Singer Featherweight reverse not working
 

Hi,

I just acquired my first Singer Featherweight from my grandmother over the holidays. It was really sluggish at first, but smooth as silk now that I oiled and greased it. I did find that the timing was off a bit and adjusted that in accordance with the maintenance manual and youtube videos. I also found that the rear position plate spring was broken and that the hook loop guard behind the bobbin case was fairly well gouged. I'm waiting on a new spring and a rubber honing stick so I can smooth the damaged loop guard. I cleaned and adjusted the bobbin tension using a tension meter as well.

The machine appears to sew great in the forward direction with the proper amount of tension. The problem is when I reverse stitch the top thread is not pulled down into the fabric. This is strange since the tension seems good in the forward direction. The only thing that seems to change in reverse is the direction of the feed dog, so I'm not really sure what could cause this.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Jared

I don’t have any suggestions as I too, am just new to sewing with a featherweight, but I wanted to say hello and welcome you to the board.

Which model do you have. I have a 221 and it does not have a reverse on it. The only thing on the front of the machine is the lever to adjust the stitch length. I am not sure if the other model has a reverse. Does yours have the sleeve arm that comes off? There are a lot of FW users here and I am sure that someone can help you more than I can. Happy stitching.

If you check your manual, about the stitch length regulator, you will find that the lever will move up. If you have locked the stitch length lever, when you push the lever up it will make the same size stitch go in reverse.

Jared, it sounds like something may not be hooked up properly or that you have locked the stitch length on a super fine stitch.

A manual for the 221 Featherweight can be found at https://www.singer.com/support among other places on the web.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.
Not affiliated with off-site link(s)

Thank you Pamela! Happy to be here.

Hi Julia. I do have the 221. They may not have made it reversible in the earlier models, but I'm not sure. Mine is from about 1945. Mine does not have the removable bed for doing sleeves. I believe that was the model 222.

Thank you. I did review the manual, but couldn't find anything in there about improper thread tension while reverse stitching. I had the stick length lever in the longest stitch position (further upward and downward).

I'm not sure I understand, as I haven't had this problem. I just downloaded both of the 221 manuals from singer.com, again. Some of the manuals for the 221 say to just bring up bobbin thread, then put presser foot down and sew.


The manuals from singer.com both say to:

1. Position needle in fabric about 1/2" from edge.
   
2. Raise regulator to reverse.
   
3. Lower presser foot.
   
4. Sew to edge.
   
5. Lower stitch regulator for forward stitching of the seam.
   

What happens if you try that?


Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

All Singer 221s have a reverse.

Oh some more manuals, can be found at https://singer-featherweight.com/pag...ervice-manuals
but I think those do not have "Needle Down, Foot Down, Sew"

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.
Not affiliated with off-site link(s)

It sounds as if you still have some "loosening" up to do. Somewhere in the linkage path to switch positions I wouldn't be surprised to find something which does not allow "full reverse."

Gotta ask- You "retimed" before making any stitches? It may have been "optimized" prior to the change and produced suitable stitches in both directions. There's more that happens in reverse other than the feed dog direction. The fabric is moving in the opposite direction so the loop is opening in the other direction as well, inhibiting the ability of the hook to pick up the thread properly in both directions. Some machines require the timing to be "optimized" to accomplish this regardless of the "factory settings. And, we don't all read and perform maintenance procedures the same way. Test first- adjust later.

What you describe could also be a needle thing. A bent or blunted/burred needle will sometimes do "ok" in one direction, but cause problems in the opposite. The sideways needle loading in featherweights will accentuate this more than the "front to backs." What about the needle position? I assume you know but it's unbelievable how many out there don't get it right. It's really easy (apparently) to get it a bit twisted, which will produce better stitches in one direction. Then of course there's the needle/thread size thing. If not "matching" it can sometimes sew decent in one direction- not the other.

Most likely no relation at all to your problem, but feed dogs usually lose their edge in one direction only, affecting the feeding ability.

The procedures copied by Janey and/or John appear to be only Singer's suggestion for tacking the beginning of the seam. Let's face it- most of sew a short distance into the seam- reverse to tack, and sew forward again to continue on. That's three stitches on top of one another. The Featherweight ain't got enough power to layer this many lines.