Follow-up on free motion quilting on a Singer Rocketeer

After leaving this project sitting for months, I could not convince myself to actually use my Singer 503A to machine quilt one of my quilts.

None of my samples were really satisfactory. The effort to push this small sample under the foot in an all-over swirl pattern was much more work than it should be. I actually had to push and pull the sample with some effort, which is not normal. I had a hard time visualizing myself doing this for a queen size quilt. With a proper foot or machine, it would be easier and probably fun.

So the decision is made and I will likely be hand quilting my Hawaiian quilt instead. I used safety pins to baste it together.

As an alternative, I also purchased a walking foot attachment. This attachment actually works well. It does have a cheap feel, so I'm not sure about long term durability. If I choose to quilt in straight lines, then, this is a possibility I may use this attachment on my next quilt.

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The Singer Hemstitcher 72w19 - Questions and Answers

I sold my hemstitcher. It took almost a year once I decided it was time. I was not getting enough work to justify the space anymore. At the same time, I wasn't enjoying the work that I did get because I just didn't have the energy. I did love this machine and it was very difficult to let it go. Luckily, I think the person who bought this was very excited and happy about acquiring the machine.

Over the years, I have received a lot of questions about this machine. My previous blog entry on this machine is one of my most popular entries. I was supposed to get notifications anytime someone reached out to me through my Contact page. It didn't work and I didn't think to check until recently. So, in one grand finale for the hemstitcher, I'll try to answer those questions.

Repairs

I have a Singer 72W19 and I'm trying to find someone in the southeast that works on them. Do you know of anyone?

I would appreciate knowing the names for the 3 people in Utah that service Hemstitching machines. I have a hemstitching machine that I inherited from my husbands grandmother. It is a model No. 72w19 fitted with a motor. I think the timing is out as it doesn't seem to do what it's supposed to. Could you tell me who in Utah works on these old machines and how I can get in touch with them.

Could you share the contact info of person that showed you to care and maintain your hemstitcher. I have one but I can't find anyone to help me adjust and maintain the machine. Thank you so much.

The person I found to help me repair my machine many years ago was past retirement. He would be close to 90 years old now, if he is still alive. I'm grateful I found him because he taught me enough that I could adjust the machine myself. It took me calling every sewing machine repair person I could find asking them if they worked on these machines. Most repair people, technicians, or industrial sewing machine mechanics do not really know how to adjust these machines. Some will say they will try, but that always made me nervous. Incorrectly adjusted machines could cause damage to the machine. The timing on the machine has a lot of variables and each component has to be adjusted in order for it to work.

That said, I only know of one place that MIGHT work on these. Daines sold new versions of the hemstitcher. But, I will warn you that they may decline or charge you a lot of money. Your best bet is to get a copy of the manual and learn to adjust the machine yourself.

I recommend purchasing the manual and parts list. I believe I bought my copies on ebay or some other site that sold old manuals. Well worth the investment!

Specific Repairs

I cannot figure out how to replace my needle that broke. I can’t seem to fit it into the ‘slot’. Anyone who can walk me through it?!? Please!!

It is hard to provide advice on this because I can't see what you are doing. Perhaps the needle clamp screw needs to be loosened more?

I wanted to verify which screw on the instruction page to turn - is it the "S" screw? A friend said that I could mess up everything if I unscrewed the wrong one, and I am scared to try! I bought this machine a couple of months ago and it runs, but has a broken right needle. Thank you so much!

I'm not sure which screw is the "S" screw. There is a needle clamp screw facing toward the front near the top of the needle in the needle bar. If you could refer to a manual and/or parts list, you will find the correct screw.

That said, you will not mess everything up by loosening a screw. If something came out of adjustment by doing so, you will just have to work to put things back correctly. This is how I learned how to adjust the timing.

I have a Singer 72w19 and need to change the needles. First time for this. When looking at the front of the machine there are 2 sets of needles. Do I use the top set or the bottom set? I'm thinking the bottom set but when I loosen the screw the needle doesn't even budge. Any instruction on this would be appreciated. Thank you, Denise

There is only one set of needles and they look like regular sewing machine needles. Perhaps you are referring to the piercers? A look at the manual/parts list will help you identify what you are looking at.

Hi, I have a Singer 72w 19 hemstitch machine and I am having trouble with the thread breaking. I was stitching on it and suddenly the left needle broke for some unknown reason. I replaced both needles and now I'm having trouble with the thread breaking about every six inches of sewing.

