Is your 401A reluctant .....
#11
#12
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 8,091
Somewhere there is a spec of how high the presser foot should be adjusted. I need that spec, anybody got it?
I like widgets, I make a lot of them, but there are times they'd be a pain and I think this is one of them.
Jingle,
I put in a response in your other thread, but I found my J-A## code chart and the JA19 could be made by Toyota.
Other than that I'd use it.
Joe
I like widgets, I make a lot of them, but there are times they'd be a pain and I think this is one of them.
Jingle,
I put in a response in your other thread, but I found my J-A## code chart and the JA19 could be made by Toyota.
Other than that I'd use it.
Joe
#13
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Outer Space
Posts: 9,319
Hmmm, I guess I'm right, my machine needs some fixin.
Candace where do I find that specification? I don't have any manuals other than the reprinted owners manual.
Although I'm thinking most of the trouble is from the presser foot not wanting to walk over the humps of the seams.
Joe
Candace where do I find that specification? I don't have any manuals other than the reprinted owners manual.
Although I'm thinking most of the trouble is from the presser foot not wanting to walk over the humps of the seams.
Joe
#15
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 8,091
That's just over a quarter inch. Not much at all. Many of my machines have a lot more space. However I will check it just to be sure.
Thanks,
Joe
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 911
Joe, if your talking about teh presser on that white/dressmaker .
my dressmaker had only enough clearence to SHOVE two layers of a med weight fabric under the foot,, anything else I had to use a finger to get it under,, after days of thinking , it came down to the machine was made wrong ..
adjust the presser shaft to were your happy,,,, set it in the down postion ,,,
The cast iron piece with that adjusting / lock screw,, pay attention to where and howthis tops at full drop / down...it should hit teh cast iron machine body .....or very close,
Now look at the gap between the hand lever and the top of this iron piece, guesing you will see a large gap...
You know how the cam action on that lever works,
what it did was file off about half the distance of that gap,, from the bottom of the cast iron piece.. This increase the distance of travel, readjusted and now have a good 1/2" of lift on the presser
I can take photo's if you want and if your looking for a higher lift
my dressmaker had only enough clearence to SHOVE two layers of a med weight fabric under the foot,, anything else I had to use a finger to get it under,, after days of thinking , it came down to the machine was made wrong ..
adjust the presser shaft to were your happy,,,, set it in the down postion ,,,
The cast iron piece with that adjusting / lock screw,, pay attention to where and howthis tops at full drop / down...it should hit teh cast iron machine body .....or very close,
Now look at the gap between the hand lever and the top of this iron piece, guesing you will see a large gap...
You know how the cam action on that lever works,
what it did was file off about half the distance of that gap,, from the bottom of the cast iron piece.. This increase the distance of travel, readjusted and now have a good 1/2" of lift on the presser
I can take photo's if you want and if your looking for a higher lift
#17
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That's what the manufacturer specs are. Same as the 301 and others.
#18
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 8,091
notsureif,
We were actually talking about my 401A. However I could use those photos for other machines. Most of them just don't have much clearance for the size and capability of the machines. It would be good info to have.
Candace,
Thanks, I've got my calipers out and will check the space.
Joe
We were actually talking about my 401A. However I could use those photos for other machines. Most of them just don't have much clearance for the size and capability of the machines. It would be good info to have.
Candace,
Thanks, I've got my calipers out and will check the space.
Joe
#19
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 8,091
Upsiedatesium ....
Presser foot on the 401A was .041" low. Instead of .295" between the foot and needle plate, it was .254". A quarter inch.
So I adjusted it. Used a stack of automotive feeler gauges measured with a micrometer to make the .295".
Once reset I noticed there was an interference fit between the bottom of the needle bar and the hump of the foots ankle. I tried all the feet I have for the 401 and found that the genuine Singer feet, both snap on and solid have no interference problems. Only the generic aftermarket ones do. They are humped just a bit more at that point than the Singers. Mr. Dremel will address this later.
I tried the machine and on flat surfaces it worked just the same as before. There was just a bit more room to work.
Then I tried the decorative stitching on a couple of my quilt squares. Well, sadly I can honestly report, it worked exactly the same. I still had to put a finger on each side of the seam to compress it a bit as the foot went over it, otherwise it came to a complete stall and did one heck of a tack stitch.
At least my adjustment didn't hurt anything.
I'm going to try one more thing in a bit. I'm going to do one more pieced square, only this time I'll back the foot tension off and see what happens.
I'm beginning to think the slanted needle system doesn't like irregularities in the sewn objects.
Joe
Presser foot on the 401A was .041" low. Instead of .295" between the foot and needle plate, it was .254". A quarter inch.
So I adjusted it. Used a stack of automotive feeler gauges measured with a micrometer to make the .295".
Once reset I noticed there was an interference fit between the bottom of the needle bar and the hump of the foots ankle. I tried all the feet I have for the 401 and found that the genuine Singer feet, both snap on and solid have no interference problems. Only the generic aftermarket ones do. They are humped just a bit more at that point than the Singers. Mr. Dremel will address this later.
I tried the machine and on flat surfaces it worked just the same as before. There was just a bit more room to work.
Then I tried the decorative stitching on a couple of my quilt squares. Well, sadly I can honestly report, it worked exactly the same. I still had to put a finger on each side of the seam to compress it a bit as the foot went over it, otherwise it came to a complete stall and did one heck of a tack stitch.
At least my adjustment didn't hurt anything.
I'm going to try one more thing in a bit. I'm going to do one more pieced square, only this time I'll back the foot tension off and see what happens.
I'm beginning to think the slanted needle system doesn't like irregularities in the sewn objects.
Joe
#20
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Outer Space
Posts: 9,319
I don't have any gauges. But, I can see they'd be easier than using playing cards, so you can still see the foot alignment to the feed dogs. You are using a walking foot, correct? A walking foot would be the foot of choice for what what you're doing.
Last edited by Candace; 07-04-2012 at 02:31 PM.
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