The more I watch your videos, and total care of these machines, the more I appreciate both your precision with cleaning and adjusting them and also the incredible engineering Singer put into their products. Thank you, Andy!

@andytubesewing1953

4 жыл бұрын

Wow, thanks! It's kind of you to recognize my efforts. 🙂

Oh wow, just found how to repair and clean my Rocketeer which is identical to this set up. Thanks to you Andy! Your vids are a God send to us vintage machine lovers...allowing us to restore them to thier original glory days! GOD BLESS YOU ANDY!

@andytubesewing1953

2 ай бұрын

Very kind of you. Thank you. 🙏

Thank you so much for this...I could not figure out how to get my needle plate curved metal back onto my machine after cleaning. Just watching you explain things was very beneficial. I appreciate it!

@andytubesewing1953

9 күн бұрын

I'm glad you found the video. Thanks for the comment. I have 26 more videos for this model if any other issues arise. kzread.info/head/PLsCOZgzzaiKKyqvdDRwS-9MfLuwSNJTcg Happy Sewing!

Used this video to repair the position bracket on a 411G! Great explanation & detailed demonstration, so glad to have found this channel. Thank you.

@andytubesewing1953

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the comment. Other viewers have told me my 401A playlist was also helpful with their 411G & 431G models. kzread.info/head/PLsCOZgzzaiKLiDl9yFTP6mJgQmz5lj4NO Thanks for saving your machine.

God bless you Andy. I took my throat plate position lever apart at the opening just to clean under the tin label and didn’t put it back together correctly so the lever ended up floppy. I cleaned it and it looks so nice but the lever was not connected properly. Now I have to put it back together the right way and my answer lies right around the 35-minute mark on this video. Yay!

@andytubesewing1953

4 жыл бұрын

Glad it helped. Tricky parts under there. I did the same the first time. That's when I decided to take pictures as I removed parts, haha. Thanks for commenting and take care.

@Ndnative3431

4 жыл бұрын

Andy Tube, the fix was so easy. The crossbar wasn’t seated in that little groove on the shorter bracket. Lubricated the lever like you showed and it works superbly and it looks clean and shiny too.

@andytubesewing1953

4 жыл бұрын

@@Ndnative3431 Oh, nicely done. A very rewarding rehab.

You are a Great Teacher Andy !! ThankYou !! These older machines are very well built !!

@andytubesewing1953

4 жыл бұрын

They sure are well built. I think if they are just kept clean and lubed they can sew another 50 - 100 years.

Interesting lever system that controls the serrated teeth ( Throat plate positions ) of the Singer 403a. Excellent explanation.

@andytubesewing1953

4 жыл бұрын

Those clever Singer design engineers! Thanks for watching.

Thank you for your tutorial. Just purchased a 401a that had the needle plate frozen. After watching your video, I thought I can do that. And I did! Works great now. Thanks again.

@andytubesewing1953

4 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you found the video, Barbara. Nicely done. You're welcome and thanks for commenting. On my playlist page, you can find playlists for model 401A and 403A, also for repairing the motor and foot pedal. the playlists include working on the tension and setting timing so if you have other issues in the future I may be able to help. kzread.info/dron/USPDsHaFtRoz1VA2U1xJ4w.htmlplaylists?view_as=public Take care.

Hi Andy! After watching the restoration or repair of the Singer Model 503A and seeing that it had a nylon nut like on your 403A model here, I went and bought a Throat Plate Position Bracket (needle plate lifter complete) set for a Singer Model 401A from a person on eBay in order to get the nut in metal instead of nylon. In the future if these should fail on my Singer 500A Rocketeer, I will have a metal nut to replace that nylon nut with. Thank you for all you show here! Your videos are so great with your clear explanations! Kathy from Southeastern Arizona.

