Below you will find several guides that were posted a year or more ago in a thread that I started, I've grouped them all together for your convenience. I thank all the original posters as these have helped me and many others I would expect.
Big John
Singer needle - Pfaff Needle
18 ----------------------- 110
20 ----------------------- 125
22 ----------------------- 140
23 ----------------------- 160
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Thread Needle Fabric Weight
V-30 #12 or #14 Fabrics under 1 1/2 ounces
V-46 #14 or #16 Fabrics under 3 ounces
V-69 #16 or #18 Fabrics up to 6 ounces (can use for Sunbrella)
V-92 #18 or #20 Fabrics up to 10 ounces (can use for Sunbrella)
V-138 #20 or #22 Fabrics over 10 ounces. This thread is too heavy for practical use in home sewing machines.
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Metric Needle Size Singer Needle Size Compatible Thread Size
60 8 12
65 9 12, 15
70 10 12, 15, 23
75 11 12, 15, 23
80 12 23, 30
85 13 23, 30
90 14 23, 30, 46
95 15 23, 30, 46
100 16 30, 46, 69
105 17 30, 46, 69
110 18 46, 69
120 19 69, 92
125 20 69, 92
130 21 69, 92
140 22 92, 138
150 22.5 138
160 23 138
170 23.5 138
180 24 138, 207
190 24.5 138, 207
200 25 207, 277
230 26 207, 277, 346
250 27 207, 277, 346, 415
280 28 277, 346, 415
300 29 346, 415
330 30 415
350 31 415
380 32 415
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Avg.* Ndl Sz.**
Strength Min. Sz.
Size (Lbs.)
33 3.7 80 / 12
33 5.2 80 / 12
46 6.8 100 / 16
60 6 110 / 18
69 10 110 / 18
92 13.3 120 / 20
138 20 140 /22
207 31 160 / 24
277 41 180 / 25
346 57 230 / 26
415 66 250 / 27
554 91 280
693 92 300
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This is awesome! Thank you!!
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If a needle is numbered as a 134-35, what does the second ("35") number stand for?
Quote from: barrys on August 04, 2009, 08:08:16 pm
If a needle is numbered as a 134-35, what does the second ("35") number stand for?
barrys,
I hit you with that information in the thread about your Pfaff, check it out.
Anyways, about the chart...
The needle sizes are considered "Old Singer/Asian and the other numbers are number metric, or NM as designated on most brands packs of needles. The Number Metric (NM) is NOT a Pfaff innovation, but an attempt was made in German publication, "the German standard DIN 5325" that published the comparison of metric and other size designations for sewing machine needles. A metric size designation under the the abbreviation NM was introduced to replace the 40 or so different size designations in use at that time. The old Singer numbers are arbitrary, but the NM sizes are the actual blade size in hundredths of a millimeter measured above the scarf or the short groove, but not at the reinforced part of the blade. or the thickness of the blade of the needle, the part that is penetrating the material that can be measured with a caliper. Most needle brands don't have the system, as many cross reference, but most do have the size in the NM inscribed on the shank of the needle.
BTW...Old Singer/Asian size 20, or Number Metric (NM)125 is a very common size within a lot of needle systems and brands and can be misleading in that yes it is available!
Another issue I have is that this guide does not provide any allowance for various layers of material. For example, You would use a much different needle and thread size if you are sewing say two layers of Sunbrella, or 12 layers of the same oz. Sunbrella.
For example, an overhang with braid binding and one layer of Sunbrealla is commonly sewn with a size 18 needle, and 69 thread.
A boat enclosure, in contrast, can be a few layers of Sunbrella, glass, and Sunbrella double fold binding (four layers of Sunbrella counting the prefolded sides) commonly sewn with a 92 size thread and 21 needle.
So, again, you must really consider the goods being sew, and cannot, in all cases, simply refer to a chart for the best possible combination. There is a reason why all of my customers in the same industry are using the same size needles, give or take a size up or down, as they all have come to the same conclusions, more or less!
QuoteAnother issue I have is that this guide does not provide any allowance for various layers of material
Absolutely Gregg, and you might not only emphasize layers, density of materials can enter in the equation.
