Singer Sergers Quantumlock 4 or 14U64A or 14U32 14U286B
Singer has been making fabulous sewing machines for over a century, and their sergers that were designed for the home sewer, really rev up your sewing speed, trimming the seam, overcasting it, & sewing the seam, all in one quick step! Many sewists refer to their serger, as being the sewing room
equivalent of a microwave oven, in the kitchen, a great way to speed up sewing, and make it look professional!
QuantumLock 4 also known as model 14U286B is shown with an original Singer scrap catcher, which catches trimmings, and is easily removed, to empty it into the trash.
I HIGHLY recommend getting a copy of the Singer Sewing Library Book "SEWING WITH AN OVERLOCK", it has step by step photos of how to use these sergers, and how to adjust for better stitches, how to unjam your machine, sew blind hems, and more. It is often online for only $1.99 or around there, plus shipping. The Singer Sewing Library has over 35 different books for sewing almost any kind of home sewing, from upholstery to clothing, to curtains, to decor, to purses, to gifts, and more.
Singer QuantumLock 4, which is also known as model 14U286B, is an excellent overlock machine, basically, the luxury version of 14U64A, because it sews everything that model sews, but also has differential feed, which is helpful in gathering ruffles, quickly, and preventing knits from stretching out of shape, or to create curly lettuce rolled hems.
The other big difference, is QuantumLock 4 14U286B has a built in upper looper "subsidiary looper", is built into the upper looper, to block the upper looper, to serge 2 thread rolled hems, and 2 thread flatlock stitches, as well as the 2 needle 3 thread Super Stretch Stitch. Model 14U64A does not have this feature, on their upper loopers.
When new, there is a small plastic cap, which snaps over the stitch width adjusting knob, which basically becomes a tiny freearm, the smallest freearm home serger available, making it easy to serge cuffs, necklines, and armholes, even on toddler, and baby clothes. Often, this plastic piece is missing, because it work fine without it, and leaving it off, makes the stitch width dial more easily accessible.
Separator plate for shirring, gathering, ruffling, fabric to be gathered feeds under the plate, which allows it to be held against the front feed dog, which moves faster than the rear feed dog, when Differential Feed is set to 2. (Be aware, this serger automatically resets stitch length to
to 3, with Differential Feed set to 2)
The separator plate has a thumbscrew, to attach it to the front door of the serger, so the blade goes in front of, slightly under, and to the left of the feed dogs.
1987 ADVERTISEMENT VIDEO OF SINGER ULTRALOCK SERGERS
Singer Quantumlock 4 Differential feed 2,3,4 thread overlock serger, rolled hem shown sewn with the rolled hemmer plate shown to the left. Note position of stitch length dial and on & off switch.
Singer Quantumlock with Differential Feed is an excellent home serger, 1,500 stitches per minute, 2,3,4 thread serger, the nosecone for the freearm is off, in this photo, for easier access to the stitch width adjustment knob, which is visible just below the white satin. Stitch length dial is right above the red letters SINGER. Notice 3 thread overlock stitch sewn on satin fabric.
Singer Quantumlock 4 with freearm noseplate (hiding the knob for stitch width adjustments), and both the rolled hemmer needleplate, and the regular overlock and flatlock needleplate, with original Singer trimmer catcher. Presser foot has been removed for visibility of needleplate.
Singer's 1987 video showing the features of their Ultralock Serger for the home sewer, says it serges at a speedy 1,500 stitches per minute! If you are used to newer sewing machines, that will feel fast to you, but it is slow, compared to an industrial serger, which is usually over 2,000 stitches per minute, often as fast as 6,000 stitches a minute.
Singer Qantumlock 4 was used to sew on the black rolled hem shown in the photo, using the rolled hem needleplate on the left
I have owned, & serged with many Singer sergers, particularly out of the Singer 14U serger series. I learned on the Singer 14U64A, with no manual, though my hubby and I finally bought the Singer Sewing Reference Library book "SEWING WITH AN OVERLOCK", which had so many great instructions and photos, that I learned to adjust tensions and change stitches, even without the manual!
I created a stitch sample notebook, where I taped stitch samples, and wrote down the settings I used, to get them. I used different thread colors, to match the color coded tension units and thread path markings, which makes it easier to identify which thread is doing what, so you know which tension to adjust.
Singer Quantumlock 14U286B Overlock Serger notice the lower looper is accessed by removing the freearm nose cone, you turn the handwheel until the needles are down, and the lower looper is in this position, to thread this end of the looper, then turn the handwheel again, to get the lower looper point, to go out the other side of the needleplate, to finish threading the thread guide in the end of the looper point.
