Singer 78-3 Leather Needles

[CowboyBob]

No,the feet I can get are #36253 outside &#37326 inside.That part #3 you have is a thread guide & should be  there,a standard 3-hole one will work since you can't get that one anymore.

Edited May 29, 2018 by CowboyBob

[Bugstruck]

On ‎4‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 2:05 PM, leecopp said:

I adjusted my needlebar on my 78-1 (uses same needles) to utilize 29x3 (round point) (29x4 leather) needles since that is what my SInger 42-5 is using. .  You can just as easily use  the very similar (except needle has a skarf) 135x16 or 17 needles that are more modern and about the same dimensions.  This is technically a simple  1 screw adjustment  , but the challenge is getting the connection to move after being in the same position for the better part of a century.  Some combination of tapping, heating, oiling and brute force may be required.

I have a 78-3, but mostly run my 78-1.  I have note figured out what the real difference is, but I have not tried very hard .. smile ..

Some pics and such for my 78-1 are at https://sites.google.com/site/oldironmachines/home/singer-78-1

I have not tried 138 thread on my machines.  best of luck. let us know how it goes.

You nailed that procedure on freeing a tight needle bar. Picked a 78-3 up last weekend and spent a good hour getting the needle bar somewhat freed-up. Usually once you get them moving they free up well, not this one. Enough to raise the bar with some real effort and get the stitch in compliance. I've never seen one take that much heat and effort and I've never seen on still that tight after freeing it. My machine was rebuilt or remanufactured at some point. At work currently so not looking at it but I want to say the label was Union out of Philadelphia who did that. The MA in the label telephone # tells me maybe 1960's? Machine is a 1940.

The question I have: Do your 78's you have is the shuttle driving shaft pinned at both ends? Mine is. Was wondering it that was factory or done later.

I need to see what needles Bob has, this thing came with an assortment of wrong needles and fortunately one 135x16 pack in size 20 DIA point. So labeled anyhow and looked correct. 2mm shank diameter and 39 mm to the top of the eye which I think is the spec on that needle system. They work, now.

I can tell you that hook was at the very top of scarf when I started and I only moved the needle bar up maybe 1mm/ possibly a tweak more. Was sewing fine in some assorted materials after that adjustment but when I looked at it initially I thought that bar needed to go up 2mm or better and I was sure it wouldn't catch a stitch, it did. I never pulled the needle plate after I adjusted it to see exactly where it lands now (yeah I know, major shortcutting due to time constraints and normally I'd have that plate off for that procedure but I'm decent enough at seeing measurements, live it daily). I'll check one evening out of curiosity. My guess is it's still lower than I'd like but it's laying good stitches without fail now. Close enough.  

These old Singers are pleasurable to operate. No tensions release as freely in my experience and once you get them right, they tend to stay there unless perhaps you ask entirely too much of them. This one is very smooth operating and free spinning, like that. Holds material well with surprisingly light foot pressure when the needle is up. Feed mechanism is rather impressive for no bottom feed. Two other likes. This will be a wallet (2-4 ounce) interior machine among a few other fabric tasks. It will run two layers or 5-6 vegtan but that's pushing it just a little harder than I think it prefers. Ran two layers of chrome tan in that same weight and that wasn't taxing it at all. A little to soon to grade it against the stable but I'm thinking it gets high marks, if for no other reason than it fills a void I had.

[CowboyBob]

Here's a pic of the feet,the only ones I can get.

[CowboyBob]

These teeth can be ground down or fill in w/JB weld.

[Bugstruck]

Photos of the rebuild label and the pinned shuttle shaft. Hope this works, first photo insert attempt.

[CowboyBob]

Yes,alot of the old Singers were pinned.

[koreric75]

3 hours ago, CowboyBob said:

Yes,alot of the old Singers were pinned.

Mine is pinned as well, at first I thought it was a tiny screw until I cleaned it lol.... 

[Wizcrafts]

4 hours ago, CowboyBob said:

Yes,alot of the old Singers were pinned.

My 1923 Singer 31-15 has the shuttle driver pinned to the shaft. The only way to (slightly) alter the timing is by bending the driver arms in or out.

[CowboyBob]

On ‎5‎/‎31‎/‎2018 at 8:15 PM, Wizcrafts said:

My 1923 Singer 31-15 has the shuttle driver pinned to the shaft. The only way to (slightly) alter the timing is by bending the driver arms in or out.

Or heat the shaft & twist it.

[Wizcrafts]

6 hours ago, CowboyBob said:

Or heat the shaft & twist it.

Or convert it to a later model bottom shaft that has a slot and use a newer shuttle driver.