@andytubesewing1953

4 жыл бұрын

That's a great idea and I do the same thing other than the bobbin winder spring and tire there's not much else that could wear out if you just keep it clean and oiled your machine will probably outlive all of us thank you very much for still watching my channel and stop by anytime take care

This completely fixed my throat plate position adjustments!! Now I can get the throat plate off and on. Thanks so very much!

@andytubesewing1953

3 жыл бұрын

Love happy endings 😊 I'm glad you found the video, Jennifer, and thanks for commenting.

OMG! Very detailed video that helped me save my heirloom 403A . Mine has the screw hole and a metal turn screw. And like you stated I had to let it set overnight with lubricant as well as soak the area....but the spring unit finally popped out😊

@andytubesewing1953

3 жыл бұрын

Nicely done! I like a happy ending (or beginning, maybe?) I'm glad you found my channel and the videos were able to help you with that wonderful 403A. My favorite cabinet ZZ sewing machine. I appreciate that you took the time to comment. ✨Take care.

Very satisfying! So now I will watch again as I do the same to my 403a. 😊

@andytubesewing1953

2 жыл бұрын

It works so nice afterward. Thanks for commenting and for watching my channel. Take care.

Wow! You did good I think I could do this following your video Who knows maybe one day I'll find one of these guys to work on!

@andytubesewing1953

4 жыл бұрын

You can do it! It's very rewarding and fun. One step at a time. The motor and foot controller too! Just be careful, it is addicting 😉

your videos are so clear calm and patient. thanks to you I just unstuck my 411G's throat plate lever and pins 🙂. next, it's replacing/rewiring the old cord. the foot pedal looks fine, but noticed some bare copper on the lead down to it.

@andytubesewing1953

3 ай бұрын

Happy you found the video then. If you've never worked on the pins they can be confusing for sure. I repair many original Singer cords with "Liquid Tape" if possible rather than replace the cords. IMO, the original cords are better than what is available today. Here is a video where I repair some cords: kzread.info/dash/bejne/n4qMlKuoj9fVnc4.html

Thank you so much for this Video. I spent 2 hours last night just trying to get the top pieces on the top of machine put back together. So this was very helpful!

@andytubesewing1953

3 жыл бұрын

I glad you found the video. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

You're the best Andy Tube! Great vid!

@andytubesewing1953

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much! It's a tricky system the first time you work on it. I know you won't have any trouble, Jebb. Take Care.

Thank you Andy for all the wonderful tips you shown on here and many other videos 🙏🏼… yes your videos are super long but it’s great as you show a lot of good lessons ..I own the 403 and 301 and 201 and 15-91 and I learned a lot with your videos all my machine’s are well maintained because of your videos THANKS A BUNCH 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼….

@andytubesewing1953

Жыл бұрын

Thanks very much, James. I appreciate you watching my channel and your work on keeping your machines running. Take care.

About to tackle this myself. Invaluable information!

@andytubesewing1953

4 жыл бұрын

wow good timing huh I'm glad you found the video you can do it no worries thanks for watching

Thank you so much for your videos Andy, you've saved me twice this week! First to fix the tension spring on my 99k... then last night I cleaned my 401g and couldn't figure out why the throat plate lever went all floppy when I tried to put it back together. Of course I hadn't put the hook under the cross bar.......!

@andytubesewing1953

2 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you're aware of my channel and find the videos helpful. Some of the parts adjustments/installs are tricky, aren't they? Thanks for the nice comment, and for keeping your machines in service.

Excellent! Thank you for another great repair tutorial. I'm looking forward to the rest of your shows on this machine type.

@andytubesewing1953

4 жыл бұрын

thank you for watching and making such a nice comment I'm glad you enjoyed it and there'll be more of these to come so please stay tuned and watch some of them when you have time take care

thank you for your video I hope it will stay here for the long time as this information is hard to find

@andytubesewing1953

3 жыл бұрын

I'm glad if it was helpful. I won't take down the video, so it's up to KZread I guess. Here are all my 403A videos: kzread.info/head/PLsCOZgzzaiKKyqvdDRwS-9MfLuwSNJTcg Thanks for watching and commenting on my channel. Good Luck.

