Andy, thanks to you, I have been able to get so many “frozen” parts of my inherited 401A moving again. I figure that I’m within a few days of actually trying to sew with her (probably for the first time in 50 or more years). Thank you for your videos and willingness to share your expertise! I get so much joy from bringing my old Singers back to life and creating loving gifts with them. You are doing a wonderful service. Keep up the good work! ❤️
Thank you for watching my channel but a special thanks for your efforts to save the machines and get them sewing again. That's my desire in starting my channel so it's always rewarding to hear my videos have helped people do that. I've no doubt that 401A Slant-O-Matic will be making beautiful stitches again when you've finished your work. Blessings and take care.
I set my presser bar at 5/16" using a piece of steel plate I had laying around in the garage. It's .0175" higher than the .295" Andy uses but does not hit the needle bar. It gives me a little more room for thicker layers or material for my cordura projects. Thanks Andy-
That small amount can make a big difference. I'm happy it works well on your machine. Higher materials tend to catch the needle as the dog is moving and bend the needle tip into the hook. It's great that you found a sweet spot you can use. I pinned this to the top for others to see. Thanks for sharing it.
Many, many thanks Andy, after having my machine serviced twice in a year they still could not manage to get my pressure bar and needle plate moving as they should, this video gave some nice tips on getting gunk moving and I was able to reassemble the pressure bar wonderfully, just did a test run and I'm so pleased with the results. Your camera point of view is very clear and helpful, and I really appreciate your practical approach to being as precise as possible.
I'm so glad you got it sorted out... and you are the one who did it! I appreciate that you worked so hard to keep the machine in service. Now you know you can work on it as needed. If it is this model 403A I have a whole playlist of videos for it: ruclips.net/p/PLsCOZgzzaiKKyqvdDRwS-9MfLuwSNJTcg Such a nice comment, too. You really made my morning to sign in and find it. Happy sewing now.
Hi Andy! Your videos are the BEST! I was able to troubleshoot a 403 which had a broken spring in the presser bar. I sued Troil to soak the stuck on latch release/bar holder. It was a grand adventure, as I took out the spring to find it cruded with black gunk and broken in half. No wonder the presser bar just flopped!
Wow! So well explained that a kid could follow your instructions and get it! looking at all those parts, makes you appreciate how they were designed and machined to fit and work so well together..... very well built! and thats before cnc machine too!! ;-) Thank You Andy !!
They really are designed and made extremely well. These vintage models anyway. I try to make the instructions clear enough that most people could follow along and fix the machine and save it from becoming a boat anchor or ending up in a landfill. Thanks for your comment and for watching my videos.
Hello, thank you! I was trying to solve a problem with the presser bar from and old sewing machine from my mother, and you gave me a lot of ideas to solve it. A hug from Peru
Thanks for letting me know. I hope it works out well for you. If your machine is a Singer and you can state the model or serial number I may have more info I could share. I appreciate the nice comment and good luck.
@@andytubesewing1953 thank you again! Unlucky it's not a singer, is a electric Luxor Bk-402 and the problem was that the presser bar was 'frozen' with the oil. Now it's working and also I need to buy one headless 1 cm x 3mm screw. For now it's working, but it might need that change in the future. I have a couple of mechanical singer machine, also from my mother but are in my old house and I still haven't taken a look. Maybe in the next weeks or months. I started checking this one because she wanted to use it and it was impossible to make it work in that state. Hopefully, It will help her for some weeks until I get that little screw.
@@wolfylobo9467 Yes, sorry I'm not familiar with that brand but I'm happy that you got the presser bar moving. Good luck with the set screw. They can be a little hard to find on some of the old machines because the odd size. If you ever do work on the singers in the future need help. You know where to find me. Take care
@@andytubesewing1953 I just find that on an online store. Thank you again! What I wasn't able to find is one spare part for an old Spanish sewing machine brand called Sigma. That's a model from 1945-1970 and they stopped making sewing machines on the 90's. Seems that it is easier to get the full machine instead of the spare Parts, even in Europe.
That was a very good disassembly show. Now I will not be too hesitant about getting into that area of the machine. I can also use it to explore my other Singer machines. For those that want to invest less time into a general over view of the video just go to the settings and increase the speed. then adjust slower if you are the type that when following the video while disassembling or assembling so you do not get lost. What I would suggest to those that might get lost is have a sectioned tray that you can put the pieces into as you go so you know in what order they need to go back.