Singer Quantumlock 4 differential feed is silver knob on far right, right below the stitch length knob. The differential feed knob must be unscrewed, to adjust it, and must be screwed tight, after adjustment, to make sure it stays in place. It cannot be adjusted during sewing, it requires opening the front plate, which risks you touching moving parts (the loopers, or tangling up the threads accidentally) , so always close the door after resetting the differential feed. The black box on the lower right corner, is the on off switch, which turns on the serger light, & motor. Notice the color coded tension dials and dots, next to the thread guides. This is to simplify threading, great for beginner sergers!
THREADING SERGERS-
Most, but not all sergers, require a special threading order, or they will break the threads, and not stitch properly. Threading order is usually
1. Upper looper
2. Lower looper
3. Left Needle
4. Right Needle
If you do not have a thread chain formed, and have accidentally threaded it in the wrong order, the needle threads get trapped in the lower looper thread, breaking your threads, and ruining any possibility of stitches. To avoid this, before trying to sew a thread chain, raise the presser foot, have the needles in the highest position, and use your long bent serger tweezers, or a similar long, slender object, to sweep under the front of the presser foot, all of the way to the back of the presser foot, and it should pull all of your threads to the back, in the correct position for beginning to stitch.
This tip can save you hours of frustration, but can only be done, if there is no thread chain on the needleplate, or formed behind the needles. Otherwise, you wind up unthreading your machine, and rethreading again, and again, which leads to frustration, and makes some people give up sergers, before they find out how much fun they can be, and how FAST and PROFESSIONAL your sewing looks, when properly serged!
The Singer Ultralock 14U64A was my very first serger. After she got a new serger, the alterations shop seamstress,for Emporium Department Store,at the Karcher Mall, in Nampa Idaho, gave the serger to my husband, for rewiring half of her doublewide trailer. My hubby was thrilled at the chance to get me a serger, but it took me a year to learn how to use it, because I didn't have a manual for it, and without a manual, video, or anyone to teach me how to use the serger, it literally took me a year, to figure out how to properly adjust, and set the tensions, stitch length & width, and actually sew projects with it. I hadn't gotten into Ebay, or using the internet very much, yet, by the time I had my brain surgery, in 2000. I kept, and used the Singer 14U64A, until I bought the Babylock 838D, which had differential feed, and also had a very special feature, the knee lift for raising and lowering the presser foot, hands free.
Luckily, we found the Singer Sewing Library, a batch of about 7 of their sewing manuals, with step by step photos of how to sew all kinds of special things, and their Sewing With an Overlock, became my serger "bible"! I sewed stitch samples, taped them into a notebook, and wrote down every setting for the 4 tensions, as well as stitch length & width, to help me learn how to adjust them properly, so I could actually start using the serger in sewing my own clothing, quilts, and curtains, as well as other sewn items. I highly recommend the Singer Sewing Library books, I think there are now over 30 different books, and they are all very well written, with step by step instructions, accompanied by very well thought out photos, even including how to fix a serger jam!
I found my Singer Sewing With an Overlock, and my homemade serger stitch sample notebook, to be far more helpful in setting my serger to sew various fabrics, than when I finally bought the original manual off Ebay, it didn't actually have anywhere near the amount of information I had gathered myself, nor was it as helpful as the Singer Sewing With an Overlock book.
Besides learning from the Singer Sewing Reference Library, I bought Palmer and Pletsch books and videos from Beginning Sergers to Creative Serging, there is a ton of GREAT information to teach you to use your serger!
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND PALMER AND PLETSCH BOOKS AND VIDEOS ! This is a link to their website if you want to buy your own!
QuantumLock 4 also known as model 14U286B, with the plastic freearm cover removed, which makes it easier to access the stitch width adjuster dial.
The machine bed is designed to snap down, allowing it to be a tiny freearm.
My favorite sergers I have owned, as well as sewed with, include
Babylock 838D 2,3,4 thread serger, auto lower looper threader, differential feed, METAL, built in rolled hem, adjustable stitch width adjustable stitch length (BL4-838D is my VERY FAVORITE serger, my Babylock Evolve is my second favorite."
Titan micro ratchet was perfect for accessing the timing screws on 14U64A adjusting lower looper both up, and slightly further right, when left needle was skipping stitches, even with new needle, correctly installed.
TITAN micro ratchet used
Adjusting screw to raise, or lower, the lower looper position, to correct skipping stitches with left needle.
Singer 14U64A regular needleplate has solid stitch fingers. 3 thread overlock stitch being formed with right needle
14U64A rolled hem plate shown with rolled hem on very lightweight batiste fabric
Oldest Singer 14U64A says to use Singer needle system 2020, which is sharp needles, the same as 15x1H needles
Newer, lighter weight Singer 14U64A says to use Singer needle system 2045, which is the same as ballpoint 15x1H needles with flat back shank.
Singer Quantumlock 14U286B states to use Singer needle system 2054 which is ballpoint serger needles with ROUND shank, and longer needles! NOT the same as used with 14U64A, even though the sergers appear nearly identical, other than the 14U64A does not have differential feed.
