The Centennial Featherweight that I’ve been fiddling with has the thread guide above the tension assembly snapped off flush with the hole in the casting inside of the head that it presses into. I have never tried to drill one of those out, but if I did, I’d need more equipment and experience to do it. I don’t think I’d want to free-hand drill it, and I don’t have a drill press that will handle it.

The lady has a replacement thread guide for it, so maybe someday she’ll find someone that is able to drill and mount it for her. In the mean time, I installed a temporary guide that we’re going to test and see how it holds up. It can easily be removed, and won’t interfere with later permanent repairs. This is the first time that I’ve tried this fix. I won’t know how well it will hold up until it’s used for a while.

I bent a large paperclip to form it to hug both sides of the tube-like casting holding the original thread guide, cleaned the paperclip and casting of any oil, and mounted the paperclip with a generous bead of clear Silicone adhesive along the upper side of the casting. The portion of the clip resting along the lower side of the casting should help prevent the clip from twisting and coming loose inside of the Silicone bead. We’ll see.

CD in Oklahoma

I messed with a Singer 500 yesterday - it was not turning all the way. I oiled everything - still nothing - usually it will loosen up just a little. Note I said it was not turning all the way. SO I pulled out the motor. The machine turned just as purty as you please... The motor was what was locked up. I dropped a bit of T-F on the shaft and worked it back and forth for about a half hour and she turns beautifully. The inside of the machine was void of any oil or grease. Everything turns now - wow even the stitch selectors! The next step is to take apart and clean the tension and then test sew the machine. I put a new cord and a foot petal on it so it should be good to go soon.

CD,

I have a similar problem with my little FREE APARTMENT machine. The thumb screw snapped off right at the surface of the head. My DH says that the best thing to do is to take it to a machinist, who can bore a small, straight hole in it with a drill press and then remove the broken piece. Messing the threads up is a big concern. Now, to find a local machinist.

~ Cindy

This is where having a machinist on hand is so nice! In our 30+ years together, he's not yet had to resort to taking something in to get a screw/bolt extracted. Though he came very close when he had a stretch bolt break off in a deisel VW engine block.

He's got a nice set of extractors - and taps and dies. But the drill press technically is mine LOL!!

Yesterday DH finished up with the Two Spool, and today he's planning on oiling up the treadle so I can give her a test drive. I've never actually sewed on a treadle - yea, even with all of them that I own. But that's because most of them haven't been cleaned up yet.

Referencing the tools Macybaby posted above about, It does not take a machinist.

The Extractor process is simple
A hole drilled into the center of the broken screw stub, and then a screw extractor is used.
The extractor is basically a Super hard screw with threads twisted in the opposite direction of normal
Because the twist is the opposite, it screws "in" by turning in the direction you normally turn to loosen things.
(Normally it is "rightie tightie, leftie loosie", the screw extractor is rightie loosie, leftie tightie)

So when you tighten the screw extractor as some point it will "bottom" and not go further into the screw, at that point all of the effort you apply to drive the extractor in tighter will instead be applied to the screw which will loosen since that is the direction you are applying force.


Since you are turning

My wife was in the same boat until last summer. I’ve used treadles for the past few years, and we’ve had one since 1982, but she’d never tried one of them. She had wanted to, but hadn’t ever gotten around to it.

One Saturday morning early, I pulled Grandma’s old White VS3 out into the middle of what little sewing room floor we have, threaded it up, test-sewed it on a scrap of fabric, and left it all set up right in the middle of things, bench and all. When she came out to start her day, she went right to it and began playing. She loved it.

We’ve decided that it’s the setting up that keeps her from playing with our treadles more. She’s gotten used to having her U-shaped “Command Center” machines (Singer 301A, Singer 401A, Singer 14U554, JC Penney 7057, & White W3300) all set up and ready to use at the flick of a single switch. The 401A and 7057 share the same cabinet, so she sometimes has to fold the 401A up or down, but the 7057 sets on the floor plugged in and ready to be lifted up and used. The rest of them are ready to use at a moment’s notice. Often times, the machines will have projects loaded on them just waiting for her to sit down and continue from where she left off. All of the machines, her iron, and the overhead track lighting are all turned on or off with one switch. (FYI: Her sewing room used to be our dining room and living room.)

With all of the machines that we have, the treadles have to be folded up and lined up along the walls.

CD in Oklahoma

I worked some more on it. I can't get the hand wheel off. WHAH...

Got a rubber sledge hammer? I had to tap one off of a 401A once.

CD in Oklahoma

The 401 is easier to get the wheel off - there is something to grip - nothing to grip on the 500 and 503.

Have you tried threats and name calling? It doesn't always work, but often makes me feel better....