Mystery solved.
Plastic bobbin. 
Need I say more. I put in an old bobbin and it works just fine. Prior, I removed the bobbin tension and clean it just to make sure that wasn't going to be a problem - pristine anyway. The upper tension was in nice shape, too. That clone makes nice long basting stitches.
Then DH figured out how to put a 'Singer' HC on the New Home. This one was re-furbed some time ago. The cord was cut by the Amish guy. The machine has been cleaned except for the nose area and the attachment holder is stuck like glue. I'll need a manual so I can figure out how it threads. When they re-furbed the New Home they drilled two holes to hold the motor. One hole lined up perfectly with the HC attachment. The other hole was just above it. To keep the attachment from fidgeting he put a screw with the head sticking out a little bit in the hole just above the one we put the attachment on. It turns nice - now to make it sew.