Singer 211G166 Restoration

[brmax]

In your other above photo what is the material, looks coated, inquiring mind wants to know.

How is this walker timed, at stitch setting 0 or 6 or? I remember mine was different not being a walker.

As I remember other compound machines, I found a couple steps back had a bearing on future adj.

I after 30+ years being a heavy equipment mechanic, I thought to take on a rebuild it worked great.

Some of the very exact looking machines were being used in my classes at North coast Marine Canvas.

So within these other scheduled classes I thought it good to spend a few franklins on a Saturday class on sew machines.

Great introduction and follow through to some mechanics of the typical canvas machines.

I spent the bucs and thought I could breeze thru (( not )).

It was a very well done class with this model like/kind as yours along with other Jukis 08, 41, Seiko, Consew .

I had went through! my double needle and now the real waking foot was a different puppy omg. Thanks to Russ it was crystal

to my class as everyone had different machines at home so fundamental instruction and some clarification on any others as the class had whatever you wanted to sit behind, pretty cool. Long story finally made short I sat behind a Juki as I just purchased one from a surplus sale and thinking I knew something about the singer I needed other knowledge, "to my surprise" the following Saturday's class I hadn't a clue about the singer walking foot style machine.

But I do have a note book with some information I will take a look at later and see if I see a particular point to address.

At the moment I have to go deal with a young'n getting smart teeth removed, obviously they got smarter faster than I. Mine were not removed until my late 40's.

good day

Floyd

[Coeta]

Lol.good luck with the young one...the material is called cordura 500g/cm we use it here to make schoolbags..very durable and weatherproof the 300g/cm is just to thin then a schoolbag only last 6 months..keen to see your note's

[Coeta]

Resurrecting an old thread, Yep this was the last time I have used the machine, and in the mean time we have moved to another house and so the machine was neglected and stowed in the garage on the floor deep under the dust and the metal parts got some surface rust again, and sadly the tension mechanism got damaged,  cant remember if I left it still working or not,

So I have to work through this thread again to get  the old girl operational again, setting the timing checking everything...

[Quade]

I just recently disassembled, powder coated and re-assembled a 211A which is very similar to this machine.  They're brother's really, one made in Japan and the other in Germany. 

In my experience, you leave the foot lift mechanism (the one on the back of the machine) for last. 

There's so much timing to adjust on these machines.   You have to match the foot movement to the needle movement. You have to make sure the needle moves at the same speed fore and aft as the foot (it's adjustable).   Then the distance of the hook from the needle and then the timing of the hook to the needle.  Then you have to adjust the foot lift mechanism on the back of the machine to make sure the needle goes through the lower foot at the same time the inner foot presses down on the lower foot and lifts the larger foot. 

 

[Coeta]

Some setting  on my timing is not correct , I struggle a bit finding what might be wrong when turning the wheel by hand I got about 3 stitches  then it is slicing/separating the thread when the hook passes the scarf of the needle, watching it from the bottom during the upward motion the thread is creating  a little  loop on the bottom of the material where the hook catches it again when turning past it thus creating tremendous strain and breaks the thread,

As the needle bar does not have marks on it I have set it up as described in the manual, with the needle to hook timing,  Might it be the tension mechanism that does not take up the slack of the thread, ,,,Oh well it's patience that keeps playing a big roll here to get what the problem might  be

I do have one question though regarding the upward free play of the little gear below the hook ,  the hook pushes through a gear (the small one) then it  runs on a driving gear (the big one),

Referring to the fitment of the small gear it pushes through a brass bush that gets hold with a little screw , how far must that brass bush be pressed in the housing as i have noticed that the small gear have some upward free play of 1mm if you turn the handwheel forwards or backwards,  thus it's causing a delay in the point of the hook timing to the needle  to be in the centre line of the needle. I have loosened up this lock screw and lifted that brass bush upwards until there is no upward or downward freeplay for the small gear _ did I do the correct thing here or are there supposed to be any shims inserted on the top or bottom of the small gear to take up the freeplay, or must that bush be fully pressed down with the free play applicable

Referring to gear  - point nr 5

[Quade]

My 211A has easily a 1mm of backlash in the gear meshing between #4 and #5.   I don't really know how much is too much. It would probably be better if I had less backlash but I see no way to adjust it out. The distance between the gears seems fixed. I wonder of the timing adjustment impacts the backlash?  I could try moving #4 to the left and right to see if the backlash changes. 

It sews pretty well.  I have almost no up and down in the hook shaft itself.  

I haven't thrown a dial indicator on it to measure but I could.   Have you checked the calibration of your case opener? 

"Be Sure Hook Driving Gears are Correctly Set with relation to the face of the hook saddle. Use .008" Shim".   

I'm imagining we use a .008" shim between the gear and the saddle to set end-play? It's not clear from the manual. 

Edited May 10, 2023 by Quade

[Coeta]

I will check out the case opener as that is the only thing I have not really checked, just eye balled it, I can also confirm that there is no up or down movement  in the hook and this cannot be adjusted on the 166

As for the statement: 

 Be Sure Hook Driving Gears are Correctly Set with relation to the face of the hook saddle. Use .008" Shim".   I'm imagining we use a .008" shim between the gear and the saddle to set end-play? It's not clear from the manual. 

I am not understanding this ....

 

Edit...got a more english version of the manual and it's more clear now, checking the distance I can confirm it's much more than 1mm I will need to fix this...

Edited May 11, 2023 by Coeta

[Coeta]

Also checking on the parts list for the hook pinion gear, I noticed that there is thrust washer present 224022, that is the part that is missing where I have lifted up the lower bush to take up the free play. 

[Coeta]

Got it fixed but then I adjusted the pressure foot height as I was working with thick leather, then it did sticth anymore doesnot pick up the stitches, so I guess i did not tighten the gear screws enough..at least I know where to fiddle now 

[Quade]

Looks pretty good.  I'd be interested if you come up with some solution for the backlash. I don't believe any of my other machines are that loose. 

I just checked a Consew 224 with the same shaft and gear arrangement and it has backlash too perhaps marginally less than the 211. 

The case opener is adjusted so there's "two paper thicknesses" of gap between the case opener arm and the bobbin holder when the arm is all the way to the right. I wish they mentioned the actual thickness so I could throw a feeler gauge on it.  I have a feeling the case opener arm reduces the impact of the backlash. 

Edited May 12, 2023 by Quade