Mrs. SewNSew

It looks like you need to clean the old yellow, thickened oil gunk off the bullet part that slides for the feed dog drop. Then oil it well. I have sometimes needed to use heat as well to get things moving smoothly there where in the cleaning process.

RebeccaG

Thanks for the input. I do hope that is right. Because best I can see things are not broken. I just finished watching the tutuorial on cleaning. I had watched it before. I didn't have all the cleaning stuff suggested, so did the best I could. But after seeing the pic up loaded, I do see just how dirty it is. Funny how things look when your in the midst of it, then you take a pic and see the details. Thanks for pointing it out. I think I will wait on trying anything more until I can get the stuff suggested and go over everything again. I'm going to need to do the same with the one arriving Tuesday.
Also my daughter brought me another machine to see what I could do with. Is this how it happens.... you tell someone about your successful repair and then the machines find their way to your door? I have a feeling I have started something I had no idea I would ever be getting into. Allllllll because of $1 thrift store find!!!! 2 weeks later I am knee deep in sewing machine work.

Sewnoma

LOL RebeccaG - that's how these old beauties go! The less you pay in dollars, often means the more you have to pay in elbow grease. It's a labor of love though, at least it is for me. I now have half of a spare room dedicated to being a sewing machine "hospital" and I enjoy it a lot. (The other half of the room is a "hospital" for DH's old radios, LOL)

This weekend I finished getting my 319 "Verne" all dialed in. I finally got the bent thread guide into a good position where it works properly. The "surging" has gone away, I think he just needed to be run for a bit to get his feet back under him, so to speak. My "parts" arrived so he's got nice sharp needles, new bobbin tire, new belt, and a new LED bulb. He's oiled, tuned, tested and ready to go; I've officially moved him out of the hospital!

I had picked up a used/vintage replacement motor/pedal/lamp assembly for a 99; I wanted to dissect the wiring and compare to another motor/pedal/lamp I have where the wiring is all messed up, but failed to realize that on this one the wires go right into the motor rather than having a junction box. Bah. So I just bolted it all on and called it good; now my 2nd 99K is all finished and fixed up with a nice newer motor and good wiring, and out of the hospital as well.

Finally I grabbed the hand-crank 28 my aunt gave me awhile ago - it's grubby and I couldn't get the tension right. Opened it up and realized it's dirtier than I'd thought so it's still in pieces on the hospital table now. I took apart the tension and found an antique piece of thread wound around the post between the tension discs but thankfully no corrosion. Everything actually seems to be in good shape, just a little gunky, grubby, and out of tune. The knob on the hand-crank had been bent to the side and wasn't turning; I gingerly bent that back and got some oil worked in so now it spins again, so I made *some* progress on the machine! LOL

It was a nice weekend spent with my machines.

Mrs. SewNSew

I love the concept of "hospital" for your machines! I always feel so good when one is finally cleaned and ready. I work in my shop area for the smelly, grimy, greasy portion and then bring them in for the minor (hopefully) adjustments and tension work.

Your 99 when the wires go into the motor..Is there a rectangular box shape directly under the motor? That would be a junction box. It's just a little less fancy. The wires are most likely connected with wire nuts inside the box.

Sewnoma

I love my new separate "hospital" room - I was using my sewing room and getting all that grease and grime all over my cutting table was giving me fits! Only problem now is that I share this room with DH and he's not very good at respecting my space or my tools. I keep finding HIS junk plopped onto my table, and MY screwdrivers over on his table! Going to have to install one of those invisible electric fences... LOL

On the 99 motors: the one with the bad wiring is as you describe - it has the junction box. The "other" one I just put on is newer, I think - the wires go directly into the motor without any external junction box. I'd have to take the whole metal outer housing off to get at the wires and I just didn't feel like hassling with it! And since it's not exactly the same I'm not sure I'd be able to see what I wanted to see anyway. The 'newer' one is still a Singer motor and it's wired up to a spotlight-style lamp (with the lens intact!), but not quite the same as what I had.

I need to check my other 99 (which came with good wiring from the get-go) and see if IT has the junction box. If so I can open up that one and use it as my example to fix the other wiring and then I'll have a nice spare motor on hand.

Mrs. SewNSew

Today I am monkeying around with odd bits and pieces. I just messed with some JB weld on a Pfaff bobbin wheel. Part of the bobbin winder assembly is pot metal and cracking. It happens to be the wheel that the rubber ring goes on. It should still be funtional but I am going to play it safe and give it a little more support. The machine is a Pfaff 11 handcrank and I have a feeling the part doesn't come up for purchase often.

While that is drying I am trying to un-do someones Igor moment. The wood bottom that my new 306 came in had apparently been coming apart at the seams. Igor squirted rubber cement in the cracks and then used a couple screws in back to get it close 'nuff. I'm trying to carefully cut the rubber cement with a 4" putty knife so I can get it apart and glue it properly.

Mrs. SewNSew

Or maybe it's hide glue? or even a combination? Which leads to the next question of does anyone have a good method for removing rubber cement?

RebeccaG

I use the same method your trying. :/ Hope someone chimes in that has a better method. Sounds like you have been plenty busy though.

redbugsullivan

Rubber cement is tough. Softening the wood around it and removing it from the soft wood is usually what I wind up doing. Wood glue is the only thing I use unless it is metal to metal.

Today I fiddled with my White Family Rotary machine in a treadle base. My husband refuses to allow me to sell it because the combination is gorgeous! I searched to find the right head to go into the spotless base. Once everything was ready to go, school started and I had zero spare time! I had the bobbin hook in 180º off and the needle holder upside down.

Now that it correctly creates a lockstitch, the tension issue must be addressed. Stitches are incredibly tight, even though they are balanced top to bottom. Suggestions?

RebeccaG

I have been working on the new to me 15-91 I purchased. I broke it down, cleaned it thoroughly and am working on the reassemble. Some parts needed to be ordered. Nothing major, new wicks, motor carbon brushes, stitch regulator knob and a thread pin. It came with a thread pin on top that is plastic and I just don't care for the look of it.
I whited in the numbers on the stitch regulator plate and am pleased with how that turned out. The only disappointment so far is one of the screws that goes over the carbon brushes cracked when I tried to unscrew it. I did try to order it, but they are out of stock and I didn't see any replacements on ebay. I was able to super glue it together for a temporary fix. But it really should be replaced.
I'm debating now if I should try to go over the black and some of the gold. It's not in terrible shape and there is the possibility I could make it worse. But... there is also the possibility I could make it better. It would be nice if the word actually spelled singer instead of sincer. I have thoroughly enjoyed this. I would have never even attempted this if I hadn't bought the $1 dollar thrift store find and tried my hand at fixing it. However... I didn't have the cleaning stuff, nor some of the tools. So that $1 find has cost me a bit! lol Not only that, I was brave enough to spend a bit more money on another machine that needed some tlc. So that cost me a bit more financially. But it just feels so good to be able to fix this. I needed the boost to myself esteem.