New to this 31K20 and to everything else too

[Tride]

Hi, just joined the forum because most of my google searches about the machine I just picked up led to here....

Background: I know nothing. Like seriously, nothing..... I've never sewn anything in my life, either by hand or machine. 

I actually went down this road because I lent out a hang gliding harness that was never returned, and hard to replace, so I thought, "maybe I could just figure out how to make one". Had literally no idea that you couldn't sew stuff like nylon webbing on any sewing machine. Luckily the first guy that I went to buy a used machine from told me that I needed to look for something a bit more industrial, so I did that, and found someone selling this singer 31K20. They said it could also be used for sewing leather, which I though sounded like a super cool thing to do as well.

So, off I go…. got the thing home, plugged in the super sketchy looking old cloth wrapped power cord, rigged the belt to the wheel, did a 2 minute google search on “how to use a sewing machine" and tried to sew some webbing and padding together. there were a couple stitches, a lot of noise, a lot of me wrestling and tugging, and then the needle broke. Pretty classic new idiot move, I reckon. There were some other needles in the drawer, so i put one of those in, but had no success picking up the lower thread anymore.

 

Finally realized I was being a huge idiot just jumping into it without trying to care for this thing a bit first. So I pulled it off the table and started taking the easy to access stuff apart and cleaning 96 years of gunk off. Haven’t gotten super deep into it yet but I’m amazed at how nicely these parts shine up.

 

So, this is where I am at now, partially disassembled, cleaning what I can, and trying to be a bit smarter about how I proceed. Seems like you guys over here are super knowledgable, so I wanted to throw a few questions to y’all….

 

A- The needle that was in the machine (the one that I broke), had a flat side to the part that mounts in the needle holder, but these spare needles that were in the drawer are all round, with no flat side. Guessing that might have something to do with why they didn't work? I had no idea the world of needles was so complicated…. Found in the paperwork that they gave me with the machine that I’m supposed to use “16x87” needles, but those seem pretty rare, are there any more commonly available needle systems that would fit/work? 

 

B- The motor/clutch system makes a hell of a noise when I start it, but just for a second  then seems to spin fairly normally, (still a bit noisy though). I’m not sure about diving into it myself, guessing my best bet is find someone who knows how to service a 96 year old electric motor and ask them to give it a check out, and maybe new wiring?

 

C - Now that I’m in the “take apart and clean” phase, I’ve been using wd-40 and kerosene and scotchbrite pads and some small brushes. It all seems to be getting me somewhere, but thought maybe you guys have some better tricks/ideas.

 

I’ll try and attach a bunch of photos, good to be here, and stoked for any advice people have for me.

 

[Tride]

Hmm, guess the photos didn't happen, trying again....

[Tride]

[Tride]

[JJN]

You have a steep learning curve ahead of you, but don't be intimidated. Take it one step at a time. I'll start the conversation with my first observations. This is what I would do if I came across this machine myself and wanted to sew with it.

Oil oil oil oil oil! That head is bone dry. I never even turn over a machine that was left un-maintained without oiling all the critical points. You will see some oil locations indicated on the top of the machine but download a manual and learn the lubrication routine.

Don't take it apart and don't loosen any screws unless you absolutely know what you are doing. You could be creating more problems, not solving them.

Either re-wire that motor or much better, get a new servo motor for about $150. Trust me, it will be one of the best investment you can make for that machine.

Needles: The needle that you broke sounds like it was a domestic sewing machine needle. Industrial sewing machine needles do not have flats on the shank. The best idea it to use a slightly different needle system from the one that machine was originally set up with. Understand that there are needle systems and within that system there are different needle sizes to choose based of the thread you are using and the material you are sewing. I would adjust the needle bar to use system 135x17 for fabric and 135x16 for leather. If using #69 bonded nylon thread, I would use a size #18 needle.

These needles have a long groove down one side and a scarf, or cutout above the eyelet on the other. The scarf side needs to face bobbin or hook side. If the needle is turned the wrong way, it won't form the loop correctly and the hook will not catch it. It won't stitch.

I usually clean the mechanism with denatured alcohol and an old tooth brush, rags, q-tips and whatever I need to get into the tight spots. Get some 'lily white' sewing machine oil and lubricate all turning or sliding parts. Do not remove any felt or cloth pads or cords you find in the machine. Oil them well as they are used to carry oil to remote locations.

Study the manual for this machine carefully and then check the timing of the needle, hook and feed dog.

Oh, did I mention oil?

Edited November 1, 2020 by JJN

[Tride]

1 hour ago, JJN said:

You have a steep learning curve ahead of you, but don't be intimidated. Take it one step at a time. I'll start the conversation with my first observations. This is what I would do if I came across this machine myself and wanted to sew with it.

