Hi Joe, or anyone who can help!
We need some help with the wheel assembly, we can turn the wheel clockwise and turn the clutch counter clockwise by hand, just can't get the clutch to disengage the shaft so the needle won't move when winding the bobbin, I can live with that, the main problem is getting the wheel assembly off so we can clean and oil everything. Does the wheel slide (pop) off? We don't want to damage anything, this kind of repair is all new for us!
Thanks for any help!
Sunny

Sunny,

There "should" be a small slotted screw towards the outer edge of the stop motion knob. Remove that screw and the knob should unscrew if you hold the hand wheel stationary.

All my other White made machines and nearly all the others have this same feature.

Joe

Sunny, are you in central California? I just had to not buy this model of Kenmore (and it was brown) in a plain but true Sears cabinet. It was 19" deep and just not quite going to fit in the car.
http://www.buysaleandtrade.com/user_images/3748586.jpg That shape of cabinet but lighter color. Looked like a student desk.

Sunny,

Here is a small picture I found on a Google search:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]511946[/ATTACH]
The hand wheel is at the top right, and inside it is the flat washer with the ball bearings I mentioned in the PM.
This is the same design as my other White made machines so the stop motion knob does unscrew after the lock screw is loosened or removed.

You might need to put a piece of wood under the needle bar to stop the main shaft from turning. But remove the needle first of course. Also it would be good to soak the hand wheel and knob area with oil or Tri-Flow if you can.

But the stop motion knob does unscrew counter clockwise to be removed. And the hand wheel is designed to slide off. Most likely there is old oil holding the hand wheel solid to the main shaft. You need to get the stop motion knob unscrewed and removed to soak the hand wheel shaft area.

Joe

I haven't been able to use it yet (needs cleaning & oil) I remember my Mom sewing thick denim back in the 70's, she made all of my clothes, and it was a powerhouse! Updates to come!

No, I'm in central Florida, and yes that sounds exactly like the cabinet my Mom's machine was in!

Great! Thanks Joe, we'll try that! You've been sooo helpful, thanks so much!
Sunny

Thank you Nancy, so happy I found this site!
Sunny

Welcome to the board. congrats on your new machine.

Welcome!! I just sold my 959, a machine I'm fond of but never used. It was loud but very strong and responsive; it had no problem with multiple layers of Levi's denim. And I like its Art Deco design.

When I bought mine, it had a lot of old oil varnish on the inside and out, so I applied kerosene to a toothbrush and most of it melted away. After that (and clear sewing machine oil), it ran more smoothly.

If the "rubber" on the pulley has an indent from years of non-use, you can sand or cut the rubber to the level of the indent to avoid the rough bumping each time the indentation contacts the wheel. FYI, make sure you look at the manual, as it has a picture of the angle and depth of the pulley-wheel contact.