Help with Singer 128-23
 

I just adopted a Singer 128-23 vibrating shuttle electric machine. Birthdate April 1952. My problem is that it won't make stitches. Cleaned it up, changed the needle, threaded, wound new thread on bobbin. Needle thread seems to have good tension and shuttle thread runs out of shuttle good. It picks up the shuttle thread good, but when I try to sew, it does not make stitches. I am not very knowedgable about vibrating shuttles, even though I have 3 now and I don't know how they form stiches to evaluate what is not happening. Any tips would be MOST appreciated. Thanks in advance. Maggie

I would spent copious amounts of time on Muv's web pages and watching her videos:
Muv
http://www.lizzielenard-sewingdesigns.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/user/Muvandfarve?feature=mhee
http://www.lizzielenard-vintagesewing.blogspot.co.uk

I looked at another QB member's machine that had this exact problem. It turned out to be the new bobbins she ordered were slightly shorter than the originals. Are you definitely using the original bobbins? From memory I think they're different for different versions of the 27.

Thank you manicmike!! I will do both.

I was given a 128 just a few weeks ago. This one was made in 1924. It wouldn't make a stitch either. I took it to the Mennonite sewing center, and they "fixed" it. It needed all new wiring, the belt was useless and he said the little wire that comes off the tension disks was missing. It was stuck at first, but he put on a stronger motor and got it going. Seven bobbins came with it, but some of the thread on them was rusted to the shaft.
It has a knee lever to make it run and a bentwood case.
It works now.

I got a Godzilla 128-23 last Spring at a yard sale and now have it going again (thanks to the videos mentioned here on the Board) and re-shellac'd the case. It sews a beautiful seam but I sure had to blindly experiment with the stitch length and tension settings. Except for my mom's Featherweight, this is my first experience with "vintage" machines. This one was in pretty good shape and also has the knee lever but when I changed the power cord I must have not hooked everything up correctly: the motor ran like a champ but I couldn't regulate the speed of the machine or turn it off without pulling the cord from the wall! So I converted it to a hand crank machine with reproduction parts because I couldn't find the "real" parts online. You might have to adjust the little tension screw on the end of the shuttle case -- I had to do that. Also, would any of the shuttles from your other machines work in this one? That might help isolate the problem.

Alas, there doesn't seem to be much interest in this particular machine but I think my "Isaac" is a "way cool" bad boy dude and intend to make a small pieced quilt with the hand crank "for fun". Otherwise it's my "in case of power failure" machine here at my place in New Mexico. Eventually, I'll take the motor and controller to someone who knows about such things. As an aside....I wonder if any of the "vintage" experts here on the Board who are reading this thread would be able to give me a source where I could get a "real" spoked hand wheel and hand crank? If so, please PM me! Thank you!

Thank you everyone for your replies. I would love to watch the videos, but I have a ancient pc and have no sound right now. NOW, what is happening is the shuttle carrier adjusting screw....if the carrier is adjusted in the carrier hits the cast body and if it is adjusted out the shuttle hits the front slide plate hard enough to knocks it off the machine, but it does not hit the cast body. There seems to be no happy medium where the carrier doesn't either hit the cast or the shuttle doesn't hit the slide plate. It is the correct shuttle. There have been thoughts of grinding the carrier and/or base so they don't collide. Does this sound like it could be out of time? Any suggestions and knowledge will be most apprecited. Newbie to this stuff (bet you can tell). Thanks all, Maggie

Is there any way you can take a picture of the shuttle carrier with the shuttle in it? A shot at both positions (forward position and backward position) also of the under side of the carrier in the machine. Take the pictures from a position where it shows the needlebar and the needle. This will help figure out what is wrong and what steps to take next. I definitely wouldn't be grinding anything just to make it fit.

Crocee, I will see what I can do about getting the pictures. Thank you.