Bringing a 99k back to life. :-)
 

Hi Group!

I just got a 99k, and I spent this morning (and, well, half of the afternoon!) cleaning her! Some of this is going a bit farther than I have before on other machines, so it has been great fun. Following are a few before, during, and after photos. I still need to disassemble, clean, and asses the light, foot pedal, and motor. For now, she is a hand-wheel-operated body! :-) I cleaned -everything-. The only thing I did not clean is the flat spring in the bobbin area, which I have a question about; so for now I am posting the progress photos, and then I will post the bobbin flat spring photo and question.

Okay, here are a few 'before and during' photos:

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A couple more before shots:

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And, now, for the ingredient which I find even more helpful than Tri Flow and Sewing Machine Oil:

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And now, some 'after' shots!

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I am sure I can get things cleaner; i.e. inside the bobbin business. But for now, that's good enough start for me :-)

Wow! Great job!!! How many bottles of oil did it take?? :D

Very beautiful!

What ingredient is that? I have a 185K that I'm going to clean up. It's my 1st one to tear into and I don't really know what to use. My 301 came already cleaned up so I just basically oil it. But I've been wanting to try my hand at a little cleaning.

Beautiful job! I so admire your skill and perseverance. Although, i think you meant assess and not asses:). I hope you didn't pay much for that machine in such cruddy condition.

You did a beautiful job! Is your secret weapon a homemade latte?

Colleen

Assuming you weren't having a go at making marshmallows :D

I love having a coffee when cleaning a machine. Gives me an idea... Back to the 66!

Himnherr, the big blue cup is a cafe au lait. An overflowing cafe au lait which looks to Mike like a marshmallow experiment ;-)

As for what I used on the machine, I first used a brush (a small paintbrush) as a duster, with the vacuum hose right there to suck the amazing amounts of fluff and gunk. I did this -before- oiling anything, for someone here on another thread pointed out that once oil is in the equation, things become gucky and hard to get out.

Then, on the dirty body of the machine, I used a soft cloth, dampened with water only.

Then I used a small piece of cheesecloth with sewing machine oil, wiping down the surfaces.

All the mechanical parts which I took out got a spa in a small dish of SM oil, and a few parts (the handwheel chome part, the face plate, the bobbin thread tension piece) had a spa in Evaporust.

Most of the gunk came clean with SM oil and 600 grit wet-dry sandpaper.

I did not need Tri Flow in this job, as I have decided that for me, Tri Flow is really only necessary for seized parts.

After everything was clean to my satisfaction, I wiped it down with a flannel cloth to remove excess oil, then I gave it a light polishing with clear shoe polish. (!)

One spot where I used dish soap was the handwheel, on the portion where the belt will go. After I cleaned the other parts of the handwheel with SM oil, I carefully scrubbed only that groovy bit with mild dish soap, rinsed with water, and allowed to air-dry thoroughly before reassembling. Oil there would cause belt slippage.

So, all in all, very little chemical warfare. Really is was all mostly gunk and dust and cobwebs and lint. Toothbrush, mascara brush, cheesecloth, flannel cloth.

Himnherr, I hope that helps. If you are going to do a big clean up, the one thing I recommend is to take many photos along the way, as you remove parts and screws and tension assemblies... I did a lot of dis-assembly; taking off the stitch length lever, the thread cutter, the needle clamp, everything in the bobbin area, the handwheel, the feed dogs, the presser foot shaft. Pretty much everything that could be removed without without having to worry about re-timing things, I removed for cleaning. However, I did it in sections, in stages. I recommend this! Do it in sections, and photograph more than you possibly think you are going to need. If you get stuck, just post photos and questions, and someone here will come to your rescue. Good luck with yours!

My camera battery drained just as I was taking the after photos, so I was prevented from showing it off -too- much. I'll post another shot or two once I complete the light and motor business.

Stitchnripper, it only took about 1 Tablespoon of SM oil in total.

Zozee... assess, yess, I meant assess, with 4 sssssss-es. Oh dear, what a bummer of a typo to have made. Downright Cheeky. So sorry!

(Zozee... assess, yess, I meant assess, with 4 sssssss-es. Oh dear, what a bummer of a typo to have made. Downright Cheeky. So sorry!)

Was this pun intended?

No Tri-Flow ...... ewwww! I don't use T-F for cleaning but it's all I use for oiling.

You shouldn't ever take the screw out of the bobbin latch lever. That part controls the gap between the bobbin case and latch. Hopefully you got it back in exactly where it was. There is a proper way to remove the latch.

Sand paper and oil .... oh my, that's worse than pumice laced cleaners.


Glad it worked out for you, but I think you should re-think some of your techniques.

JMHO

Joe

Wonderful job!!!!!!

JBeamer, the first typo was not intended... but bummer and cheeky, yes, I was just playing ;-)

Joe, thanks so for mentioning the sandpaper; it made me realize I might not have been clear, and I would never want anyone to harm their machine based on something they tried due to my unclear writing! So, here is how clear I should have been:

With sandpaper, I did not go anywhere the machine body finish. (On the body, I used only cheesecloth and flannel and water and SM oil and at the very end, a titch of shoe/boot wax.)

