• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Sewing Resources and Information

Ok, now I remember it. Do you think any other machines could be modified similar to this to run bigger thread? I have run v92 thread through my MW 15 clone and works great but was curious if I could get 238 to work?
 
Ok, now I remember it. Do you think any other machines could be modified similar to this to run bigger thread? I have run v92 thread through my MW 15 clone and works great but was curious if I could get 238 to work?
I don't know but probably. The place where the needle penetrates the hook on my Singer 15 is much wider than these industrial machines. I assume my Mercury was not designed to sew anything larger than V69 or so. I will post some pictures soon.
Edit: Here is a photo showing how the thread hits the shuttle and is pushed to the side so when the hook comes by, it misses the thread. Enlarging the space allows the loop to form towards the hook and it can be captured.
I just re-read your post and I missed an important point. Do you know where to buy 15X1 needles large enough to run V238? The largest I have been able to find is size 20 which runs V92 well.
 
Last edited:
I made the mod in the video to my Mercury M-337 which is a
YAMATA 5318, JUKI DU-141, CONSEW 205RB clone or something like that. A size 24 needle would not fit through the slot in the hook before and I sewed with the size 24 needle after with no skipped stitches. It works well with a size 20 needle which it had many skipped stitches with before. I sewed with V92 polyester and V92 Kevlar thread. I'm still loving the Kevlar thread when doing pull tests on seatbelt webbing. The polyester is slick and I was able to pull out some single line stitches unless backtacked firmly in place. Not so with the Kevlar which is tacky and sticks to the webbing. I just bought some V138 polyester thread to try from SGT Knots. Some people here recommended this supplier. I will report how it sews with that and a size 24 needle. I may have to do a bit more grinding on the hook and needle plate.

Quick question, what needles are you using on your 15-91 for the V92? I'm learning, but trying to decide on what 125-20 to buy. Has to be a round point correct? any particular brand, etc..... thanks
 
Quick question, what needles are you using on your 15-91 for the V92? I'm learning, but trying to decide on what 125-20 to buy. Has to be a round point correct? any particular brand, etc..... thanks
It should not be a cutting point with ridges. Universal is best. It is a sharp point but conical shaped. I used these with V92 polyester and V92 Kevlar.
 
I don't know but probably. The place where the needle penetrates the hook on my Singer 15 is much wider than these industrial machines. I assume my Mercury was not designed to sew anything larger than V69 or so. I will post some pictures soon.
Edit: Here is a photo showing how the thread hits the shuttle and is pushed to the side so when the hook comes by, it misses the thread. Enlarging the space allows the loop to form towards the hook and it can be captured.
I just re-read your post and I missed an important point. Do you know where to buy 15X1 needles large enough to run V238? The largest I have been able to find is size 20 which runs V92 well.
Sorry, 238 was a typo I meant 138.
 
Sorry, 238 was a typo I meant 138.
I just posted a chart on the last page showing minimum needle size is 22 for V138. Singer 15 manual says it will use up to a size 21.
If you are a precision machinist you may be able to modify a 135x17 size 24 needle to fit the 15. I doubt I could do it with files and a grinder.
 
Last edited:
Uh....no not a machinist and that sounds like it would be more trouble than it's worth. Thanks for the post on needle sizes. That helps.
 
Uh....no not a machinist and that sounds like it would be more trouble than it's worth. Thanks for the post on needle sizes. That helps.
I will try my size 20 needles on my Singer 15 with the V138 thread when I get the thread and report back here.
 
I made the mod in the video to my Mercury M-337 which is a
YAMATA 5318, JUKI DU-141, CONSEW 205RB clone or something like that. A size 24 needle would not fit through the slot in the hook before and I sewed with the size 24 needle after with no skipped stitches. It works well with a size 20 needle which it had many skipped stitches with before. I sewed with V92 polyester and V92 Kevlar thread. I'm still loving the Kevlar thread when doing pull tests on seatbelt webbing. The polyester is slick and I was able to pull out some single line stitches unless backtacked firmly in place. Not so with the Kevlar which is tacky and sticks to the webbing. I just bought some V138 polyester thread to try from SGT Knots. Some people here recommended this supplier. I will report how it sews with that and a size 24 needle. I may have to do a bit more grinding on the hook and needle plate.
I just tested my Mercury 337 with V92 Kevlar thread in top and V92 polyester thread in bottom with a size 24 needle. No skipped stitches so I guess the hole in the hook is big enough. Here is the video for proof. I was holding my phone in my left hand and both controlling speed and reverse lever with my right hand. Sews pretty good. The reverse lever had been clunking up and down under servo motor power but that has almost disappeared. I think oil has penetrated and loosened up a linkage so no adjustment should be needed.
 
I don't know but probably. The place where the needle penetrates the hook on my Singer 15 is much wider than these industrial machines. I assume my Mercury was not designed to sew anything larger than V69 or so. I will post some pictures soon.
Edit: Here is a photo showing how the thread hits the shuttle and is pushed to the side so when the hook comes by, it misses the thread. Enlarging the space allows the loop to form towards the hook and it can be captured.
I just re-read your post and I missed an important point. Do you know where to buy 15X1 needles large enough to run V238? The largest I have been able to find is size 20 which runs V92 well.
After grinding with size 24 needle. The 24 would not even fit through this opening before grinding.

