manicmike

Yes I modified my 320 and 319 which use the same case. It almost seems too simple: Find the area that the needle hits and remove it!
According to the experts, it's only during zig-zag that the longer needle hits the case.
Your machinist is right: Removing a small piece of the case makes no change at all to the stitch formation, since all we're doing is removing something that could be problematic in future (kind of like what Angelina Jolie did a few years back). It would make no sense for this to affect the stitch quality at all, but any hook timing modification will drastically affect it.

There's no reason not to use standard twin needles either (or triple). The 15x1 has exactly the same distance from the top to the eye as the 206x13, so stitch formation is never a problem.

I weighed up my options and since my OSMG (50 years experience) said that he'd done the mod dozens of times over the years (so that customers can use 15x1 needles - he sells both) and not one needle strike has ever happened in any of these machines. He was very convincing.

I wouldn't disassemble the bight assembly either unless absolutely necessary. Unfortunately it was!

Ellpea

Manicmike, do you have a resource for bobbin casings? If so, please share!

manicmike

What do you mean?

Ellpea

A place to purchase after market bobbin casings... I'd like to try this but want to have another bobbin case on hand should something go wrong!

manicmike

No I don't. Modification is quite safe. Every machine I've bought has had an intact one and no machine has been unsalvagable. If they're being made new I doubt I'd trust them.

J Miller

Sew-Classic has bobbin cases for the 319s.

Joe

Ellpea

Thanks for the info, Joe! I can update this thread by sharing that I tried one of my basic 15 needles in the 319 and the machine sewed PERFECTLY. I feel pretty stoked, as this was my first effort at salvaging a dirty, sticky machine -- purchased without a needle (so I had no idea if it would even make a decent stitch).

I did strip almost everything down to clean and lube EXCEPT that bight control. And because I haven't modified the bobbin yet, I haven't tried ZZ or other decorative stitches (although I think we'd be pretty safe trying those with a stitch width of 3 or less).

The machine is smooth and very quiet. I tried stitching through multiple layers of denim and stopped at 6 layers, although the machine seemed to have plenty of oomph left. There seemed to be literally no difference in the effort it needed to complete six layers, as opposed to two.

BTW I just finished working on a White 782 machine, very pretty mid-century modern all metal machine which looked very strong. I also thought it might be geared instead of belt-driven, since the motor is housed inside the pillar. But, it simply could not manage those six layers, so the 319 comes out ahead again.