Tin lizzie pressure foot lever will not work
 

I really need help!! My pressure foot lever (the lever that moves up and down and helps with tension) is stuck in the down position... the lever just swings .. I called the place where I purchased my machine and they just made me feel stupid ... while I can still sew (Thank God!) I am having a hard time getting the fabric under the sewing foot and the tension disks are together so I have to pull them apart to get the thread in between so the tension catches ... does anyone know how to fix this ?? HEEEEEELP!!

chrissy

What model Tin Lizzie is this? All the ones I have seen are longarms, which don't have pressure foot levers.

Maybe I’m calling it the wrong thing ... it’s the lever that you put down when you begin to sew so that your tension is right .. I have a tin lizzie 18 apprentice

Could you take a couple of pictures of the lever you are talking about? I have a Nolting long arm and don't have any lever to start sewing with. I do know that if the needle is in the up position, then I can pull the thread through the tensioners fairly easily. If the needle is down or partially down, it becomes much harder.

I don't know why some sewing machine people have to be so ugly about questions. Somehow they have forgotten the art of "helping" a client. I would ask to speak to the manager. If you are close enough, it might help to take some pictures and videos and go into the shop. Maybe the person that spoke to you was having a bad day and didn't really mean to make you feel stupid.

Good luck with getting your machine sewing.

Edited to add: This manual does show your lever. I suspect that if it is swinging freely, you will have to make a repair. If you don't have any success locally, why don't you call Tin Lizzie? They would want you sewing and not sitting there with a machine that doesn't work. They might could send you the parts and instructions on how to change it.
https://www.sewingmachinesplus.com/m...ual_Feb_08.pdf

Tin Lizzie doesn't exist anymore. There is a company called "Locksmith Lizzie" that was started a year or so ago that *might* be run by a family member of the former company, but I was told that there is no factory support for the old Tin Lizzie machines.

WE FIXED IT !!! Yay!!! I’m so excited !! My hubby is the best!!

How did hubby fix it? Please let us all know (I have a tin lizzy too). Some of us might need this info in the future.

Glad you got it fixed. It might not be as easy without being able to release the tension, but at least it wasn't stuck in the "open" position.

My HQ does not have anything like that, the tension is always engaged. I think that might be more common than having a release lever. My Bailey was a stretched domestic and there were several times I'd forget to lower the lever (foot). Not that it affected the foot, but you couldn't sew much with the tension not engaged!

Cann you please reply to me as to how you fixed the tension release lever on you tin lizzie.
Thank You

Just FYI, OP hasn't been active on the forum for 2 years.