Probably every couple of years, I get this question. It goes something like this:
“I opened up the top of my machine, and I found a spring laying in the bottom. Where does it go? ”
The machines in question are usually the Singer 401/403/500/503/411/421/431 and some of the related machines.
This is what the spring looks like.
Continue reading Reader Mail – January 2022 edition – Slant-o-matic spring gone rogue
As I mentioned in last week’s post, I’ve decided to finally set up the shop completely. With the way we all do things changing from day to day, this seemed like the right time.
For years, I’ve mentioned in posts that I would put this or that into the shop when I had a chance. Now that my IT work and sewing machine repairs have slowed to a halt due to the pandemic, it’s bubbled to the top of the list. Everything’s been photographed and a description added. I’ve tried to be as descriptive as possible but do check attached photos as well.
This means : Continue reading The shop is up and running!
When last we talked, the world was a way different place. I had hoped 2020 would be a kinder gentler year for all of us. How are you all doing?
Strangely – for this introvert, it’s still is a less stressful year but that’s because my fur kids are such a huge part of my life and 2019 was pretty stressful that way. 2020 started with new furry companions in the house. Continue reading Well, That happened! – 2020 Jan – May (and Shop) Update
This highlights reel / wrap up is a little later than I planned. It’s also far longer than I’d planned – so I’m breaking it up into parts 1 and 2. Today’s will cover the Sewing Machine related stuff and tomorrow’s will be the rest of the year in review.
In January, I moved all free help to the AA Vintage Sewing Machines Study Facebook group. I did this because so many people would ask for help but leave incorrect contact information, or I’d respond and never hear back at all. This way, a group of us can draw on our collective experiences and help Continue reading 2019 Year End Wrap up – part 1: sewing machines
The Singer 431G is a stellar machine. Seriously, it’s one of my favorites but it and its sibling, the 421G do have flaws. The 421G suffers from the first one and the 431G suffers from both. Luckily, both issues are easily solved.
Flaw #1: I feel that the throat plate pins were a poorly thought out design.
In the photo above, you can see that both pins are broken. Originally, it looked a lot like a Philips (cross) screw from the top and I think this might be how they get broken.
Some people may have thought that a screwdriver was needed to remove the throat plates – and “conveniently”, there’s probably one that fits right in the accessories box just inches away.
These plates lift off, no driver required.
All of the 431Gs that have been on my bench have had at least one of these pins broken or missing. One machine had some ground down screws as replacements that scored and gouged the aluminum horribly. That machine came with a service invoice that showed that some “helpful” serviceman had even charged for the privilege of having the machine so damaged.
So, once the pins are broken, how does one fix this? After all, the parts are long since discontinued.
First, the method. Replacement is very easy.
Back in April and May of 2012, I wrote the two posts that would become the most popular posts on this site. These are the posts on how to adjust the Singer button controllers. I’ve yet to find another brand’s pedals with so much adjustment which is why I advocate keeping them.
Today, I’m going to add a little tidbit of information. Previously, we took care of a pedal that had been badly adjusted and was creating too much heat or was maybe not as responsive as you wanted – or a little too responsive and likely making noise.
What I didn’t cover at the time was how to adjust the pedal to get full speed. Continue reading Highway Star – Full speed from a Singer button controller
Another edition of Reader Mail:
I get this question probably a couple of times a year, so today I’m presenting a post with a video companion! Jocelyn and I spoke via email but I asked her if it would be OK to use her email for reader mail. I’m guessing she didn’t expect me to get to it almost 2 years later! (I really do get that behind on the site stuff!)
Jocelyn emailed me some time ago to ask:
Hi, I inherited my mom’s Singer 411G. (Lucky ME!). Both spool pins are broken and I am having a devil of a time trying to find replacements.
Any insight/direction/suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.
simply re-threading your machine when you have problems with it.
A quick note today folks! I’m inside waiting for the anti-inflammatories to kick in before I go back outside to do some bodywork on the truck so I thought I’d jot down a little note for you.
The traditional advice when you start to have tension problems with a machine seems to be “Re-thread it. Everything, the bobbin case and the top”.
Most of the time that usually means that people yank the thread out from the back – or some will cut it and remove from the front – then they re-thread and…. it doesn’t fix it. Sometimes it will but often it doesn’t.
In the last post, we talked about ways that thread nests can be solved from a user point of view. Today, I’m getting into the slightly more technical ways that the nests happen and how to deal with them, or when to take it in for service.
Continue reading Out of the nest – Ditching the Thread nests part 2
One of the most common issues that people bring machines to me for is tension.
The thing about it is that – in most cases – the tension issues are really not something that I need to address as a technician . Don’t get me wrong, there are some legitimate issues – mis-assembled tensioners or severely clogged up tensioners – to name a couple. Continue reading Fly little nestling – Ditching the Thread nests part 1
