I was wondering if any one is familiar with the singer 401A model sewing machine.
My question is from what I have seen it has cams, Do you have to have the cams to get the different stitching?
Is it a good machine to use for quilting, free motion quilting? Any and all quilting needs?
Any other helpful information about this machine would be great!
Thanks in advance,
Carol

That is a great machine and yes the cams are what does the decorative stitches. One cam can do several different type of stitches depending on the type selected. I have a 500A and although I have not yet played with it yet I am very impressed with all of its features.

That machine will do anything you want it to do and would be perfect for quilting!!

Maybe after I get finished doing my 128 I will get working on the 500A

Billy

the 401 has a 'cam stack' - meaning that the cams are more or less built it - you choose the stitch you want by 2 different levers... it also uses other discs
so if you come across a 401 but it's missing the extra discs grab it anyway - you can still use a blue bazillion stitches while you look for more discs...
I found a really neat blog:
http://blog.sew-classic.com/2008/10/...ne-review.aspx

I have a 401a and love it, I was lucky enough to find it at a thrift store in Fl. all the attachments, manual, buttonhole attachment, I haven't used my other machine since. I just read that the feed dogs can't be lowered, so I guess free motion is out with this machine, unless someone knows of another way. I love mine, and wish you many happy hours with yours.

On my 500 the feed dog plate raises so you can do FMQ on my machine.

Billy

Yes I have read that the feed dog plate raises. , from the picture the numbers look kind of warn... but from an online picture I ran across I think I could figure it out.
Thanks, so $40 wouldn't be a bad price to pay for one that they say works? And it is in a cabinet.
(I am feeling that's a silly question)

Thanks a lot for your responses,
Carol

$40 is a *great* price for a 401A in a cabinet!

Its not at your house yet? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Go get it!!

Billy

LOL Yeah after all the praising I have read about it in this thread I was wondering why I haven't gotten it yet. One reason is I don't know if the cabinet will fit in my car :o(
Billy are you going to help me after I get it to make sure I can get it cleaned up in fine shape? lol You like being driven crazy by a person with lots of questions? I sure hope so.
Thanks so much for the information and encouragement.
Carol
Will post pictures if it's still available and I get it!

JJs that was one of the sites I ran across when I was searching for information online, Thanks for posting it. I found interesting links within it.

Well, I went and measured my trunk and backseat and if it is similar in size to a different cabinet I have. It should fit. Now waiting on the person that has it for sale to reply!
Thanks again
Carol

I am always at your disposal!! Just be sure to post photos in the shop so everyone can see. Also I added this topic to the VS so it can be viewed a lot easier.

Billy

Thanks Billy!
Do you mean to post the pictures on the Vintage Sewing machine post? I didn't find where you had moved this topic too.
Here are the pictures I took tonight of the Singer 401A that I got.
Sad thing is the guy couldn't find the electrical cord to it. Good thing is he just gave it to me for free!
Now I need to find the cord have searched ebay, but have a question, even though a listing on ebay says for 401A does that really mean that it will work for this machine?

This machine uses two cords. One on the foot control and the other a power cord. Do you need them both?

I have two 401A's. They do work via cams, but some fancy stitches are accomplished with the "regular" cams and others need alternate cams added. It is a work horse.

Ken I think I am going to need both. Its the electrical cord that's missing and I noticed on the foot cord that the part that attaches to the machine part of it is broken and shows wires.
She's pretty dirty, but I think she has great potential!
Nursie 3 cams came with it but I haven't gotten to look to see which ones they are yet. Hopefully one will be one that will do several of the stitches.

That would be wonderful!

I am doing the happy dance for you as wee speak!!!! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

I love it and you really can not beat the price at all!! The 401A is the same machine and the cords will swap out. I am not sure about this love, but the 301, 401, 500. and 503 might all be the same. That might open you options for getting a cord. I am sure someone here on the board can tell us for sure but Singer was all about parts being able to swap out with other models to keep cost down.

Also check with you local sewing repair shop. If they are worth the salt of their reputation they will have one floating around for you.

Congratulations on the acquisition!!!

Billy

Thank You Billy! The singer sewing shop I know about drives their repairs two hours away every two weeks. So I don't know about them being worth their salt. I might call them tomorrow and see.
The person I got the machine from said there was a lady in a town close by that refurbishes singer sewing machines and at one time she had redone 75 of them, if I remember correctly. And so I am trying to get a hold of her through craigslist. (might be a long shot) but if she wants to pass on her knowledge I will be a sponge. lol
I do have a question about the knob in the middle top of the machine has two screws in it. I assume it is suppose to turn? If so how is that done or does mine just not move. lol How does the throat plate come out? Yes I am already full of questions and can't even plug it in to see what it does.
I have found the power cord and the foot cord on ebay. So I will probably go that route on the cords. The cords shown on ebay have three holes where my machine only have 2 prongs, however, I have contacted one person and they have assured me that it will fit the 401A.
She is dirty/dusty but I am scared to touch her for fear of messing her up. lol
I did purchase singer oil and lubricant today, JoAnns was running a 50% off sale on their quilting notions.
Ok I'm rambling so I'll stop. Any little tips and tidbits about the machine would be great.
Thanks again
Carol

Carol I will be honest with you I have not figured out all of the feature my 500 has and it has the same type of knobage going on. From what I have gleaned from what little I have read about them is you can change knob positions and the stitches with change even if you do not change the cams. I think there are only 5 cams for these machines and an endless amount of decorative stitches can be made from them.

After I get to playing with my 500 I will have a little more understanding of what does what on the guys. I am more into the treadles and the machines from the 40's back.

