Saved a machine - thanks to this board!!
 

I saw a kenmore 158 at the curb this week so I brought it home. The handwheel would not turn much. So I did as I've read to do on this board so many times.

I opened it up and began to clean it up. I found lint in the bobbin case and thread wrapped around the handwheel. I cleaned all that and then began to oil it with Tri Flo. It was dry as dust in there! I put it in the garage and when I'd walk past it, I'd jiggle the handwheel a bit. I gave it a bit of oil every day. Every day the handwheel moved more. Last night it seemed to be moving freely.

Today I brought the machine in, reassembled it and plugged it in! Works fine! I am quite proud of this. I know many of you experts have saved machines in way worse shape but this is good for me, a beginner. I don't need any more machines so I'll give it away. Thanks for all the instruction fellow sewists! I have taken your lessons to heart. :)

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Nice job! I'm sure whoever receives your generous gift will be thrilled.

It's darned good work for a beginner. That's how I started and how many of us started. It feels good doesn't it?

Great job!
Rodney

good job!!

Great job! Don't you love the simple fixes?
I haven't found a machine at the curb but I've been given a couple of "non working" machines. In both cases it turned out to be something simple. The last one turned out to be one wire disconnected in the controller.

Cari

[QUOTE=KenmoreGal2;7260523]I saw a kenmore 158 at the curb this week so I brought it home. The handwheel would not turn much. So I did as I've read to do on this board so many times.[/QUOT

Is that a model 1316, 5 built-in stitches, 1 amp., all metal machine that you have resuscitated? I hope the new owner will appreciate what they are getting. These are perfect for passing on to someone who really wants to sew. Good for you!

Congratulations! That's a victory! The prime thing, I've been told, is "Don't you ever give up!"

I believe it!

Jeanette

It feels good to win one. My first rescue was a curbside 401G - it was covered in garbage - doggiedoodoo, grass, etc. The table was trashed. That ugly machine was not turning and the stitch selectors were frozen & motor growled, wires missing. tension buggared. I worked and worked on it. I think I used WD40, Liquid Wrench and 3in1 oil. It was a disaster. The 3in1 oil set up like concrete and I had to redo all that. The LW wasn't so cool on the finish and I think leaves a residue. The WD40 did nothing to help the situation and gassed me.. After that I went over it with Kerosene - it was slow go with that. I think I finally got it moving except for the cam stack. I kept oiling it and it would move one day but not the next. I think it took me about a year to get it right. I intimately knew that machine after a while thanks to a repair manual. I think when I discovered Tri-Flow was when I got that stitch selector correct finally. I acquired other machines like it and learned quite a bit along the way. I doubt if I would have tackled that 401G if I hadn't done other repairs on 'working' machines. I'm thinking you might need a challenge next. Keep picking the trash!!!