Thanks everyone for all the info. Here’s some background: I have a 1961 221K Red S badge machine I purchased back in May via EBay. Had a few little issues/repairs that were needed to machine but I was able to fix them. They were just minor-general maintenance stuff. But what I haven't been able to fix is the tension (still doesn't look good to me after numerous tries). So after playing around with every setting and thing to do to it I finally broke down and took the machine to someone back in June to make sure I was doing everything correctly (aka threading, needle placement, oiling, etc). I was told my threads (I primarily use Aurifil & Mettler) were too fine to use in a FW and I needed to use thicker thread. Then I was asked what brand needles I was using (Schmetz) and I was told they weren't good to use but to use a large eye Universal Organ needle. (All of a sudden my brain snapped into gear and started asking…Universal needle for piecing-Huh? What happened to using a good Topstitch, Micro-tex, Quilting or a Sharp needle for piecing?) Then I was told the material I was using to piece quilts was too soft. What? Since when is 100% cotton (Moda/Hoffman/Benartex brands) too soft to use on these machines? I thought I was on Candid Camera or the Twilight Zone. This person was a friend of a friend who I was told was a quilter with many vintage straight stitch machines and knews a lot about FW’s and repairing them. And I was really believing everything I was being told to buy and do (hmm…well until we got to the needle and fabric questions). And it really went downhill on this person’s experience when my friend asked a couple of basic questions and she got some really strange answers.
So since I wasn’t really satisfied with those answers, I asked around and had the name of another person given to me who was guaranteed to be certified in FW repairs. I was told that this person had taken several classes over the years for FW repair and supposedly knew everything on repairing them. So I felt good - I was going to meet someone with experience who could look at and give me an honest opinion on the tension/stitch issue. It was going to be a little bit of drive for me but doable. We meet and they said some of the same things -like to use only Coats & Clark thread and to use a 90/14 Organ needle. They checked needle placement and my threading orientation - said it was all correct. They only sewed 1 line to check it and thought the tension was fine. When I pointed out the thread tension and reached down and actually pulled the thread out (top thread) they tried to change the subject and stated that these machines never really sew a good stitch. Huh?
They remarked several times on how great of shape the machine was in for being 50 years old and that it had really nice decals with no wear to them and asked me several times during our conversation how much I paid for it. Finally I told them the amount and they said, “Oh I hate to tell you this but it isn’t worth that amount” then they turned right around and offered me about half of what I paid for it. They said they knew of someone who was looking for a “toy” sewing machine just like this one for their grandkid and they would be happy to take it off my hands for me. I saw the ploy and sweetly asked them why they didn’t think it was a real FW. They said the lamp wasn’t an Original (OEM) Singer lamp because the switch to turn it on is not on the base of the machine but actually on the lamp. I laughed and asked if they had ever worked on a 221K machine. They laughed back at me and said FW’s are all 221’s and there are no letters to them. Needless to say, I didn’t stay much longer. (Note: I may be inexperienced in fixing the tension but I saw the con job a mile off this person was pulling to get this machine from me and they continued to call me almost every day for a week until I finally had to threatened legal action).
So here I sit confused, frustrated and unhappy over this expensive buy because I can't get a really straight stitch line out of this little sucker. What the heck…have I really gone completely crazy? Because between the quilter's strange answers and then the certified person both saying the tension is fine I don't feel it's right. Being able to pull the thread right out after it is sewn that isn’t having a balanced tension nor is having a wavy, wonky looking seam acceptable...right? Come on be honest...am I expecting too much?
I just got some Organ needles delivered today in my JHittle order so I am going to try those tomorrow when I’m not so frustrated and see how they do in it. I will post a couple of pictures so that you can see what I am describing. Wish me luck!