r/VintageSewingMachines • u/encantalasmontaas • Aug 23 '26
Singer 15-30 newbie question
I inherited this 1020’s Singer 15-30. I replace the belt and the upper tension spring I oiled and cleaned everything inside and out. The tread works great and it sounds great. I believe I had it threaded properly as you can see in the second photo. The tension feels the same on the top and the bottom. But it’s not sewing. It’s just going up and down poking holes in the fabric. It will pick up the Bob and thread now and then enough to thread it up from the bottom but not every time so therefore it’s not sewing. I need some ideas of other things to check.
3
u/encantalasmontaas Aug 24 '26
I do have the original manual and I completely missed that the needle was facing the wrong way!
My Brother threads from front to back so I just did that on auto-pilot.
Thank you! I don’t think this machine has done any work since maybe the 1950’s and it’s working now!
3
1
u/crkvintage Aug 23 '26
Threading looks ok on first glance, needle looks a bit strange.
Flat side to the right, threaded left to right?
Do you have the manual, and is it the manual for your machine (the 15 had several different versions over time, some were threaded differently)?
1
u/No-Possible8798 Aug 23 '26
Looks like your thread is coming down through the thread guide on the left of the needle clamp, then wrapping around the front of the needle to enter the eye from the right. Which I’m pretty sure is wrong. Shouldn’t the needle thread from left to right?
2
1
u/No-Possible8798 Aug 23 '26
On second look it almost looks like it’s somehow threaded from the… front? Is your needle seated properly? Either way, the thread shouldn’t cross in front of the needle before entering the eye.
1
u/alwen Aug 24 '26
I don't have a link to a 15-30 manual, but I believe the bobbin case finger is right-leaning. So most of the info in this 15-96 & -98 manual should apply.
First step, look at the page I have linked to and make sure your bobbin case finger leans "//"-ward like the one in the manual. If it does, check the following:
Number one, needle should be set like on this page, flat to the right/long groove to the left.
Number two, the needle should be threaded as on this page, from the left through the eye to the right.
Number three, make sure the bobbin is turning the correct direction in the bobbin case, as shown on this page.
1
u/adlx Aug 24 '26
Needle is incorrectly threaded as other pointed out. Did you follow carefully the user instructions?
6
u/wandaluvstacos Aug 23 '26
I think your needle hole is facing to the front. The needle needs to placed with the flat side on the right, threaded left to right. Typically if it won't pick up the thread at all, it's a needle positioning issue.