*Need help with Consew 225*

[bking54]

I have a consew 225 paired with a 500w servo motor and 3:1 speed reducer. 

I've been using it to sew gun belts approximately 1/4in of leather. 

until recently it was working fine. now it was began to struggle to pierce the leather and continue to sew. 

I am using a 135x16 size 23 needle and 138 thread. could someone help me with this issue please and help me fix it. the machine is no longer operational partly to the problem stated above and now some how the set screw for the needle is broken. so it looks like I'll need some help repair/replacing the needle bar. 

any advice is welcome...

[hackish]

I'm not familliar with the 225 but I can say from experience that needle bars are not usually a complicated part to either build or replace. Start with a repair manual and/or take a lot of photos of the steps to remove the needle bar. The best hope to repair the situation is to remove the bar and look at whether you're into drilling out the set-screw or if there is a practical way to remove it. Technically it would be possible to drill and re-tap the hole but that situation requires some skills and a replacement part is probably $20 anyway. Maybe an experienced technician can tell you where a quality replacement part could be had.

With respect to the sewing problem itself, I find it is often helpful to start with hand-wheeling the machine through the sewing cycle to make sure it is moving freely. I assume you oil it regularly? A few times I've found that a machine suddenly got stiff it was a small piece of thread that got jammed in a rotating part.

 

[bking54]

Thanks for the reply hackish!

i disassembled the hook&bobbin case and found a fractured piece of the needle bar under the rotation hook. 

with that removed i re-timed the machine and oiled everything i could and attempted to sew again, the same problem of "lack of piercing power" persists and eventually finished breaking the set screw.

Do you have the info at hand to order a new needle bar? i have no idea where to start looking.

thanks again for your help.

 

 

[bking54]

I've found a replacement needle bar online for 13$ maybe 20$ shipped you were correct sir. 

I'll possiblly take it part this week and replace it once the part comes in. 

[hackish]

5 hours ago, bking54 said:

I've found a replacement needle bar online for 13$ maybe 20$ shipped you were correct sir. 

I'll possiblly take it part this week and replace it once the part comes in. 

Keep in mind that cheapest is seldom best. It may be a good plan to see what a brand name part costs too. If it's $30 instead of $20 and saves you from having to replace it again in a few months it's a good investment.

[bking54]

This is the page where I found the part, it looks to be a legit Singer part. 

http://www.sewingpartsonline.com/needle-bar-consew-juki-singer-240498.aspx

I'd rather buy once and fix it once. 

It wasn't hard to remove the needle bar either. 

[TinkerTailor]

If you can get ahold of a reverse twist drill bit, it will probably spin that screw right out. I always use reverse twist to remove screws because when the bit jams, it loosens the screw. Standard bits tighten it.

Also, needle binding screws don't need a whole lot of torque. All they do in most cases is keep the needle from pulling out as it rises. Its not like the set screws under the machine that have to prevent a shaft from turning to keep the machine in time. As a matter of fact, a slot screw driver is almost overkill for these. It is pretty easy to over torque them with a screwdriver. I tend to replace mine with thumbscrews or wingscrews if I can. I can get them more then tight enough by hand, and not nearly tight enough to break it, plus no looking for the tools for a needle change.

[CowboyBob]

Many times if you can carefully w/pliers or vice-grips pull the needle out & get pressure off the screw it'll spin right out.

[bking54]

The hole for the set screw in the needle bar is broKen around the bottom half and is no longer serviceable. thus the need to change the needle bar. or I might try to drill and tap the other side if that is an option. 

[hackish]

1 hour ago, bking54 said:

This is the page where I found the part, it looks to be a legit Singer part. 

http://www.sewingpartsonline.com/needle-bar-consew-juki-singer-240498.aspx

I'd rather buy once and fix it once. 

It wasn't hard to remove the needle bar either. 

Newp. That ain't a legit singer part. Not that there are many legit parts available still.

I'd recommend giving a vendor here a call because they deal in this stuff all day and will know which parts to get. Gregg at Keystone helped me out a lot with my Singer 7-33 and the parts he supplied met my quality standards.

When my Singer double needle needed a new needle bar I bought 3 knockoffs before getting pissed off and machining one myself. My experience was bad - diameter out of spec on the first one, second one was bowed like a bananna, and the last two had the end hole that was tapped crooked so crooked it was unusable. My machine was out of service for 3 months. Can you tell I'm jaded against cheap parts???

[bking54]

I've managed to find a replacement part locally. it's a miracle I tell ya...

installed the new part. re-timed the machine and made 3 short runs with some belt leather about 5/16 in successfully I'm still going to call keystone for a new part bc this one is rather old. I'll leave this thread open for now (crossed finger though) 

thanks guys for your help and knowledge.