This is a common problem with these machines, especially the left needle thread. I did not completely eliminate the problem with my machine, but I did minimize it. First, make sure the needles are entering the fabric correctly. Very minor adjustments there can make a big difference. It is possible the left needle is too close to the piercer and the piercer is cutting the thread. Or the left needle is not rotated to the right position. Next, be sure to oil all the moving parts on the front of the machine where metal touches metal. The needle bars and levers all need to be able to move freely. I would add a drop of oil on each of those parts before sewing. I also had a screw that would work itself loose on one of the levers and cause the needle to move out of adjustment. A drop of loctite eventually prevented the screw from coming loose from the machine vibration. Finally, use the best polyester thread you can find. In my case, a Gutermann polyester thread from a cone worked best.

I have seen on our classified ads that there is a hemstitcher head for sale for 500 dollars. I have an old industrial serger in a table that has been converted to house power. Here is my question: Do you think that I could swap out the serger for the hemstitcher?

Most likely no. The table tops are cut specifically for the machine. A hemstitcher will not fit in an industrial serger table. If you had the correct table top and stand, you could move the motor over provided you have the correct wheel size on the motor. Some motors have fly wheels that will cause the machine to run too fast.

Machine Parts

I need a complete needle and piercer holder for my hemstitcher. Do you have any of them? Please let me know what parts you have. Thank you.

Where do you purchase your needles for your hemstitch machine? I have two of them (one 1904 and one 1928), but I need to order needles. Can you help me out? Thank you, Marcia

I recently received a Singer 72-19 and need resources for supplies and how to use it. Suggestions? I live in Sandy, Utah

You can buy needles from an industrial sewing machine supply. Daines had needles at one time, but they charge a lot for shipping (it's not something they normally do and they don't really like to do it). For piercers, I ended up using google to find a source from China. Some industrial supplies or hardware store will have some of the screws. All other parts would have to come from a parts machine.

Machine Value

I have inherited Singer 72w-19 Hemsticher, W522308. I think it is from 1920. It has lots of needles and misc attachments. I am wondering if there is a market for it. it comes with a table. I would appreciate any info on it. Thank You. Jenny

Yes, there is some value if the machine is in good working order and comes with a table and motor. I have read there are attachments available for the machine, but I have never seen them. A good machine will go for a few thousand dollars, but I can't put an exact value on one. I was pretty firm on the price I asked for my machine and eventually got what I wanted. It did take me a while to sell it though

Machine Operation

How can I make the hemstitch go faster it is so slow thanks Linda Farnsworth.

It may seem as though the machine is too slow. Each rotation requires several things happening at once. First the pre-punch piercer punches the fabric and the fabric moves forward. The main piercer then enters the pre-punched hole along with the needles. The needles enter the same hole about three times. This process is longer than a regular sewing machine. Speeding up the machine with a different size pulley increases the likelihood of parts hitting each other or the throat plate and throwing everything off. It is essential the machine run slower because that is how it is designed.

Yahoo Group

Did you run the hemstitch Yahoo group? I hadn't checked on my groups lately and discovered it's gone...darn! I will admit to googling Esther + hemstitch machine and finding your lovely blog..... So even if you aren't the same Esther, I'm glad I found your blog anyway!

Yes, I ran a Yahoo Group for Hemstitchers for a while. At least a couple of years. It received almost no traffic and I just didn't have the time to continue it. I did ask for volunteers to take it over before shutting it down, but no one seemed interested. It's a bit of a moot point now since Yahoo Groups are dying and Yahoo has done nothing to update or improve the Group software in over 10 years. I think Yahoo Groups will eventually be shut down.

The Singer Hemstitcher 72w-19 broke down

Every time I sit down to stitch blankets on the hemstitcher, I cave and try to adjust it. The left needle thread continues to break despite everything I have done. One commenter suggested I move the main piercer either up/down or left/right. While I attempted to do this, I discovered that the main piercer holder was loose. Is it possible that the main piercer holder was vibrating or moving as a stitch is formed? It could explain why I could stitch a few inches and then the left thread would break randomly. The holder was only marginally lose but I could moved it ever so slightly with my finger.

So I attempted to tighten the screw on the holder. I wrenched down on the screw and shouldn't have done that. After all it is a 70 year old screw. And yes, the screw broke.

There is a broken part of the screw stuck in the machine. Thankfully, I was able to locate a new screw. One nice thing about the old Singers is that the engineers used as many of the same parts in multiple machines as they could, especially screws. The problem, of course, is extracting the screw. I zoomed in pretty close in the picture above, but that screw opening is only about 1/8 inch. I am very nervous about doing this because I have to be very, very careful to not damage the threads of the piercer holder. That part will be very difficult and expensive to find, if at all. I probably will buy a Dremel as I don't trust myself with my regular drill. I don't know.

I am my own mechanic when it comes to repairing my Singer Hemstitcher 72w-19. There are very few mechanics familiar enough with this machine that I would trust them to work on it. I have really spent a lot of time studying it and I think I now understand how all the important parts work. The movement of the piercer thread holder as it stitches proves that it can break or cut the threads. It moves much more now that the screw is not completely there.

