quilt938

well I thought I'd try out a new to me machine I won on ebay-I know the wiring is crappy looking but has tape on everything and I couldn't see any exposed wiring so figured I'd plug it in and see. well it moves. also seems to electrify the whole machine. I felt tingles when my hand brushed it while trying to thread it. I didn't know this could happen- thought I had to watch out for the cords and all would be cool. no smoke no noise no smell - just felt 'tingly' when my hand brushed against it. unplugged and touched and nothing. plugged back in and thought I felt it again and touched the bed and yep tingly. it's unplugged and still out in the garage where I was trying it out. glad I used the strip thingy so I could turn it off quick then unplug.

so what else do I need to watch out for?! I have the fotomatic III that needs a plug for the light cord- bought one at home depot this morning that indicated super easy and fast..do I dare try this?!

mike'sgirl

I don't know what a fotomatic III is, but you probably need to have the whole machine rewired. Don't plug it in anymore before you do this or you are in danger of a fire. Be safe.

quilt938

fotomatic III is the morse 4300 fotomatic - it's not the problem child- just lost its plug during shipping. the electrifying machine is a kenmore 117. 740 beautiful but gosh never thought a machine would do that - just be tingly all over

Rodney

It's getting a partial short. It's not safe to use until you go through the wiring.
Take pictures and we should be able to talk you through it. It's not that hard to rewire a machine.
Rodney

DonnaMiller

I get that feeling once in a while and my husband doesn't feel it. Guess women are more sensitive. He is an electrician and calls it "stray voltage". The old machines don't have 3 wires, only 2, with no dedicated ground. There is a wire somewhere that is close to or grounded ever so slightly to the frame. You will need to be careful. He says it is a wonder that some of these machines you drag in haven't killed some poor woman because the wiring is so bad. He also says an old black Singer could wear out 4 ladies because they are over-engineered and will last practically forever. It is a pity they don't have 3 wires. I'm thinking about trying 3 conductors to prevent that feeling, but we will have to work out how to hook up the 3rd wire and to what. When you're cleaning, just look carefully for grounds.

miriam

If it has external motor you might just replace it and the wires. That is not scary.

Sewnoma

My FW is "tingly" if I use the original foot pedal and plug the plug in backwards. If I reverse the plug, the "tingly" goes away. There's no "wide" side so I have marked it now so I know which way is which.

Interestingly, I bought a new replacement pedal that DOES have the wide plug, thinking it'd be safer, and the machine is tingly with it plugged in. I can't reverse the cord on that one!

I have yet another older foot pedal that fits the FW from another machine, that's new enough to have the wider plug side, and THAT one is non-tingly when plugged in properly. So I think the new pedal I bought is bad.

So it could be a problem with your foot, or if you're using an older plug it might just be in backwards.

tessagin

And a heck of a shock. It may look like it's all safe but I'm betting there's a wire touching somewhere.

Mrs. SewNSew

I dunno. I am not an electrician but I have re-wired a LOT of machines. Afterwards I have never had one needing to have a plug turned over or had a tingly feeling in the foot control or the machine. I am not so sure I believe in "stray voltage". It's my understanding that as long as the wires are in properly, well connected, and well insulated that the electricity travels down the wire safely and wishes to stay there.

Only when a wire is exposed and is touching something metal it shouldn't is when it goes off course.

quilt938

thanks - well this is the only time I've ever felt anything like this- almost like handling steel wool or insulation then wondering later why it feels like something is prickly on the fingers..I definitely felt it and it felt really weird. and probably very lucky I didn't get shocked like crazy- heck I was reaching under to take out the bobbin case and put it back in (Kenmore 117.740)it's pretty far under there and was havng to tilt the machine back-must've still had it unplugged then or surely I'd have felt it.