Singer 12, trouble with setting needle :-(
03-15-2015, 01:10 PM
#31
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: San Lorenzo, CA
Posts: 5,361
yes that needle is the wrong one. (that does NOT mean it will not work. the length to eye is the key with these old gals...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]513740[/ATTACH]
NOTE: mine has a hole, yours has a slot (Mine is older)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]513741[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]513742[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]513740[/ATTACH]
NOTE: mine has a hole, yours has a slot (Mine is older)
[ATTACH=CONFIG]513741[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]513742[/ATTACH]
03-15-2015, 01:39 PM
#32
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Northern California
Posts: 141
Wow, SteveH, those are beautiful etchings on your slide plates!
Mine is 1876, what year is yours?
My plate has a hole also, not a slot.
I think I'm going to just try the old needle for now and see what happens.
Thank you, everyone!
Mine is 1876, what year is yours?
My plate has a hole also, not a slot.
I think I'm going to just try the old needle for now and see what happens.
Thank you, everyone!
03-15-2015, 02:25 PM
#33
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Millville, NJ
Posts: 1,835
I've used Organ DBx1 needles and they fit easily in some 12's but mostly they don't or are a real pain to get to fit in clamp. Singer made a few different style needle clamps on the model 12 which accounts for this. DBx1 is a very common and inexpensive needle so not much is lost if they don't fit. Organ Shank measures 1.62 mm.
Jon
Jon
Originally Posted by Glenn
I use 12X1 or Boye #23 I buy off ebay. I have been told the DBx1 sold by organ is a thinner needle than the Beckert. I also find them in antique stores. I have one machine that will take the DBx1 by Beckert. I have not tried the organ brand yet but will if I need needles for my two 12's. It is just sad they don't make the 12x1 needle anymore. I guess I need to start testing out needles.
Skip
Skip
03-15-2015, 04:49 PM
#34
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Northern California
Posts: 141
Jlhmnj, I thought this HAD to be the case... there must be several styles of clamps. Mine is definitely the one that won't take the DBx1... and all this time I thought *I* was doing something really wrong :-(
A friend on another list has a technique for sharpening her rare and out of production needles, so she does sew with them regularly and hasn't had to replace them.
A friend on another list has a technique for sharpening her rare and out of production needles, so she does sew with them regularly and hasn't had to replace them.
03-15-2015, 05:07 PM
#35
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Millville, NJ
Posts: 1,835
Sharpening needles is one of those lost art skills that seems to be worth reviving, especially for the very expensive curved needles. I have a slow turning wet wheel that would be perfect for it, perhaps I'll try it out one day. On my New Family, the previous owner took a universal 15x1 and ground the shank down so it would fit----crude but effective.
Jon
Jon
03-15-2015, 09:14 PM
#37
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Millville, NJ
Posts: 1,835
She does beautiful work. I spoke with her before and I believe she uses Wheeler & Wilson, Grover & Baker, and Florence all curved needle machines.
Jon
Jon
Originally Posted by Ellpea
Jon, it is a curved needle especially she works on. I think she has a youtube channel: "srev" -- not sure if she has a video on sharpening though.
03-17-2015, 12:52 AM
#38
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Northern California
Posts: 141
Here's an update. The old "correct" needle went right in with no difficulty. I set it according to the manual and recommendations here. It still is not picking up the bobbin thread. I read *somewhere* that if this happens to keep lowering the needle bit by bit until it pulls up the bobbin thread.
Still working on it...
Still working on it...
03-17-2015, 12:01 PM
#39
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Millville, NJ
Posts: 1,835
I like to open up the slide plates and with a flashlight or looking from bottom of machine watch the thread loop in relation to shuttle. Will need a small bit of cloth under foot to form loop. Also good to sub needle if possible. Usually something very elementary is incorrect.
Jon
Jon
03-17-2015, 12:01 PM
#40
Banned
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: San Lorenzo, CA
Posts: 5,361
On these old gals you can ACTUALLY watch the stitch being formed. Try leaving the slide plates off and rotating the handwheel manually very slowly and watch what is happening. This should help you see the issue rather than the "try this, now this, now this..." method
Key things to look for:
Is a loop being formed?
Is it forming on the correct side of the needle?
Is it forming before the shuttle point gets there?
Is the shuttle passing through the loop?
Is the take-up pulling the thread to close the loop behind the shuttle?
Key things to look for:
Is a loop being formed?
Is it forming on the correct side of the needle?
Is it forming before the shuttle point gets there?
Is the shuttle passing through the loop?
Is the take-up pulling the thread to close the loop behind the shuttle?
Last edited by SteveH; 03-17-2015 at 12:04 PM.
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