Only the disassembly part? (kidding) Thanks for mentioning the speed. I've been meaning to speak of it. On the bottom right of the screen is a gear (setting) clicking there you can change a few settings, including speeding up or slowing down the video. Also, in some videos like this one, I list the start times for the different procedures. Tom, you mention your other Singer machines. I have 450+ videos and most of them are in playlists by model number on my playlist page: ruclips.net/channel/UCUSPDsHaFtRoz1VA2U1xJ4wplaylists?view_as=public
This video saved me a lot of time and money today. For the life of me I don't know how the presser bar on my 403A got positioned too low, but I'm glad I was able to follow your very precise directions for fixing. Thanks so much Andy!!!
Thanks for sharing the love, Monica! Happy endings are always good. I'm glad you found my video. I have 20+ more for the 403A in case you ever need help with, needle bar, bobbin case, tension, timing, bobbin winder, etc. ruclips.net/p/PLsCOZgzzaiKKyqvdDRwS-9MfLuwSNJTcg Stuff happens but we can fix it and keep these wonderful machines sewing along. It was kind of you to leave a comment. Take Care.
Thank you Andy! I have followed this to remove and reinstall this on my 401A. They look very much the same. I was lucky that the bushing started to loosen after using the WD40 a couple times. I don't have a filagauge, so just used 4 Canadian quarters and a thin slice of plastic. Still a bit under, but closer than your friend's wife I guess. Lol. I am just attacking one area after another. Can't believe I am doing all these and found it fun. I got skipping stitches when working on zigzag pattern on a minky fabric. Adjusting the stroke every time I changed settings, like width and length. Driving me crazy ... not sure if I suppose to. Hope to get it running ok soon. Thanks again. I know, I should email you instead. 😅
It can be very rewarding to work on your own machine like this. Congratulations! Not sure what a "Minky" fabric is, but it sounds furry. Maybe you should try a "walking" foot or "even feed" foot for layered or slippery material. www.vintagesingerparts.com/products/even-feed-walking-foot-fits-singer-slant-needle-part-421333-s
@@andytubesewing1953 Thank you so much. Yes, my fabric has short hair and is thick. I only have a walking foot for my basic Bother machine. You are right, the walking foot works pretty well with the minky fabric. I am sewing zigzag using a longer stitch setting and a slower speed, it's a bit better. Once I feel more confidence with this machine, I will start looking for more accessories like you suggested. You are so kind. I always laugh when I hear you laugh in your videos. I enjoy your sense of humor. 😊 Thanks again. I still have lots of questions for you!! Hahha ... So will chat soon. 🙏🙏🙏
@@andytubesewing1953 I have a 403 that I have completely rebuilt to daily use, using your videos. I had an issue with my tension this week so I revisited your channel and forgot how amazing the videos were. Thanks for all you do Sir!
@@amymcdonald5592 Thanks for thinking of my videos when your tension acted up. My videos are exactly for folks like you that maintain and use their machines. Take care.
Thank you for all your hard work and sharing your knowledge. There is a large range of pressure you can achieve from the screw. How do you know the proper or best pressure to have for average use? And how do you know if its wrong?
I'd say it is adjusted by how it feeds the fabric. If it's too light the fabric can slip and "wander" off track. If it is too hard it can damage fabric my smashing it into the feed dog "teeth" causing "tank tracks" and even some holes. If you were sewing delicate chiffon or organza you'd be using fine thread and size a 9 needle so it makes sense you'd use a much lighter pressure on the foot. Enough to gently keep the fabric on the feed dog without damage. A medium-weight gingham, satin, or vinyl would take a 50 thread and size14 needle. Yep, you would need a medium pressure to hold that onto the dog and keep it straight and moving nicely. Now let's get heavy. Denim jeans, upholstery, canvas camping carryall bag. 24 to 40 thread and a nice big 18 needle. It's heavier stuff to drag under that needle and presser foot with the dog, so you bear- down on the pressure much more. Please remember I am not a sewist, but I remember family members always did test sews with what they thought the thread/needle/stitch length and pressure should be. Using scraps from the cuttings before starting the true project. When I adjust feed dog and pressure for test sewing, I run the fabric, vinyl, or leather through without any needle or thread to see how it "travels". Sometimes I hold the end of the fabric and keep turning the pressure adjusting knob until I feel the dog pulling well on the fabric. If the dog just slips right under the presser foot without giving me a yank, then it is not enough pressure. My Mom sewed lots of clothes and her theory was the lightest pressure to move the fabric smoothly and evenly. My Grandpa sewed lots of flannel, denim, canvas, tarps, duck-cloth, and leather for camping, fishing, and hunting items. His theory was lots of pressure as long as it did not harm the fabric finish. Just play with running fabric through. You don't need needle and thread. Start without any pressure and slowly add it and see what it takes to pull the fabric from your light grasp. Try adding lots of pressure to see when it starts hurting the fabric. You'll find the sweet spot before you know it, Daniel. It's up to you and your big human brain and sensitive fingers, Daniel, just like it was before automated, automatic pressure and patterns and computers and chips and sensors. It's just you, your machine and the fabric. You'll love it! ✨🚀😀
Happy you found this video helpful, and congrats on your new Slant-O-Matic 401A. I do have 15+ videos for cleaning & fixing common problems found on used 401A machines. Here is the playlist: ruclips.net/p/PLsCOZgzzaiKLiDl9yFTP6mJgQmz5lj4NO Good Luck, and thanks for watching my channel.
