...help throw this machine out my studio window!
The belligerent patient: A White Rotary circa 1920s-ish
Symptoms noted upon arrival at the hospital: Untimed -
seriously untimed - like 125 degrees off. Feed dogs feeding roughly backwards. Hadn't sewn in years.
Patient property consigned at check in: Machine, one bobbin case, one bobbin - slightly out of round but better than many I've successfully used in other machines... (I have no spares either)
Treatment: Retimed all of it - the hook, the needlebar, the feed dogs. Re-centered the needlebar, Checked and reset "play" in the hook shaft, smoothed a couple of burrs on the hook.
Response to treatment: Timing looks great but might be a smidge off, skips one stitch in about 50 - could be tension, it's still a little tight both top and bottom for my liking. Fabric feeds beautifully. Sews along just great with tensioners both cleaned and all tension adjustments made until CRUNCH! Needle hits the hook and shatters.
Prognosis: Cruisin for a Bruisin!!
Seriously - I was test sewing - not a single skipped stitch in minutes worth of sewing then suddenly - as DH was coming down the stairs to check on my progress and I was all ready to tell him after 2 days of fighting that I'd finally conquered it - the needle shattered as it hit the hook.
I wasn't pulling the fabric, I wasn't pushing the fabric, I was guiding with one finger - crookedly, admittedly because the other hand was manually cranking the handwheel.
This happens "consistently" every once in a long while. By consistently, I mean I haven't finished more than 3 test sews in a row without it happening. Each time, I've caught it in time without breaking the needle but replacing it each time it thumped into the hook - except the last time when I shattered the needle because I was so sure it was fixed. This has clearly been an ongoing problem with this machine - based on needle strikes on the hook and a filed area right beside the strikes that effectively widens the slot for the needle.
All strikes are to the left side of the beginning of the slot preceding the hook tip - ie it appears some sort of deflection of the needle to the left (or the hook moving to the right?) right as the needle reaches the level of the hook and is supposed to enter the slot rather than giving me a heart attack with the smashed needle (that's a deep seated psychosis thanks to an early temperamental machine.
)
Of course now I'm doubting some measurements.
- I've tried timing at the 3/32" (2.5mm), also at the point where the needle thread loop is the biggest. Is there anyone out there who can take a measurement for me and tell me what their working White Rotary is set to? (I'll provide illustrated instructions to help check if needed!)
- How much play do you have in the hook shaft? I set it to something similar to a Singer machine but of course this is a different beast. The turning backward thing continues to mess me up while test sewing and checking settings.
Any other things to check that I've missed? (I'm sure I've done more but I can't recall them at this point.)