Thank you for all your incredibly detailed, helpful videos, Andy! I took the throat plate position cover off my new-to-me 403 to clean the gunk out of it and wasn’t able to seat the lever again properly (it felt floppy and like it wasn’t engaging). This video saved things and I was able to properly clean and reinstall.

@andytubesewing1953

2 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you found the video. Those parts are like a little puzzle, right? I did the same thing. Once you get them correct it makes perfect sense, but otherwise, they look good but wobble all over the place, haha. Thanks for maintaining your 403A. My favorite HD Singer ZZ machine. Happy sewing.

@kristinemakes

2 жыл бұрын

@@andytubesewing1953 Thank YOU for making resources that make it easy and fun to take care of these wonderful machines! I've got a white 221k Featherweight, a black 301 shortbed, and the 403 zz machine, and I just love them all. What quality craftsmanship there was back in the day! SO thankful I can get these beauties in their happy places again with a lot of fantastic help from you!

@andytubesewing1953

2 жыл бұрын

@@kristinemakes Wow, you have three of the best machines Singer made, IMO. They are a joy to use and work on. The last modern machine I opened did not even have a metal frame inside to hold the shafts, hook, or motor. The parts were "embedded" into the snap-together plastic body. The whole machine weighed 9.2 pounds.

Andy thanks for the video. Many of us are familiar with Coarse and fine machine screws , along with UNC and UNF (coarse and fine respectively. However, there exists an available but elusive critter : The UNS, ; 'S' stands for special, and falls between coarse and fine thread. as singer production entered the war eras they might have used things that were readily available, but unwanted by other major manufacturers, such as the UNS, so due to availability and cheap price, might have changed their tooling to use such threads. They are available without going to Singer ads or sights.

@andytubesewing1953

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info. A retired Singer repairman from Canada told me that Singer purposely used their own proprietary sized screws so only they could repair their machines. From the early days, before the war. Later they started using more common sized screws due to costs. His info, not mine.

@thomasgronek6469

9 ай бұрын

@@andytubesewing1953 thank you. I wouldn’t be surprised at that, Sears machines and equipment also have their own setup like that, 16 ohm speakers on their stereos for example, I just started this hobby, and fortunately haven’t encountered anything too strange. Thank you.

at 24:00 I have this machine, it's a 401J, I have the screw align with the hole, hehe thank you!! you know your machine!

@andytubesewing1953

3 ай бұрын

Thank you very much. I've been questioned about that so it's nice to have some independent verification. I appreciate your comment and thank you for watching my channel

@Cass_772

3 ай бұрын

@@andytubesewing1953 I heard that 401A was from USA, 401G from Germany, and 401J from st-Johns, Canada. Don't know if it's true. I'm from Canada so it makes sense but all the parts are stamps USA though. I guess it was just assembled here.

@andytubesewing1953

3 ай бұрын

@@Cass_772 I agree, assembled there. Most of the North American Parts Factories were in the US. There is also a 401M, made in Monza, Italy. Rare, and I've never seen one in person, only online.

Great video ! Thank you

@andytubesewing1953

3 жыл бұрын

Kind of you to say so, thanks. My other 25 model 403A videos are here: kzread.info/head/PLsCOZgzzaiKKyqvdDRwS-9MfLuwSNJTcg Thanks for watching my channel.

Hello AndyTube!!! I finally found my sewing machine. It is a featherweight 221 serial AD courtesy of my father in law. Unfortunately, it is missing the manual, the belt and the school bell. If you any leads about cleaning or anything please let me know. Thank you so much!!!