Oil oil oil oil oil! That head is bone dry. I never even turn over a machine that was left un-maintained without oiling all the critical points. You will see some oil locations indicated on the top of the machine but download a manual and learn the lubrication routine.

Don't take it apart and don't loosen any screws unless you absolutely know what you are doing. You could be creating more problems, not solving them.

Either re-wire that motor or much better, get a new servo motor for about $150. Trust me, it will be one of the best investment you can make for that machine.

Needles: The needle that you broke sounds like it was a domestic sewing machine needle. Industrial sewing machine needles do not have flats on the shank. The best idea it to use a slightly different needle system from the one that machine was originally set up with. Understand that there are needle systems and within that system there are different needle sizes to choose based of the thread you are using and the material you are sewing. I would adjust the needle bar to use system 135x17 for fabric and 135x16 for leather. If using #69 bonded nylon thread, I would use a size #18 needle.

These needles have a long groove down one side and a scarf, or cutout above the eyelet on the other. The scarf side needs to face bobbin or hook side. If the needle is turned the wrong way, it won't form the loop correctly and the hook will not catch it. It won't stitch.

I usually clean the mechanism with denatured alcohol and an old tooth brush, rags, q-tips and whatever I need to get into the tight spots. Get some 'lily white' sewing machine oil and lubricate all turning or sliding parts. Do not remove any felt or cloth pads or cords you find in the machine. Oil them well as they are used to carry oil to remove locations.

Study the manual for this machine carefully and then check the timing of the needle, hook and feed dog.

Oh, did I mention oil?

Hi JJN, thanks a lot man, appreciate the insight! Yeah I'm already feeling bad about turning it on and trying to sew with it right out of the gate like that..... Breaking the needle was probably a real good thing, as it forced me to slow down....

Oh yeah, and regarding the needle thing, are domestic needles shorter than industrial? I found the tip that broke off, and when I put it together to compare, it looked like it was a shorter overall needle than the spares that were in the drawer, which, I would assume would explain things not lining up and catching if the shorter one were what it was adjusted for.... But then again, there may be another fragment of it somewhere that I didn't see.  In case it helps, here's a photo of the two packs of spare needles that were in the table drawer, and the needle that broke.... Let me know if you think I should be able to get either of these spare models working... Thanks again!

[dikman]

Here's a copy of the user manual to start with - https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1005412/Singer-Class-31k.html

If it works with a domestic needle then it's likely that the needle bar has been re-adjusted and will need to be reset.  You need to check the adjustments and timing of the needle and hook. As JJN said if you can set it to work with 135 needles then it will make life easier as they are a very common type. And in my opinion get rid of the old motor, it belongs in a museum as given its age the wiring insulation is likely to be brittle and cracking so potentially dangerous. A servo motor will make sewing much easier.

There are guys on here who sew the sort of stuff you're talking about and hopefully they will chime in.

 

[Tride]

22 minutes ago, dikman said:

Here's a copy of the user manual to start with - https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1005412/Singer-Class-31k.html

If it works with a domestic needle then it's likely that the needle bar has been re-adjusted and will need to be reset.  You need to check the adjustments and timing of the needle and hook. As JJN said if you can set it to work with 135 needles then it will make life easier as they are a very common type. And in my opinion get rid of the old motor, it belongs in a museum as given its age the wiring insulation is likely to be brittle and cracking so potentially dangerous. A servo motor will make sewing much easier.

There are guys on here who sew the sort of stuff you're talking about and hopefully they will chime in.

 

Right on, thanks for the advice. Knowing absolutely nothing about servo motors, what kind of things would I want to factor in when looking for the appropriate one?

 

[JJN]

Servo motor: This is what I use and recommend.

https://www.tolindsewmach.com/motors.html

This vendor is a contributor and financial supporter of this forum. There are others here too. You can find them in the ads at the top of each page. They make this forum possible and suggest giving them your business.

John

[Wizcrafts]

3 hours ago, Tride said:

Right on, thanks for the advice. Knowing absolutely nothing about servo motors, what kind of things would I want to factor in when looking for the appropriate one?

There are basically two types of servo motor. One has brushes, like a regular clutch motor has. The other is an electronic brushless motor. The motors with brushes usually have a simple rotary switch or potentiometer to limit the top speed. The brushless types usual;ly have push buttons with multiple functions and are complicated to setup. The dial type motors usually start at zero, with less torque, then gradually speed up with foot motion. The pushbutton controlled motors usually start at 200 or 300 rpm, with good torque, then increase to the preset maximum.

I have had both types and will probably never ever use a brushless pushbutton motor again. I have added 3:1 speed reducers/torque multipliers to the servo motors where I need lots of torque at very slow startup speeds. I have four of the Family Sew FS-550s motors mentioned by JJN. There are box style and free standing reducers listed on the same page.