Introduction: How to Thread the Singer 491D Industrial Sewing Machine

By YuKonstruct's Website
About: YuKonstruct is a non-profit society which provides an enthusiastic community of makers and entrepreneurs affordable access to space, equipment and knowledge. This community serves to embrace the individual and…

YuKonstruct has an industrial sewing machine - the Singer 491D.

YuKonstruct is the first makerspace in Canada's north. Our mission is to provide access to shared space, quality tools, available expertise, and a collaborative environment to help makers build or sew anything!

The industrial sewing is an amazing tool in our repertoire, and if you don't know anything about sewing machines... it isn't your run of the mill domestic machine.

The difference between a domestic and an industrial sewing machine is something like the difference between a regular car and a logging truck. Your car is designed to get you to the office or to the supermarket, but the logging truck will haul huge, heavy loads for 10 hours a day, every day, at highway speeds.

Using this machine, our members have made some amazing projects: mittens with wolf fur linings, dresses, aprons, leather projects, canvas shopping bags, harnesses for dogs, etc.

Here we go through the steps to threading the Singer machine.

Step 1: Wrapping the Thread Hanger and First Thread Guide

First, make sure that your thread is sitting on the thread hanger post, which is located on the right hand side of the machine in the photo. One post is for the thread for your needle and one is for your bobbin.

Feed the thread up to the thread hanger (photo 1) and hang it on the top thread guide.

From here, take the thread to the first thread guide on the machine. It is a small post in the centre that has two holes in it (photo 2).

Thread from back to front, starting at the top hole. Once through the hole, pass the thread around the guide one full rotation and then thread the lower hole from back to front. It should look like photo 2.

Step 2: Threading the Second Guide

Now bring the thread to the second thread guide, which is an angled piece located near the head of the sewing machine. This thread guide has three holes (see photo 1), but we only thread the top and bottom holes for most projects. If you need to increase thread tension, wrap the thread through the middle hole as well.

Follow the same process as the first guide, thread the top hole first (back to front) wrap down, missing the second hole, and thread from back to front again (photo 2).

Step 3: Thread Around the Tension Knob

Next, bring the thread down through the third thread guide, which is a small metal piece located on the head of the machine (see photo 1). You just need to pass the thread from top to bottom.

Now move to the tension guide, the knob shown in photo 1 located right below the third guide on the head of the machine.

Pull the thread through the tension guide between the inner disks in a clockwise direction. In Photo 2 you can see the inner disks quite clearly. Pull the thread all the way around the disk into the fourth thread guide (photo 2 - it is a small metal loop at the top of the tension knob).

Now bring your thread back to the the third thread guide and pass through it from bottom to top.

Step 4: Threading Thread Take-up and Needle!

Your thread is now located at thread guide 3 (labeled in photo 1). Loop it around the metal hook on the left side of the tension knob and then bring it up to the thread take-up.

Thread through the thread take-up, from right to left, you can see this more clearly in photo 2. Now pass the thread through the fifth thread guide towards the needle (photo 2).

Thread through the sixth thread guide near the needle (photo 3).

Now you are ready to THREAD THE NEEDLE!