Doyle
Quote from: DB on August 06, 2009, 05:46:20 am
QuoteAnother issue I have is that this guide does not provide any allowance for various layers of material
Absolutely Gregg, and you might not only emphasize layers, density of materials can enter in the equation.
Doyle
Sure, no doubt.
You'll note I removed the comment that the 125 / 20 size needle isn't made and added dividing lines between the 4 different charts, hopes this makes the posting better for everyone to understand. If anyone else has any additions or corrections let me know and I'll update the post so we can all use it and refer other newbee's to it as they post in the future.
Big John
Here's an interesting chart from Gregg at Keystone. It shows different needle points and how they affect the look of the stitch. It shows which points work best with soft, medium, and hard leather.
http://keysew.com/Demo_images/Groz-Beckert_Needles_for_the_processing_of_leather.pdf
Every so often I run across info that I think may be helpful, so I wanted to add this to this thread about needles. I don't remember where I got it from, but there's a link at the bottom from the woman that wrote it. Hope it will help someone!
As we get caught up in trying to get sewing projects completed and move on to the next one in the limited time available it is so very easy just to jump from project to project without giving any thought to whether or not we have the right needle in the sewing machine.
It can be a costly mistake to simply use the same needle for everything you sew until it breaks. The size of the needle you use depends upon the size of the fabric yarns in the fabric. The finer the yarns, the finer the needle needs to be. In general, a needle should be fine enough to penetrate the fabric without marring it, yet have a large enough eye that the thread does not fray or break during the sewing process.
Needle types related to fabric structure are sharp point (regular) for woven fabrics, ball point for knits, and wedge point for leather and vinyl.
The REGULAR SHARP POINT NEEDLE is ideal for all woven fabrics because it helps to produce an even stitch and causes a minimum of fabric puckering. This needle is not recommended for knits, as it has a tendency to "cut" yarns and cause skipped stitches. This needle comes in a wide range of sizes from the finest size 9 to a heavy size 18.
The BALL POINT NEEDLE is specifically designed for knit and elastic fabrics and has a "rounded" point rather than a sharp point. This needle pushes between the fabric yarns rather than "cutting through" the yarns. This needle comes in sizes 9 to 16 and the larger the needle size, the more "rounded" the needle point is.
The WEDGE POINT NEEDLE, which is designed for leather and vinyl, easily pierces these fabrics to make a hole that will close back upon itself. This eliminates unattractive holes in the garment, and also reduces the risk of the stitches tearing the fabric. The wedge point needle comes in sizes 11 to 18. The size 11 needle is designed for soft pliable leathers,while size 18 is designed for heavy or multiple layers of leather or vinyl.
In addition to choosing the right TYPE of needle, it is also important to know the proper needle SIZE for the type of fabric being used. As a general rule you can utilize the following fabric category/needle size information when choosing the needle for your next project.
DELICATE fabrics such as silk, chiffon, voile, fine lace and organdy would need a fine "size 9" needle.
LIGHTWEIGHT fabrics such as synthetic sheers, batiste, taffeta, velvet, stretch fabric, tricot and plastic film would need a "size 11" needle.
MEDIUM WEIGHT fabrics such as gingham, poplin, linen, muslin, chambray, wool crepe, flannel, knits, jersey, wool, chintz, satin, raw silk, wool suiting, stretch fabric and drapery fabrics would need a "size 14" needle.
MEDIUM-HEAVY fabrics such as sail cloth, gabardine, heavy suiting, tweed and heavy drapery fabrics would need a "size 16" needle.
HEAVY fabrics such as denim, overcoatings, ticking, upholstery and canvas fabrics would need a "size 18" needle.
One final needle pointer is always replace dull bent or nicked needles. If you hit a pin, you should immediately change the needle. A bent needle, even if only "slightly" bent or nicked can cause skipped stitches and can easily cause damage to your fabric by tearing the fabric yarns.
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About the author:
Sarah J. Doyle is author of over 25 sewing, craft and how-to books, as well as author of online pattern making, sewing and craft classes. Visit http://SewWithSarah.com for information on books, classes, newsletters and the latest hints and tips.