ArchaicArcane

It's not that scary! We'll be armed with photos and a service manual - even if we have to tweak the needlebar too it only takes up 1.5 pages in the service manual and that's with lots of words.

miriam

I will vouch - it isn't all that hard and with Tammi there you can do it. Tammi, where were you 20 years ago when I needed to learn this???

ArchaicArcane

LOL! 20 years ago I was in computer college and probably thinking about how thankful I was to have left that POS sewing machine that my dad gave me behind when I moved out. After all, who'd need one of those in "this day and age".

I recorded a video of me timing the 301. I threw it about as far as Sheri's then timed it on the video. Are you up to watching it to see if it makes sense? It' still uploading so it will be a while. I'd have to send you a link, it's "unlisted"

sdhaevrsi

I am looking forward to it. The idea of you, Tammi, purposely messing with the timing on one of your machines, to show how to fix it, just floors me. :-)

ArchaicArcane

It's actually not a big deal to throw it then reset it once you've done it once or twice. It occurred to me that I forgot to test sew this one though, so I just put it back on the "bench" (OK, my cutting table) and tested it. Yup. Perfect 301 stitches. Just like the featherweights, there's something about them that you can tell they're from one of those 2 machines.

I sent you the video link via email but I sent from a different computer than usual so let me know if you didn't get it. Still scrapping with some setup on this one.

Jeanette Frantz

Tammi,

You rock, girl!

Jeanette

Aurora

Aurora, do you mean the part that looks like a pointed star? That's been bugging me too. I keep meaning to look at mine when I go into the studio but there's a quilt on my frame that keeps distracting me. Maybe tomorrow, I finished the quilting part of the quilt this evening, next is squaring and binding - I'm always up for a distraction during that part. [/QUOTE]

Yes, the top photo (tan machine) looks different than the bottom photo (black machine). I have never ventured into that part of my 301, so I cannot make a comparison on my machine. My tension assembly is missing a retainer ring. I have purchased a replacement, but have not been able to make the switch as yet.

ArchaicArcane

Sheri, the part I think Aurora and I are talking about is here. See how it's "round" on the black machine and sort of jaggy looking on the Mocha?
[ATTACH=CONFIG]511232[/ATTACH]

Aurora, if the retaining ring you're mentioning is the thumb screw at the end of the tensioner, it will affect your tension when you install it. There's a video on Youtube called "On Machine Disassembly and Reassembly of a Vintage Singer Sewing Machine Tensioner" - I made it, it should help you get the adjustment right when you do it.... if it's not the thumbscrew I'm thinking of..... uh.... disregard?

sdhaevrsi

UPDATE: I am beaming and hopping up and down here in Idaho! Tammi (ArchaicArcane,) is an awesome teacher, her videos are perfect, and so are her words of explanation!

I got the take up lever problem resolved... but ended up with skipped stitches all over the place.

So, since the tension control was apparently put together wrong, (it wouldn't even turn more that half the way around,) I took it apart with Tammi's videos, (which she has posted on her blog,) cleaned it, reassembled it, and now it turns as it should, and is nice and clean, too.

The skipped stitches continue so I added pictures here (back a few posts,) of the hook placement...ack, I found out it was out of timing! So, with much trepidation and Tammi's help and a great video, I tackled the timing. (I feel my heart rate increase just thinking about how I felt at that time!) Screws were frozen under there and needed a lot of convincing over a day or two before finally getting them loose today about noon.

I got the machine timed perfectly as far as I my eyes could tell, but when I tried to confirm that, my needle would hit the hook thing before the hook was in the right place. (Highly technical labeling, hope you can follow, ha! Maybe Tammi can clarify it for you...)

So, after staring at my good 301 next to the sick tan 301, I figured out that the needle bar was about an 1/8 inch lower than the good one. Tammy confirmed that and I learned how to adjust the needle bar. :-)

I got to practice setting the timing again. Boy, am I tired, and my shoulders are about the level of my ears, but it all works now! No skipped stitches, tension is beautiful, and it just hums along. Sweet!

Thank you, thank you, Tammi!!

sdhaevrsi

And the photo with the circled bumps is odd... I don't know what caused that but it isn't there in real life. Shadows or the way some old grease showed up? I just went and looked again, there are no bumps, here is a photo that I just took.