Candace

Tammi, here's a good close up photo on the net of the correct meshing and fit of the two gears. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8nXb6W39gm...0/102_2212.JPG or http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xcQdyUBloh.../301gears2.gif

If you look at her photo, it appears the gear shaft has slipped to the left about 1/16" which can happen during removal of the bobbin assembly if not careful. If the gears aren't meshed properly it creates binding. Of course, the angle of photos can be very deceiving.

I would like to see a better lit, non-blurry photo of those two gears, maybe it's just the angle of her photo that's playing tricks. .

ArchaicArcane

I do see what you're seeing, but I think it's a trick of the camera. I could be wrong, and maybe Arianna can confirm for us?

The photo is a little off level - not surprising with a hand held photo and I think taken from ever so slightly left of dead on, so my line is a little less than straight but I think the gears are lined up. If we extrapolate from the part of the (normally) horizontal gear that we can see, it looks like it's just that the top of the bevel seems to disappear in shadows.

The gap between the collar and the (normally) vertical gear looks about right to me. I would expect it to look pretty tight if the gear was shifted over, unless that entire gear is slid right on the shaft.

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Is this what it looks like in real life, Arianna?

Mrs. SewNSew

You all have me looking at mine now. Just for comparison my 301A has the cutouts similar to yours Tammi. Really if the machine was working before though that should just be a fluke.

ArchaicArcane

I'm really sure it is a fluke, Christy. It was more a curiousity than anything for me. Arianna's machine is a 301, not a 301a, so an earlier model, and Singer was always making revisions. The only way the base should be a problem is if it's a replacement one from a 221.

Yooper32

I find myself reading and waiting , holding my breath, for the solution, or a new theory. This is really ridiculous for me, because I don't even have a 301 or a 301a, I only wish for one and am compelled to follow the saga.

Ariannaquilts

Singerguy you are correct I only just got the machine on May 27th therefore the things you suggested were fine. That being said when I was trying the machine out I kept getting nest under the fabric and was never able to really sew more than a few stitches before it would jam up. That is when my plea for help when out under the "OK vintage enthusiast I need help" thread. I only started this one because I did not know how to attach pictures. I guess the only thing I have succeeded in doing is confusing people, I am really sorry about that.

Ariannaquilts

Tammi, I tried to take a picture of the base but can't get it to focus when I am that close to it, however I noticed that the numbers are different. My base number is 170078. I really don't know what you did to be able to obtain such a clear view of yours.

Ariannaquilts

Christy, I think it's just the angle of the picture because I compared the photos you provided to mine and although I do see what your talking about I do believe it's just the angle, especially because I didn't do anything to that area.

Ariannaquilts

I thought I was going to give you all good news because when I took the bobbin case apart again to try to get the picture of the number for Tammi, when I put it back together I made sure everything was lined up looking at her picture, believe it or not I could tell immediately that it was going to sew and it did, yay!! NOW new problem, it started sewing so incredibly and then all of a sudden I heard the handwheel spinning but nothing moving, seriously what does this mean. I tried to tighten the stop motion screw that you loosen when your filling a bobbin but it's not staying tight it keeps getting loose and then spins and the machine won't sew. Sincerely everyone I am so sorry to keep doing this to you all. I was so absolutely thrilled to see the machine sewing and now for this to happen I just don't know HELP!!!! I am praying that this will be an easy fix and then the end of the saga will come for us all, please don't give up on me now.

ArchaicArcane

That part number is for a 301, so that's fine. The photos are from 20 years of taking photos and knowing how to trick the camera into the shot I want. I have an article in progress on my blog about it. Almost all of the photos you see on the QB and my blog are taken with my phone.

Yah! Good job on the left side of the machine. As for the handwheel spinning, it's almost certainly that the handwheel, stop motion screw and its washer were misassembled at some point. I have a quilt to go finish, so I won't have time to shoot any photos and post them at the moment. I wanted to give you somewhere to look in the meantime though. Maybe someone else will have a link to somewhere that such photos are posted already online?

ETA: Pics!! Pics!! It helps us see what's going on. One of the handwheel from the front so we can see the "gap" between the machine and the handwheel too please.