kenmore 117.959 not picking up thread
 

I've got a kenmore 117.959 sewing machine, I believe it's from 1949. The manual isn't terribly helpful, the diagrams aren't very good and the directions not specific. I'm pretty sure I have it threaded properly, and the bobbin is threaded properly as well. But the needle isn't picking up the bobbin thread.

My father in law picked it up cheap for his son to use, it's his first machine. I'd really like to get it working for him. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Pictures help. Do you have the bobbin the right way? maybe there is a little lint in there, is the needle in the right way. check your threading again. sometimes different thread helps too. Also check that your bobbin is threaded the right way. I have the manual for a 158 17921 that I am looking at. Has pretty good diagrams. don't know how much difference there is in yours and this manual. I sold the machine and the cabinet it came in to a friend for $5. that is what I paid for it at auction.

Do you happen to know what way the needle goes in? When I looked at it, the needle was facing a different way than the needle in my machine, which is a Kenmore from the 70s. The manual didn't say.

I did try reversing the thread in the bobbin. The manual says to 'pay close attention to the bobbin as you take it out and make sure it goes back in the same way,' which doesn't do me much good sixty years later lol

I will give it a good cleaning this afternoon when I go over there to look at it again. Make sure there's no lint.

Thanks!

Make sure you are turning the hand wheel away from you, as those machines, along with the White Rotary, generally operate in the opposite direction of most other machines.

Try turning the needle around to see if that works.

I had to laugh when I read that: "A little" lint would have to be the cleanest machine I've ever bought! More likely there's a bird's nest of all types of crap underneath and between the feed dogs :D

I am having the same problem with a Kenmore machine now, though with a different model number. By searching posts on this site, one suggested checking the gears that control the bobbin area (though I don't remember the technical term). Sure enough that was the problem. The machine was old enough and sat long enough not being used that the plastic gear had worn away. I sent away for a new one and hopefully will have a go at repairing it tomorrow.

So my suggestion to you is to try searching this forum with your make and model number and see if there are any posts with someone having the same problem and hopefully a solution as well. Wishing you well with figuring out the problem. :)

YEAH, usually "little" means a whole he--lot, especially in the ones that I have seen, altho the 301 that I oiled and greased the other day had a small piece of thread in there and when I took that out she started sewing so nicely. I did 2, 1 is awaiting shipment to Lakewood CO, if I can find an apple box.