Singer 111w103 Foot Lift - Newby question

[neilw]

I have recently started sewing with an older Singer. This is one of my first sewing projects and on various online videos I see the instruction to bury the needle, lift the presser foot and rotate the material - for things like turning at square corners.

On my machine when the needle is fully down the center foot is still pressing down on the fabric and you cannot move the fabric, even when I raise the manual lift lever. Is this a feature of the compound walking foot, or is there an adjustment that will allow the center foot to be raised with the needle fully down.

Thanks in advance

Neil

 

[Wizcrafts]

On a compound feed walking foot machine, the inside foot is always down until the outside foot drops and causes it to lift. On my walking foot machines, I hand-wheel to raise the needle about 3/16 inch, use my knee or foot lift pedal to raise the feet and turn the work. If your machine won't let you raise the feet at all with the needle in the material, it is out of adjustment internally. Does it sew normally and climb over seams? 

[neilw]

Yes, sews just fine and goes over seams. I have done as you suggested in the past raising the needle just a little, and then raise the foot, and that does give me some clearance to turn the work. I am always a little dubious of doing this as I must have lifted it to far in the past and ended up with a rats nest underneath as it messed up the lower stitch - I must have lifted to far and pulled to much on the loop.

Thanks for confirming that this is normal, not an adjustment, and that the inside foot is always down - even when manually trying to raise it.

Neil

[Wizcrafts]

Check how much free play there is before the hand lift lever engages the lifting block. If it is more than 1/16" you are losing height under the feet. The lifting block has the end of the flat pressure spring along its back side. Loosen the screw through a hole on the back of the head, in the face area and let the block drop to the bottom. Raise it a tiny amount with a thin flat blade screwdriver, then lock the screw down. This may increase the lift so you can turn better.

Some turns may be 180 degrees and are called Poor Man's Reverse.

[piper01]

I just want to chime in. I have been reading the post and I was having foot lift problems. I was going nuts trying to outer figure foot lift. I put hours into research. I found the screw for the lifting block and pushed the block down towards the back lifting arm and now I have outer pressure foot lift approx. 5/16. Thank you for your help.