Whee another sewing machine thread... hahahahha

[CamoDeafie]

Bought this thing for $250 locally

It's apparently a 1984? Singer 20U33 (marked 20-33) made in Japan, on a power table. I took the clutch off and then I tried to get the tabletop level as the previous owner had it at an angle for some reason? Maybe happened during a move or some such. Also. Previous owner used the wrong kind of needles on this machine so some adjustments and timing checks will happen when I can. Got news that we will be able to move to a ground level 3 bedroom apartment during Sept/Oct this year in the same complex, so I'm not going to lug this machine and table up to the current 2nd floor apartment only to lug it down and across
More pics and stuff next post got some options for this one.. got it more for the zig zag capacity that it has.. so I can do Bartacks and also use for other things if needed. Might retire/sell the Signer 4411 I also have.. not sure. We'll see.


Serial number, according to what I could find the first 2 digits is the year, for Japanese 20U class machines?

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[Andy54Hawken]

Well....Sew what...?
Just kidding...neat find...looking forward to see what you create with it.
Andy

 

[CamoDeafie]

So. It came with these...

A binder containing photocopied Singer Service manual and user manual; exactly what I need..
A box containing 4 more bobbins, some presser feet Loose presser feet,
A cleaning kit and tool kit, marking pencil, straight stitch feed dog and plate, original table hinge pins, spool caps, two fusible tapes

Upholstery thread and spool caps and the two tapes


The wrong needles; they're domestics not industrial and not the type the machine takes. They'll fit the Singer 15s and 4411 though.

I have three options for making it run without the original clutch...

Option 1. Servo motor under table like my other Singer industrial machine

Option 2. Direct drive Servo motor upgrade, later Singer 20Us have that, stupid expensive freight and they're all from China as far as I can tell? Not sure what to make of that

Option 3. Put tabletop onto the 31-15's industrial treadle base, align pulleys, drill new hole for one end of the leather belt, swap the balance wheel for a Singer 66 spoked balance wheel. 31-15 can use 31-20's power table.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Well....Sew what...?
Just kidding...neat find...looking forward to see what you create with it.
Andy

Thanks, it'll be a few months before I'm sewing on it, simply because of the move and setting everything up. Still got the 31-20 from 1950s as primary

 

[CamoDeafie]

Few options since I don't want to keep the clutch motor;

Option 1, cheapest, I just need drill hole for leather belt to go through since flywheel isn't as far offset as clutch motor pulley, a treadle base from the 31-15 project that I picked up a month or so ago; since the 31-15 project can fit my primary machine model 31-20's power table; I would need to clean, derust, and paint the cast iron treadle base.. but I don't know if I would like how it looks with a decidedly more modern machine up top.


Option 2; get a 550W servo motor of the same type that's underneath my primary; picture from internet. Direct bolt on, no modifications needed. I already am familiar with this type and it should be quite easy to work with.




Option 3, most expensive; but probably "safest" in that there's no belt, no pulley system for the little ones to hurt themselves with.. only the pedal and the actual needle work space.. a direct drive servo motor

It would resemble this copy of the Singer 20U class

I believe Yamata, Techsew,Tacsew, Reliable, and a few others sells the same machine.. all China made nowadays. The motor would come from China from what I could find and even the 550W under table motor would be made in China (but sold and shipped from US dealers from US warehouses) ; but what aren't? I did find a company in Japan that markets a direct drive motor upgrade but I haven't been able to find an US dealer for them?

 

[CamoDeafie]

Add another motor option. I'm finding this online for pretty cheap...

2.5 amp 250W 110v "monster sewing machine motor" with two speed, foot control pedal. Best I can find is that it's similar in power to the Sailrite WorkerB 3amp max, 350watt 110v power unit upgrade for their Ultrafeed portables; but of an older style brushed and resistance operated motor.. essentially a beefed up domestic machine motor with pedal control... FWIW; my 15-91s uses 110v 0.6amp direct drive motors, and this "monster sewing machine motor" is almost half the wattage of the 110v 550w unit under my Singer 31-20, and doing the amp formula, 550w ÷ by 110v, we get 5 amps...? But if doing Watts formula of volts × amps, we get 110vX 2.5amp to get 275 Watts..

