Originally Posted by BoJangles
Originally Posted by oldhag
Do these machines take a special needle -- as opposed to a Schmetz?
Do you have the needle in the right way? They are threaded left to right I think. Also if it is the same as the Nationals and Domestics your needle is to short. Try not to put it up all the way to see if it will catch.
Ok I am getting tired. I got the manual out, checked the threading, checked the bobbin, changed the needle, and yes the needle is set with the flat part to the right like the manual says. I threaded it correctly - left to right. I tried putting the needle at different lengths -- still won't pick up the bobbin. I think the White Rotary had a special needle? This is a 1931 machine and I know most of the manufacturers including White went bankrupt after the war - so I am thinking it had a special needle that is no long available?
Does anyone have a White Rotary that you actually sew on?
Nancy
I have had several WR machines, and they take a regular 15 X 1 needle.
Clean hook area thoroughly. Make sure needle is in correctly--take needle out and put in a new one. Recheck your thread path--take thread out and start over. Make sure bobbin is turned the right direction and threaded the right way.
I have been sewing since childhood, and have managed to waste hours on such things as:
Needle in backward (happened a couple of years ago, and took 3 of us 2 hours to get right)
New needle that happened to be flawed
Lint in bobbin area
Poor quality new bobbin in old machine (happened this summer; it took several tries to get it right, and a very experienced OSMG and I several hours to figure it out)
Bobbin in backward
Thread popped out of guide (happened this past weekend--I did some serious ripping of seams before figuring this one out)
No matter how long we've been sewing or how long we've worked on machines, we still have to make a simple mistake once in a while. It keeps us humble. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.