Singer 115 dissasembly and reassembly help
 

Hi everyone,

I was working on disassembling my new singer 115 sewing machine so I could clean some parts in the head. I took off the faceplate and removed the screw from the needle “crank”. A nut fell into the machine that I took out, but can't for the life of me figure out how to get it back in. I believe it fell out from a slot where the screw for the needle bar protrudes.

To replace it I attempted to remove the presser bar; I removed the screw on the presser bar clamp but can't loosen the preser bar clamp itself. I tried Break Free. Any suggestions?


While attempting to loosen that, another of the exact same nut, fell out of the machine; any ideas where that could have come from?

Here are some pictures; I'm afraid I didn't do a very good job of explaining.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]528114[/ATTACH]
This is the whole area
[ATTACH=CONFIG]528115[/ATTACH]
This is the "crank"
[ATTACH=CONFIG]528116[/ATTACH]
I don't know if you can see it, but behind the "crank" there is a slot; the screw from the "crank" protrudes into it, and the nut would fit into the slot;
[ATTACH=CONFIG]528117[/ATTACH]
These are the two problem nuts.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]528118[/ATTACH]



[ATTACH=CONFIG]528118[/ATTACH]
This is the "presser bar clamp";

So, do any of you have an idea where the second nut would go, or how to get the "presser bar clamp" off?

Thanks,
Benjamin

The main thing right now is to get the "presser foot bar clamp" off; I've tried several types of penetrating lubricants and tried gently knocking it down with a mallet, but all to no avail. Do any of you have ideas?

Oh. Oh dear. I will listen in and hope someone can help. I'm sure someone else has been there and done that. I've never gone quite so far with a disassembly. Generally I am able to get things moving with Q-tips and pipe cleaners and lots of cleaning, heat and oil.

The good part is these are very simple machines so it's usually not too bad to get them back together.

Well, it appears that you have “de-nutted” your sewing machine. It may never be the same again.

On the other hand, one of the nuts could be the jam nut off of the bolt that your presser bar lift lever pivots on. The other could be a “spare part” that someone added to your machine through the slot in the face plate where the take-up lever goes up and down. See if it will fit through the slot. I found a 1942 penny in my Singer 115 when I first opened it up to oil it. Of course, I put it back in there when I was done, and it’s still in there (I don’t mess with karma).

CD in Oklahoma

I was just inside a Singer 15. It's very similar if not identical to your Singer 115. The differences between the two are underneath the machine. I don't remember seeing any nuts and I had both the presser and needle bar out. I think some kid probably stuffed the nuts in there thru the access hole.
Rodney

Thanks so much for all your help! This time CD has the correct answer.
The one nut was the "jam nut off of the bolt that your presser bar lift lever pivots on". I looked up images of the machine and sure enough there was a nut on the outside of the head. Thanks so much CD.

The other one was, as I thought, from behind the needle bar crank. I eventually got it in with the help of magnets.

Still can't figure out how to get the presser bar clamp off; oh well, I guess it isn't really necessary.

Thanks so much you guys.

Issues like this are exactly why I do as little dismantling as possible. If I can I get the machine clean and operating properly without removing something I'm likely to lose or break. I took the front plates and knobs off of one machine and that taught me my lesson. If I don't have to, I just don't do it.

Cari

Oh good, I'm not alone. :o

I love taking them apart. Lots of photos but I never take the one I really need. So far they seem to go back together well.
HelenAnn

CD, I agree.
I don't take machines apart any farther than I have to just to to clean either. For reassembly you will need to see a repair manual to know how to adjust the depth of the foot and the pressure and line up the pressure foot square on the dogs or already have done it. Some times the foot shaft and the needle bar can be stuck. I have a pristine looking Kenmore clone with a needle bar shaft that does not line up it's more than a hair off. It was not made right from the get go. Some times you have to take the needle bar out, too but I try to avoid doing that. If you do you will need to be able to retime the stitches. Usually though a machine can be cleaned with out taking either shaft apart. It is usually not all that hard to clean what ever gunk you have off with out all that much trouble. Some times it just takes a few rounds with some oil and some patience. Recently I had one very stuck pressure bar. So I saved that project to show Lovie and Wilbur how to free up a pressure bar. The rest of the machine had cleaned up nice but that bar was STUCK. First the machine had an oil soak for about a week before they came over. I gathered the kids, armed them each with safety goggles and dire warnings about what might happen. We took off the foot, screw and thread cutter. We re-oiled the bar then I warned the kids about the spring again as we loosened the nut at the top to take off pressure. I got out a screw driver and we loosened that needle bar screw you are referring to. Lovie moved the pressure lever and the shaft went free! Wow. We got lucky. But it was a teachable moment... Since we had the bar dropped we pulled pressure nut off and pulled the shaft and spring out and cleaned up the gunk, cleaned behind where it was before we put it back. Then all we had to to was reassemble and adjust it. I sure hope they don't try that at home.... A lot of adjusting that pressure bar is done by feel. They would have to know how it is suppose to feel for the fabric their mamma plans to use and knowing what height the foot goes but at least they have seen it done.