When I used sandpaper, I used 600, also finer emery (1100 and the like) along with liberal amounts of oil, rubbing very lightly, so that the emery cloth or sandpaper was barely making contact with the rusty piece. I used this method on spots where I needed to lift very thick, gummy, caked-on residue. When near the metal itself, I go -so- lightly, sometimes even just using the back of the sandpaper, which is of course just essentially paper that will withstand oil without disintegrating.

I also will "shine" screw-heads this way. Not any of the screw shaft, of course, but the head itself, flat-down on an oily emery, this seems to be a very effective way of polishing the screw in a cosmetic way, whilst not touching anything to do with the thread.

I was taught this (using emery and oil) by a very experienced SMG as a great way to remove rust and buildup. If anyone has other suggestions, please chime in! There are times that white gas or other solvents would be ideal, but myself, I am not comfortable working with such flammable chemicals.

I don't know anything about pumice cleaners, but myself, I'll take a pass on that, too! Is that something used in the auto industry?

I should say as well, in case anyone decides to take a cue from me and try any of this, that the principle spots where I have use this technique are on exterior cosmetic areas, such as handwheel, face place, presser foot lever, bobbin winder... I would be extra extra careful (or not at all) when it comes to any fine, minimal-tolerance moving part. For example, that is why I did not get my bobbin case area Super Duper Clean; I did not want to risk changing any dimensions of those fine parts.

Thanks for pointing that out, Joe. I am sorry if I was unclear, but I am really glad you mentioned it so I could clarify just what I meant/didn't mean! :-)

Oh, and Tri Flow - not so far on this particular machine. So far it seems very free-moving with only SM oil. Quite amazing, really, considering how dirty and neglected the machine was! TF sure helped me on a handcrank that I am currently tinkering with; there were some -very- seized parts there! It is wonderful stuff for stuck parts, hands down, isn't it?

You CRACK me up.

Fantastic mini blog on your cleaning. I love the cup of java too. Congrats on a really good lookin machine.

Great looking machine!!!

Cecilia,

When it comes to icky, age hardened, goo and other solidified oils and greases I use Hoppe's #9 gun cleaning solvent. It's base is kerosene with a few extra solvents and it's not overly volatile like acetone, white gas or others.

Thanks for clearing up the use on the sand paper. I understand how that is as I've done it too on badly rusted pieces.


Joe

This morning's project was inspection of the motor and the foot pedal. I took apart the motor casing, cleaned out the dust (which was -really- not bad at all!), examined the brushes (in great shape!) and added a wee teflon washer to the inside non-pulley end of the motor axle (do we call it an axle or something else?), to take a bit of the play which was present. I think the motor is fine, wiring-wise, but as that is stepping out of my territory just yet, I am going to show it to someone more clever at these things.

The foot pedal is another story. I found that I had to step -way- on the pedal in order to get the motor to kick in, and when it did, it was fairly full-on. Inside the foot pedal, there were a few dust bunnies, but more alarmingly, this small hunk fell out; it looks to be made of the same material as the carbon brushes. I am showing a pin, for scale:

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Next, inside the rheostat, I know that there are two columns of approx 100 carbon discs. I wanted to take a look at all the contact points leading up to those discs. Here is as far as I can get. What looks to be like it should be a capped-nut sort of thing on either side, is only one, and the other side looks like a broken off stump of what appears to be that carbon-brush-type material again. The capped-nut type hardware which is intact also feels as though it is that material. So, I am hypothesizing that these two caps are indeed made of carbon, and one broke off.

Is this rheostat irrevocably hooped? Can these odd little outdated bits be replaced? I so dearly hope so. Here is a photo. I am sorry if I am not using the correct terminology; this is all rather new to me, insofar as electrical things are concerned. I would really appreciate any pointers. I know I can get a new foot pedal, but I'd rather not, for two reasons; firstly, the cost, and secondly, if it really is as simple as a wee piece of carbon, then I cannot stomach the thought of this all going to waste.

I hope someone here can help! Here are photos of the rheostat, showing the one intact and the other broken bit:

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Hi Everyone - this machine stayed untouched since October, as I got busy with other things - however, by handwheel, she stitches beautifully, and I am finally mustering the courage to tackle re-wiring. (New to me)

I need help figuring out how to open the lightbulb casing; you know, the singer lamps on a 99 k with a lens? I cannot for the life of me figure out how to open it to clean it or to change a lightbulb, even! I am sure that once I know how I will feel quite dumb... but meanwhile if anyone can help me I would be so appreciative.

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isnt that ring around the lamp a type of spring?

Take a popsickle stick and worry the ring off at the opening in it. If I remember right. Havent looked at one for awhile that still had a lens

Those rings are spring steel snap rings. You can use a small screw driver or a pointed object to get them off, but it's easier if you use a set of snap ring pliers for that kind of ring.

Joe

Hold your hand over the works when you take it off. Them things tend to become airborne and sail off to parts unknown:eek:

Hi All!