If the 20U33 is "simply a slightly beefed up all steel domestic machine with industrial motor and stand"; then I figure that 250W motor can't hurt it much in what I plan to do with it?

 

[CamoDeafie]

In new place. Both industrial tables now in there and the 20U33 still needs a motor, a larger thread stand, a stand pin for when I tilt the machine back to check and oil it.. removed the small two-spool stand and the belt guard. Looks like the machine can accept a domestic type bracket external motor; if I so choose to; although I'm a bit spoiled with the 31-20's 550W servo motor... for the direct mount motor from China; it would be around $210 including freight from China; for a 750W, 110V servo motor that appears to be a brushless stepper type.. compared to $135-150 shipped for a standard 550W-750W brushed servo motor (same style and look as the one under the 31-20 on the left).

For under $100, actually right at $60, I could get a large domestic sewing motor 1/2 the power claimed , 2.5 Amp/250W, with a pedal control that may or may not be linear in control (cheap pedal control apparently); but honestly that may make it feel like a bit of a step down from the clutch motor I have in the storage unit so it's looking like the 550W standard brushed servo motor; as that is the one that I have experience with.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Put the lamp assembly on, but it'll need new socket and power cord. The cord goes through the tube arm and into the side of the shade body; fairly simple and a common set up I would think. The original assembly was wired directly into the clutch motor; with the lamp socket side connections soldered on. I must say, I like this lamp setup better than the articulated desk lamp on the 31-20, as its out of the way of work pieces and easier to just aim it at the needle area. I've pretty much made up my mind to use a servo motor of the identical type as my 31-20's motor; instead of trying the direct drive system or brushless or smaller domestic or even treadle. The treadle assembly will wait for a bit.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Things arrived in the mail, and I've been slowly getting stuff organized for both industrial machines!
550W servo motor, brushed type, same as under the 31-20

New thread stand, needs longer wood screws. Still need to get lamp cord and either figure how to resolder cord or find matching replacement socket.


Bobbin organizer from Walmart, on the left are the 31-20 bobbins, on the far right are the 20U33 bobbins, I have 10 black 20U class bobbins coming in the mail so I can tell the difference right off the bat. 20U class smaller bobbins than 31-20.

31-20 accessory box, normally a pencil case from Michael's.

High shank feet, thread gauge and T seam guide for either machine
.

Tools and Singer oils/grease that came with the 20U33

Proper 20u33 needles and other things. Will need to confirm that the needlebar height is properly set since these needles are a different length than the domestic 15x1 needles that the 20U33 had when I got it.

 

[CamoDeafie]

It's alive! finally got the two V belts in for both industrial machines. The 3L-39 fits the black Singer 31-20 best, and the 3L-40 fits this blue machine best. Oiled it, filled bobbin, inserted proper needle class according to the blue instructions binder, and threaded with Ranger Green T70 thread.. test runs on a scrap of 1000D Cordura with OD binding tape.. some tension adjustments was all it needed. Seems the previous user of it did not adjust the needle bar to use the shorter domestic 15x1 needles that came with it.. according to Wawak Sewing, the right needle class is 135x9/ PFX797.

Final thing is to find a power cord and a ceramic light socket that's not soldered to a wire for the lamp.

 

[CamoDeafie]

I'm still thinking out how to best organize my cones of T70 thread; from 4oz sizes to 16oz size.

Sewing space; rearranged so that I actually have a bit more work space than when I had the machines next to each other on the far wall by the bed.


4-8oz cones on factory thread stand, before I flipped light arm bracket around so cord goes below thread cones
The current bunch of greens and Coyote Brown T70 thread; not shown is basic black and dayglo orange in a plastic shoebox, and 2oz spools of Navy blue and white T70 thread that came with the machine.

 

[JustShoot]

I'm still thinking out how to best organize my cones of T70 thread; from 4oz sizes to 16oz size.

I just throw thread cones that not using on a shelf away from window direct sunlight, assorted in color groups. If you ever get down my way contact me and I got craploads of 16oz cones of 69 nylon ( all still good ) full and partial rolls that you can drive away with.
.