@@andytubesewing1953 Really appreciate it, and thanks for the list! I had already watched and saved 'How to fix stuck stitch selector knobs...' as well as 'Remove Clean Replace and Time The Cam Stack...,' - in preparation for the day I would get one of these. Your videos are amazing! What an incredible piece of machinery the Singer 401 is!!! Thank you soo much for getting a 401 just to show us how to fix it - very empowering. As much as I'd love to be able to support sewing machine repairers, there's not room for it in my budget. So it's a big deal to me to be able to fix things myself! Thanks for all your help!!! You Rock!!!
@@tranquildoe Hey, thanks. If you can find a repair shop that will work on vintage machines they are usually very pricey. You can do it all yourself, no worries. There are many nice repair videos on YT. Reading over my previous reply to you I realize I forgot to mention you can download a free PDF copy of the original Service Manual for the 401A, 403A, and 404 from the Sewing Dude at this link: sewingdude.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/singer-401-service-manual1.pdf 45-pages of great information covering almost every adjustment and part replacement on the machines. Thanks for saving those beauties and take care.
@@andytubesewing1953 No way! I've wanted a service manual - thanks so much! I still can't believe I was able to get a 301 and now a 401 - I feel like they're the perfect "dream team" of vintage machines. Who wants to put lots of money into something where one plastic bit or another will soon break, and it's often more expensive to repair than to get a new machine?! It's so much better for the earth too, to reuse what we've already got, especially when they made them this good! Take care!
@@tranquildoe Very welcome! Yes, two of the best Singer machines ever made. The first ever slant needle 301 and the Slant-O-Matic 401. The 301 is the only sewing machine I've ever seen in person where the top and bottom stitches are the same. Flat and gorgeous. With the 401 you have superior ZZ stitching and 20+ pattern discs that make dozens of pattern stitches. Seems like you are good to go 👍
Dear Andy, thank you for your wonderful video's, I am learning a lot. In this video you talk about how the edge of the foot has to align with the slot of the feed dogs. With your machine this is as it should be but with my 422G (a free arm straight and zig-zag only singer) the foot is to much to the left. How can I adjust this? Thanks from Amsterdam, Ariane
Sorry Ariane, but I've never worked on any of the German made 400 series Singer models. I do not have access to any of the adjustment or repair documents as they were not originally sold here in the USA. From information by other "G" model owners they have said the Service Manual for model 401A was helpful to them for working on their "G" model machine. You can download a FREE copy of that manual here: sewingdude.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/singer-401-service-manual1.pdf Page 130 has instructions for centering the feed dog from left to right in the needle plate. As your model is free arm, some of the shafts may be different, but in general all the Slant-O-Matic models, US and German, are based on the mechanics of the 401A, so maybe the manual will give some ideas as to moving that feed dog to the proper spot. Thanks for watching my channel, and good luck,
Welcome. All of the vintage models I have worked on use some type of this presser bar, but I have only worked on a dozen or so of the hundreds of models Singer made. Thanks for watching.
So the first thing I noticed was the thumb screw was stuck. So I wrenched it loose and got it off but still the something didn't seem right so I lifted the presser foot lifting lever as I normally would and the pressure foot pressure pin shot out with such force it hit the ceiling. After that, I discovered the easiest way to get the pin out is to depress the bar stool and release, the trick being to catch the pin in mid air.
Singer Model 431G was made in Germany and I've never had the pleasure of working on one or even seeing it in person. I have had emails from owners and back and forth communications with them. They were both in the EU countries. My understanding was that the differences between the German and American Models are cosmetic and that the working parts are the same. They both, along with others who commented to me, said they followed several of my videos to work on their machine. That's all I can say really. You would need to compare the parts in my videos to the parts on your machine to verify. As far as the height settings, I was told they are the same on the "G" models as I state in the videos. Thanks for watching my channel, Esther, and thanks very much for your support ♥🙏
Thank you so very much for all the videos, you are an amazing teacher. I learned a lot from you. I have 3 singer machines none of them is working(3102, 513, 630) now I fixed one, cleaned up, oiled it but still is not swing. I wish you where here to help me out. I have the timing right, needle bar cleaned and pout back, I don't have any bonding between the bobbin thread and needle bar thread. what do you think? How can I fix it? Singer 3102. I would like to hear from you, Thank you in advance.
