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By BigRig
#11977
@Superdoo, the machine was serviced long ago at a place that still stands and I had my machine serviced there last year. It is almost like brand new. I am not sure what I will do with this thing though but love that motor on it. I would sew with that as equally as my servo. I really just need to find a Long Arm Walking Foot in this shape now.
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By souperdoo
#11982
That looks odd. I thought the usual 95 needle bar just had a hole in the end and a 1/8"-44 set screw to hold the needle.

Dang it, I'm going to have to think on this.
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By souperdoo
#11984
This is what it is supposed to look like, PN 52155: https://www.sharpsewingsupplies.com/sto ... _195K.html

What you got there looks like a needle bar from a 31. Changing out needle bars was not all that uncommon and was often done to accommodate the use of a particular needle. If, for example, you had a whole line of 31 machines and only a handful of 95s, you might change the needle bars out so they could use the same needles. That made your life easier, as you could just order one style of the needle. As well, if you were a domestic user and messed up your needle bar and took it in for repair, the repairman might put in whatever needle bar he had laying around. He'd figure out what needle he could use and time the machine to it. Then he'd tell you what needles to buy from then on.

You can buy a needle clamp for a 31 (understand that I'm guessing at the 31, but it looks right) and get 2 for $10: ht tps://www.amazon.com/NEEDLE-CLAMP-CONSEW-SING ... B077F2FX4W or you can buy a 52155 for $20. If you go the model 31 route you'll also need to figure out what needle you're supposed to use with it, as it may not use the same needle that it would with the 52155.

If you go with the 52155 you may have to re-time for the needle. You won't know until you can compare the two-needle bars.

Dadgum it, this is exciting vintage sewing machine science.
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By souperdoo
#11985
Nooooh! Keep it whole! This is just a bump in the road. Swapping parts around is not hard, finding stuff that works is not hard, and even timing is not all that hard if you have to do it.

This isn't like finding a tail-wheel for a Curtiss Jenny. They are still making parts for 100-year-old sewing machines!

We've pretty well hijacked this thread, haven't we?
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By BigRig
#11986
@souperdoo ,

This is amazing and extremely helpful. I took pictures of the needles that may have been used. The foot was inside a container with the long needles so maybe those are what they used.
Image
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By souperdoo
#11989
The usual needle for a 95 is the 88x1. I think those are UY128GAS. They are about 9.3mm longer than the 88x1. :open_mouth:

This gets more and more interesting.
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By BigRig
#11990
@souperdoo , the thread they had was a Tx 69 and tx 92. There was a thread stand with this machine and I have a feeling due to the spools of cotton thread there may have been another machine in the house? The more I look at this machine it has no wear on it at all and is almost brand new.
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By souperdoo
#11993
These are not complicated machines. Replacing a needle bar is not hard. If you take the end plate off I think you'll see right off how the needle bar is held in place and how it is adjusted up and down.

If you were going to time it for a shorter needle, once the new needle bar was in place, the first thing you'd do is loosen the hook and rotate it backwards to retard it. Insert a needle into the bar and lower the bar until it stops its downward motion and is about to start back up. Rotate the handwheel so that the needle rises 3/32" and stop. Bring the loose hook around until it is just about even with the needle, then slide the needle bar up until the hook is centered in the needle's scarf. That is a rough description just to show what is involved. There are more explicit instruction available for the 95, though the instructions for any straight lockstitch will do.

What timing the needle and hook does is that, as the needle pierces the fabric the thread is taut against the needle. Having the hook meet the needle after the needle has risen 3/32" allows the thread to relax and form a little loop at the eye of the needle. That is what the hook picks up to carry the top thread around the bobbin and form the lockstitch.

There's no need to send the machine off for fixing nor any need to fear doing the needle and hook timing.

Of course, if you buy a needle clamp for a 31 you probably won't need to do any mechanical work at all. The 31 clamp is a bit fiddly. If I recall correctly, it is just a box clamp and when you loosen the screw to remove the needle the lcamp is free to come off. That's why it isn't there now. It's probably in the carpet back at the house that the machine was in ;^).
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By BigRig
#11994
@souperdoo , you are right! It is probably in that carpet the legs came with attached orange shag carpet :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: . I really am interested in the repair of machines so will start with the 31 just to get sewing as I have a big textile job I need to get through and need the extra machine. After that I will use the machine as a learning curve then work on my walking foot to get it stitching longer stitches.

Thank you!!!

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