Answered prayer-new 'baby' in the house
 

I have been looking for a Featherweight for quite a few years but have never found one of those "great deals". I look at Craigslist off and on but it seems that they just keep going up in price. Monday, took a quick look and saw a 1951 Centennial in excellent shape (from the pic), including all the attachments, original book and case. It was listed for $300 which was still more than I had. I took a chance and emailed the seller, asking if they would be willing to take less. I explained that I had been looking for one for a long time but since I work in kitty rescue, everytime I save up some money, it seems to end up getting used for emergency vet bills. I hit SEND, said a little prayer and a little while later, received a reply. He asked how much I could spend. As I wrote back, I wanted to convey that I didn't want to insult him but that $150 was all I could do. I was shocked when he wrote back that he and his fiance commended me on my rescue work and that if I could come up with $175, it was mine! Plus they would donate a couple bags of food for the kittys. The next day, I am the proud owner of a beautiful Centennial Featherweight. The lady said it was her grandma's and she only used it a couple of times. I even found the key for the locks. It looks brand new. I plugged it in and....
the motor runs but the needle doesn't go up and down. It won't even move when I turn the wheel. I'm sick. Am I doing something wrong? The guy said it "ran like a top". Can anyone give me any ideas where to start? I have heard so much about the amazing piecing on these little machines so I had my fabric ready and waiting. I sat on the floor and cried. I suppose it could be something as minor as needing a new belt. They said it had been sitting in the basement since the grandmother died in 1959.
I'm hoping some of the experts out there can help me out. I was so excited and feel like a deflated balloon. I would appreciate ANY help. Thank you.

I'm sorry I can't help. I just wanted to thank you also for your rescue work. I think there is a sewing machine section on this board, try asking your questions there. Crossing my fingers it is something minor.

you need to oil it first and stop running the motor unless you've done oiling the machine. here's THE MANUAL THAT YOU CAN DOWNLOAD . it's on page 15. i am assuming since it's been sitting for years unused, it needs some extensive oiling. probably metals are all sticking together. the first thing you need to do when you buy a vintage/antique or any sewing machine is to oil it first before using.

Have you given her a good oiling and checked the belt?

I am sure that you will need to clean and oil it. It is a simple enough job to clean it and oil. I buy my stuff from sew-classics. You can also get a manual free from off this site-- some people who have posted on here with cleaning them up. I am sure that it is a simple fix to get it up and running. Great getting a FW after looking for so long.

That's why I started in the "Vintage & Antique Machine Enthusiasts" thread. I have seen questions about Featherweights here before. If nothing shows up, I'll look for another thread to try. Thank you for your kind words. I'm fostering 5 6 week old kittens and they are reminding me it's time for their late night snack, lol. Once they are fed, it's off to bed. Its lots of work but the rewards are many. I've already had 25 kittens come thru since the end of February. All but 6 were bottle babies.

Thank you. Once I saw that the needle didn't move, I didn't touch it again. I appreciate your sending the manual. What kind of oil should I use? It has the tube of the original grease but it doesn't look really good. It also has the original oil can and there is some oil in it.

you're welcome. use clear sewing machine oil LIKE THIS ONE for all the metal parts that move and ONLY use gease/lubricant for the gears. some people here are ok in using old singer lubricant. but to me i'd rather buy a new one and use it instead.

How will I know if the belt is good or should I just get a new one? It looks good, no cracks but seems to have some 'give' in it. I guess I expected the needle to move when I manually turned the wheel but if the belt isn't tight enough, it wouldn't allow it to move up and down. I'm beginning to feel a little better. It came with the original manual also so it has all the info about oiling/greasing. I should have realized that it was going to need some attention. Stupid me. I have never had an old machine so it's all new to me. I really appreciate the help.

my advise - since it's been sitting for ages, get a new belt. belt are cheap and since you're rehabbing it anyway, you might as well change it too. here's how to REPLACE A BELT .

Did you make sure the stop motion knob is in the sewing position? It is the smaller knob/wheel in the center of the handwheel, used to disengage the needle while bobbin winding.

This was my guess. The smaller knob goes one way and the handwheel goes the other. Don't over tighten it. I can't remember off the top of my head which way each goes, it would be in the manual that is linked above.

You can buy Singer sewing machine oil at Meijer BTW. Most any sewing/fabric store should carry it however, my Joann's never seems to have any in stock.

Sunkist, if I said something rude to you, it was NOT meant to be rude. I'm not that kind of person. My thoughts come out wrong, I guess. If I insulted you. Please accept my apology. Barny

Sunkist,

First, welcome to the repair side!!! You are in the right place. Folks here LOVE the featherweights and we love to help.

Second, I would like to echo the "Thanks for what you do".

Third, I think you got a great deal and it came loaded with good karma...

and finally, the really good news is it is almost impossible to have a Singer from this era that cannot be fixed.

Patience and posting pictures for us to see and try to help is all that will be needed.

Check the stop motion knob. It could be disengaged. At that point the hand wheel will turn, but nothing else will.

If that is not the problem, then there could be a thread jam in the bobbin hook assembly.