I'm not familiar with the 3102 model, sorry. There are many reasons why you don't have "bonding". If you take a look at my playlist page I have 450 videos sorted by model number. Maybe you could take a look at some videos to see a model with parts similar to your machine and find some help. ruclips.net/channel/UCUSPDsHaFtRoz1VA2U1xJ4wplaylists?view_as=public
@@andytubesewing1953 I thank you so very much you are so kind and I love watching your videos. I will definitely take a look at the link and videos. I will keep you posted. Thanks again.
I have a rocketeer that was donated to habitat and it seems to be seized up the pressure foot won’t move the the bobbin winder does? Any suggestions thanks
The bobbin winder does? At the other end of the machine from the presser foot? Maybe you mean the hook under the bobbin case. I'm glad you asked and don't try to force the presser bar lifter lever up (if that is what you mean) The presser bar goes thru a bushing (tube in the body of the machine) that now has dried up and hardened oil in it. It's like the bar is glued now. If you have a penetrating oil, like wd40 you can spray the bar and bushing to get the wd40 in there and soften up the old, hard gunk. You can use sewing machine oil too, or alcohol. Heating it up a few times with a hairdryer can speed up the softening process. Then try to lift the lever, but again do not force it. Eventually, it will start to move a little so add more wd/oil/alcohol b/c it can penetrate even better now. Keep heating. Patience is the key to this problem, not force. This is a very common problem, and entire machines can be frozen due to this old dried up oily gunk in the shafts and bushings. Good Luck, Lisa. It's a fabulous machine that would cost about $2,000 in today's dollars when new. You can get a free copy of the instruction manual in a pdf direct from Singer at this safe link. www.singer.com/search/support?title=403 It has instructions of all the places to oil (there are several) which is a very good idea to do.
Andy Tube I have oiled it everywhere I see where it can move . I will try your suggestions and take video to send you ! I will report. Back on status. It came in a light wood cabinet with all its different feet and cams. I actually am not familiar with cams . I own singer 66. Brother and singer more mordant machines. It does have owner manual 😀
@@lisasovitsky1227 "everywhere I see where it can move" is my point. You can see the 6 main shaft bushings, and they don't move. Those bushings can hold a lot of oil that may have dried up inside. The same with the lifting lever bushing and the tension pin releasing lever hinge screw that can freeze up and prevent movement. Following the oiling guide in the manual can help you be sure of getting oil where SInger recommends. Oil & heat. When a machine has been idle for a decade it usually takes more than one oiling to get things moving. Good luck, and congratulations on the cabinet, feet, and cams. Very nice buy for you.
So interesting, and educational as are all your vids I have watched. For those watching on mobile device, you can set speed and other things using 3 dots in upper right corner of screen. Andy do you know the presser bar ht for the Kenmore 158.1941.2 super hi shank machine or where I cd obtain the measurement. I have several vintage machines, but kenmore only one having presser ft trouble. Thanks, and do I have to have a pay pal acct to contribute to you.
Thanks for your kind comment, and I appreciate you sharing how to access the settings on a mobile device. I feel bad I can not help you with your Kenmore machine. Years ago I did one Kenmore model a lady gave me when she bought a Singer 337. I did restore it and it is a nice, strong and well-made model. It is still sitting in my storeroom as no one wanted to buy it from Craigslist. You can see it here: ruclips.net/video/xF2BFA36CPk/видео.html At that time I realized that finding documents, especially Service Manuals, and parts for the Kenmore machines was very difficult. After doing so many Singers I was surprised about that, but I just decided to not do any more of them. My understanding is that Sears never made their own machines, just had other companies supply them and badge them with the "Kenmore" name. Maybe that is why there is not much documentation. I have been told that more people are selling parts on eBay now, so maybe someone sells Kenmore Service Manuals, but I have not seen them. I appreciate you watching my channel. Take Care.
since you already removed the top, use one of the screws to push the pin out the top, it's a lot easier than pushing it and caching it with a magnet
I pinned your comment to the top. Thanks.
Mmhmm, just watched this one again, I recall watching it back when I worked on a pretty dirty 401, so there it is! Another timely answer. Thanks!
Thanks. I just realized this video has 6K+ views now. I love that that many folks are keeping their machines in service.
Andy, thanks to you, I have been able to get so many “frozen” parts of my inherited 401A moving again. I figure that I’m within a few days of actually trying to sew with her (probably for the first time in 50 or more years). Thank you for your videos and willingness to share your expertise! I get so much joy from bringing my old Singers back to life and creating loving gifts with them. You are doing a wonderful service. Keep up the good work! ❤️
Thank you for watching my channel but a special thanks for your efforts to save the machines and get them sewing again. That's my desire in starting my channel so it's always rewarding to hear my videos have helped people do that. I've no doubt that 401A Slant-O-Matic will be making beautiful stitches again when you've finished your work. Blessings and take care.
