Missing something simple - skipped stitches
05-10-2013, 02:56 PM
#41
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If you get to the point of giving up on this prima donna......pack her up and ship to me. I'll make her behave. (says me with a wicked grin).
Cathy
Cathy
Originally Posted by ArchaicArcane
Before I forget,... this is the Prima Donna we've been discussing. 
All cleaned up, lovely tension eh? She's just waiting on the new spool pins now.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]412763[/ATTACH]
All cleaned up, lovely tension eh? She's just waiting on the new spool pins now.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]412763[/ATTACH]
05-10-2013, 03:51 PM
#42
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Originally Posted by ArchaicArcane
Joe, Try this (I don't know where it came from, so I'm attaching the copy from my harddrive)
Page 9 in the original numbering of the pages.
Page 9 in the original numbering of the pages.
Joe
05-10-2013, 04:02 PM
#43
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We've kind of veered off topic a bit but I have one more question.
You mentioned timing the feed dogs.
I have one early 66, probably a 66-1, that the up and down timing seems to be good. It sews without problems, but the feed dogs seem to be positioned too far to the rear as they make their fore and aft motion. I don't want to disturb the way it sews, but I'm concerned they might be hitting the back of the needle plate.
There is another complication in that the machine has one of those Revco Reverser kits installed and I do not know if that has any effect on it or not.
When you say to adjust the feed dogs at the eccentric cam on the main shaft that kind of scares me.
I'm really afraid of messing up the existing timing.
Remember I've got that Edison 15 clone I'm still messing with. It's closer now, but still not really right. I've had that one loose and all it's done is cause me grief.
Joe
You mentioned timing the feed dogs.
I have one early 66, probably a 66-1, that the up and down timing seems to be good. It sews without problems, but the feed dogs seem to be positioned too far to the rear as they make their fore and aft motion. I don't want to disturb the way it sews, but I'm concerned they might be hitting the back of the needle plate.
There is another complication in that the machine has one of those Revco Reverser kits installed and I do not know if that has any effect on it or not.
When you say to adjust the feed dogs at the eccentric cam on the main shaft that kind of scares me.
I'm really afraid of messing up the existing timing.
Remember I've got that Edison 15 clone I'm still messing with. It's closer now, but still not really right. I've had that one loose and all it's done is cause me grief.
Joe
05-10-2013, 04:17 PM
#44
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Originally Posted by Mizkaki
If the feed dog timing is off set it now. Put the stitch length to it's longest setting. The needle should enter the fabric just as the teeth drop below the needleplate.
Originally Posted by Mizkaki
Tammi,
That is a good question.
For an exact answer I will have to think about it.
Quick answer: The instructions that I just gave Joe are for the tipical straight stitch machine. Zigzags have a timing error built in that shows up with every swing of the needle. This means that one needs to 'fudge' the .093" slightly (advance or retard the tip) to accommodate this error. In other words, the .093" is a starting point.
I have never had any timing problems with the 401 series of machines. Possibly we are seeing that the timing on your machines has been changes over the years by a local 'repairman' that didn't fully understand timing.
Cathy
That is a good question.
For an exact answer I will have to think about it.
Quick answer: The instructions that I just gave Joe are for the tipical straight stitch machine. Zigzags have a timing error built in that shows up with every swing of the needle. This means that one needs to 'fudge' the .093" slightly (advance or retard the tip) to accommodate this error. In other words, the .093" is a starting point.
I have never had any timing problems with the 401 series of machines. Possibly we are seeing that the timing on your machines has been changes over the years by a local 'repairman' that didn't fully understand timing.
Cathy
)I guess in a perfect world, I should re-time all of these properly, eh?
Here's a statement I heard from the Singer repairman before they moved East. It always struck me as a little wrong, but not completely, if that makes any sense. "If it straight stitches, and it ZigZags, it HAS to do all of the stitches correctly." I assume that statement means, barring a mechanical failure of the cam systems...
Thoughts?
05-10-2013, 04:24 PM
#45
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Originally Posted by Mizkaki
If you get to the point of giving up on this prima donna......pack her up and ship to me. I'll make her behave. (says me with a wicked grin).
Cathy
Cathy
Originally Posted by J Miller
Thanks for the .pdf. I already have it and if you'll look close all the pictures show the later 66s with the timing and reference marks.
