Help, something broke
 

I was sewing merrily along on my FW when there was a bang. The lady beside me asked if I had broken a needle. No. I was able to still sew but the wheel is very tight and hard to turn when the take up lever is at the top. I can turn it and then it runs easy until the lever is back at the top. There is nothing I can see broken and no bits falling out. Does anyone have an idea of what the problem is. Thanks.

Okay I know NOTHING about FWs, I'm sure someone who is more experienced than me will come along in a minute and get you some *real* help. Lol. But don't those machines have belts? Is it possible the belt broke?

Hi Peckish: I am laughing as I had to go and check even though the belt is external. It is fine but thanks for the thought.

Did the motor slip down and change the tension on the belt? Is the motor attached firmly or does it move? This wouldn't have made a "bang" I don't think, but I would check that. I would also take a peek at the gears at the top and the bottom of the machine to see what's doing with them. I would also unscrew the nose plate on the machine and have a peek at the needle bar and the connecting rods to see whether everything is still connected properly. I would be looking at whether somehow a screw came loose. Please note that the big screw that connects the counter balanced wheel is a right hand thread so it loosens the way that other screws tighten.

Okay I got nuthin' else, sorry. But I can give you another giggle:

Why did the ghost go to the bar? Because he wanted to get some boos. 😆

I'll show myself out. 😆😆

I would still replace the needle. Although it did not break, it may have bent ever so slightly.

I would clean the bobbin area really well. Make sure you get behind the bobbin case. I have had the tiniest of threads there and it throws everything off. I am also thinking the belt may not be seated properly.

I hope others chime in with their opinions. Keep working on it. You can do it!

I think you're absolutely right with your advice FBF.

The more I think about it, I'm now wondering about the noise. If something went bang, then something hit something else. The likeliest thing is that the OP was pulling the fabric ever so slightly or that the fabric got caught ever so slightly and the needle struck the hook, the needle plate or the bobbin case. If the needle bent, it may be getting caught on an edge of the needle hole in the needle plate, or perhaps on the opening of the bobbin case and that may be hanging up the machine on part of the cycle.

With luck all that may be needed is a replacement needle.

I thank you for your input and the good news is that the hand wheel is now turning freely. I am not quite there yet as my thread is breaking when I tried to stitch. i just started taking things apart. I think the most important thing I found was the feed dog plate was very loose and wobbly. There were no threads inside just a bit of exterior fluff. I am so glad I bought the big Maintenance Handbook from the FW Shop as their instructions are very clear with detailed pictures and there is a trouble shooting section. I think the needle hit the feed dog plate but I don’t understand the tightness on only part of the hand wheel but I have reoiled and greased everything. I am going to try a different needle but DH is sleeping so can’t access them at the moment. One other thing I noticed is that the hole in the needle throat plate is very irregular so over this machines 75 years a lot of needles have damaged it. I do think I have fixed it though.

I found a little file and filed around the throat plate hole and I have now stitched 15” so I think it is all good. Thanks for all the help and suggestions. This is the first time I have done something like this. I am so glad that I did not have to take it into a shop.

:thumbup: Glad you got it figured out. I was wondering if one of the parts underneath had shifted to cause the noise. I was wondering why it would be stiff in only one place. I had one that I thought that it was something on top since taking the thread jam didn't help. I finally figured out that indeed it was a problem with the bottom. While the link doesn't work in my thread about that 1957 FW, it was enough to give me confidence to doing more. On that machine all the set screws across the bottom should line up. One of the rods had twisted so that the set screw didn't line up with the others. I don't think it is quite the same on the earlier machines.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.