Tim the toolman you are not! What were they thinking?
 

So, I picked up a couple of machines a few weeks ago, and this lead me to think that a few of us have encountered things like this. And I for one would love to see some others.

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The victim:
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On top of this, the tensioner was assembled wrong, and the timing is bad too, I will have to address that so the needle doesn't push the bobbin case out anymore. :D

This was one of 3 machines they were getting rid of, because both mom and grandma had had a go at them, but couldn't get them sewing. It's gonna be a fun couple of days. :)

That electrical wiring is a way to hard wire the system without using a cord block. I've run into that on several very old machines and a couple of newer ones. It works, but there is a way better method that that Rube Goldberg disaster.

Electrical wires are one thing I won't jury rig.

As for the timing thing, some folks have no idea what they are doing and should be forever banned from any place that tools might be exist.

Joe

Electrical is not worth jury rigging.... especially because those blocks are worth about $5. One slip up in the logic and it gets exciting! Luckily I have a donor cord block here.

Yeah, the biggest problem is if you don't let them use tools, they'll just use forks, knives, teeth and swiss army knives. And that just makes a bigger mess. :shock:

Just makes you shake your head, eh? :)

I should mention too, this is one of the other machines they couldn't get working:

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I was so scared that was going to smell like cat pee like the last one that looked like that did.

Cleaned up real well though, it might sew better than my "keeper" 301.

Tammi,

"Electrical is not worth jury rigging.... especially because those blocks are worth about $5. One slip up in the logic and it gets exciting! Luckily I have a donor cord block here. "

No way did I even begin to indicate I'd leave that wiring or even do such a botched up job. I just know how to do it the hard wiring way. I'd rip that junk out and put in a new cord block in a heartbeat.

"Yeah, the biggest problem is if you don't let them use tools, they'll just use forks, knives, teeth and swiss army knives. And that just makes a bigger mess. :shock:"

Yep, seen that too.

"I should mention too, this is one of the other machines they couldn't get working: "
Gee, I wonder why. Those that messed it up will have nightmares where that wad of thread attacks them.

"I was so scared that was going to smell like cat pee like the last one that looked like that did.
Cleaned up real well though, it might sew better than my "keeper" 301. "

That poor 301. That does look like cat pee don't it. ( I should know, I've lived with the little critters most of my life )

What amazes me in a not good way is how utterly filthy and crudded up some folks will let their machines get. Oil build up that will turn the machine brown, lint and fuzz that is so packed you have have to dig it out then use compressed air to blow it out of the places you can't get too.
How can people sew clean fabric on machines that filthy and feel good about the end product, I'll never understand that.

Joe

No no,.. I didn't think you would. :) It's been fixed now. Only one copper sliver. Lost a screw for a bit, plus the cap for the motor brush. Good grief!! Turns out the timing wasn't wrong, the presser foot bar was adjusted wrong (causing it to sew crooked and creating the "clunk"), and the needle was set way too low in the clamp (causing it to stab and evict the bobbin case). Yay. Now I have to clean it, and rig up some sort of indicator for the stitch length. Found it broken off when I took the stitch length knob apart to find out why it didn't ,.. uh,.. lengthen. Stitches beautifully though.

That would be just, wouldn't it? I think they think it's just a crappy machine though. *sigh*

Yup, me too, but I've rarely had peeing problems, other than the occasional litter box miss. Only after we started bringing sewing machines into the house did I need to deal with that sort of thing.
Maybe they only sew "Earth tones"? They were pretty "in" there for a while....

I personally can't stand even touching them when they're that much of a mess. They immediately get stripped and cleaned. This Coronado is the first machine I've ever serviced before I cleaned it, but I thought it would be nice to save the time for once in case I couldn't save it. I do however have the cleanest parts machines you'll ever see. :shock::D

Usually, I clean them first then test. But sometimes I have to test first to make sure it's worth the effort. There have been some machines I've wondered if I needed a haz-mat suit on when I worked on them.

Joe

That's the thing,.. some are so gross you think, why bother,... but at the same time, I thought a 401 was a write off, and it was fully resurrected. Sometimes cleaning alone will make you see if it's worth it or not. The nasty film and stuff that seems to coat -me- after cleaning makes me wonder sometimes what I'm voluntarily putting my body through too.