Singer 29k71 not sewing, need help!

[paqman]

Hi, I am new to the forum and have been reading around. Lots of great info here! 

I have recently inherited a Singer Patcher 29k71 that used to belong to my grand father who used to be a cobbler. He had lots of those, unfortunately, he ended up selling most of the old machines but fortunate for me, this one survived and was passed down to me. 

I was able to get it completely restored and repaired but i still cant get it to sew properly. I know the problem but i dont know how i can fix it. 

Problem is that it is timed properly but it constantly gets jammed because the thread ends up under the shuttle carrier. as such, i ordered a replacement shuttle carrier (not an original part) and installed it but i still have the same problem. I was able to get it to sew a few times but it ends up jamming in the end. 

What i noticed is that the bearing between the shuttle carrier and the driving pinion seems to stick up a little too much. As such the shuttle carrier is too high? Other thing i was thinking is that the hole on the shuttle carrier where you put the set screw is too low and when fastened on the driving pinion and there is too much play. Or the driving pinion is worn down and there is too much play. 

Either way, before i buy anything else, i could really use some help. 

Thanks! 

Andre

[jimi]

Have a look here paqman, i think you just need to find a second hand original shuttle carrier.

 

[paqman]

Thanks Jimi, 

I did look through this topic but i assume the replacement i got would do this. I guess the aftermarket parts are a waste of money.

Andre

[jimi]

Unfortunately a lot of them need adjusting and others just do not fit. They generally say it will fit the 29k but there were a few subclasses and variations and most of the older 29ks have no racks or piñons available that i know of. if you find any original not too worn parts for your 29k71, that would be the way i would go. good luck, jimi.

[paqman]

Thanks again, 

Yep, i also purchased a cam wheel replacement as mine was broken and i had to modify it heavily to make it work. That included drilling the hole for the pin and widening the cam channel so that the bearing would actually fit in it. Never buying reproduction parts ever again thats for sure. 

Andre

[Constabulary]

I don´t know how many different Chinese Co´s (re) fabricate parts for the 29K7X models but you "at least" are able to find parts for your machine. It´s no longer the OEM quality you get but you CAN get parts. For older 29K models you almost find nothing but used (worn?) parts. Most likely the new after market 29K parts you can buy nowadays are made to fit the Chinese clone machines and they (probably) have slightly different dimensions than the original British made 29K Singers from the good old days. Nothing beats OEM parts!

BTW - the shuttle carrier I bought worked w/o problems only the pinion was tight but it worked.

This was my 29K71 experience:

this

Edited August 13, 2018 by Constabulary

[Yetibelle]

I know this will sound rather basic and silly, but there are 2 sets of needle holes on the swivel cover plate. Even though they both look rather similar my machine will only sew correctly on one side.  So have you tried the other side of that plate?

 

 

[paqman]

Good news! Success! 

I was able to get it to consistently sew! 

The problem was in fact the Shuttle Carrier. My machine came with lots of parts, including an extra bent shuttle carrier, i figured i had nothing to lose and i used a punch and various tools to bend it back into shape. I then cleaned, filed the burs and polished it with Autosol and success! it works perfectly!. 

I should mention, i had tried everything. My machine came with 2 extra rack boxes, one extra bearing, one extra short rack, 2 extra long racks, extra bottom plate, extra throat plate and assorted screws and hardware. None worked until i beat that old shuttle carrier into shape. 

Now, i really trying to understand whats different with the other 2 shuttle carriers, perhaps i can make them work too. perhaps they are ever so slightly deformed and are causing an issue. 

As for the throat plate, mine is really worn on one side and not on the other but using the non worn side makes it bind and the other worn one works perfectly. Weird. 

Andre

[paqman]

Update to the topic, 

My dad came over last night, he also has a 29k71 and he gave me a few pointers that are quite useful. He also gave me a bunch of new 29-3 needles for it. 

Although they seem really basic, they were not obvious to me even after reading the manual:

• Problems sewing with one or the other hole in the throat plate could be due to the setting of the needle. needle could be installed slightly off centre, causing the loop not to catch. Also, you can adjust how close the needle gets to the shuttle by moving the second screw above the one that holds the needle ans adjust how close the needle gets to the shuttle when sewing. This makes for consistent stitches. This could also fix the problem of missed stitches. 
• Also, needles could be too long, causing it to go too deep which could have been causing my prior issues. Looking at the needles i was using, they seemed slightly longer than the ones he gave me. I was of course using the needles that came with my machine. 1 was already installed and 2 were hidden in the oil cup. all were quite worn. Invest in needles before you invest in parts!
• Adjusting the take up lever on top of the arm could also help with making sure that enough thread is able to catch on the shuttle hook on the down stroke. this will also make sure that you get consistent stitches. 

All those are fine adjustments but can make the difference between a bad stitch and a really good stitch and could also solve issues. I also found that marking items off and eliminating problems one by one is a good way to find the root cause of your issues. 

Other things i have learned, and that i could not find the answer anywhere: 

• Shuttle Carrier can have some slop in it without causing major issues. If you time the machine and find that you can move the shuttle carrier a little from side to side, that is normal. Too much slop would cause inconsistent stitches and misses stitches as the loop could be missed and timing would be flaky but some slop is ok. 
• When sewing, the thread should be caught by the shuttle hook, brought over to catch the bobbin thread, pass between the shuttle/Bobbin and come back between the shuttle carrier and the shuttle through the tension spring to make a full stitch. It will not sew until that happens reliably. You can test this without using a bobbin or without having the throat plate installed. 
• Timing does not have to be dead on for it to work. The manual says that on rest, the shuttle carrier should block the needle entry point at 1/3 but there is some give and take there. Refer to earlier point to test whether you can reliably get a good stitch. 
• the throat plate, Shuttle, bobbin, shuttle carrier should be clean and free of burs and polished. I have used Autosol to polish my parts. Metal polish of any kind should really work. the smoother the parts, the better! 

Hope this can help someone get their machine working! 

Andre

Edited August 15, 2018 by paqman

[Wizcrafts]

I would like to add one more item to your checklist, Paqman.

Check the functioning of the thread retaining paddle shaped spring (Singer #8656) inside the needle bar. Many owners of patch machines aren't even aware of this spring's existence. It can really only be seen when the needle bar has been removed from the revolving head. The job it is meant to do is to hold the top thread static as the bar moves down to BDC, then makes an upward jog to form a loop for the shuttle hook to pick off. If that spring is weak, broken, missing, or bent, the top thread will have nothing stopping it from dissolving the loop as it tries to form. If the spring on top of the trapeze shaped driving arm is still engaged, it will simply pull the thread loop up before the hook gets there. This used to drive me crazy until I figured it out and learned how to replace the spring.

In some older machines, especially those that were using #138 thread, not only have I found worn paddle springs, but also slight thread depressions under them in the steel needle bar. This double wammy makes even a new spring fail to secure the top thread on the up/down stroke at pickoff time.

Note: Anybody planning on removing the thread retaining spring 8656 should note the positions of the two tiny #590 screws as you remove them. Keep them apart and reinstall them into the same holes when you replace the spring. They are usually filed on one side to avoid binding and gouging the inside of the revolving bushing as the bushing it rotated. Left as is one or both will hit the bushing in certain rotational positions.

[paqman]

Thanks Wizcrafts! Yes you are right, that spring needs to be there and in good condition. Luckily, mine is still fine. Good tip about keeping the screws int he same spot! 

Andre