the needle, either the timing is off, or the point on the bobbin case is worn or chipped short. A worn out or chipped pickup point retards the timing. If the point is good, but passes by the eye of the needle before the loop forming portion, it needs to be retarded by one tooth. If it passes by after the needle has begun its ascent, try advancing it one tooth. First, make sure that the little screw that secures the drive gear is present and in all the way. It fastens into a threaded hole in the stud under the shuttle and drives it. A loose set screw could allow the shuttle to have too much slack. A missing set screw would allow the shuttle to rotate completely out of time.

Another thing that affects the timing is the length of the needle. If it is incorrect for that machine, the timing will be off. I had a 29-4 two years ago and could not effectively use series 29x 3 or 4 needles in it. They were slightly too long and skipped stitches a lot. I ended up using a shorter industrial needle system that I had laying around from a straight stitch Singer. This fixed the skipped stitches. I believe the needles were system 1138, 16x257, 16x231, or a similar number.

[Kristian]

On 8/8/2011 at 5:10 PM, CowboyBob said:

You might try making sure the needle is as close the the shuttle as it can be without hitting.The adjustment for this is the screw above the screw that holds the needle in,loosen this & you can push the needle holder left or right as needed.

Bob

This helped on my Singer 29K3. It skipped 10% of the stitches, but not after moving the needle a mm to the right

[shoepatcher]

Bottom line-the drive gear, following gear, long drive rack , short rack, shuttle carrier are probably all worn not counting the wear on the inside of the horn.  All contribute to the the missing of stitches.  Keep in mind, these machines are over 100 years old and counting.  If parts can be found, they need to be replaced.  Finding them is not easy.  I have a few parts and a few companies in Italy and Spain are making or have replacement parts.  The original parts should be removed and examined for wear.    Any model before the 29K58 will have certain parts that are hard to find. 29K58 and on, there are generic parts made for the machines because of the clones made today in China.   

OK  the companies that has parts for 29K1-4   

Italy        www.brunoanichi.it 

Spain     www.Sitomaco.es

 I have been on there sites  in Italian and Spanish.  No English on the site that I can see.   Hope this helps

Edited December 28, 2021 by shoepatcher
grammar