I set my presser bar at 5/16" using a piece of steel plate I had laying around in the garage. It's .0175" higher than the .295" Andy uses but does not hit the needle bar. It gives me a little more room for thicker layers or material for my cordura projects. Thanks Andy-
That small amount can make a big difference. I'm happy it works well on your machine. Higher materials tend to catch the needle as the dog is moving and bend the needle tip into the hook. It's great that you found a sweet spot you can use. I pinned this to the top for others to see. Thanks for sharing it.
Many, many thanks Andy, after having my machine serviced twice in a year they still could not manage to get my pressure bar and needle plate moving as they should, this video gave some nice tips on getting gunk moving and I was able to reassemble the pressure bar wonderfully, just did a test run and I'm so pleased with the results. Your camera point of view is very clear and helpful, and I really appreciate your practical approach to being as precise as possible.
I'm so glad you got it sorted out... and you are the one who did it! I appreciate that you worked so hard to keep the machine in service. Now you know you can work on it as needed. If it is this model 403A I have a whole playlist of videos for it:
ruclips.net/p/PLsCOZgzzaiKKyqvdDRwS-9MfLuwSNJTcg Such a nice comment, too. You really made my morning to sign in and find it. Happy sewing now.
Hi Andy! Your videos are the BEST! I was able to troubleshoot a 403 which had a broken spring in the presser bar. I sued Troil to soak the stuck on latch release/bar holder. It was a grand adventure, as I took out the spring to find it cruded with black gunk and broken in half. No wonder the presser bar just flopped!
Thanks very much, Pat. Poor machine sounds like it was mistreated. I'm glad it's in good hands now. Thank you for rescuing it. 🙏
Wow! So well explained that a kid could follow your instructions and get it! looking at all those parts, makes you appreciate how they were designed and machined to fit and work so well together..... very well built! and thats before cnc machine too!! ;-) Thank You Andy !!
They really are designed and made extremely well. These vintage models anyway. I try to make the instructions clear enough that most people could follow along and fix the machine and save it from becoming a boat anchor or ending up in a landfill. Thanks for your comment and for watching my videos.
@@andytubesewing1953 boat anchor hahahaha!
Hello, thank you! I was trying to solve a problem with the presser bar from and old sewing machine from my mother, and you gave me a lot of ideas to solve it. A hug from Peru
Thanks for letting me know. I hope it works out well for you. If your machine is a Singer and you can state the model or serial number I may have more info I could share. I appreciate the nice comment and good luck.
@@andytubesewing1953 thank you again! Unlucky it's not a singer, is a electric Luxor Bk-402 and the problem was that the presser bar was 'frozen' with the oil. Now it's working and also I need to buy one headless 1 cm x 3mm screw. For now it's working, but it might need that change in the future.
I have a couple of mechanical singer machine, also from my mother but are in my old house and I still haven't taken a look. Maybe in the next weeks or months. I started checking this one because she wanted to use it and it was impossible to make it work in that state. Hopefully, It will help her for some weeks until I get that little screw.
@@wolfylobo9467 Yes, sorry I'm not familiar with that brand but I'm happy that you got the presser bar moving. Good luck with the set screw. They can be a little hard to find on some of the old machines because the odd size. If you ever do work on the singers in the future need help. You know where to find me. Take care
@@andytubesewing1953 I just find that on an online store. Thank you again! What I wasn't able to find is one spare part for an old Spanish sewing machine brand called Sigma. That's a model from 1945-1970 and they stopped making sewing machines on the 90's. Seems that it is easier to get the full machine instead of the spare Parts, even in Europe.
That was a very good disassembly show. Now I will not be too hesitant about getting into that area of the machine. I can also use it to explore my other Singer machines. For those that want to invest less time into a general over view of the video just go to the settings and increase the speed. then adjust slower if you are the type that when following the video while disassembling or assembling so you do not get lost. What I would suggest to those that might get lost is have a sectioned tray that you can put the pieces into as you go so you know in what order they need to go back.
Only the disassembly part? (kidding) Thanks for mentioning the speed. I've been meaning to speak of it. On the bottom right of the screen is a gear (setting) clicking there you can change a few settings, including speeding up or slowing down the video. Also, in some videos like this one, I list the start times for the different procedures. Tom, you mention your other Singer machines. I have 450+ videos and most of them are in playlists by model number on my playlist page: ruclips.net/channel/UCUSPDsHaFtRoz1VA2U1xJ4wplaylists?view_as=public
This video saved me a lot of time and money today. For the life of me I don't know how the presser bar on my 403A got positioned too low, but I'm glad I was able to follow your very precise directions for fixing. Thanks so much Andy!!!
