J Miller

My wife was sewing on some recycled jeans yesterday, using our Singer 328 with the Singer Even Feed walking foot attached.

I had asked her to use that because I was afraid she'd break the plastic gears in the 518 she was using. She came to a really thick place with multiple layers ( 8 ± ) of denim with folds.

She said: "I'm jammed up here". I was sitting at my machine also having troubles so I got up to go help and she said: "It broke". Ah nuts! thinks I.
Some how, and I cannot picture how, she said she had gotten the presser foot on top of that big wad of denim and gotten some part of the walking foot hooked into the thread guide part of the needle clamp. As she was trying to work it loose the little tab snapped off. Ummm, like wow man, do it again so I can believe it. I cannot picture in my mind how that happened.
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But now I'm on the hunt for a needle clamp for a 328. Sew-Classic does not have them, so tomorrow I've got to pay a visit to my LSMG in hopes he has one.

I know the machine will sew with that part broken but it has a jagged edge at the break and I can see cut fingers, so it's gotta be fixed.

Fudge!

Oh, she went back to the plastic geared 518 and finished the project. She said she went around the hump though.
No damage to the walking foot either.

Joe

path49

There are 2 of them listed on ebay.

J Miller

pathe49,

LINKS ???? Please.

Joe & Elaine

J Miller

Pat,

Found 'em. But at the price the seller wants, we'll leave him as the last resort.

Joe

Rodney

Can you file the edges down until one shows itself? That clamp looks pretty specific to that machine.
Rodney

path49

Joe, Sorry I didn't think to include the link. And, sorry I didn't post it when you asked...I wasn't online. But, here's another one...better price, too! http://www.sewingpartsonline.com/nee...g-machine.aspx Pat

Candace

Sometimes when the WF isn't screwed on tight enough it can work itself off the needle bar and do damage like that. Really, any feet should have a screw drive to tighten them on, but I must admit I hand tighten at times and do risk things like this:<

J Miller

Yes, I could file it down, and would if it were my only machine. Since we have others it will just sit till I get a new needle clamp. That part is specific to this series of machines. The later ones like this have the thread guide slot facing the left rather than the right.

Joe

J Miller

Pat,
Thanks for the link. I had thought about these guys but hadn't gotten to checking with them yet.
As for eBay, sometimes I can find things like those needle clamps, and other times I can't. Yesterday was a "can do" I guess.

The part SewingParts has listed is for the later models. It's the same one Sew-Classic has. The thread enters the guide slot from the left, the 328 enters from the right.
If you look at the machines the thread comes down the face place on the left end of the 328 then crosses at an angle to the needle bar thread guide. The thread slot opening on the right keeps the thread in the guide.
On the later series machines the thread travels down the front of the machine to the needle bar thread guide so the guide slot opening on the left doesn't matter as much.
We have a later machine guide and it fits, but I am concerned that since the thread enters it from the left as the machine sews the thread will pop out of the guide.

I'll try it, but I'm still gonna look for an OEM guide.

Joe

J Miller

Candace,

That is very possible. It did come unscrewed while on the 518 and we had to use a screw driver to crank it down tight. I used the screwdriver on the 328 but it's entirely possible I didn't get it tight enough. I tend to be light handed when it comes to those feet and attachments with plastic mounting parts.

Joe