Originally Posted by miriam

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.