Originally Posted by
chris_quilts
The cams are plastic which might be part of the problem but I will apply more T-F and some heat. Heck, I'll just put it outside tomorrow.
90+ degrees in the sun should be enough heat.
Does anyone here have a Singer Fashion Mate 362? I have one with a tension issue and was wondering if the darned thing takes metal or plastic bobbins which might be an issue if I am using the wrong one. I am just rehabbing it to give to a teenager to use to see if she wants to sew. I have told her mom that it is not a high end machine nor a particularly good one but mom wanted one with more than straight stitch. OK by me but her daughter may not thank her for the decision.
The tension on the 362 may need to be taken apart, cleaned of dead oil and lint then rebuilt. It isn't difficult but the first time can be a foreign puzzle. If you can read a pattern you can do it. The bobbin shouldn't matter if it is plastic or metal. You are right those aren't particularly good machines - I have one that is total junk and one that 'works'. I hope you can get it working well enough for her to learn to sew.