Joe

You did the right thing coming to this site for help--I am so glad to see they all jumped in there like I hoped they would. And congratulations on getting a FW (especially the Centennial) for less than $300. I am glad those folks were favorably impressed with your efforts with the kitties. As you can see I am a cat lover from way back--all the way to probably 1937, when I started walking. They say a woman who loves a cat loves her husband.....

I know you probably checked this already, but is the stop motion mechanism tightened?
If the clutch is disengaged (ie the machine is in bobbin winding mode) then the needle won't move up and down.

Edit: sorry, I see that quiltingvagabond and Joe already suggested this. I didn't notice that there were two pages in this thread!

Sunkist.... just checking in to see how you are doing getting the FW working .... and to welcome you to the FW club (those of us that own FWs and LOVE them). From what you say, it does sound like the stop motion screw is probably disengaged. Steve is right, there's not much chance that your machine can't be up and running pretty easily. Don't worry, this group can help. I can relate to your story. The 1st FW I got, I was so excited. I did plug it in before I paid the money and it ran but when I got it home, it wouldn't stitch a stitch. I sat down and cried.... what had I done??? Well, the needle was in the wrong direction. Once I turned the flat side around, it was stitching like a pro and I still use it for all my piecing. I have 5 machines now.... can't stop buying them when I get a deal.

To check that stop motion screw, hold the black wheel with your left hand and see if the silver smaller wheel is tight to the right. For winding bobbins, you have to turn the silver wheel counterclockwise (looking at it from the end). It should feel loose and sloppy. To sew, the silver wheel has to be snug, turning clockwise. Don't tighten too much. You have to disengage it every time you need to wind a bobbin.

And a suggestion on oil. Most of us here use Tri-flow. I order mine from www.sew-classic.com but I've heard you can find it at some bike shops. It is a very fine oil. And you should oil and grease according to your manual fairly often. I do mine after every quilt I make. And, the machine responds with a lovely click-click sound that is music to my ears.

Keep us posted......

Another suggestion....can u check to see if the bobbin case inserted corrected? Maybe threads aRe jammed in there.
That was what was wrong with mine, had to unscrew plate to check for threads and then take bobbin case out (if it is)
And then clear it out, the hook has to be placed just right and then voila! It worked. They say u should lubicate/oil after so many uses. Hope it gets going soon! Plus needle has to be in right....oh so many possibilities but hang in there..we can try to help u out!

Congratulations and your great find of a Centennial Featherweight. So glad the people were willing to reduce the price for you. They could tell you were a good person with a caring heart due to the work you do with the kitties. Thank you for caring for them. I love cats too and have 2 spoiled fur babies that I adopted. Keeps life interesting. You will get your machine going. They are a wonderful little machine. Enjoy her.

First, THANK YOU to everyone who has offered help with my new machine. I know it will happen but, as of this moment, my girl still isn't running. One of the first things I did when it didn't run was check to see if the small wheel was disingaged. I remembered that from my first Kenmore. Also, the very first thing I did when I brought it home was to read the 'mint condition' manual and match the little numbers with the places on the machine. I just didn't want to do anything to break it. I have the bobbin case out and everything looks clean there. That first Kenmore was a real stickler with that bobbin case. The light works great, yippee, so I know there is hope. I could have my wonderful husband take a look at it but I haven't told him I bought it just yet. He is of the mind that if you have one machine, why do you need another one. I love him dearly, especially since he is so great about all the foster kitties, but we don't see eye to eye on the matter of sewing machines. Will pick just the right time to spring it on him. Heading to the store tomorrow to get some new oil and grease. If I go to a Singer dealer, will they have the type of grease I need?

Again, many thanks for all the advice and encouragement. I have wanted to be part of this "club" for such a long time but everytime I looked at them, they just kept getting more expensive. I envied those I would read about that came across one at a local Goodwill. I just told myself that if I was meant to have one, it would come in good time. They did say that the reason they were willing to take so much less was because of my work with the kitties. They were very gracious and didn't swear at me for my low-ball offer, even though I did apologize for it before I made it. All they could have said was "no" and I would have understood. I just want to sew on it so badly. It's like having a new toy that I can't play with. Oh wait, it is exactly that!

Have to quit. Too hard to type with 5 kittens trying to "help". Will try all the suggestions I hadn't got to and oil and grease where needed. Probably will need a new belt also. Hopefully, next post will be "sewed my first seam"! Blessings to all.

The singer store will have oil and grease (hopefully). They are two different things and not interchangeable and not the same as motor grease. A lot of the folks on the board use tri-flow which can sometimes be found at auto-parts stores and bicycle shops relitively inexpensively. Tri-flow makes a bottle labeled for sewing machines but it's the same stuff no matter where you find it. Put a drop oil anywhere metal touches metal on the top side and a bit of grease on the gears underneath to start. The belt should have a bit of give in it, too tight and it will drag on the motor causing premature wear. You just want it tight enough that it grips the handwheel to turn it. If you're unsure on that one take it to your LSMS and just ask them to help you adjust it. It's an easy adjustment but it never hurts to have someone who has done it before show you how. Good luck!

Rightey Tightey...Lefty Loosy!

Have you checked to make sure that the fly wheel is engaged and not still in the "bobbin winding" position?

That was the first thing I did when the needle didn't move. Then I read the manual so I knew what I was working with as far as where everything is on the machine.