Thanks for sharing the love, Monica! Happy endings are always good. I'm glad you found my video. I have 20+ more for the 403A in case you ever need help with, needle bar, bobbin case, tension, timing, bobbin winder, etc. ruclips.net/p/PLsCOZgzzaiKKyqvdDRwS-9MfLuwSNJTcg
Stuff happens but we can fix it and keep these wonderful machines sewing along. It was kind of you to leave a comment. Take Care.
Thank you Andy for your video. As always you're the best. Glad your health has improved! Best wishes! ..jw
Thanks very much. Nice comment!
Great video Andy! Thanks for sharing. I’m getting ready to go do this with my 401A. I believe it’s much needed.
good luck!
Thank you Andy! I have followed this to remove and reinstall this on my 401A. They look very much the same. I was lucky that the bushing started to loosen after using the WD40 a couple times. I don't have a filagauge, so just used 4 Canadian quarters and a thin slice of plastic. Still a bit under, but closer than your friend's wife I guess. Lol. I am just attacking one area after another. Can't believe I am doing all these and found it fun. I got skipping stitches when working on zigzag pattern on a minky fabric. Adjusting the stroke every time I changed settings, like width and length. Driving me crazy ... not sure if I suppose to. Hope to get it running ok soon. Thanks again. I know, I should email you instead. 😅
It can be very rewarding to work on your own machine like this. Congratulations! Not sure what a "Minky" fabric is, but it sounds furry. Maybe you should try a "walking" foot or "even feed" foot for layered or slippery material. www.vintagesingerparts.com/products/even-feed-walking-foot-fits-singer-slant-needle-part-421333-s
@@andytubesewing1953 Thank you so much. Yes, my fabric has short hair and is thick. I only have a walking foot for my basic Bother machine. You are right, the walking foot works pretty well with the minky fabric. I am sewing zigzag using a longer stitch setting and a slower speed, it's a bit better. Once I feel more confidence with this machine, I will start looking for more accessories like you suggested. You are so kind. I always laugh when I hear you laugh in your videos. I enjoy your sense of humor. 😊 Thanks again. I still have lots of questions for you!! Hahha ... So will chat soon. 🙏🙏🙏
@@wingwong888 OK, but email please 👍
Andy Tube is AMAZING!!!!
💖 You are kind to say so, Amy. Thanks for watching my channel. 🙏
@@andytubesewing1953 I have a 403 that I have completely rebuilt to daily use, using your videos. I had an issue with my tension this week so I revisited your channel and forgot how amazing the videos were. Thanks for all you do Sir!
@@amymcdonald5592 Thanks for thinking of my videos when your tension acted up. My videos are exactly for folks like you that maintain and use their machines. Take care.
Thank you for all your hard work and sharing your knowledge. There is a large range of pressure you can achieve from the screw. How do you know the proper or best pressure to have for average use? And how do you know if its wrong?
I'd say it is adjusted by how it feeds the fabric. If it's too light the fabric can slip and "wander" off track. If it is too hard it can damage fabric my smashing it into the feed dog "teeth" causing "tank tracks" and even some holes. If you were sewing delicate chiffon or organza you'd be using fine thread and size a 9 needle so it makes sense you'd use a much lighter pressure on the foot. Enough to gently keep the fabric on the feed dog without damage. A medium-weight gingham, satin, or vinyl would take a 50 thread and size14 needle. Yep, you would need a medium pressure to hold that onto the dog and keep it straight and moving nicely. Now let's get heavy. Denim jeans, upholstery, canvas camping carryall bag. 24 to 40 thread and a nice big 18 needle. It's heavier stuff to drag under that needle and presser foot with the dog, so you bear- down on the pressure much more. Please remember I am not a sewist, but I remember family members always did test sews with what they thought the thread/needle/stitch length and pressure should be. Using scraps from the cuttings before starting the true project. When I adjust feed dog and pressure for test sewing, I run the fabric, vinyl, or leather through without any needle or thread to see how it "travels". Sometimes I hold the end of the fabric and keep turning the pressure adjusting knob until I feel the dog pulling well on the fabric. If the dog just slips right under the presser foot without giving me a yank, then it is not enough pressure. My Mom sewed lots of clothes and her theory was the lightest pressure to move the fabric smoothly and evenly. My Grandpa sewed lots of flannel, denim, canvas, tarps, duck-cloth, and leather for camping, fishing, and hunting items. His theory was lots of pressure as long as it did not harm the fabric finish. Just play with running fabric through. You don't need needle and thread. Start without any pressure and slowly add it and see what it takes to pull the fabric from your light grasp. Try adding lots of pressure to see when it starts hurting the fabric. You'll find the sweet spot before you know it, Daniel. It's up to you and your big human brain and sensitive fingers, Daniel, just like it was before automated, automatic pressure and patterns and computers and chips and sensors. It's just you, your machine and the fabric.
