401A problem
 

I have a 401a singer that I bought a couple weeks ago. Got it all cleaned, oiled and greased. When I started to try and sew a quilt block on it today I can't keep the fabric under the presser foot. It feeds off the edge.

What would cause this and is there a fix for this that I could handle. I tried loosening the pressure on the foot but that didn't help.

Did you put in a new needle? Check to make sure the feed dog teeth are good.

Did not change the needle, and the feed dogs are good. It makes a beautiful stitch just feeds the fabric off the edge.

Change the needle.

Hmmmmmm........ sounds like your feed dogs are not working "together". Remove the needle plate and check out your feed dogs. They should be one complete unit, screwed in place. Can you post a picture of the feed dogs?

Raise the presser foot. Put a thin straight edge against the feed dogs with them all the way up as high as they will go. Now lower the presser foot and sight down the side of it. Does the side of the presser foot align with the ruler? It probably wont. If it doesn't the presser foot shaft will have to aligned to make the foot and feed dogs line up.

I actually use two stainless steel thin straight edge rulers to do this.
Aligning the foot with the feed dogs has corrected about 90% of those machines that feed crooked.

Also make sure there is nothing dragging on your fabric on the left side of the machine. That can affect the way it feeds too.

Joe

Ok, I checked the feed dogs and pressure foot with a metal ruler like you said. The pressure foot does veer left. Is this something I can fix myself?

The presser foot shaft orientation is held by one screw. But there is more to it than just loosening the screw. On a 401 there is a height above the needle plate measurement as well, and there should be some movement of the presser foot lift lever when it's down. This is so the spring is actually putting pressure on the presser foot, not on the lever.

Yes, you can do it if you are mechanically inclined. I would suggest you download the shop manual from the Singer site. I'm afraid I don't have the link to that file though. It was on my old HD when it failed. All I have left is the printed copy.

Joe

Here is a service manual:
http://www.ismacs.net/singer_sewing_...ng-machine.pdf
Do it like Joe says.

You guys are so awesome!