Singer 29K71 general settings and stitch length

[ironwrx]

Hi. A while ago I posted about getting my Singer 29K71 walking foot machine. I have since gotten the needed parts (Thank you Wizcrafts) from Toledo Industrial Sewing machines. Last night I tried stitching for the first time, and had SUCESS. The old Singer sings again. I used Wizcrafts recommendations for needles and threads, and tried stitching 2-4 layers of denim. I had to play around with the tension to get the stitches in the middle, but am a bit unsure of all the other settings. Take-up lever tension, take up lever height, foot height, foot pressure etc.  Is there anyone out there who can advise on an old singer patcher machine what good starting settings would be for denim and leather? The machine also has a different set of tension discs on the front of the machine for darning. How does that work? Also, is there a general recommendation for stitch length (maybe a chart) depending on material?

[Wizcrafts]

You can play with the position of the numbered finger adjustable nut on top, inside the take-up bar. Screwing it in forces the take-up lever to raise higher and stay up. This feeds more thread per stitch, letting the thread lay less tightly. This would be best on cloth that tends to pucker if the thread is too tight.

The little leaf spring on the very top has an effect on thread tension. If it is screwed all the way down it causes a tight lay on the top of the material. It can also cause the loop to dissolve prematurely as the hook approaches the needle. There is a happy range of spring pressure that gives a good thread lay, in combination with the aforementioned barrel adjuster.

Before changing these settings, mark or photograph what you have now.