You'll love it! ✨🚀😀
Thought my (new) 401a was too low - it is, and it turns out my 301 is too high! Very helpful, thank you!
Happy you found this video helpful, and congrats on your new Slant-O-Matic 401A. I do have 15+ videos for cleaning & fixing common problems found on used 401A machines. Here is the playlist: ruclips.net/p/PLsCOZgzzaiKLiDl9yFTP6mJgQmz5lj4NO Good Luck, and thanks for watching my channel.
@@andytubesewing1953 Really appreciate it, and thanks for the list! I had already watched and saved 'How to fix stuck stitch selector knobs...' as well as 'Remove Clean Replace and Time The Cam Stack...,' - in preparation for the day I would get one of these. Your videos are amazing! What an incredible piece of machinery the Singer 401 is!!! Thank you soo much for getting a 401 just to show us how to fix it - very empowering. As much as I'd love to be able to support sewing machine repairers, there's not room for it in my budget. So it's a big deal to me to be able to fix things myself! Thanks for all your help!!! You Rock!!!
@@tranquildoe Hey, thanks. If you can find a repair shop that will work on vintage machines they are usually very pricey. You can do it all yourself, no worries. There are many nice repair videos on YT. Reading over my previous reply to you I realize I forgot to mention you can download a free PDF copy of the original Service Manual for the 401A, 403A, and 404 from the Sewing Dude at this link: sewingdude.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/singer-401-service-manual1.pdf 45-pages of great information covering almost every adjustment and part replacement on the machines. Thanks for saving those beauties and take care.
@@andytubesewing1953 No way! I've wanted a service manual - thanks so much! I still can't believe I was able to get a 301 and now a 401 - I feel like they're the perfect "dream team" of vintage machines. Who wants to put lots of money into something where one plastic bit or another will soon break, and it's often more expensive to repair than to get a new machine?! It's so much better for the earth too, to reuse what we've already got, especially when they made them this good! Take care!
@@tranquildoe Very welcome! Yes, two of the best Singer machines ever made. The first ever slant needle 301 and the Slant-O-Matic 401. The 301 is the only sewing machine I've ever seen in person where the top and bottom stitches are the same. Flat and gorgeous. With the 401 you have superior ZZ stitching and 20+ pattern discs that make dozens of pattern stitches. Seems like you are good to go 👍
Dear Andy, thank you for your wonderful video's, I am learning a lot. In this video you talk about how the edge of the foot has to align with the slot of the feed dogs. With your machine this is as it should be but with my 422G (a free arm straight and zig-zag only singer) the foot is to much to the left. How can I adjust this? Thanks from Amsterdam, Ariane
Sorry Ariane, but I've never worked on any of the German made 400 series Singer models. I do not have access to any of the adjustment or repair documents as they were not originally sold here in the USA. From information by other "G" model owners they have said the Service Manual for model 401A was helpful to them for working on their "G" model machine. You can download a FREE copy of that manual here: sewingdude.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/singer-401-service-manual1.pdf
Page 130 has instructions for centering the feed dog from left to right in the needle plate. As your model is free arm, some of the shafts may be different, but in general all the Slant-O-Matic models, US and German, are based on the mechanics of the 401A, so maybe the manual will give some ideas as to moving that feed dog to the proper spot. Thanks for watching my channel, and good luck,
@@andytubesewing1953 Thank you Andy.
@@arianeseydel9036 👍
Are all singer pressure bars two pieces? The alcohol trick loosened it enough to spin and thank you 😊
Welcome. All of the vintage models I have worked on use some type of this presser bar, but I have only worked on a dozen or so of the hundreds of models Singer made. Thanks for watching.
So the first thing I noticed was the thumb screw was stuck. So I wrenched it loose and got it off but still the something didn't seem right so I lifted the presser foot lifting lever as I normally would and the pressure foot pressure pin shot out with such force it hit the ceiling. After that, I discovered the easiest way to get the pin out is to depress the bar stool and release, the trick being to catch the pin in mid air.
Wait... "depress the bar stool and release" Is alcohol involved in this method? haha
thanks for sharing.
