Thanks Sheluma for your kind words. And thanks for the laugh too — decoy fabric, I love that!
And Miriam, I wish you could indeed reach out from your computer... I like dissembling, reading all about the mechanics of the old singers, learning so much every day! I do enjoy it a lot. But now I'm starting to get desperate. A constantly perfect stitch feels so close, yet so far. Your manual helped a lot too, along w/ Tammi's website.
Tammi, thanks so much for the UK link. I'll contact Helen Howes asap for the needle clamp! Also, the thread quality info is great, along with the tip about giving it a gentle tug upwards between the tension discs.
I think I now know enough about tension to be able to explain what's happening in my case:
What I did since I got the machine:
- Cleaned the bobbin area, took tons of lint, thread, and hair out from deep under.
- Took the bobbin case out and adjusted it as explained here (Tammi, that was before I got your links):
http://www.treadleon.net/sewingmachi...djustment.html
Now, while the spider, oops, bobbin and case are suspended by the thread simply jerk your hand a little and see what the case does.
Now we are getting to the nitty gritty of tension adjustment the real bread and beans of the matter.
So, when you shake it a little the bobbin case drops a little. This is the MAGIC point, known in the trade as the balance point, for your type of thread. If the case does not move you need to adjust the bobbin-case screw anticlockwise until it drops a little when lightly jerked. Only turn the screw a small part of a turn each time, then dangle-check again. Once you have mastered this adjustment you will be in great demand at all sewing classes as you transform misbehaving sewing machines in an instant.
- Disassembled the upper tension according to Miriam's manual. It was all clean but at least I fixed the dial misalignment I had.
Result:
I'm testing w/ several threads of unknown origins, making sure to put the same on top & on the bottom, on 2 layers of an old, but nice quality/soft, cotton pillow case, and w/ a #80 needle (I don't have a #90, I do have #100 though...).
--> I get a perfect or near perfect stitch ONLY when I turn the dial up to 9!!!
Tammi, what confuses me most, is that at the same time, when I put the dial at 1 or 1.5, the needle deflects about 1/16″ (
http://www.archaicarcane.com/fragile...-equal-stress/).
What I tried:
- If I lower both tensions, it becomes slightly OK around 6 (on the top tension) only if I completely unscrew the bottom bobbin. Not good, right? Also, in this case, the stitch quality changes dramatically according to the machine speed.
- If I tighten the tension on the dial during its assembly, when I put it on 0 afterwards, there's way too much tension already, past Tammi's needle deflection point.
What I didn't do:
- Clean & oil any other part... They look clean & oiled already, and... lazy me in (in)action here.
- Change the tension spring. I'm having small doubts about it:
Natural position: 10 o'clock.
If I push it down to 9 o'clock, it springs back to 10 o'clock.
If I push it up to 12 o'clock, it sometimes stays on 11 o'clock.
Help?