Billy

The knob in the middle of the machine has two parts if I remember correctly, and is the stitch selector. You have to pull out and the turn, both sections turn and should have little metal finger pointers. The little red lever to the side adjusts the width of your stitch.

Do you have the instruction booklet that comes with the machine? That would be a great help for you as you try to learn your way around this machine.

I learned to sew on my mothers 401A and then when I was pregnant with my first daughter, my mom bought me a used one of my own. I have them both now that mum is gone.

Thanks Billy and Nursie. No I don't have the instruction booklet but did do some research online to try and glean some information. My brain is swimming! lol
Thanks for sharing nursie.
I did find some cords on another site that was posted on this site. So doing more research before I jump in! lol
Thanks again to everyone for their comments and helpfulness!
Carol

I do have the manual right where I can find it, so if there is anything that I can look up for you, let me know and I will do my best.

The cord for the 501 is not the same as the 401. The 501 plugs into the machine with only one plug. The 401 female receptical on the power cord has three holes and the machine has two pins. This is the way my power cord is for my 404 and it is also shown in the 401 manual this way. The lever on the bottom right of your machine is the Troat Plate Positioning lever. The knob in the center is the Stitch Selector. Do not turn the screws on the front of this knob for now. I first clean my machines with a damp cloth and Dawn dish soap. I use lighter fluid for the dried up oil and greese. Lots of Q tips and cotton balls from the 99 cent store.

Thanks nursie you may wish you had never offered...lol

Ken thanks for the heads up about not turning the screws on the knob in the center and how to go about cleaning it.

Thanks Ken I have never had the chance to play with any of the Slant shanks until I got this 500A and I have not even messed with it yet. I have way to many machines to service for paying customers that need to be taken care of first.

As far as using lighter fluid to clean the oil and grease off of a machine I would think that would be a bad idea especially if it is an older machine that used a Varnish or a Shellac to protect the decals. You might as well clean one with Lacquer thinner and strip it to the bare metal.

The only reason it worked for you is because you have an Enamel based paint on your machine. If I did that to any of my treadle machines I would be missing decals, japan, and it would destroy a perfectly good machine.

Billy

Billy
I got the idea of lighter fluid as a quick easy way to buy Naphtha from "Those Fantastic Featherweights" By David R. McGallum. Other chemicals are very destructful to japan (Shellac) finishes. Alcohol is the solvent for shellac and will distroy the finish of the pre 1960 machines on contact.
My 7th and 8th grade wood shops used shellac as a finish and that is where I started to use naphtha.

You will enjoy your Singer 500. My wife and I purchased a Singer 501 new in 1961 and it has never been in the shop. She has done all of the maintenance herself and she still uses it.

Thanks for your input, nice to have a sewing machine professional in the group.

Ken

Far from it but thanks for the complement anyway!

Billy

Carol, My DH was doing some research on the web and couldn't find a free 401A manual, but turns out the 431 is the same with the exception that it has a chain stitch option and a free arm. The PDF takes FOREVER to download, but here is the link to it:

http://www.ismacs.net/singer_sewing_...anuals/431.pdf

I have flipped through it and it seems very similar to my 401A manual with the differences I mentioned before. Hope it is of help to you. Remember to give the PDF time to download.

The little lever on the bottom right adjusts the throat plate (the feed dogs don't actually go down). I believe that all the way to the right is the normal stitching position, the middle posdition raises it so the you could do FMQ and all the way to left unlocks it so you can take it out and clean it or put a different one in.

nursie Thank you for the information. I did get the stitch regulator knobs to turn by pulling out or pushing in. I was excited!! Which cam/s do you use most? Is there one you just leave in your machine all the time? I have cams 1 and 3
Thanks

You are welcome, I will let DH know that you say thanks. To be honest with you, I never changed the cams or tried any of the fancy stitches which require the cam. I used the ones that you got with the letters L through R on the selector knobs. When you put the selector to Special is when you start adding cams. The machine originally came with 5 cams. My manual explains it all, hopefully the one from the 531 will also.
Let me know if I you have any more questions and I will answer them to the best of my ability. It has been years since I used either of my 401A's.

Of, don't forget to make sure you have the right foot when you start doing the zigzag type stitches, don't remember what it came with, but you don't want to break a needle. Ask me how I know :roll:

Thanks for the information that is good to know that you can get the different stitches without all the cams.
The zig zag plate is on the machine and it has the wider foot for the zig zag stitching on the machine.
Thanks

That is correct as per the manual.

A question about the foot cord. If I purchase a foot controller will it still work if I sit it up in the space provided to use with the knee thingamajig, instead of having it on the floor?
Just curious and want to make sure it will work both ways before I purchase something.
Thanks
Carol

If you get the foot controller that is made for that machine you should have no problem. It is meant to fit up in a bracket where the knee lever presses on the button type thing on the foot lever. I never ever sewed with a foot pedal until I got my first FW. In fact I still find myself pressing on my knee lever that lifts my presser foot on my Bernina and wondering why the machine isn't going... :oops:

On the foot pedals I am coming across they are not showing the button that the one I have has. But they say they are for the 401 model.
I was wondering what you sewed with now when you mentioned you hadn't used your 401's in a while.

Bernina usually and sometimes my Brother CE4000 when the Bernina is embroidering...sometimes my FW.

If the foot pedals you are looking at have a lever type foot pedal, I would think that perhaps the pusher mechanism on the knee lever would depress that effectively to activate the machine to go.

Quite the variety!
thanks ..

My DH doesn't quilt, but does take an active interest in what I do and has started collecting sewing machines. We also have a child sized Singer that is just like one I had as a child, an 1960ish Nechhi, and I just got a Juki on a frame. I think my MIL's White is around somewhere, and an old Kenmore also. The Necchi runs, but haven't tried out the White and the Kenmore.