Railroadersbrat

Awesome!! You are right, sometimes you just need to walk away - great job!!

The stitch length issue is a common issue with this machine, something has gummed up that mechanism pretty good. Take off the top of the machine and look down and to right. Turn the knob until you see the mechanism move, it's about the middle of the machine on the right side, then hit it with some oil and keep moving it. The knob you're turning should eventually feel like it's moving in and out as you turn it, that's how it changes the stitch length. That knob, is also the knob to use to reverse stitch, so push it in and out a few times and just keep working at it. Test it a few times when you're working on it, once you get different stitch lengths, hit it again with oil and then close the machine back up. You 'could' hit the knob with the palm of your hand if it's still not budging, sometimes it's just so gummed up that it takes a little bit of force to break it loose. Not too hard, just hard enough that the button pushes in, then try it again. Just be careful, that's how I had to break mine loose, but I had a mud dauber's nest gumming mine up, my serviceman told me that was really the only solution, they would have done it that way, too.

I always recommend this, but once you get it running, take it to get it properly serviced and let them know the problem with the stitch length. They'll be able to get into it much deeper and clean off that mechanism completely and they'll give it a nice tune-up. You'll be shocked just how quiet this machine is once you get it properly serviced, the difference is like night and day.

The offer still stands and will always stand if you want a copy of the manual, look in your private messages, I gave you my email address. I can email the copy to you ASAP.

Again, Congratulations - great job!