oregongirl

Hi folks, I'm trying to restore a Rocketeer 500a. I've had a 503a since 1989 and I know it, but this 500a was a rescue off of Craigslist. For $10 I couldn't resist trying to restore it.

I've cleaned out the insects and mold *shudder*. The engine seems fine. I've lubed and oiled it. The bobbin area isn't right. It's not easily catching the top thread when I roll the needle down, although a few tries and it does catch it. But then the stitch is completely off. The stitch looks ok from the top, but on the back the bobbin thread is a straight line, completely not engaged, as though I laid the bobbin thread out under it.

I'm giving it to a young woman who wants to sew, and she's ready for it. Any ideas?

The second issue is the internal cam stack levers. The gold knob on the front moves freely. The brown knob in back is really stiff, although I can move it with 2 hands. I oiled the moving parts, but did not oil anything on the actual camstack. What do i need to do to liberate the brown knob??

Thanks so much for any help! Julie