Re-timing the Singer 320K

I have had a few enquiries about re-timing or removing the hook on the 320.  After the removal of the throatplate, the instructions would be the same for a Singer 306 and 319 and probably a 206, although I've never re-timed mine.  This method can be followed to re-time the machines to take standard needles instead of their special size, just use a needle of the size you wish when actually timing the hook.

Just to refresh your memory, the Singer 320 is the green free-arm with a wooden flatbed.

Singer 320 from front

Before you commence this operation ensure that no cams are engaged (all the 'keys' on top are lying down), that the width is set to zero and needle position is in the centre of the throatplate.  If you don't, the timing will be off when you come to stitch zig-zag with it and you run the risk of hitting your hook, which is bad for both hook and needle.

Firstly you will have this:

Remove the bobbin case, foot and needle before going in further.  Keep the needle handy because you will need it again to re-time the machine.  Now remove the throatplate.  For those of you not familiar with this, take a narrow flat-head screwdriver and slide it into the depression on the LHS of the free arm, between the body and the throatplate of the machine.  Gently twist the screwdriver and the throatplate will pop off.  See image below if my instructions are bad!

Now you will have something that looks like this:

Next remove the feed dogs by unscrewing the screws circled in red in the image above.

For the next step use a fine point black marker to put marks on the machine as indicated by the arrows above.  Make sure that the needle is at a point you will remember, ie. at the top or bottom of its cycle, when you do the markings on the hook assembly.  These markings will give you a vague idea of how to fit things back together.  Even though we are altering the timing and thus the marks on the assembly will not line up when we've finished, it gives an idea of approximately where the hook should be.

If you do not intend on removing the hook assembly and just wish to re-time the machine, skip the marking and just loosen the two grub screws holding the hook assembly on the shaft.

Once you have marked the machine, completely remove the screw holding the crooked piece of metal on and remove that piece too.  Now loosen the grub screws holding the hook assembly on enough that you can slide the whole assembly off in your hand.  You will need to wiggle it gently to ease it off.

The arrow in the image points to the hook.

You can now clean out the assembly and dismantle it further using the screws and metal clips on the side.  When it comes to re-assembly, place the hook assembly back on the shaft, ensuring needle is in the appropriate position for the marks and replace the crooked piece of metal, aligning it with your marks and screw it into place.  We can now re-time the machine.

For those of you who just want to re-time their machine, join us again here.  Now put a needle in your machine.  If you want to re-time your machine to take a standard needle, put a standard needle in your machine, flat to back.  Gently rotate the machine until the needle is in its lowest position and just starting to ascend.  Now hold the needle still and rotate the hook assembly by hand until the hook is tip is just near the edge of the needle and about 1/2 way across it.  The arrows in the images below point to the hook and the eye of the needle.

A bit too far away, the hook is not passing near enough to the eye of the needle

The hook is passing close to the needle and closer to the eye.

You do not necessarily push the hook assembly onto the shaft as far as it will go, you can pull it out slightly so that it is closer to the needle.  However, make it too close and the slightest deflection caused by sewing will cause the needle to scrape the hook.

Once you have the hook positioned to your liking, tighten the grub screws tightly.  You should be able to reach one with the hook in that position, tighten it hard and then very gently rotate the machine until you can reach the other and tighten that hard too.  Once you have tightened the screws, carefully rotate the machine ensuring that the needle is not hitting or being deflected by any part of the hook assembly.  Now set the machine to the widest zig-zag and do the same, ensuring there is adequate clearance at all times between the hook and the needle of the machine.  And that's it!  Screw the feed dogs back on and carefully press the throatplate back into position.  Sew a test swatch and check that the machine is picking up properly on all needle widths and you're done.  

Don't worry if you stuff up your first attempts, whilst it's irritating to have to pull the thing apart and start again, once it's timed properly it will be a joy to sew on.

Singer 320K Machine

I have acquired rather a number of machines over the past few weeks, it does not matter how hard I try, I always find more to buy!  One of these machines is the Singer 320K, a free arm version of the Singer 319K (which I also own).  Getting this one was an incredible stroke of luck as the vendor told me it was already sold, before contacting me a week later to say I could have it.  For $25 complete with instruction manual, all cams, all throat plates and various feet, I was extremely happy!  Today I got around to looking at it.  It was very dirty, particularly on the outside and had some damage, mainly from misuse.

The wooden base forms the flat bed.  This is before cleaning.

The bobbin area was very felted and I took the whole hook assembly apart.  When I re-assembled it I retimed the hook for a standard needle, thus doing two jobs at once.

Bobbin area before cleaning

Bobbin assembly dismantled before cleaning

The cleaned bobbin area and feed dogs reassembled

The outside of the machine was stained with lots of old oil.  I have found methylated spirits to be very good for cleaning machines, so long as you check you are not removing the colour as well.

Cam selection keys, before cleaning

Zigzag arm, before cleaning

The back of the machine after I took the motor off, before cleaning.

The zigzag arm and back of the machine arm after cleaning.

Under the faceplate was not too bad, the worst bit was oiling everything with my wayward spray lubricant.  I was getting more oil in my face than the machine was.

I always remove the needle, foot and bobbin/bobbin case before I begin to clean any machine.  Consequently they are the last items I clean and replace on the machine.  When I cam to clean this machines bobbin case I was horrified by the number of needle strikes on it.  It has at some time been incorrectly positioned and the needle has struck the case about fifty times.  As a result the case was misshapen and starting to fracture.  We carefully beat it back into shape and filed the sharp edges off and it seems to work okay.

