miriam

I have a black Kenmore 15 clone - pretty generic. The whole thing was seized up when I got it. Wilbur, Lovie and I worked and worked on getting it some T-F and lots of clean up. I had to take off the pressure foot bar, clean it of dried up oil and re-assemble it to get it to move. Still after heat, T-F and a purchase of Kroil and a soaking with Kroil - the machine still didn't move. The needle bar seemed to be the issue more heat, oil, kroil... After considerable work, I removed that needle bar - never force it get a big hammer. Yes, I broke some parts. Yes I had donor parts. BUT when I re-assembled it the needle bar still doesn't move very freely. (With the needle bar out it turns very sweet.) Could be possible that the needle shafts don't quite line up on? It feels way too tight when I put it in. It also feels like I have to kind of push the needle bar forward to get it in. It is clean inside and out and has new oil. It is a 'new' needle bar off a donor. I'm wondering if the bottom shaft can be reamed out? HOW? Could that make it too loose? If it is off - it is likely only slightly off since it does install... How would you ever get it lined up? Do those shafts the needle bar goes through need to be tight or could the bottom one be loosened up? Nah - then it could be sloppy below about like Wilbur holding the pencil like a screwdriver from the top and trying to write. It turns very nice with out the needle bar, but could it be possible it has a bent place up where the needlebar attaches to the drive shaft? It is possible that I bent something trying to get that needlebar out. How do you know which way it is out? if it is out? It just doesn't move with real ease like most of the other clones. There is so much I don't know. I haven't timed it yet - I'm thinking something feels off. Then I worked on a nearly identical Mercury clone - talk about running quiet & slick...

oldsewnsew

amazing the precision that was achieved back when. hard to imagine the cast iron body getting that tweaked out of alignment without external damage. so when you put needlebar in, it goes through first bore okay, I assume. Then does it bind when you're pushing it into the lower bore? If so' sounds like alignment. refusing and line boring are possible, but not worth the cost. I wonder if if a teensy curve in the needlebar would work.

miriam

yes it goes through the top just fine - then it seems to not like the next hole much - real drag there.

oldsewnsew

& if rotating it a bit a time, it doesnt change? i guess. So ink it with magic marker and push it in some and it will tell you which way it's out of alignment. It might be close enough that a wee bit of filing with a chainsaw sharpening file can give ypu enough clearance. No guarantee that there wont be unintended consequences.

miriam

I guess unexpected results aren't any worse that a parts machine is it?

oldsewnsew

yupp, i guess.

ThayerRags

Have you tried putting the needle bar in without the linkage to the upper shaft? Maybe the linkage is causing the bind?

CD in Oklahoma

miriam

Wilbur was just here and he is puzzled, too. He was excited to see the old one out & help put a new one in. I let him put it in and out. He got it in enough that he could do it up and down - it just doesn't like to move freely. I put it through the top shaft and it moves easily. I put it through the top shaft and the 'arm' and it moves nice. When I put it through the bottom shaft it does not move freely. So I pulled the 'arm' off and ran it from the top shaft to the bottom. It seems like something doesn't quite line up or is too tight. Ok so some time lapse... I too a picture of the needle bar attempting to enter the bottom shaft. I know it wouldn't be coming up this far but I'm seeing that it is does not line up. I wonder if it is the shaft since it was already very stuck or if I need to look at a different donor needle bar and hope it isn't as snug...... Picture shows the needle bar through the top and hitting on the top edge of the bottom shaft. ARGH. It IS just a bit off. It should slide easy.
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ThayerRags

Yesterday, I got to use my Singer 29K70 Boot Patcher to ....well... use it as a Shoe Patcher! Every once in a while, someone will wag in a boot or shoe that needs some stitches put in it.

Don’t let the grizzled Ol Poop running the sewing machine distract you, and just be thankful that it’s a shot of my good side! (Now you see why I'm not in many of my photos.)

CD in Oklahoma

ThayerRags

Here’s a shot of the completed repair. (Between the red lines.)

CD in Oklahoma