Mrs. SewNSew

I haven't had this so far but I haven't used a controller like this one before so I'm not sure if everything's ok. I've used the Singer bakelite ones and the bakelite clamshell types and never really noticed them getting hot. Today I am using one of the Mercury metal types. I'm experimenting with freemotion on my White. I smelled a funny smell and tracked it down to the foot controller but it's really just a warm dusty kind of smell. The controller seems to get hot pretty fast though.

Normal or not?

Macybaby

You've not noticed it with the Singers? I can only sew about 45 mn constant before they heat up too much for my foot. (I sew in stockings). But I am talking near constant sewing, like FMQ or satin stitching yards of ribbon on. That is why I had DH swap out the Singer for a new type on my 15, and why I have a different setup for my White (came with the same type).

J Miller

Any resistance type foot controller will heat up. The slower you sew, the hotter they will get.
Also if they are carboned up inside the carbon particles will cause shorting internally and that will make them get hot.
If the controller is getting hot enough you can smell it, that's too hot.

For FMQing or a lot of slow sewing it would probably be better to instal one of the electronic ones. From my experience they have great speed control and do not get hot.

Joe

Mrs. SewNSew

Cathy, It's rare for me to have 45 minutes uninterrupted lol. Seriously though, this one gets noticeably warm in under 10 minutes. Something must be wrong with it.

Macybaby

I really noticed it sewing the ribbon on the shirts - 12 shirts all at one time - three rows of ribbon satin stitched on - about 125 yards of ribbon total. I did have to take breaks as the pedal got too hot and was uncomfortable for my foot. Since then I got a different cabinet and this has the foot pedal under the drawers and an extended lever to push - so my foot is not on the pedal and does not get hot. I did check the bottom of the cabinet, and it got warm, but not to any "scary" level.

This was Sunday - giving the old girl a workout. I'm finishing them up today so they will be ready for Easter Sunday.

Mrs. SewNSew

Wow! A workout?? I guess so!

I might just switch up my controller with another one and see if it reacts the same way.

Mrs. SewNSew

Any advice on what electronic controllers are good? When I try to do a search I get a mixed bag of old electrics and electronics and I am not even sure I would know the difference in every case! Just want to check them out!

Mrs. SewNSew

Ok back again. I opened it up and it's not the kind with carbon disks. It's the kind with the coils of wire and the arm that moves across. I am not sure if these are both totally different types of controllers or very similar. ??

Is there carbon in this one? Is one better than another?

J Miller

Christy,

The ones with the coil wire uses resistance wire rather than carbon disks. They get warm to hot too. I've refurbed several of them by cleaning all the contacts and carefully tightening the rivits that hold the wires together (don't want to break the ceramic piece). I've even had to reattach some of the wires to make them work. "Generally" on the wire types if the swing lever is making proper contact with all the contact points and they are all clean, it won't get too hot. However, if all the wires are blue it's cos they got reallly hot. I'm thinking they loose their resistance then and just get hot.

The electronic ones I have had experience with were Singer factory units and one from Sew-Classic.

Joe

Macybaby

We get the solid state pedal from Sew Classic, had good luck with them, and they don't get hot. Any machine we use regularly gets one of these instead of the old Singer ones. Though I keep the Singer ones in case someone wants it back to "original". Most of my machines will never see regular use, so they keep the pedal they came with, as long as it works.