Bobbin case showing the needle strikes

The pedal innards also required some work, as they had at some stage been assembled incorrectly.  However when I got this machine up and stitching I was very pleased!  It is very quiet, other than the clacking of the throat plate (I must see if I can quieten that down a bit as it is rather irritating) and put up with been run at top speed backwards and forwards without skipping a single stitch.  No mean feat for one of these machines, which tend to be super sensitive.

Lovely and clean, showing fee arm

Clean back of the machine.

All in all, not a bad days work and a very worthwhile $25 I think!

Reassembling the Singer 206 Motor

As you may remember back in December 2013 (here)  I took the Singer 206 industrial motor apart in order to replace the bearings.  It sat around in pieces for a year (just over actually) before we got around to removing the bearings and replacing them.  I wish we hadn't put it off so long as it only took 2 days to do!

First we removed the outer, easier, bearing using a gear puller and then we removed the shaft, this left us with one bearing lodged inside the casting and held in with a circlip.  We ran a screwdriver behind the circlip and then we had all three bearings out.  It cost us $35 to buy replacement bearings but I figured it was cheaper than buying another 206.  Below are images:

First bearing removed, second still on shaft

Arrow pints to the circlip holding the bearing in

Using the gear puller to remove the end of the motor and the second bearing

The shaft of the motor, without the casing.

When it came to reassembling the motor and attaching the wires, I was glad I had taken so many photos before but I still could never quite find the right photograph!  While we were doing electrical work on it, we decided to shorten the power lead, so as to cut off a damaged bit.  This resulted in having to rewire the switch on the table.

Switch inside

Despite our concerns the motor now works fine and is MUCH quieter than it was before.  We are considering putting rubber washers on the bolts that hold it on to the table though as the table is hollow and acts as an amplifier.

In other news, I have been quite busy and managed to miss Tallulah Bankhead's birthday, however I thought I would still post a couple of pictures of her.  I love many of her quotes as they make me laugh.

When I stop being so lazy I should have a nice post about the beautiful 201K I acquired a while ago.

Janome and Husqvarna 250

I've had a long absence due to occurrences beyond my control.  However, last Saturday I had these two machines to work on.  I haven't sewn with either yet, depending on what happens I should be able to get to it on Saturday.

The Husqvarna is an Electronic model 250.  I can't easily take it apart but there was a big knot of thread in the bobbin area.

This machine is white and very reflective so it took very bad photos, I might try it outside on Saturday.

The other machine (and apparently they did come from the same owner) is a Janome.  It doesn't seem to have a model number but looks like it's somewhere between lovely old Janome and modern less than lovely Janome.  This one has some plastic cams.

Under the faceplate is pretty standard.

Interestingly this has one of the throat plates that automatically adjust for straight stitch or zigzag.

The bobbin area was slightly fluffy and it's a full-rotary machine as well.

From the front and showing stitch selection.

Hopefully I'll be able to get both these machines out for sale this week end!

Singer Fashion Mate 362

I got a new machine to work on on Wednesday.  To be frankly honest it's rather ugly but I was intrigued.  It was a Singer Fashion Mate 362 with a garish orange tinge rather reminiscent of faded curtains after a hot summer.  They look like and in design are similar to the Singer Hushmatic 242, equally unattractive I'm afraid!  The Fashion Mate 362 has completely plastic casing, not something I am overly fond of.  Let's get to the nitty-gritty and start to pull it apart.  First of all you need to get the top off, this is fairly simple, there are only two screws holding it on. The second is under the felt disc on the thread spool.

Arrows mark screw positions

 

Now take the belt cover of the side, it's only one screw and a bit of wiggling to get it free.  Next take the handwheel off.  It's the normal type, take the stop-screw out then unscrew, take washer off and slide handwheel off.  The belt will make it hard, just pull!  When you go to put it back on make sure you slip the belt back on the handwheel and then motor before attempting to get it back in position.  When you've taken the top of it'll look like this:

Under top cover

 

Notice the plastic gear nestled inbetween all the metal ones?  And the plastic cams?

 

Now take the back off.  You will need to take off the belt cover and handwheel as described previously.  To take the back off remove the screws marked in diagram.  Tip the machine up and remove the metal light bulb cover, it will only get in the way.  Make sure pressor foot is raised.

Remove screws indicated

 

Now comes the tricky bit.  The casing is plastic remember so you don't want to be careless.  Place your machine as illustrated above and GENTLY lever the left hand side from the base of the casing with a screwdriver.  At the same time (it may help to have two people) grab hold of the right side and pull it towards you.  You should now be able to gently push it to the left and it will come free.  Remember if it gets stuck DON'T FORCE IT, it WILL break.  Now your machine should look like this.

With the back off

 

Now clean and oil your machine.  This one was very dry and I had to give it a thorough oiling.  I also had to clean a lot of rust off the main shaft.  When it's all nice and clean and oiled put it back together again, being careful with that plastic.  Next I cleaned and oiled the base of the machine.  First of all I took it out of its plastic base, this is fairly simple, just remove the two grub screws holding the hinges to the machine.  Next I opened the bobbin plate and took the throat plate out allowing me to access the bobbin and hook area.  To get the bobbin case out lever the piece of metal on the right up and over the screw it is sitting over, as shown in the image below.

 

Now the bobbin case and hook can be cleaned properly.  This machines bobbin case was very rusted so I dealt with that before progressing.  Last of all I turned the machine upside down and cleaned and oiled the base.  These machines have a fabulous belt drive underneath and the belt on this one is in surprisingly good condition - it looks almost new.

Fabulous belt drive.

 

Now all I need to do to this machine is give it a very thorough cosmetic job.  I am guessing someone stored it in a shed or garage for a while because the hard cover and base are very dirty and the locks rusted stiff.  Nothing that a bit of TLC won't fix though!