@andytubesewing1953

4 жыл бұрын

Congrats, Evelyne. Happy for you. I do not know what the "school bell" is you refer too. Anyway, these two websites contain almost all the info you would need to learn about and work on your featherweight and they sell parts and supplies. Give them a try and if you need help beyond that let me know. Good Luck. singer-featherweight.com/ www.novamontgomery.com/

I bet one of those vinyl nuts could be 3D printed! (I admit I haven't looked into how difficult they are to replace)

@andytubesewing1953

3 жыл бұрын

I agree. Both the plastic and metal adjustment nuts are getting harder to find. Thanks for watching my channel.

Hi Andy. I have not been able to remove the screws which hold down the "throat plate positions" cover. I've removed the nut and the pins and stuff, but those brass screws will not come out, so the cover remains on. I have a feeling I'm doomed; I'll have to leave the cover and hence the bracket on through out the whole restoration. I've been able to clean somewhat under the cover, and it works fine, but I can't get the screws out. (I'm staying up with the videos; I'm up through removing the bobbin area parts.) I've soaked the screw areas in penetrating oil, WD-40, let it sit over night at least twice. And unfortunately, I've damaged the screw heads. Now I know about those soft brass screws; I'm still a novice on learning how to use the proper screw driver. I turned the machine upside down and soaked the screws in penetrating oil; I've heated them with a hair dryer. I thought I'd ask you if you have ideas how to loosen those screws.

@andytubesewing1953

4 жыл бұрын

I have never done this on such a small screw, but I have put the screwdriver in the slot of the screw and tapped on it sharply with a light-weight hammer trying to "jar" it loose. I'm not sure if that would work on this softer type of screw. Good idea to put the machine upside down and soak the screws that way. I usually put a cotton pad over the screws and soak it with WD40 hoping the oil will stay on there overnight. Don't feel doomed though because you can still easily clean the machine with them in place. Myself, I would put the end of the bracket up in the slots and install the nut to keep the bracket from swinging around. If you pre-clean and pre-treat the machine on the workbench you can swing the bracket out and brush the area, then put the bracket/nut back when you transport the machine to the shower for full-body cleaning. Just keep soaking it overnight during the remaining restoration time. It could still free up and be removed but if not, no worries.

@carolemagnusson5044

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Andy. I'm going to soak the screws, using cotton pads, in WD-40, every night, sometimes with the machine upside down, sometimes right side up. And I will replace the nut while I restore.

@andytubesewing1953

4 жыл бұрын

I hope it will help loosen those little screws, Carole, but if not don't worry b/c you can still get the machine clean. Best of luck.

@carolemagnusson5044

2 жыл бұрын

Nearly two years ago, I never did get those screws out. However, yesterday, as I was doing some maintenance on my 403A, I attempted to remove these brass screws again. Put a drop of Triflow oil covering the top of each screw. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Then, daubed up excess oil. Hair dryered the screw heads until very hot. Got my good screw driver with a well-fit bit. Used screw driver, pressing down very firm. Voila!! Got those screws out. Took apart these top pieces. Cleaned all the pieces above and the frame surrounding and reassembled. Yippee! Used “new” screws from Thrifty Farm Girl purchase.

Thank you so much for this detailed video! My feed dog is still too low when the throat plate is fully down, according to the service manual. Do you know how to adjust the feed dog height? Thanks!

@andytubesewing1953

2 жыл бұрын

Oh no... too low! The instructions for setting the height of the feed dog are on page 129. The height should be between .040 to .043 inches. I do have a video about doing this on a 301A which has the same type of parts. kzread.info/dash/bejne/dqlhuZOkj9SueKw.html Thanks for watching my channel and good luck, Jennifer.

So I noticed my needle plate in the up position was not even. After cleaning whole system and of course adjusting as best as possible, I finally got it right after U noticed the lifting / locking pins were not actually the same size. the longer one goes on the right.

@andytubesewing1953

6 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching my channel.

I ended up literally melting that plug with a solder iron. I could not raise the bar high enough to clear it and thus unscrew it. No other way.

My 404 has this problem.; it's been like that for years. Is it built about the same underneath? It seems a LOT more complicated than I anticipated but I will tackle it, eventually... It's currently in storage; I am using my "new" 403. I want it shipshape for the person I am going to gift it to.

