Universal Model 5510
I'm new here and am not sure if I'm posting in the right place. If not please move me.
My wife recently dragged home what appears to me to be a '60s or '70 sewing machine that "needs work" from the thrift store.
The label on the front reads: Universal Standard Sewing Equipment, Model 5510
The end plate: Custom Designed and Manufactured for Standard Sewing Equipment Corp., Made in Japan
The bottom plate: 334492
I don't anything about sewing machines, but am a pretty handy fix-it guy and am fascinated by this machine. It looks like it is very well made. It is all metal construction and is in very good condition. It was pretty cool to open it up and see all the metal gears and levers that look like they'll last forever. It came with a lot of spare parts and the manual. I took off the covers to clean and lubricate it and found little cleaning necessary. A few well placed drops of oil did wonders. Everything operates smoothly and with no scary noises. So far, so good.
The problem I am having is that the fabric won't feed. I checked all the settings and took a look at the adjustment on the dogs and how the dogs move and it all seems to be working fine. So, my question is, can the dogs wear out enough that they won't feed the fabric at all? I can pull the fabric through and it sews nicely, but just sits in one place if I don't pull it. From what I can tell, I just need to replace the dogs and my wife will have a great $10 back-up machine. Does my diagnosis sound right? If so, anyone have any idea where I can find new dogs?