JoeJr

I picked up this Singer 15-90 and wanted to make it a hand crank, which I just finished setting up, because the only real sewing I do is small repairs, things like that. It's easier to put this machine on a table than set up a machine in a cabinet, move it to an outlet with good light... Anyway, when I tested this it worked fine at slow speeds, but if I cranked it pretty fast (not as fast as a motor would turn the machine) it skipped stitches completely and the top thread ran from the last stitch to wherever I stopped, as did the bobbin thread.

Is this a bobbin tension issue? Top tension issue? I didn't take either tension mechanism apart. Something else?

Hooligan

Tension issue or most likely....the wrong size of needle/thread combo. Hard to pinpoint the exact cause here but honestly no biggie to track down

Tartan

We’re stitching on regular cotton material? Sometime a synthetic will cause skipped stitches.

Mickey2

Another common reason for this trouble is needle in the wrong way. Cleaning out hook, race, bobbin and feed dog area is important too. You probably already have had these parts out, but if you haven't; take the throat and bobbin plate off, bobbin case, race and hook as well, scrape every groove and corner clean with a tooth pick. The tricky thing with model 15 is not all of them have the needle inserted the same way. Make sure you have the corrent bobbin type.

Sometimes dust and fluff gathers and push things of sync, thorough cleaning helps a lot. I once thought I had cleaned, polished and oiled a 201 to top standard. The needle was however slighly off its' mark, and the reason turned out to be hard packed dust behind the needle clamp. There was a groove in the needle bar that needed more cleaning.

Model 15s are nice machines, I have to say I like motor and lights, even for minor jobs, it leaves both my hands to maneuver the fabric.

This model handles just about every type of thread and fabric you can fit under the presser bar with ease.

quiltingcandy

Not too long ago I was sewing on my Janome and it started skipping stitches. After checking the threading and cleaning my machine, it still happened I checked the manual (crazy I know) it said to change the needle in rather bold letters. It worked! So hopefully that is all it is.

JoeJr

I was sewing through 2 layers of denim, with 2 different types of thread, one a 100% polyester, and the other a poly blend, waxed apparently from what the spool says. Both spools of thread could be older, so I will retest with what I know to be some newer thread.

JoeJr

I will remove all the bobbin components and do a better job cleaning, and check the needle bar as Mickey suggests. The machine was in pretty rough shape to begin with, as evidenced by having almost no decals left, so it's quite likely I didn't get it clean enough.

JoeJr

I took it all apart again, including the bobbin case which had old thread under the tension leaf and the upper tension assembly, tried a bobbin case from a different 15, cotton swabs, oil, toothpicks, and switched out needles a couple of times, changed thread 3 times, back to the first bobbin case, and it sewed just fine. I just hope I never run out of the thread that worked!

Thanks for everyone's input.

Mickey2

It looks like you have it sorted out. Don't give up on fine tuning, I am sure any trouble is caused by minor issues of maintanance. A 15 is as close to bullit proof as it gets, it takes any thread within reasonable quality (and a 15x1 needle can handle). Cotton, polyester, and blends should be fine; linen and silk if required. I can let you know Guttermann poly is the least messy, much less dust. Mercerized cotton is nice too.

It looks like your 15-90 have the needle go in with the flat side towards the left, and threads right to left. It should be a very well behaved, capable and easy to use machine. Another basic thing important to get right is to match thread and needle size. For top stitch thread commonly used on denim you max out on neede size right away, at least #18, even #19 or #20 of you can find it. Here is a manual for the 15-90. It should shine up very well with liquid car polish (resin type), and the metal bars usually shine up like new with the right polish, like Quick-Glo

OurWorkbench

I'm glad that you got it to not skip stitches. When I first saw this thread and the picture, it seemed to me that the pressure regulator seemed a little higher than it should be. I have been known to reduce or release the pressure regulator when storing the machine and forgetting that is what I did. Of course, it doesn't feed fabric and frequently doesn't even make stitches.

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