Originally Posted by
Candace
Well, I somewhat have to agree an disagree. I've picked up several machines where the timing is off and it won't sew. Hence the reason the prior owner was selling it. "It's broken"....Nope, just needed re-timing. And I know machines go off time frequently after hitting pins or other obstacles. But, I do agree to exhaust other options before tackling it because odds are it's something else causing the problem.
As I said, "I would encourage any one reading this to exhaust other ideas first - specially if this is a machine you have been using. They just don't magically go out of time." I have gotten machines cheap because they were out of timing. I presume someone didn't know where else to start on fixing it when it could have been something else all along. I have caused machines to go out of timing. 1) I put a high shank foot on a machine that wasn't a high shank machine - the pressure foot snapped down and out she went. 2) I have an industrial machine - it is very high speed - when thread gets wrapped around the shuttle I have to take it off and clean out the thread - it just doesn't come out easy on that machine - you are talking a lot of power. Then it always takes work to get it back together and timed. I've had it take a month. I would work on it awhile and quit out of frustration, pick up again and one day it all come to me... 3) I have had to remove a bent shaft and replace it. Had to time it when I did that. I've bought machines that were out of timing for what ever reason. Then I have one that went out of time because I was stupid. This was a machine that had a good coating of 3 in 1 oil on it... (never use that stuff) I cleaned off the needle bar real good and oiled it up real good - it's the one I tested with the high shank foot... Well it got too slick for the set screw to hold. I had to get that oil off before it would stay in time. I have seen a few machines with the needle bar turned funny so had to turn them right and make sure it stayed in time or re-time it. Candace, once you've done the same machine over and over in a week you get pretty fast at it - it is a frustrating job to do though - often times the screw can't be reached at the same time the needle is set in the right place. I've not had one go off timing by hitting a pin - usually breaks the needle and it flies in my face.