@andytubesewing1953

10 ай бұрын

It is built exactly the same. I think the parts are even interchangeable

I have been sewing masks for a volunteer effort on my mom's wonderful 401A, but I need to clean behind the bobbin cage but the throat plate is stuck like shown in this video. What type of oil do you recommend using - you called it "penetrating oil" ? Thank you!

@andytubesewing1953

4 жыл бұрын

WD40 is and example of a penetrating oil and there are others. www.google.com/search?q=penetrating+oil&source=lnms&tbm=shop&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjcw8uLhZHpAhWxHTQIHe9TAQoQ_AUoAXoECBEQAw&biw=1536&bih=760 Penetrating oil is NOT good for lubrication, so after using a penetrating oil it should be flushed out/off with something like alcohol (if you can find any!) and SMO (sewing machine oil) used for the lubrication. Yu can also use SMO to free up sticky parts but it can take a little longer. Heating the area with a hairdryer can help softe up the gunk also. If you do have some precious alcohol (i'll buy it!) yoou can use that for softening and cleaning also. Worst comes to worst, remove the drip pan from the bottom of the machine and use a crevise tool on the vacuum to rmeove some of the lint from the bottom, or brave souls that you are, use canned air or an air hose to blow the lint out (and all over) as a temporary fix. Thank you very much for your volunteer work work in yiour community, and for looking at my channel. Good Luck.

@linnettse7058

4 жыл бұрын

@@andytubesewing1953 Thanks very much. I'd actually just like to take my machine to you to give some tender loving care! I have my mom's old Singer Touch Tronic 2000 and so much prefer this 401A. You're not anywhere near Westchester Cty, NY, are you?

@andytubesewing1953

4 жыл бұрын

@@linnettse7058 Westchester Cty, NY Oh, the Hudson Valley. Beautiful. So, you can jump on the I-40 west and stop after 2,500 miles and you'll be nearby. When your mom bought that Touch Tronic is was Hot Stuff I'm sure, but after just looking inside one I called it Touchy Tronic. No thanks. Yep, the Slant-O-Matic 401A is sure a favored vintage machine! Sorry, I'm not taking in restoration work at this time. If you just want it to work, find a local mechanic, motorcycle mechanic, appliance repair shop, High School Shop Teacher, and give them the service manual and show them my 100 videos and they can get it running nice. I know a lady who talked to the local high school shop teacher to let students work on the machine as extra school credit. If you want a true restoration, this is the guy I'd contact. kzread.infofeatured I mean just look at the work Scott does! He seems to be getting machines in for work, besides selling some of his own. His email address will be on his "ABOUT" page. I do not know Scott, I've never met him, talked to him, emailed him, etc. but I sure admire the dedication to detail and straightforwardness he projects. Besides, "Cow Country" must be closer to you then the middle of Arizona. A pleasure to have you comment on my channel and I hope it all works out well for you.

I had no idea how dirty my "Ruby" is on the inside!! I have krud kutter and I'm frozen like a deer in the headlights. I have the metal nut not the nylon one...I have to get in there to clean pin/spring things! I'm taking a break...

@andytubesewing1953

2 жыл бұрын

Oooh, I'm jealous of your metal adjustment nut. Lucky you! One step at a time. It really help me to take pictures as I went b/c I was worried about getting things back together in the correct sequence and position. Thank goodness for cellphone cameras. The first tension unit I did took about 90 minutes and I was sweating bullets. Now I can remove, clean, install and zero out in less than 10 minutes. You'll be fine.

so the whole reason I took apart mine on my 401A was because the pins don't rise evenly together, though I am able to get the plate on and off, it just sits sorta cocked when in the "up" position. While taking it apart and watching your video, I realized it's missing the bracket you mentioned at 20:20 so is this a part that SHOULD be on the 401A? Also, my 401A has the hinge screw you were taking about at 24:35. The serial number puts it in the '51-'56 range, and given the number, probably late 1953 or early 1954.