Joe
Joe
Needlebar height is determined by relationship to the hook, so the slant manual gives a clue again: 1/64th above the eye when it's at the timing line for the hook to be at the middle of the scarf. (page 44)
I couldn't figure out how to get a feeler gauge in there the other night, so I eyeballed it.
05-10-2013, 04:30 PM
#46
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Originally Posted by J Miller
We've kind of veered off topic a bit but I have one more question.
That's how we learn so much, especially when people like Cathy are willing to answer the questions we come up with. I like it this way.
05-10-2013, 04:30 PM
#47
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Originally Posted by ArchaicArcane
Before I forget,... this is the Prima Donna we've been discussing.
All cleaned up, lovely tension eh? She's just waiting on the new spool pins now.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]412763[/ATTACH]
All cleaned up, lovely tension eh? She's just waiting on the new spool pins now.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]412763[/ATTACH]
Joe
05-10-2013, 04:38 PM
#48
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Northern CA near Sacramento
Posts: 1,107
Joe,
If the feed dogs are hitting the rear of the needle plate they are timed too late. There are usually two shafts under the machine that affect the feed dogs.
The shaft that is nearer the front of the machine (under the bed) adjusts the FD front to back movement (called a rocking shaft). Loosen the nut, turn the screw, tighten the nut and recheck the FD position. Plan on doing this several times. What you are trying to do is have the FD come up and just barely clear the front of the slot in the needle plate.needleplate.
The rear (FD lifting) shaft usually adjusts that FD height. Adjust it on the hand wheel end (right). There is a locking nut and screw on the end. Loosen the locking nut slightly and adjust the height by turning the screw. Make sure to tighten securely.
The cam adjustment is the timing adjustment. You shouldn't have to adjust it for a slot clearence problem.
Clearer than mud????
Cathy
If the feed dogs are hitting the rear of the needle plate they are timed too late. There are usually two shafts under the machine that affect the feed dogs.
The shaft that is nearer the front of the machine (under the bed) adjusts the FD front to back movement (called a rocking shaft). Loosen the nut, turn the screw, tighten the nut and recheck the FD position. Plan on doing this several times. What you are trying to do is have the FD come up and just barely clear the front of the slot in the needle plate.needleplate.
The rear (FD lifting) shaft usually adjusts that FD height. Adjust it on the hand wheel end (right). There is a locking nut and screw on the end. Loosen the locking nut slightly and adjust the height by turning the screw. Make sure to tighten securely.
The cam adjustment is the timing adjustment. You shouldn't have to adjust it for a slot clearence problem.
Clearer than mud????
Cathy
Last edited by Mizkaki; 05-10-2013 at 04:43 PM.
05-10-2013, 04:41 PM
#49
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LOL! So when I have another purge, I should be sending some of these machines south, eh?
I've noticed when they appear on goodwill's auction site that people pounce on them really quickly. I get the impression that not a lot of the open arms ended up in the States. I don't think they were common here either, which is why I grabbed it when I saw it even though I had one already. I"m glad I did too, because a lot of people would ditch a machine that was skipping stitches. At least, when I'm finished with it, it can go anywhere and be appreciated, instead of dumped somewhere because it doesn't sew.
I've noticed when they appear on goodwill's auction site that people pounce on them really quickly. I get the impression that not a lot of the open arms ended up in the States. I don't think they were common here either, which is why I grabbed it when I saw it even though I had one already. I"m glad I did too, because a lot of people would ditch a machine that was skipping stitches. At least, when I'm finished with it, it can go anywhere and be appreciated, instead of dumped somewhere because it doesn't sew.
05-10-2013, 04:50 PM
#50
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Tammi,
It shouldn't make any difference as far as skipping stitches (which is what we were originally discussing).
If the height of the dogs is really off, yes, I'd adjust their height first.
Cathy
It shouldn't make any difference as far as skipping stitches (which is what we were originally discussing).
If the height of the dogs is really off, yes, I'd adjust their height first.
Cathy
Originally Posted by ArchaicArcane
All the rest is in the order listed in the adjuster's manual, but what about feed dog height? Would you want to know that they were set at the right height before setting the timing? In theory, if they were too high for instance, they would be "up" a little longer, or is it not noticeable enough? I haven't had to time the dogs any of the time I've set the height, so I hadn't noticed.
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