Singer 42-5 stitch length

[Hilltop]

Hi everyone!  Long time lurker here.  

I have a stitch length issue with my Singer 42-5.  At the longest setting stitch, it only does 7 stitches per inch.  By the time I move the stitch selector to the middle, I get stitches so small that they perforated the leather. When the stitch length selector is moved all the way up, it just sews in place.

Surely this is not right?  I've only been working with this machine a few weeks, the previous owner must have messed with it without really knowing what they were really doing, as when I bought it, the feed dogs were going in reverse.  Lol, the guy told me it only sewed in reverse, which I know was not right as this model doesn't even have reverse.  I actually got it to sew in reverse too, just not reliably!  

 

It works in the correct direction now, since I adjusted the feed dogs and timed the feeding mechanism with some of the information I found on this site. 

Can I make any adjustments to make the longest stitch length longer, so that I have more choices with stitch length?

I have attached a picture of the stitches.  Far right stitch is the longest I get, and far left stitch is the so small it perforated the leather stitch I get when moving stitch selector know to the middle.

 

 

 

[CowboyBob]

Push the feed dog front to back to check for play,even check both shafts underneath push left & right ,adjust as need alittle is needed so they don't bind up,oil every pivot point while your under there too.Making the slot longer in the front will help too.

[Cascabel]

As a point of reference, my 42-5 gets 5 stitches per inch at the longest setting, with no slop at all in the feed dog, so I suspect that is normal for a machine without excessive wear.

[Wizcrafts]

58 minutes ago, Cascabel said:

As a point of reference, my 42-5 gets 5 stitches per inch at the longest setting, with no slop at all in the feed dog, so I suspect that is normal for a machine without excessive wear.

I get 4 to the inch on my 42-5. So, 5 is not standard spec.

[Nix]

I just measured mine and it's five to the inch. I posted a short video my 42-5 -- kind of a rarely discussed or seen Singer model --  here.

Nix

[Uwe]

Is that piece of leather in your picture only 2-1/4 inches  top to bottom?  A ruler next to the stitch line would help establish scale. 

I have a Singer 42-5 that's patiently awaiting its turn for some tender loving care. Parts are hit and miss. Needle bar and presser spring were readily available and cheap, but it took weeks just to get my hands on some bobbins at $12 per bobbin - ouch! I have yet to find a source for throat plates (or throat plate inserts).

 

[Wizcrafts]

I couldn't find a spring for my sliding plate (that covers the bobbin and shuttle area), so I glued earth magnets to its sides. It works as good as the spring loaded original. I use my 42-5 for chaps and similar projects. I've used thread sizes 138, 207 and 277. I think it best to limit it to #24 needles/207 thread.

I have enough of those $12 bobbins to preload them with the colors and sizes of thread I use the most.

It's currently powered by a 1/3 hp clutch motor, fitted with a 2" pulley. I can feather it to single stitch if I need to.

As for replacement parts, I've had no success finding ANY parts, other than bobbins. I'm lucky enough to have gotten lots of leather point needles with the machine, in the correct system 16x64, in sizes from 21 through 25. There is also a pack or two of 16x63 round points in the box.

My biggest issue with this machine is its lack of a thread tension release rod. I compensate by hand wheeling back and forth as I pull the work away from the needle. This lets the take-up lever draw thread for me.

The spring loaded presser foot does a good job on soft temper leather and the overall feed is positive.

Like many of you, I didn't go looking for this machine. It came looking for me and I took it in, like a lost kitty. Now I have a loudly purring, 1926 Singer 42-5. It's neat watching people's faces when I show them the beast.

[Hilltop]

6 hours ago, Cascabel said:

As a point of reference, my 42-5 gets 5 stitches per inch at the longest setting, with no slop at all in the feed dog, so I suspect that is normal for a machine without excessive wear.

This is really interesting, and from reading the thread I see you are not the only one.  I love that there are other 42-5 owners here!

[Hilltop]

53 minutes ago, Uwe said:

Is that piece of leather in your picture only 2-1/4 inches  top to bottom?  A ruler next to the stitch line would help establish scale. 

I have a Singer 42-5 that's patiently awaiting its turn for some tender loving care. Parts are hit and miss. Needle bar and presser spring were readily available and cheap, but it took weeks just to get my hands on some bobbins at $12 per bobbin - ouch! I have yet to find a source for throat plates (or throat plate inserts).

