Just Picked Up A 29-4

[Jarhead84]

Hello, we just picked up a Singer 29-4 Patcher from a family friend, It does sew at this time though you kind of have to help feed it.

We plan to restore and use it but I recall someone mentioning to check some part or area on the cylinder end area to see if it junk or not.

Not quite sure what to look at or for. Thanks in advance.

[Wizcrafts]

With the foot raised, push and pull on the foot and see if it has measurable play, forward and backward.

Make sure that the sliding puck on the back of the head is not too far to the left. That decreases the lift. Most folks set the lift puck all the way to the cutout in the flat spring. Maximum lif gives maximum stitch length.

If the torsion spring tension is too low you will have feed problems. Turn down the big screw over the spring on the back.

Move the stitch length regulator on the back of the presser bar all the way down, with the foot in the raised position. This yields the longest stitch the machine is capable of.

If excessive slack in the foot driving mechanism is to blame, you will need to replace it.

[CowboyBob]

One last thing to check is take the bobbincase,aka shuttle out & spin the shuttle driver to the left & right to check for play in the gears.

[Jarhead84]

With the foot raised, push and pull on the foot and see if it has measurable play, forward and backward.

Make sure that the sliding puck on the back of the head is not too far to the left. That decreases the lift. Most folks set the lift puck all the way to the cutout in the flat spring. Maximum lif gives maximum stitch length.

If the torsion spring tension is too low you will have feed problems. Turn down the big screw over the spring on the back.

Move the stitch length regulator on the back of the presser bar all the way down, with the foot in the raised position. This yields the longest stitch the machine is capable of.

If excessive slack in the foot driving mechanism is to blame, you will need to replace it.

There is a small amount of play with the foot up, more so if i pull and make the little plate at the top of the arm move , but really not that much, I can pull out the dial indicator if i'm looking for a "range" but roughly 1/64"

It does seem to feed better now, minus the footprints on the leather, but the max stitch length seems to be about 3mm, Does that sound about right?

One last thing to check is take the bobbincase,aka shuttle out & spin the shuttle driver to the left & right to check for play in the gears.

There appears to be about 1/16" movement left to right in the shuttle driver.

[Wizcrafts]

There is a small amount of play with the foot up, more so if i pull and make the little plate at the top of the arm move , but really not that much, I can pull out the dial indicator if i'm looking for a "range" but roughly 1/64"

It does seem to feed better now, minus the footprints on the leather, but the max stitch length seems to be about 3mm, Does that sound about right?

There appears to be about 1/16" movement left to right in the shuttle driver.

The slack in the foot mechanism is within normal operating parameters, as is the slack in the shuttle. The stitch length of 3 mm (8 per inch) maximum should only happen if you try to sew 1/4 inch of leather. Normal maximum stitch length is 5 to the inch, or 5 mm. Are you sure that the stitch length regulator puck is all the way down, with the foot raised? If not, raise the foot with the hand lift lever, loosen the regulator screw and lower the puck until it makes contact with the top of the foot, then tighten the screw down.

Make sure that the sliding lift puck on the back of the long spring is moved as far to the right as possible. There is a cutout in the spring in which the puck can slide, left and right. The further left you go, the lower the lift and the smaller the maximum stitches.

Make sure that there is enough spring pressure to cause the foot to grab the leather and pull it all the way back. The teeth should not be blunt, or they may slip.

You only get long stitches (5/inch) when sewing thin leather; about 1/8 inch or less.