Singer 111W155

[wind power]

Hi folks,

I have been lurking around but this is my first time in the forum.

I have a Singer 111W155 coming soon...for all I know it could be a pig in the poke and I hope its not, however I will go through it before I begin trying to sew with it.

It will be coming with practically everything except the table...pulleys. belts, foot peda,l knee lift will be included....so my first task will be checking out the sewing machine and then building a table for it and gettting everything set into postion.

I have a few questions:

Is there a diagram out there which shows the threading up of the machine?

Since I like to sew slow, does anyone know by chance if the orginal motor will allow me to sew slow ? (when I say slow ...I'm in the neighborhood of 60 stitiches or less a min)

Thanks,

[Sylvia]

Your best bet is to buy a copy of the manual. I found one for you here.

http://www.sewingpartsonline.com/instruction-manual-singer-111w155.aspx

[CowboyBob]

Here's the threading.

Bob

[KAYAK45]

Congrats on the new machine.

Want to sloooow it down. Do a search here and find several ways. I posted last year on a new hand wheel.

Good luck.

Kevin

[KAYAK45]

Congrats on the new machine.

Want to sloooow it down. Do a search here and find several ways. I posted last year on a new hand wheel.

Good luck.

Kevin

[cowcamp]

Hey bud i got a 111 recently myself and maybe we can milk the gurus together. I am having a problem with the saftey latch set up on the lower belt cog

the spring came off and i dont know what it looks like tried a couple configurations but still aint right.

Would anyone mind sending me a picture of this assembley it on underside of machine on outside of belt gear two latches with a hinge that lock into two slots. On a keeper cam or just a photo of the spring it self pleass

[wind power]

Thanks for the information folks!

I will be sticking tight to this thread!

[tnawrot2]

I have a 111w155 and it is a great machine, parts readily available. I would find a used table and buy a servo motor. You will also need a bobbin winder and thread stand.

[wind power]

I have a 111w155 and it is a great machine, parts readily available. I would find a used table and buy a servo motor. You will also need a bobbin winder and thread stand.

Thanks,

The fellow should be throwing the bobbin winder and thread stand in a box....he didnt want to ship freight but was willing to strip all the hardware off the table and ship it.....California to South Carolina

I see the servo motor is all the rage here...I'm still trying to grasp why...is it because it can be slowed down and still provide good torque?

One other question, what thickness of leather can I realistically expect to sew with it...I'm looking to sew about 1/4 inch thick?

Thanks,

Gavin

[Northmount]

1336812923[/url]' post='247541']

I see the servo motor is all the rage here...I'm still trying to grasp why...is it because it can be slowed down and still provide good torque?

A clutch motor runs at 1750 RPM, constant speed. When you want to go slow, you have to feather the clutch. Sometimes, either you shift your foot position very slightly or the clutch grabs, and you're away to the races, lost control and not able to keep up with the machine, so the stitches aren't where you want them. Maybe even wrecked the piece you have spent hours on. So you wind up having to hand wheel the machine for all but longer runs of straight stitching. If you are going to sew 1/4" leather, do yourself a favor and get a gear reduction servo from Toledo, Bob Kovar. You need torque to punch through the leather, and slow speed to control your stitch placement. A larger pulley on your machine would help too. The biggest difference I see speed wise between the smaller machines versus big harness stichers, both using the same gear reduction servo is the harness stitcher has a much larger pulley. That gets your speed down even further and much greater torque to punch through the leather.

If you have no experience with sewing machines sewing leather, I would recommend you find a shop where you can at least observe a machine or two in action. If they will let you try them out, so much the better. Maybe they will be kind enough to give you a little instruction too.

Electric motors need a little speed to be able to develop adequate torque. Even with a servo, at its lowest speed, its torque is reduced compared to a hundred RPM higher. Motor speed and torque need to be matched to the application. There are trade offs in both directions. You need to research and pick the best for you.

CTG

[Wizcrafts]

Thanks,

snip...

I see the servo motor is all the rage here...I'm still trying to grasp why...is it because it can be slowed down and still provide good torque?