 

[CamoDeafie]

I went and got a 2-pack of those 15qt clear storage totes with lids while buying toddler food; one will br extra toy storage for the kids, and the other now holds all the 2oz-16oz cones of thread I have. I do still have a spool rack for the smaller spools to go with the other machines for light fabric work

 

[CamoDeafie]

Online, same size ceramic sockets required either solder or push in wires, so went and got a $7.50 lamp cord with polarized plug locally and busted out the soldering iron. Inserted a LED mini-spotlight bulb and its working pretty good. Tossed thread into the 15qt clear tote to put out of the sunlight.
With camera flash

Without camera flash, showing just how well-lit the needle area gets. Seems the LED bulb is bright enough to make the room comparatively dark to the camera


Backside of machine showing the light bracket and where cord exits the arm

Not quite centered, I think I may have bent the housing somewhere. I can fix it later, its not touching the bulb though.

15qt tote of T45-T70 thread

 

[CamoDeafie]

So. This cheap looking adjustable bias tape snap-on foot actually does better on straights and outside curves with this grosgrain tape, than the 90 degree binding attachment for the 31-20... I may invest in a Sailrite inline swing away binding attachment or a similar inline attachment.. the 20u33's feed dog is chewing the clear plastic on this foot.

 

[JustShoot]

So. This cheap looking adjustable bias tape snap-on foot actually does better on straights and outside curves with this grosgrain tape, than the 90 degree binding attachment for the 31-20... I may invest in a Sailrite inline swing away binding attachment or a similar inline attachment.. the 20u33's feed dog is chewing the clear plastic on this foot.

Welcome to the world of Seam Binding....LOL it real hard at first to learn binder set-ups, with using different machines and feeds. Then as the years go by. It turns easier and is only a BIG pain in the bubblegum.

Setting up machines for binding is a pile of acquired knowledge that takes years to get a handle on. You need to cut/trim presser-feet to get a binder head in close to needles. also the feed dogs need to be trimmed, or get a specific dog set for binding . The Binders position, angle. height..etc . it a job to get it all balanced so you get the binding tape to track proper out the throat, and also feed/track a good radius.
Drop-feed machine hard, and the combo straight-zigzag stitch machine is going to be harder. best to use a needle-feed or a unison feed. Some machines there are Binder setups pre manufactured, offered as kits. Seam Binder/Dogs or raised feed dogs/needle-plate to set it up to a model. Some need to be custom set-up.

Setting up, and sewing using Tape Binders on single-needle and Double-needle, also the differences in better machine models using their different Feeds. I have done it almost 30 years and I dont think you can learn it all.
.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Yeah, turns out on the 31-20, the feed dog actually clears, but the needle position is such that even with the clear plastic part all the way against the foot (as far left as possible); the needle just misses the edge. Not sure if that's significant since the needle plate is centered and the needle is also centered. Could be the presser foot bar needing to adjust a tiny amount.. but... this foot seems better on the 20U33... so I'll figure things out. So its back to manually folding the binding tape and feeding it against a T seam guide on either machine. I do have a straight stitch feed dog and plate for the 20U33 but I want to make use of it's zigzag for bartacks at least until I can justify the cost of a dedicated 42-stitch bar tacker that doesn't require air compressor

 

[JustShoot]

'Ideally'.. it best to just set-up a specific head just for binding specific job .

3/4" tape on a double-needle, with a using 3/16" needle-gauge set. is probably the most common, and gets most used for Tactical gear/Para gear side of rigging nylon . For the thinner edge item probably 1/2" on a single needle .
For 'Thicker' edge Binding like for Back Packs, rifle/gear bags..etc. is 1" type-ll herringbone, on a single-needle heavy tread.

The 3/4" type-lll tape 'grosgrain' is definitely the Binding I use the most almost everyday. also It the first thing I started to learn Binder set-up for .

I have had a Bar-tack machines before. they are handy if you have repetitious bulk of items , but the reality 'for me' was it was the least used of my machines, and the space is best used by another machines. If I ever get bigger shop space I still might pick-up another bartack someday.
.

 

[CamoDeafie]

I tend to use 1" grosgrain for the most part, though I also have 7/8" ish (the tanish one seen in pictures). Simply because its (1" width) cheap and easily found in most colors I use.

 

[CamoDeafie]

The reason I've been eyeing bartack machines....I just want to cut down on the tedium of attaching MOLLE to the fabric panels, particularly if I'm gonna be making MOLLE bags and chest rigs otherwise, doing it Tactical Tailor style works for the back of pouches.