@andytubesewing1953

5 ай бұрын

If I remember correctly the pins never rise evenly at the same time, but both need to rise completely (of course). The uneven lifting is due to the "bumps" along the bracket that slides along under the pins. The bumps hit one pin before the other. The Bracket you are missing is part No. 172213, Throat Plate Clamp Pin Positioning Bracket. It came from the factory with one so it must have gotten lost by a previous repair attempt. Vintage Parts can be found on eBay when a seller parts out a machine. The same bracket is used on models 401A, 403A, & 404. Lucky you to have the hinge screw! I've always liked the 403A better but model 401A is truly an incredible machine. Happy you have one. Good Luck.

@dragonchild569

5 ай бұрын

@@andytubesewing1953 I got it cleaned up and reassembled without the bracket and they sit level now at least. The problem was more that in the "up" they were at different heights. I think they were just gummed up (like the rest of the machine) and one was being sticky. Works well enough now. A bit touchy still but the plate sits level and can be removed and put back. Thank you so much for all of your videos. I almost have this 401a in working order again!

@andytubesewing1953

5 ай бұрын

@@dragonchild569 If you are happy with it that's what matters. The bracket is to line up the clamps to face inward toward the needle plate and prevent the clamps from turning. The bracket is thin but would affect the overall height of the clamps. Thanks to you for saving that machine and working to get it back in service. 🙏 A very worthy model.

Yes, plastic nuts aren't all that, bronze is nice, but brass nuts are the best. (Seriously stainless steel, aluminum and combinations of those nuts and bolts will / could result in galling (stainless on stainless: YES, , ,aluminum on aluminum, YES and maybe stainless/aluminum combined (probably would also result in galling)...Little things like oil, never seize, or such will REALLY help prevent a very awkward problem)). (that galls me, , lol)

My Leaver "spring" is broken on my 411G. Anyone know where I could get a replacement?

@andytubesewing1953

6 ай бұрын

The Singer 400"G" models (made in Germany" were not sold here in the US, but many have migrated here. I can't get any of their parts manuals, but viewers have told me most of the parts are the same as the US 400s slant needle models. The part you ask about is Part No. 172158 "Throat Plate Position Lever Spring" and it is common on several models, like the 401A, 403A, 404, 500A, 503A, and most of the 600s series of Touch & Sew Slant Needle models. You can often find parts for those machines on eBay, Bonanza, and other online sites. It would be very rare to find just the spring for sale as sellers who part out a machine usually sell the associated parts together. Here is an example: www.bonanza.com/items/like/1510945888/Singer-403A-Throat-Plate-Position-Lever-Position-Indicator-Plate-172156 I've bought many parts from this seller and no problems. Here is also a listing on eBay with more parts included, but its the same spring: www.bonanza.com/items/like/1510945888/Singer-403A-Throat-Plate-Position-Lever-Position-Indicator-Plate-172156 Thanks for watching my channel, and good luck.

@martinmork1

6 ай бұрын

Thanks @@andytubesewing1953 I ended up making my own with some sheet metal and a pair of tin snips. Works great!

Lithium grease?

@andytubesewing1953

Жыл бұрын

Not on my machines! 👎 I've cleaned a lot of rock hard dried up lithium grease off of sewing machines. I just use the TriFlow Grease: www.triflowlubricants.com/product/tri-flow-synthetic-grease/

@theresaskrabanek512

Жыл бұрын

I meant maybe that is what you found on the machine you were cleaning.

@andytubesewing1953

Жыл бұрын

@@theresaskrabanek512 okay sorry I filmed it three years ago and it's one of almost 600 videos so I didn't even think about that. I thought you were asking me to use it so my mistake it could have been lithium easily. Thanks for watching my channel

@theresaskrabanek512

Жыл бұрын

No worries! Hope you are doing well.