Singer Sewing Machine Instruction Manual page 17

2) Adjust the Foot Pressure
Check to make sure the there is proper foot
pressure. Closely–woven materials such as vinyl,
and canvas can make it diffi cult for the needle to be
withdrawn from the fabric. If the presser foot is lifting
as the needle comes out of the fabric the effect is the
same as if the needle were not going far enough into the
cloth. The loop will be too small.
The solution to this problem is more downward
pressure must be placed on the center presser foot. The
presser foot is adjustable because it is spring loaded.
The threaded screw that comes out of the top of the
machine just above the presser foot needs to be turned
so that the knurled head turns clockwise to increase the
pressure, thus compressing the spring underneath.
3) Reset the Needle Bar:
If the machine still skips stitches, it is likely the
needle bar is too high or too low.
Needle bar height is checked by observing the
distance between the eye of the needle to the hook
point. (See Fig. 11 & 12)
The preferred technique is to measure the
distance between the top of the needle eye and the hook
point when the hook is directly behind the needle and
the needle is on its way up. This distance is normally
between 1/8 and 3/32 of an inch as in the illustration.
The needle bar is locked into position of its drive
collar with a single screw. There is a hole on the inside
of the arm of the machine when the bar is at the lowest
point of its travel. The screw has a slotted head. On the
zig zag machines, the screw is located on the front of the
pillow block drive collar on the needle bar.
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