OldSewinGear News Reviews & How To's

Spring into Action

12/22/2014

So the sliding cover to the bobbin compartment on your 401A has popped off and you can't get it to stay on. So you take a closer look and discover that the spring that holds it in place has broken.

Now what?

Singer 401A bobbin cover plate

On closer inspection you can see the screw that holds the spring in place. There's just one problem...you can't get to it...
The head of the screw is blocked by the hook and bobbin case. So how do you get to it?

The solution is simple...if you know where to look. The first step is to tilt the machine back and look under the lip of the sewing platform directly below the bobbin compartment.

Slide plate spring with attaching screw.

Beneath the lip you'll see what looks like the end of a screw with a slot in it. It looks like the tip of a screw because that's what it is. In fact, it's the end of the screw that holds the spring in place. You can't access the head of the screw down inside the bobbin compartment, but you can unscrew it from the opposite end on the outside of the machine.

Attaching screw for bobbin cover plate.

Using a standard screwdriver, turn the screw clockwise to loosen. (This is opposite of the usual "Lefty loosey, righty tighty" principle because you're working on the tip of the screw, not the head of the screw.)

Once the screw is loose, remove the spring by sliding to the right, tilting slightly, and lifting out.

Remove spring by sliding to right and tilting slightly.

Replace the broken spring and reverse the steps to tighten the screw. Once the spring is fixed in place, reattach the sliding plate. Position the plate behind the spring and use a small screwdriver to lift the wings of the spring into the grooves of the slide plate. Slide plate towards you to snap into place.

Position slide plate behind spring.

Lift wings of spring into grooves of slide plate as you slide the plate towards you.

There you go, as easy as one, two, three! Want to see it in video?

There, problem solved. Slant-o-Matic models 403, 404, 500, 503, 600, 603, 604 (and other 600-series models) share this same design, so these instructions work for those models too!

Happy Sewing!
Barbara

OldSewinGear...dedicated to helping you get the most out of your old sewing gear.

4 Comments

Do I need Special Discs for my 401 or 500?

12/7/2014

15 Comments

This is a very good question, and one I hear often from 401, 500, and 600 owners.

This simple answer?

It depends on how creative you want or need to be.

As shown on the flip-top chart, the 401 has an impressive array of built-in stitch patterns with almost infinite range of length and width variations.

Singer 401 built-in stitch chart

Singer 401A built-in cam-stack.

If you look at the 401's built-in cam stack each cam represents a different stitch pattern. And when you factor in that the 401 can "combine" two cams to create additional stitch patterns, it's pretty awesome what the 401 can do without Special Discs.

But if you want to get the maximum creative use out of your 401, you will definitely want a set of Special Discs.

Why?

Special Disc patterns from 500A manual.

The original accessories kit for the 401 included 5 Special Discs (numbered 1-5) for stitches that are not built-in. These 5 discs can be combined with the built in Primary stitches to produce additional patterns, such as scalloped zigzag.

However, Singer produced a total of 24 Special Discs for the Slant-o-Matic and 600-series Touch & Sew family, which means there are 19 additional discs available.

Some of these additional Special Discs are patterns which are not built-in, while others are duplications of stitches built into the 401. However, even duplicates can add to the range of stitches the 401 can produce.

"If it's already built-in, why would I want the Special Disc too?

The answer lies in the distinction between "Primary" patterns and "Combination" patterns.

"Primary" patterns use a single cam in the cam-stack to produce the stitch. This means that the stitch pattern is unchanged regardless of width and length settings. In other words, a scalloped stitch simply gets wider or narrower but still looks the same. In the sample shown here, the width of Special Disc #12 has been set progressively wider.

Special Disc #12 at widths 2, 3, 4, 5 (Primary)

On the other hand, "Combination" patterns use two cams in the stack to produce the stitch pattern. Which means that a change in stitch width affects the movement of both cams, which can greatly affect the overall appearance of the stitch. Note in the sample shown here how the appearance of stitch setting DP changes when the width is set progressively wider. The zigzag blocks get narrower as the offset gets wider.

Built in stitch DP at widths 2, 3, 4 (Combination)

While this does add some variety to the built-in stitches, it also means you are somewhat limited when using built-in stitch patterns if you want the pattern wider or narrower.   The 401 and 500 have seven built-in "Primary patterns. They're shown on the top row of the chart (see photo above) inside the flip-up lid.

Which is where Special Discs come in. Special Discs are considered "Primary" patterns, so they look the same regardless of width. Clearly an advantage in some situations.

Another advantage of using a Special Disc is that two-needle stitching only works with "Primary" patterns, because the left-hand stitch selector has to be set on "A." So if you like the look of a "combination" stitch but want that stitch in double-needle, you'll need to use a Special Disc.

Built-in Primary patterns can also be combined with certain Special Discs to produce additional stitch patterns.

The final advantage of Special Discs is that they are just plain easy to use. Pick a pattern, pop it in, and away you go.  No messing with dials or charts.

So, DO you need a complete set of Special Discs for your 401, 500, or 600 sewing machine?

Bottom line, it's up to you.  The choice is yours.

Happy Sewing!
Barbara
OldSewinGear...dedicated to helping you get the most our of your old sewing gear.

For additional information about Special Discs see the articles:
How to Use a Singer Special Disc
Disc-o-mania! Special Discs & Fashion Discs

15 Comments

Spring into Action

Do I need Special Discs for my 401 or 500?

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Spring into Action

Do I need Special Discs for my 401 or 500?

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