Vridar

Oh, yes. Thought I'd posted enough pictures without posting one of it back together. Really, I think I know what I'm doing. I may even extend the teat that marries with the foot lever so I can control it by hand without the foot control.[ATTACH=CONFIG]470100[/ATTACH] Final product. Still may add a lever on the side and remove the foot lever for better control.

oldsewnsew

ya could put an adjustable stop screw on your control if this doesnt perform like you want... I know i said that and I'm sure YOU know what you're doing, i just try to err on the side of caution for others. I got overconfident the the other night on an AC plug and a stray strand found its way across and popped the c/b. 1am might have been part of the cause tho...

Vridar

Finding correct sized and threaded screws and bolts is very trying. I salvage most parts and throw in a parts bin. Finding the correct bolt for a project is difficult. These sets of Thread Detectives may be of help. If one has a bolt to match maybe he/she can assure a match by enlisting the aid of these ---

http://www.rockler.com/thread-detective-screw-gauge

miriam

We need one just for sewing machines!

miriam

I found a 'tool' in a box of sewing junk. I think it used to be a crochet hook - I almost threw it out. Someone sharpened it to a nice point. I use it often. Tooth picks work for places that would scratch but that old crochet hook comes in handy.

oldsewnsew

It would be huge! the manufacturers didn't confine themselves to modern standards for Fine and Coarse. Whatever they wanted, they made, no standards. Usually they seem to at least have stuck with an even number of threads per inch. I wind up usings standard and metric thread gauges and my calipers to figure out what comes closest, and see if it will fit. What we need is some enterprising person to be willing to make small runs of these sizes. The other alternative, which I don't really want to use, is drill them out and tap for helicoils, then you can use standard fasteners, but that isn't a cheap solution either, except if you're set up for #6 and #8 screws, you can cover a lot of bases.

Rodney, How'd that 2 stage foot control work?
Gotta go back to working on taxes, ughh

oldsewnsew

Because this comes up, more often than anyone would wish... So the screw head broke off flush. It's a cast iron machine (not so easy for an aluminum 201 or 301, you would need to find someone with an EDM machine at a machine shop).
At my local hardware/lumber yard, which is an Ace franchise I believe, they have left handed drill bits, which are one way of removing broken screws. The trick is, to get a centered start on the hole. Using a Dremel style grinder with a pointed (Harbor Freight sells diamond tip mini grinding points) stove, level of the top of the screw enough to start a center hole. Put a little divot in for your drill bit to start with, then, using a drill press, most likely (unless you are super steady and a sure shot) drill down with the left hand drill bit. This may actually break the screw remnant free and start pulling it up. Now the smallest left hand bit they had, was probably good for a #6 screw, not sure. But I'll bet McMaster-Carr or someone else sells ones that are smaller.
I noticed they carried one uncommon thread tap, I believe it was #6-40 which is the size of Singer needle plate screws. If they had a die, one could make some screws, if rather codgy looking ones.

miriam

I have an easy out but getting the really small broken screws out is very much a challenge - a lot of the easy out bits aren't really small enough.

oldsewnsew

And it turns out that there IS a source for threading dies for some of those odd sewing machine threads.
http://www.irwin.com/tools/taps-dies...screw-dies-hcs . Irwin is the brand at my Hardware store, that's why there was a unusual sized one there.

Left handed drill chart size and cost http://www.mytoolstore.com/hanson/hanson.html

youtube for using a left handed drill with a lovely accent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYvaPbX1sT4

another type, http://www.rockler.com/micro-grabit-...bolt-extractor

The next thing, almost forgot, and even better if I could remember what it's called, oh yeah "Spin-It-Out" looks VERY promising!! http://www.amazon.com/Eazypower-8268.../dp/B000HE9VZY . The HS had them in individual pkg also, the smallest one, my be on my shopping list.
Cheers!!

miriam

Still, the smallest one doesn't always make it.