A lil devil :)

I wonder if there is a bit of gummy in one of those little piston that go in and out for the zz? Did you try the 'centering the needle adjustment' described in the service manual? It is the least invasive but intimidating the first time. Adjusting the needle bar would be after that - I had a bent needle bar in a 411G once - I was so frustrated with that machine until I swapped it out for a donor. I couldn't see any bend until I removed it. It didn't take long and it was easy to re-time. I'm hoping I can find the adjustment info to center the Singer I have. It is a bit newer but it skips like that, too. I will be flat out up to my eyeballs in paying work for the next 3 weeks so I don't know how much I'll get into my shop to play. GKs have a habit of showing up when I'm off. So we make mudpies.... Well some times I let them help me. :shock:

Did you check to make sure the needle bar is swinging the full range of motion? If it is the least bit gunked up it will cause skipped stitches. Also, switch to cotton 50 wt thread. Some of the old gals don't like poly thread; they were set at the factory for 50wt cotton and to sew cotton. Singer didn't get into the knits until the Touch n Sews of the 70's.

On mine the needle bar swings full motion - it just doesn't pick up on one side. It would still pick up no matter how far it travels. Tammi knows about that too but some times I wonder if a little gum gets left in - that said mine had an extra dose of T-F to no avail.

"NEVER LET A SEWING MACHINE KNOW YOU ARE IN A HURRY.."

MIRIAM - this is totally off topic here but I had to tell you that your signature line made me laugh out loud this morning...thank you!

It is so true! Hahahahaha!

Nan - NW Indiana

LOL! believe it or not, this isn't her. :) I came across another one here in town. vanginney named the first 431 that came to live with me. She was quite the challenge as well. The 431s have challenged me more than any other singer so far. The bernina, I suspect will give them a run for their money.

Miriam, I'm quite sure that the machine is moving well, but I can marinate in case I'm wrong. I will try that centering the needle thing tonight if I don't go to the guild meeting, or tomorrow if I do.

The thing is, it seems like sometimes it's OK, for a long time (5 -6 "), then it goes berserk. Then other times, it just skips all the time. No change of thread, no change of needle or fabric. Oh. I guess that could be gum. :shock: I had to step away last night because I was getting repared to toss it out the window.

Mudpies are good for your sanity. :)

Mitch's Mom - The swing mechanism seems completely free. The machine interestingly was completely mobile when I got it. I know that they had oiled it before I came, but nothing was stuck on it at all. I went through and oiled anyway, to help displace the hair clipper oil that they'd used with tri-flow, but it was really good otherwise.

I will pull out that cotton and see what I can do. The problem is, if down the road I sell this machine, it's hard to tell someone "it must use cotton thread". The other 431 isn't nearly so picky, which is why I'm convinced I'm missing something.

http://mysewingmachineobsession.blog...ening-and.html
^ Scroll down a bit and there's a little writeup about lapping a 301's needle bar to take out the high spot.


eta: Look real closely at all of the stuff in the bobbin case to make sure there isn't something in there that thread can stick on. My rusty 404 was a bit "grabby" after I picked out all of the lint that had rusted to it.

I am practically no help, but I try anyway. I will run this question past my mother the retired home ec teacher and see if she has a technique for dealing with these Slants.

Tammi,

If everything else is the same from first stitch until the skipped stitch, I'd say that gear is slipping and throwing off the timing. Did you make sure you were retiming on a proper gear? Most retiming is done on the gears that have two set screws. If you retimed on a single set screw gear did you make sure that the setscrews in the gears were tightened down on the flat spots of the shaft. If you tightened down on an edge of the flat or on the round of the shaft the gear can move/ rock slightly.

Cathy

I have it on my chalk board at my shop - helps me a lot...

Thank you. Mine came off time on one side but not the other. I dropped the needle and now it zzs. I'll have to check the screws on there - I'd like to make it work right. Mine is a 5102 - the needle does not center in the hole at all. It wants to go to the left. Not a fabulous machine but if it would work...