Is this video accurate for my slant shank Singer 431G as well? Ps. I just made a small donation to your PayPal since I really like what you do. :D
Singer Model 431G was made in Germany and I've never had the pleasure of working on one or even seeing it in person. I have had emails from owners and back and forth communications with them. They were both in the EU countries. My understanding was that the differences between the German and American Models are cosmetic and that the working parts are the same. They both, along with others who commented to me, said they followed several of my videos to work on their machine. That's all I can say really. You would need to compare the parts in my videos to the parts on your machine to verify. As far as the height settings, I was told they are the same on the "G" models as I state in the videos. Thanks for watching my channel, Esther, and thanks very much for your support ♥🙏
Thank you so very much for all the videos, you are an amazing teacher. I learned a lot from you. I have 3 singer machines none of them is working(3102, 513, 630) now I fixed one, cleaned up, oiled it but still is not swing. I wish you where here to help me out. I have the timing right, needle bar cleaned and pout back, I don't have any bonding between the bobbin thread and needle bar thread. what do you think? How can I fix it? Singer 3102.
I would like to hear from you, Thank you in advance.
I'm not familiar with the 3102 model, sorry. There are many reasons why you don't have "bonding". If you take a look at my playlist page I have 450 videos sorted by model number. Maybe you could take a look at some videos to see a model with parts similar to your machine and find some help. ruclips.net/channel/UCUSPDsHaFtRoz1VA2U1xJ4wplaylists?view_as=public
@@andytubesewing1953 I thank you so very much you are so kind and I love watching your videos. I will definitely take a look at the link and videos.
I will keep you posted. Thanks again.
Please do and good luck.
I have a rocketeer that was donated to habitat and it seems to be seized up the pressure foot won’t move the the bobbin winder does? Any suggestions thanks
The bobbin winder does? At the other end of the machine from the presser foot? Maybe you mean the hook under the bobbin case. I'm glad you asked and don't try to force the presser bar lifter lever up (if that is what you mean) The presser bar goes thru a bushing (tube in the body of the machine) that now has dried up and hardened oil in it. It's like the bar is glued now. If you have a penetrating oil, like wd40 you can spray the bar and bushing to get the wd40 in there and soften up the old, hard gunk. You can use sewing machine oil too, or alcohol. Heating it up a few times with a hairdryer can speed up the softening process. Then try to lift the lever, but again do not force it. Eventually, it will start to move a little so add more wd/oil/alcohol b/c it can penetrate even better now. Keep heating. Patience is the key to this problem, not force. This is a very common problem, and entire machines can be frozen due to this old dried up oily gunk in the shafts and bushings. Good Luck, Lisa. It's a fabulous machine that would cost about $2,000 in today's dollars when new. You can get a free copy of the instruction manual in a pdf direct from Singer at this safe link. www.singer.com/search/support?title=403 It has instructions of all the places to oil (there are several) which is a very good idea to do.
Andy Tube I have oiled it everywhere I see where it can move . I will try your suggestions and take video to send you ! I will report. Back on status. It came in a light wood cabinet with all its different feet and cams. I actually am not familiar with cams . I own singer 66.
Brother and singer more mordant machines. It does have owner manual 😀
@@lisasovitsky1227 "everywhere I see where it can move" is my point. You can see the 6 main shaft bushings, and they don't move. Those bushings can hold a lot of oil that may have dried up inside. The same with the lifting lever bushing and the tension pin releasing lever hinge screw that can freeze up and prevent movement. Following the oiling guide in the manual can help you be sure of getting oil where SInger recommends. Oil & heat. When a machine has been idle for a decade it usually takes more than one oiling to get things moving. Good luck, and congratulations on the cabinet, feet, and cams. Very nice buy for you.
So interesting, and educational as are all your vids I have watched. For those watching on mobile device, you can set speed and other things using 3 dots in upper right corner of screen. Andy do you know the presser bar ht for the Kenmore 158.1941.2 super hi shank machine or where I cd obtain the measurement. I have several vintage machines, but kenmore only one having presser ft trouble. Thanks, and do I have to have a pay pal acct to contribute to you.
Thanks for your kind comment, and I appreciate you sharing how to access the settings on a mobile device. I feel bad I can not help you with your Kenmore machine. Years ago I did one Kenmore model a lady gave me when she bought a Singer 337. I did restore it and it is a nice, strong and well-made model. It is still sitting in my storeroom as no one wanted to buy it from Craigslist. You can see it here: ruclips.net/video/xF2BFA36CPk/видео.html
At that time I realized that finding documents, especially Service Manuals, and parts for the Kenmore machines was very difficult. After doing so many Singers I was surprised about that, but I just decided to not do any more of them. My understanding is that Sears never made their own machines, just had other companies supply them and badge them with the "Kenmore" name. Maybe that is why there is not much documentation. I have been told that more people are selling parts on eBay now, so maybe someone sells Kenmore Service Manuals, but I have not seen them. I appreciate you watching my channel. Take Care.
lol 😂❤