One other question, what thickness of leather can I realistically expect to sew with it...I'm looking to sew about 1/4 inch thick?

Thanks,

Gavin

As the last responder mentioned, servo motors are *usually* much more controllable at slow speeds than clutch motors. Unfortunately, some people are getting push button servo motors that are very touchy at slow speeds. These motors don't have a smooth taper from off to on, just a sudden drop out/jump in. The motor I like the best, and I've had quite a few, is the one now sold by Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines as the Toledo Sew Slow. It was previously sold as the SewPro 500GR and has built in 3:1 speed reduction/torque multiplication. This motor has a rotary knob on the back to limit the top speed and has a very smooth taper from off to on, with lots of slow speed range of motion. It even has a brake that releases with a slight movement of your toe on the floor pedal.

I see no reason why you couldn't buy a new or used industrial sewing machine table on k-legs, with a standard 7" x 19" machine cutout and an oil drip pan, plus the slot for the belt, delivered knocked down in a box, or assembled on a pallet, for a couple and a half hundred bucks. Then, buy the aforementioned motor and 3L v-belt (length to be determined later) and bolt it onto the bottom of the table, using the existing standard three holes. The motor comes with three carriage bolts, and cable clamps for the wiring. The switch box screws onto the right front of the underside.

As for the thickness the 111 can sew, that varies somewhat with the presser feet you use, but you should be able to get up to between 5/16 to 3/8 inch sewn with it. It easily handles #138 bonded thread. There are dozens of different types of presser feet available for the Singer 111. I prefer left toe only, which allows me to sew close to the edge of straps or cases (using a swing-away edge guide). The standard outer foot has a double toe. Upholsterers usually remove it and replace it with a piping foot set. These often-heavy feet can reduce the sew-able thickness a bit.

[KAYAK45]

Did you get your answer or more questions than answers? If not, try again!

[wind power]

Did you get your answer or more questions than answers? If not, try again!

Hi Kayak,

Yes They answered my questions and got me thinking even more...thats what always happens when I'm dealing with experts! But Thank God for them!

It appears Wizcraft, Northmount and everyone else around here knows their stuff! The information on the servo motor helps a lot.

By trade I'm a tool and die maker, so machining a diffrent size pully will be a snap if I need too....I'm no sewing expert by any streatch of the imgination but would like to dabble in sewing leather for hobby basis until I retire and then maybe do some small stuff for a dollar or two when I do retire....about 12 years away....but time flies!

Until I can can get my ability to sew a bit better than a piece of leather which looks like it was struck with shotgun pattern, I would like to slow that Singer 111W155 down to about a stitch every 1-2 seconds....would that be asking too much out of a servo and pulley size adjustment?

Northmount reccomended I get into toch with Bob at Toledo, which I will do in the near future....pardon my ignorace here once again, but what should I expect to pay for a servo motor which will allow me to sew 1/4 thick leather?

Thanks,

Gavin

[Northmount]

See this post http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=39829&st=0&p=247582&hl=+sewpro%20+servo&fromsearch=1entry247582

This servo has a potentiometer instead of digital control. Just bought one from Toledo for $165 plus shipping. 300 W, 900 RPM, 3:1 gear reduction. I could still use a little more speed reduction so will be making another modification to get there.

CTG

[busted]

I don't believe you want to sew that sloooooooow 250 to 350 would be OK. Here is a manual you will need

http://parts.singerc...3_W154_W155.pdf

Hi folks,

I have been lurking around but this is my first time in the forum.

I have a Singer 111W155 coming soon...for all I know it could be a pig in the poke and I hope its not, however I will go through it before I begin trying to sew with it.

It will be coming with practically everything except the table...pulleys. belts, foot peda,l knee lift will be included....so my first task will be checking out the sewing machine and then building a table for it and gettting everything set into postion.

I have a few questions:

Is there a diagram out there which shows the threading up of the machine?