I have refinished the case bottom, re-wired the foot pedal, re-assembled the rheostat after replacing the carbon plug, put the machine all back together, and made some stitches! I will post a few photos; she is looking very nice! However, I have a few problems, so I will need some help.

1) The machine stitches quite slowly, and the foot pedal ends up getting snap-crackle-pop warm. I will have an expert look at my wiring tonight to ensure that I have not done anything wrong, but I am quite sure it is correct. (famous last words!:p) Any ideas as to why it would run so slowly? Is this likely an adjustment within the rheostat? For example, When I put it back together, I noticed that one can have some of the parts of the rheostat screwed closer to or farther from the main body of the ceramic block within the rheostat. Would this be the appropriate thing to adjust?

2) The tension is fussy - the stitches look fine, but not WOW. My grasshopper, 15 Clone, and Featherweight all stitch such beautiful stitches; any tips on making these 99k stitches go "WOW"?

3) I hear a mechanical 'click' with each stitch, as the needle is in its lowest position. I cannot tell quite where it is coming from. Is it normal to hear a bit of a click? Presumably yes, as it is an oscillating shuttle...?

Many thanks in advance if you can help with some answers. I am meant to gift this to a 12-year old on Monday, and I am awfully concerned about fine-tuning it right away, in the next day or so.

Thank you thank you , whoever can help. Photos to follow: The first one is how she looks now. Pretty nice compared with the "before", eh? (The funny marbley texture on the bed is just the reflection of the backdrop fabric).

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By the way, am I meant to thread the thread -through- that wee hole, after the tension discs? Or simply underneath the arm? Threading it through the wee hole was a pain! Most machines that I have do not have such a hole; I cannot figure what exactly that hole would be for. Ideas?
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Whew, that last photo looks dusty! Ever notice that close-ups show stuff that you do not see in real life?!? Next, photos of the lower (white thread) and upper (blue thread) stitches on two layers of cotton twill fabric. I would very much appreciate input on stitch quality and what I can tweak to improve it. Thank you!

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Hi Cecilia,
1. Does it get to full speed when you push the button all the way? If it does and gets there suddenly an adjustment should fix it, but if it never gets fast it isn't the foot controller at all. There are two strips of copper which bridge when you push it down all the way, bypassing the FC. If it's bridged and still slow, I'd be disconnecting the drive belt and testing again. If it still doesn't go full speed there is a problem with your motor. If it does, your belt is too tight or the machine needs lube.
2. The stitches should be excellent. As unlikely as it sounds, I'd check the hook timing. It's the primary candidate for this set of issues.
3. See 2. The needle could be hitting something "down there".

Your attachments didn't work for me: Threading diagram (small one) here

It sure looks purdy! Here is some info I've used to adjust foot controllers but I am not sure that the slowness is about the controller or whether it could be the motor. Hmmmm.. I would try adjusting the controller first.

If you hear the snap, crackle, pop, definitely make SURE it is wired correctly! I had a carbon pile type controller recently making snap crackle and hiss and it was the carbon drying out after being kept in a damp environment. Once it dried out, no more sounds! BUT, it was scary. I was wise to be nervous and thus extremely careful. Also with any snapping, be checking for a capacitor inside the motor (unplugged). i hope it's just a couple more minor adjustments!

Thanks, Mike! Did my photos come through of the stitches, by the way? Regarding #2 and 3... CRUD, I fear timing.

Regarding #1; no there are no lurches; just a fair amount of buzz at the beginning, then once she gets going, a very slow start altogether, and never fully goes fast.

Now, when you say there are two strips of copper which bridge; do you mean the copper strips which receive the screws to attach the wires; they are meant to bridge with the copper part of the foot controller which moves as one depresses the pedal? If so, I may not have it calibrated properly; when full-pedal-pushed, the movable part of the rheostat does not contact those two copper pieces. Should they? Thank you in advance! Would you like me to post a photo to be clear, or was the description clear enough?

http://www.archaicarcane.com/singerattheraces/ Duh. Forgot the info.

Thanks Mike. It is hard to see on the photo of the link you sent me, but it does not appear as though I am meant to thread the thread through the little hole. Makes sense. I wonder, then, what that hole is for? Any ideas? So curious!

Here I will try again my stitch photos. White bottom thread, blue top.

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Here are the top stitches.

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This is the hole that I am curious about! Quite sure (esp after seeing Mike's threading diagram link) that the thread simply goes under the little arm, as though the hole did not exist. But what would the hole be used for?

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Mrs Sew and Sew, thank you. It is a carbon pile rheostat; the most likely source of the popping is as you describe. No capacitors anywhere in it or the motor. But yes, I will definitely check the wiring.

Mrs Sew and Sew, and Tammi, if you read this; the link that Mrs S&S sent was to a page describing the button style foot controller. Mine is not the same on the outside, but indeed the idea is the same on the inside. So, it seems I likely have calibrated it incorrectly while re-assembling. I will take some time tonight to see if I can remedy that.

Thank you!

Cecilia,

From what I can see on my monitor there's nothing wrong with the thread tension.

You thread the machine through the hole in the arm for embroidery and darning. Otherwise the thread goes under the arm.

Joe