itsjess

Hi!
I have a Singer Merritt 2430 that I 'inherited' from my mother this week. I've cleaned it, oiled it, and I think I've done everything I'm supposed to.
I can't get it to sew, though. It has potential. If I turn the wheel on the right side of the machine a bunch of times, essentially 'winding it up,' I can get the needle to go up and down quite a bit, beautifully, and then it stops like it's stuck. I've taken the top off it and nothing looks out of whack to me.
Here are some vids:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJwGz...&feature=share

And this one, with some 1950's music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYc95...&feature=share

Thank you for reading!

- Jess

annthreecats

You don't mention a foot pedal. There might be a problem with the connection of the foot pedal to the machine, or a short in the wiring of the foot pedal.

miriam

Take a look at your wiring. Are there frayed wires. Is everything connected snuggly? How about the foot control? Have you looked inside it - sometimes people pick them up by the cord and wires come loose. Does the foot control have corrosion on the contacts? (that would be inside the control) Do you have another foot control you can wire into it? You can pick up foot controls on line pretty easy. Sew-classic and others should have something - I would try to trade one from another machine if possible - some of those controls were made to NOT come apart when you want them to.

quiltinghere

I cannot think of what you mean by "winding up" the hand wheel...please explain.

First question I'd have is Do you have instructions you're following? It contains all the answers like What needle should it use? which way do you insert the thread through the needle? Which way does the bobbin wind? Which way do you put the bobbin IN the case?

To my ear it sounds like something is stuck/sticking somewhere; the needle is wrong or in wrong or threaded wrong; or the machine's not threaded right.
Check the bobbin area and make sure nothing's stuck.
Could the thread be hanging up the way it's being threaded? Cut the thread AT the spool and pull it through from the needle (pulling it forward through the machine...not backwards). Put in a NEW correct needle the right way and thread with a different spool of thread. Use the same thread in the bobbin.

The machine sounds like it's running ok but the thread is making it stop because it's stuck somewhere. Sometimes you have to start allll over again to get it figured out....and sometimes you have to do it 2 or 3 times....but I think it's worth it.

Good luck - it does sound like a wonderful machine with potential...when it's running.

quiltinghere

any improvement?