Size 20, 22 and 24 needles. Metric sizes 125, 140 and 180. 1.25mm, 1.40mm and 1.80mm. 24s are like logs. 20 and 24 are Scmetz and 22 came with machine. It is printed with GB so is Groz-Beckert, I assume. The needle eye seems relativly smaller on the GB than the Schmetz. The eye size will determine the maximum thread size it will sew.
 
Once I get the V138 thread, I may have to grind the opening a bit wider since the needle and thread both have to fit through the opening. Scraping against the side is probably not going to be good for thread strength.
 
I previously stated that a Singer 15-91 would be the ideal sewing machine for the average person to just sew a few saddles. I still feel this way after playing around with a score of domestic and industrial sewing machines. If you would like to add a servo motor, a 91 version will not work since there is no pulley groove on the handwheel on a 15-91. You could probably buy a separate handwheel with a groove in that case. However, there seems to be a plethora of Singer 15 clones available on the used market for $20 to $40. Anyway here are a few videos of a 15 clone with servo motor with and without a walking foot attachment.
 
Looks like it does slightly better stitches with the regular presser foot. Do you agree? Is that the consew servo motor? It looks like that is the ticket. Great control and power. How many layers of webbing have you tried sewing?
 
Looks like it does slightly better stitches with the regular presser foot. Do you agree? Is that the consew servo motor? It looks like that is the ticket. Great control and power. How many layers of webbing have you tried sewing?
With the regular presser foot there are slight loops on the bottom on the last line of stitches. Very slight. I had the tension spring completely compressed so I could not increase it. A few lines I did before were fine so I think I was at the edge of the adjustment range. When I installed the walking foot the threads were pulled tight. A stronger spring would be necessary to go to larger thread, I think. This motor is the Consew 3000. It seemed to have better reviews and was about $20 more than the 1000. I paid $132 for a open box buy and the adjustment bolt was missing. I welded one up and called Amazon and they issued me a 10% discount instead of doing a return. I ordered a 45mm pulley (Yeqin) intead of the 75mm which it has standard. The pulley should be here tomorrow. I added one to my Enduro servo motor and it made a large difference. I only sewed 2 layers as shown in the video. The belt I show is a plastic belt for a Necchi Supernova. A rubber one would be better. I don't have the sewing machine fastened to anything so it can move a little and loosen the belt. With a tighter or rubber belt I am fairly sure it will sew through 1/2 inch of webbing. The smaller pulley should help in this as well
 
I have a question on tension for the 15-91. No matter what I do, it seems like i Cannot get the bottom tension just right. I am using 2 colors of thread So I can see what is happening. I get just a hint of the top thread poking them on the bottom. with normal thread, imcan pretty much get it to ok, but with v69 and v92, not so much. My top tension is all the way up, and I have the bobbin almost to where the screw poops out. While it almost is ok, I would like it to work right.

could it be possible to have a week top tension spring? are these easy to replace? My machine is from 1953 I think.
thanks for any input.
 
I have a question on tension for the 15-91. No matter what I do, it seems like i Cannot get the bottom tension just right. I am using 2 colors of thread So I can see what is happening. I get just a hint of the top thread poking them on the bottom. with normal thread, imcan pretty much get it to ok, but with v69 and v92, not so much. My top tension is all the way up, and I have the bobbin almost to where the screw poops out. While it almost is ok, I would like it to work right.

could it be possible to have a week top tension spring? are these easy to replace? My machine is from 1953 I think.
thanks for any input.
Bobbin should just support its own weight. The top tension should be a little more than the bobbin by feel. Are your disks loose? The adjustment on the presser foot lift tension release may not be right and may be holding the disks slightly open.


Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk
 
I have a question on tension for the 15-91. No matter what I do, it seems like i Cannot get the bottom tension just right. I am using 2 colors of thread So I can see what is happening. I get just a hint of the top thread poking them on the bottom. with normal thread, imcan pretty much get it to ok, but with v69 and v92, not so much. My top tension is all the way up, and I have the bobbin almost to where the screw poops out. While it almost is ok, I would like it to work right.

could it be possible to have a week top tension spring? are these easy to replace? My machine is from 1953 I think.
thanks for any input.

just ordered a new top tension spring, I’ll check those as well. Thanks
 
just ordered a new top tension spring, I’ll check those as well. Thanks
Yes. They are easy to replace. Push back on the collar with the numbers on it and you can loosen and remove the nut. Once you see how it works you will understand how to put it back. I just thought, you can push the numbered part back and screw the nut in a few holes and try again. This may be all you need to do to get more tension.. Industrial machines do not have this 0 to 9 limitation. I set my home machines so the disks are just a little tighter than loose at 0. Then number 8 or 9 is usually good for V92 thread.
At 2:30 he demonstrates how.
 
Last edited:
This video was posted to Youtube 14 hours ago. It looks like I have a Mitsubishi branded as a Mercury for the US. They made great fighter planes during WWII so why not sewing machines? They also make great mini split heat pumps today in my experience.
I bought a needle thread guide for a Consew 205 to put on my Mercury and it did not fit. A grinder made it fit although it is not OEM. It still works OK.
 
Back
Top