And of course this happened at a time when I have two large blanket orders. Thankfully, my customers are willing to wait. But if I can't fix it, then I will be taking these blankets to one of my competitors to finish. I am a bit stressed about the whole thing.

Singer Hemstitcher 72w-19 thread breakage solutions

Hemstitching woes continue to plague me. Thread breakage with the left needle thread continues to be a persistent problem. The breakage is preceded by skipped stitches that cause the thread to wrap around the pierces where the piercers or needles eventually cut the thread. I have run through various scenarios trying to diagnose the problem. The timing of a machine is absolutely critical or no stitches form. In the case of a hemstitcher, the timing is a bit more complex. The position of the needles relative to the piercers and how they move as the fabric moves under the foot is all a part of the timing. A Singer hemstitcher 72w-19 has two bobbins which must be separately adjusted to work in time with the needles as they descend with the piercer. For a while I have thought there was a timing issue with the left needle.

Or maybe not. I have set and checked the timing and it appears to be right on. I have adjusted nearly every possible adjustable part. Even the pitmans that control the needle position and angle - something I dreaded touching. I adjusted the check springs. I have spent countless hours making one fine adjustment after another, studying the manual over and over. I feel as though I have hit a brick wall. It is rather frustrating to be stitching a customers blanket and have the left needle thread break every 5-12" for no apparent reason.

Check Tension

So off to browse the net to try and find some kind of solution. American and Efird is probably one of the best technical websites for manufacturers. They have an excellent article on thread breakage that has given me some insight. A checklist of things that might be causing some of the problems. One thing that I had observed the last mechanic to work on this machine do was wrench down on the tension discs. I have maintained tight tensions ever since. Tonight I loosened the tensions until the bobbin tensions took over than edged back to a balanced stitch. The stitch is better and perhaps that will solve some of the problems.

Needle Orientation

The next step was to look at the orientation of the needles, in particular the rotation of the needle in the needle clamp. Most every blog entry I have read says to turn the needle out to help avoid thread breakage. I think that is the wrong approach because it affects how the hook interacts with the needle. The needles should be aligned with the eyes opposite each other in a straight line. This may not make a lot of sense if you are not familiar with the machine, but mechanically, it does.

In any event, I still must plug away at stitching some customer orders with my fingers crossed that I will have fewer problems. If you are having stitching problems because of skipped stitches or thread breakage, I highly recommend the American and Efird article.

Oh and did I mention I had to fix the belt. Leather belts have a tendency to wear out. I used my last clip, so I must order some more just in case. I have extra belting because my machine can be used as either a treadle or with a motor. I don't have the fancy tool that punches a hole in the belt and compresses the clip. I learned a neat trick of using a drill to create a hole for the clip. It worked great.

Hawaiian Paradise Line pt. 2 : The Singer Ruffler Attachment.

As a part of this project, I have utilized a new attachment for my sewing machine. It is not really new - I acquired a couple of these for about 50 cents from a thrift store years ago. But I have never really needed it. I just thought it might be useful one day. Finally, I DID need it and it IS useful.

Let me introduce the Singer Ruffler. This attachment makes pretty ruffles, tucks or pleats. I am primarily using it for gathering the skirts of my Hawaiian sundresses and it has saved me loads of time.



Since I am a newbie to this attachment, I did break several needles. There is not a lot of clearance under the attachment for fabric. Because of this, it is difficult to tell if the foot is actually all the way down against the feed dogs. My needles were breaking because I had not lowered the lift lever and my needle was hitting the gathering blade. With it properly lowered, there is plenty of clearance for the needle and less needle breakage. It was one of those Duh! moments. Now I double check everytime in lowering the lift lever and attachment before sewing.

Another difficulty with my attachments occurred because they had not been used in a long time. A couple drops of oil at all of the moving points loosened things up and everything slid like it should.

Technically, I should be able to gather and sew my skirt to the bodice at the same time. I didn't do that this time. I am jumping from one size to the next and I have to adjust the gather ratio each time. Plus I am still a bit nervous because of all the needle breakage. But as I become more comfortable, I will give it a try!

I did a quick net search and discovered these attachments (in one form or another) are still available for purchase for about $50, for many machines. But before dropping that kind of cash, check out thrift stores, ebay, etc for the exact same thing at a lower price.

If anyone is curious, I am sewing these dresses on a vintage Singer 503A Rocketeer and a Babylock Evolve. While this is not an industrial set-up, it is working amazing well. One of these days I will be able to afford and find space for a couple of industrial machines.

I would love to hear from anyone else who has used this great attachment!