Since I like to sew slow, does anyone know by chance if the orginal motor will allow me to sew slow ? (when I say slow ...I'm in the neighborhood of 60 stitiches or less a min)

Thanks,

Edited May 18, 2012 by busted

[wind power]

I don't believe you want to sew that sloooooooow 250 to 350 would be OK. Here is a manual you will need

http://parts.singerc...3_W154_W155.pdf

Thanks Busted! I downloaded the PDF....that will be real handy!

all the best,

Gavin

[cowcamp]

Thanks Busted! I downloaded the PDF....that will be real h

Hey wind i put a handle pn mine bud cause i couldnt afford the motor right at the second. Its easy to crank and control the material

While sewing. Just a thought

[KAYAK45]

OK! The ultimate slooooow down for a 111W155!

Put an 11 inch TRACTOR SUPPLY or similar wheel with a 1/2 inch collar,and THEN add a TELEDO servo, and smoke between stitches!

Kevin

Try to stay awake while it sews.

[wind power]

Cowcamp,

Where did you get the handle from? Did you fabricate your own...aluminum disc and a handle?

Kayak45, I really like that servo moto that Wiz and others are speaking about...I want to take it slow until I can build up my experience a bit more behind a machine....lol a 11 inch pulley on a servo...that would even be too slow for me....It might be a month or two before the finance minister (aka Wife) will release the funds so I can contact toledo for the motor....until then I could play around with hand-wheeling or a far fetched idea of stepping the pullies up and down.

Thniking out loud:

The clutch motor runs at 1750 rpm's as someone mentioned...If I have a two inch pulley on the motor side and that huge 11 inch pulley on the driven side.....math says: 2/11= .1818 X 1750 rpm's = 318 rpms...lol still too fast for me!

Still thinking out loud:

Maybe if I compound a few pulley's

Lets take the same set up, a 2 inch on the motor side and the 11 inch on the driven side but also add another two inch pulley on the same shaft as the 11 inch pulley and add another 11 inch pulley on the driven side....lol more math here:

2 inch pulley on motor side divided by the 11 inch pulley = .1818 multiplied by the motor rpm's of 1750 = 318 rpms, however if on the same 11 inch shaft I add another two inch pulley and step up to another 11 inch pulley...I end up with 2/11= .1818 x 318 rpm's... this compounding would give me 57 rpms LOL I'm now below 60 stitches a min...nice, safe, happy zone for me

But buying 4 pulleys and shanghi'ing 3 v belts I would have probalby just as much in it as a servo motor...maybe not quite as much but a bit more hassle involved, (not counting the losses of potential torque????) between the compounded pulleys...it might be a self-defeating adventure????

Maybe handwheel is probably the next best thing until I can get a servo motor?

All the best,

Gavin

[cowcamp]

Cowcamp,

Where did you get the handle from? Did you fabricate your own...aluminum disc and a handle?

ok i have typed this three time now lord i hate computers.

im attaching pictures also

gear wheel is from a hand crank i got off ebay for like 15 bucks for another machine

I DID NOT modiffy the original wheel in any fashion and dont think its a good idea this set up comes on and off with one bolt

if you have any questions feel free to gimme a call 210 563 1655.

Gavin

[mattisyahu]

Hey bud i got a 111 recently myself and maybe we can milk the gurus together. I am having a problem with the saftey latch set up on the lower belt cog

the spring came off and i dont know what it looks like tried a couple configurations but still aint right.

Would anyone mind sending me a picture of this assembley it on underside of machine on outside of belt gear two latches with a hinge that lock into two slots. On a keeper cam or just a photo of the spring it self pleass

I just got a singer 111w155 and i am curious if you ever tried 207 thread and if you did if it worked.

[Dwight]

I bought the servo from Toledo, . . . wasn't enough drop for some of the stuff I mess with, . . . so I added a 3/1 reducer to the servo, . . . I can go down now to maybe 12 stitches per minute if I want to.

Not everyone's cup of tea, . . . but I love it.

May God bless,

Dwight

[lowes48]

Just got a 111w153 myself so all this is very interesting!