featherweight finally working
 

I had purchased my FW several months ago at a pretty good price except it did not have a bobbin case. I bought a reproduction case frm EBay. It never did work quite right, but it would sew. I had read that some machines did not work with the reproduction cases. I decided to buy an authentic case. My machine is just humming along now. There is no hitch when I turn the wheel to pick up the bobbin thread, and it no longer has a cracking sound. It sews wonderfully now.
Just thought I would share.

Yep, i have wondered whether it might be worth buying a repro bobbin case, to replace one i have that was pretty rusty and rough, but is functional now after much TLC

I have read many bad reviews of the reproduction bobbin cases. Apparently, there is one place manufacturing them and the quality is very poor. One FW parts site stated that they test every repro case before reselling them and finally decided to quit selling them when 70% of the pieces they brought in failed their testing.

Repros and most bobbins are made in China now with no quality control. It's buyer beware and I would only buy repro cases from a reputable source that takes returns. I learned the hard way too when I purchased a repro Pfaff bobbin case that was junk.

I have successfully cleaned up a couple rusty bobbin cases. It is a lot of work but it can be done.

Me too, I'm just worried they'll get rusty again, as there isn't much plating left.

There is actually two FW bobbin cases with their respective hook assemblies. From what I have read one hook assembly will take either bobbin case, the other only it's specific one. That is some of the problem with the repro cases. The FW bobbin case part numbers end in 50 or 51. The 51 version is the common repro case. The 50 bobbin hook assembly won't work right with the 51 case if I understood what I read correctly.

I'm not an X-spurt on this but I recently rebuilt a bobbin case and it's hook assembly rather than drop the big bucks for a repro replacement assembly. The bobbin case part number ended in 50 and the hook assembly parts are a wee bit different from the hook assembly for the case ending in 51.

Nova Montgomery addresses this issue in her June 2012 tips page. Go here { http://www.novamontgomery.com/singer...m/#Bobbincases } then scroll down to June 2012 "Bobbin Cases".


Joe

Thanks Joe for this link. It really is filled with tons of information. I was saddened to read the part where all of those bobbin cases were stolen at that class. I do plan on telling all of my friends about that recommendation.
I would like to thank you for all of your knowledge that you share with everyone on this board.