Originally Posted by
Ellpea
I've read some very interesting stuff about this. Have you modified yours? My understanding was that the needle would hit during straight stitching as well. One person (a machinist, I think) modified a spare bobbin case and tried sewing with original case and specified needles, then compared to modified case with 15x1 needles. He insisted there was no difference in stitch quality. Plus it was not necessary to re-time the machine as some suggest. But the controversy runs high on this issue with dire warnings from both sides of the erm, bobbin.
I think I'm going to give it a try, using a spare bobbin case just to SEE for myself. If it worked we could also use standard twin needles.
But I won't disassemble that bight thing unless absolutely necessary... and won't know that until I try sewing with it. I just got some of the serger needles Miriam mentioned in another post so should know how it sews soon.
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!