Candace

Yay, you get to retime the machine. Fun! :< The little finger is going to take some playing with after you retime it. It's taken me several hours to time the 319's with the finger etc. and to get it just right that it doesn't skip stitches while doing the embroidery designs. And the finger will make a lot of noise if you don't have it adjusted just right. If you google how to time a sewing machine you can see where the hook and needle need to be. Hopefully that will help you. You aren't going to break or damage anything by playing with it and seeing if you can do it yourself. Maybe Cathy will have a site she can refer you to or a site with step by step photos. I don't know of one off hand.

But, you can rotate the assembly and adjust the screws and eventually you will get it!

jljack

Congratulations!! Can't wait to see pics...I have a Davis VF, and it's so fun. Can't wait to get it into a treadle base....if DH EVER gets to it!!! (grrrr!)

BoJangles

Geeze, how did a 3 year old cause me so much headache! I have been trying all day to fix my 319w and I am getting frustrated! Ok, I have learned a lot! I now know what a 'position finger' is and what it does. I know I need to adjust it so there is about .020 clearance between it and the assembly. I know it goes in the little notch to hold the bobbin casing stationary while the hook spins around it. I printed out a service manual for the 319, but the problem is whomever copied the manual did it too dark and the photos are not legible. I finally got the rotating hook to clear the needle all the way around. I thought WOW I did it - well I didn't do it. It won't pick up the bobbin thread, which means the point of the hook is not in the right position when the needle goes by it.

Candace, should the point be almost touching the needle? I wish I had a better picture. I will do some googling! I hadn't planned on doing this all day! I wanted to fiddle with my 31's!

Nancy

Candace I have been rotating the assemby and adjusting the screws all day long! I need a better photo of where the needle eye is when the point of the hook comes around.

BoJangles

I had a teacher tell me once, "treasure your mistakes, they are pearls you learn by." Well, maybe one of these days I will treasure my mistake of letting little Marcus in my sewing room when I wasn't there! That is I might treasure my mistake because it forced me to learn how to time a machine! But why did he have to pick on my 319w? I guess, in the end it will be a good thing, because it forces me to dig a little deeper into these machines than I wanted to! Well, the jury is still out on this mistake - I STILL HAVE TO FIX THIS MACHINE!

Nancy

Sorry everyone, I am venting here! Better than venting at DH, who is sick with the flu, which is forcing me to stay in anyway! I'd rather be happily sewing with the 319w than trying to fix it all day long!

PrincessPolkadot

I've been hanging out reading posts here, all the while shopping for a White. I was trolling the local antique shops, thrift stores, E-bay and Craig's List, and happened upon this little beauty. Her former owner was downsizing to a trailer from a house and had no room for her. Meet Francesca:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]320109[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]320110[/ATTACH]
While her top is worn and her decals are a little silvered, she does have her manual and all the attachments, shuttle and 6 bobbins. So, not a bad deal for $80, I think.

Now, can anyone offer advice on correct needles? There was an old package in one of the drawers - empty, and with no identifying information. :-(

buslady

Gonna try a photo

miriam

There are some videos on timing if it of any help. I'm figureing on taking Ray White's class for all my frustrating machines... LOL I picked up a FW tonight - looks like something the dog dragged in. The motor is totally loose and the belt is shot - it is missing the bobbin case and I haven't looked at it yet... Oh it isn't as well badged as my mom's machine. Here is a very simplistic and rather generic cartoon of how some machines work: http://www.swiss-miss.com/2009/09/ho...ine-works.html - some idea how it goes... cartoon.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE2um...eature=related
utube video on timing - there are more just search sewing machine timing - utube

Cathy wrote some timing instructions recently
it can be hard to find so I copied her words here: This is window #31859 and #31861

"Most sewing machine problems are due to the carbon based unit in the chair in front of the machine"

The needlebar movement is usually measured at the bushing just where the bar enters and exits the head. The best way is with a gauge until experience allows you to eyeball it.
Many Singers (ie 401, 500 and others of that era) and sometimes other brands have two timing marks (score lines) on the needlebar. On these you lower the needlebar to it’s lowest point (DBC) the upper timing mark will just be at the bottom of the bushing. Then raise the needlebar until the lower timing mark is in the position that the upper mark was at before moving. This movement was .093”.

You said that the machine is stitching with its new needle. Leave it, after all this is your goal. The .093” measurement is an old industry standard. The factory and techs in the field learn that you sometimes have to fudge this due to casting and machining variances.
Use the .093” as a starting point.

The Japanese 15 machines with the bobbincasse/ hook facing the left usually have the timing pin set. If this has been changed it is very evident. The pin will have been punched or drilled out and the hole threaded for the set screw and usually another hole will be drilled and tapped for the second set screw.. So unless there is a set screw or two at the timing point, I doubt that the timing has changed. It probably has always been just barely off of the standard .093”.
Hope I helped.
Cathy

I can tell you I spent a month trying to figure out how to do what you are doing once - I didn't know you could find info on the internet. I would work at it awhile get frustrated and quit - go back and fiddle with it awhile and one day I took the whole mess apart and put it back together and for what ever reason it ran. You want to make sure the screws are VERY tight when you get it right - ask me how I know that.

BoJangles

Princess, I guess you did good for $80! Congratulations! Now, does the manual tell you which Damascus she is? There is a Damascus made by Standard that takes a normal 15x1 needle that can be found anywhere; and, there is a Damascus made by National that takes a 20x1 - harder to get - this information is from ISMACS needle site.

Nancy

J Miller

Nancy,

I'm sorry to hear about your 319W. I kinda understand about timing sewing machines.

It's too late now, but here is something I learned from working on cars and trucks. When you have to take something apart that has critical timing, put witness marks on everything. A small mark on opposing pieces will help you get it back together the same way it came apart. Works on distributors, should work on bobbin hooks.

One more thing; when I was first married my wife had her two boys from the first marriage. To prevent unwanted trouble I put a lock on our bedroom door. Kept them out of trouble more times than not. When grand son comes to visit, lock the sewing room door.

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PrincessPolkadot,

Welcome to the forum.

That's a nice machine. Some cleaning and TLC and I'll be she purrs like a kitten. I can't help with the needles though.

Joe

miriam

Joe,
Good point.
I was told by an old repair man to use something to scratch the mark on because most stuff will rub off. Since one of the times I had to do timing, it was because the screws weren't tight and the whole mess flew off, it would have been real nice to have had it scratched on, but it wasn't. What do YOU use to make your mark? Sewing machine oil will take off the permanent ink.