 

Yes the leather piece is tiny, ha ha.  I have 4 bobbins, I want more, but I hate to spend so much per bobbin.  $12 each seems outrageous, right?  I've only found it one place online too.  I love my machine, but not being able to find parts stinks.

 

It seems like I read a Aussie member here was going to make some throat plates?  I wonder if they ever did.

[Hilltop]

31 minutes ago, Wizcrafts said:

My biggest issue with this machine is its lack of a thread tension release rod. I compensate by hand wheeling back and forth as I pull the work away from the needle. This lets the take-up lever draw thread for me.

The spring loaded presser foot does a good job on soft temper leather and the overall feed is positive.

Like many of you, I didn't go looking for this machine. It came looking for me and I took it in, like a lost kitty. Now I have a loudly purring, 1926 Singer 42-5. It's neat watching people's faces when I show them the beast.

I have mine in an industrial treadle.  I haven't used the clutch motor it came with.  I'm actually kind of scared to try it.  I had my heart set on a servo, but now I'm not sure I want to spend the money, since I'll be spending $12/bobbin and I'm a cheapskate. Lol. This is my first treadle experience, and I can see why it appeals to people, but I like to have options.  I might have to try out my clutch motor.

 

I too find the lack of thread tension release rod my biggest issue with this machine.  I find the thread tension set up odd.  Do you use the knee lever?  I just connected mine, and it made a huge difference as I could finally release the tension.  I still am not crazy about it. 

 

 

 

[Hilltop]

11 hours ago, CowboyBob said:

Push the feed dog front to back to check for play,even check both shafts underneath push left & right ,adjust as need alittle is needed so they don't bind up,oil every pivot point while your under there too.Making the slot longer in the front will help too.

By making the slot longer in the front do you mean to cut the throat plate?

I will check the feed dogs as you suggested.

My husband and I took apart a Featherweight once, and when we put it back together the stitch length was never right again.  It was a while ago, but if I remember correctly the longest stitch setting sewed about half the distance it should have.  Obviously we did something wrong when putting it back together.  At the time I had the most detailed Singer adjusters manual I have ever seen.  It was a few computers ago though, and I've never been able to find it since.  By the time we got the Featherweight stitching again, we were ready to be done, so it never really got fixed.

Thinking about the Featherweight made me curious as to whether the 42-5 had something wrong.  It seems in line with everyone else though from the feedback I'm getting. 

For all the other 42-5 owners here, what happens when you push the stitch length selector all the way up?  Does it stitch in place like mine does? 

 

 

 

[Uwe]

My 42-5 has no feed movement when the stitch length lever is at the top. In the bottom position, my feed dog carrier moves about 0.24" front to back, so I should get about 4 stitches per inch  (once I order some system 16x63 needles, which are readily available on Ebay and elsewhere.) 

I'm attaching the manual I had downloaded well before I ever got my 42-5. I saved the file in a folder I had named "Singer 42-5 best Singer flatbed ever?", based on a comment from one of our Australian members. When it finally popped up on CraigsList, I drove three hours one way to pick it up - gotta do these crazy things before I get too old to do them! (I also admit to checking CL before major road trips and picked up a lovely Pfaff 545C H4-N10 in St. Louis last weekend, but that's a different topic)

 

42_CLASS.pdf

Edited June 3, 2016 by Uwe

[Uwe]

As for reduced stitch length, sometimes the culprit is actually feed dog timing. If the feed dog doesn't start to come up until after it starts moving backwards or if it goes down before it reaches the very back of its movement, you miss out on part of the full movement it's capable of. The vertical feed dog movement timing should be simple to check and adjust, but I haven't done it yet myself on the 42-5, so I can't offer specifics or pictures right now.

Edited June 3, 2016 by Uwe

[Nix]

The problem with the manual that's been posted online and in many places is that it cuts off after page 8, so we're missing a lot of adjusting information. Still, if you're having trouble removing your work, I've attached the relevant passage.

The 42-5 is an unusual, yet a fairly robust and simple, machine. I wish we had a full scan of a user and adjuster's manual. I have an original parts book. However, that's readily available online and is complete.

The thread always being under tension is an advantage (it's going to sew anything that gets under the feet). Part of that set-up is that, on mine (this may have changed on later models), the primary thread tension discs are not two discs held together, but is actually a pulley that is under spring tension (think of it as setting the drag on a fishing reel). Anyway, if you over-tension it, the pulley will not turn and you will not gain any additional adjustment by tightening it more and more. The secondary tensioner assembly -- the two discs just ahead of the primary tensioner in the thread path is where you get most of your tension adjustment on a 42-5.

I've removed the thread oiling cup, the light fixture and the bobbin winder on mine, since I like keeping things clean and simple.

Nix

 

 

[Uwe]

1 hour ago, Nix said:

The problem with the manual that's been posted online and in many places is that it cuts off after page 8, so we're missing a lot of adjusting information

So, does anybody have or know where to find a manual that goes beyond page 8? I'd love to have the whole thing. 

[Wizcrafts]

37 minutes ago, Uwe said:

So, does anybody have or know where to find a manual that goes beyond page 8? I'd love to have the whole thing. 

I just uploaded a 48 page manual for the 42-5 to my server (3.6mb Zip file). I think it is what you all are looking for.

[Nix]

1 hour ago, Wizcrafts said:

I just uploaded a 48 page manual for the 42-5 to my server (3.6mb Zip file). I think it is what you all are looking for.

Thanks, but that's the Parts Manual, which is available online and in many places, and is complete. What we need is the Singer 42 Class User and Adjuster's Manual.

Nix

[Ken G]

I got lucky a few years ago and stumbled across some new bobbins for my 42-5 on Ebay. They ended up being from Anne Bonnys Locker, a member here. Even with airmail shipping from Australia they were pretty reasonable, a lot less than $12.00 each. From the postmark I bought them in April of 2013 and it looks like ABL has not been on the forum for almost 2 years.

[Wizcrafts]

11 hours ago, Ken G said:

I got lucky a few years ago and stumbled across some new bobbins for my 42-5 on Ebay. They ended up being from Anne Bonnys Locker, a member here. Even with airmail shipping from Australia they were pretty reasonable, a lot less than $12.00 each. From the postmark I bought them in April of 2013 and it looks like ABL has not been on the forum for almost 2 years.

Anne Bonny's Locker has been renamed to the owner's actual name: Darren Brosowski - who is alive and well and a frequent commenter on this forum.

[Darren Brosowski]

WIZ, I am Anne Bonny's Locker. Have had issues with losing my login details.

I wish I could sell bobbins for $US12 each. Maybe I should order some more as I sell them for about $US3 each

Methinks that somebody is taking the piss at $US12 each.

Normally I adjust the 42-5 to take the 135X16 needle

 

 

 

[Wizcrafts]

I corrected my incorrect spelling of your last name, Darren.

If you have the bobbins for a 42-5 and can sell them for the price range you mentioned, you'll have buyers on this forum. What woult the International Postage run on items like those? I am referring to the cylindrical bobbins, about an inch long.

[Ken G]

Well son of a gun I didn't realise who Darren was. I was thinking the bobbins were about $3 each. The airmail shipping for my package was $13.00 for 12 of them and took about a week. They were lacking a thread hole but that is easily fixed with a little drill bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Cascabel]

I never had an issue with the 42-5 not releasing the tension, and I actually prefer this feature, as it allows sewing of anything I can fit under the foot, and causes no tension issues when climbing over thick seams.   I have always just grabbed the thread below the take-up arm, and pulled out a few inches, and then simply removed the item after raising the foot.   I also just use ordinary 135x16 and 135x17 needles in mine.  I don't know if my machine was adjusted for these common needles by the previous owner or not. but I suspect so, or maybe adjustment was not needed.    I was able to get spare bobbins from my local industrial machine supplier, with no problem.  I think the bobbins are common to several different machines.

Edited June 4, 2016 by Cascabel

[Darren Brosowski]

Sorry Wiz, I was flicking through and did not properly read your post until after I put mine up.

I do not mind the spelling of my name as long as people can find me!!!!

 

 

I am putting together an order with my Taiwanese supplier so I will add some 42-5 bobbins.

If people want them then please PM me to give me an idea as they are a slow mover and I normally only get 50 at a time.

[Hilltop]

I hope I am not to late to pm you about the bobbins!
 Sending you a message right now. 

Weren't you the member here that was going to make some needleplates?

I got my machine to sew 4.5 stitches an inch after realizing I adjusted the feed dogs when I had my gigantic more aggresive ones mounted on the machine.  I will post a picture later tonight.  Does anyone else here have a double set of feed dogs on their machine?  Most pictures I have seen online have been with a smaller feed dog set.