I have a bunch of older machines that the stitch length is off. None of them seem to be adjustable, but they do move from 0 stitches to the high stitches, even if the actual stitches doesn't agree with the numbers on the adjuster.
If the feed dogs move when the stitch length adjuster is moved, I'd say just keep oiling all the moving parts. Hopefully it will free up.

And one more thing, all of my long bobbin machines are noisy. Well, noisier than a round bobbin machine anyway.

Joe

I finally heard my first motorized vibrating shuttle machine this weekend. Holy cow! You're not kidding that it's noisier! It put it in perspective, because til then, the VS machines were treadled, and the round bobbins were all motorized. Having them all motorized sure let me know how different sounding they are, and the volume difference is pretty notable too!

I also think that when I'm treadling (using all 4 limbs at once) I'm less likely to notice the noise.
Could be all of my joints creaking too though. :shock:

Some of the old long bobbin machines were motorized with friction drive motors. If the rubber friction wheel gets flat spotted it will add a roar to the sound of the machine. A smooth drive wheel will make no noise and all you'll hear is the machine.

Joe

OMS! VS motorized must be incredibly noisy! Kate's shuttle is just sloppy. There's no adjustment to decrease the space for movement so I guess I must live with the noise.

A year ago, I fixed my MIL's A2 VS New Home for their 50th anniversary. Compared to my National Alvah, it was a dream. Quiet, smooth and so easy to treadle. When I got this treadle, I expected the same results. So much so that my Alvah has been relegated to the "wreck room".

The New Home Climax has been a disappointment. Noisy, finicky and quirky seem to be the best words to describe her. Yes, she may be having a fits for being in the shop but she needs to get over it or back she goes!!!

Naw,.. this one is a relatively recent conversion. It's a BAJ3-8 motor, same as the ones that come stock on the 99K machines.

It's the sound of the shuttle moving faster than when I treadle. The weird double bounce that the needle does seems to be a good part of the noise. Of course, this is also without a full cleaning / oiling/ tuneup, but on the long bobbins, it seems like there's always noisy play with the shuttle in its holder. That's the noise I hear, just louder and faster.

It's not going to shake the house down, just enough to make me go "Wow! That's noisier!"

That's exactly the noise I'm talking about. Imagine that about 1.5 to 2 times faster than you usually treadle. (Or at least it is for me with a motor)

Tammi,

You are describing metallic sounds I can't hear well. :) :( Being a long time shooter that started long before hearing protection was talked about or suggested, I've got a lot of high pitch hearing loss. And that includes certain metallic noises. Low pitched noise I hear just fine ... :( .
That's why I can't hear what you described, but I do hear the noise the flat spotted drive wheels cause.

I have several electric and motorized treadle long bobbin machines, both friction drive and belt drive. Their noise varies from mild to wild. And I've got one long bobbin treadle, my Franklin (uses Singer size shuttles and bobbins) and it's one of the noisiest.

Joe

We have that same problem here. I apparently hear like a bat, and the DH hears low tones, and misses a lot of the higher pitched stuff. My hearing though isn't terribly good with direction, so when we're trying to figure out where a noise is coming from (like in the car, for instance), it can get pretty comical.

You can probably "see" the noise we're talking about. The needle bottoms out, then does a tiny little bounce. This bounce causes a little "thump", then when the shuttle begins its drive forward, it grabs the thread, and you see the shuttle pitch to the left a little as the thread goes between the first "claw" of the holder and its shuttle. It "clicks" and the shuttle rocks back to the right, sometimes there's a slight noise here, another click. The thread travels further, then goes under the second claw, click click.

They're not bad noises, but I sort of think that the motor seems to amplify it a little, and I sew "faster" with a motor than when I treadle, so there's more noise due to the higher rpm. Enough so that I would use another machine if the DH was sleeping across the hall. During the day though, any machine is fair game.

as far as tension is concerned (might as well keep it somewhat on topic, eh RBS?) I wonder if the shuttles can use the same "rule" for setting their tension.

I posted a thread a while back about setting the bobbin case tension for a 99 / 66. It said that an ounce of weight should have the thread -almost- coming off of the bobbin. If I can come up with a way to verify that this is the same for the shuttles, I will definitely post about it. I want to know too, since I have 4 of the things here that should probably be set correctly. That may help you lead your dance. If it's set rationally at the bobbin side, the top tension should be easier to reign in.

I cannot hear crickets with my right ear. :D My wife hears them to the point they drive her bats. I ignore them till she bugs me enough to go on a seek and destroy mission. Of course she has to be my fire control coordinator as I can't tell where the little bugs are coming from.
When it comes to noises in the trucks ..... I tell her to wait till it gets loud enough for me to hear it, then I'll fix it. That's about all I can do.

"Most" of my machines have the top tension set between 2 ½ and 3 ½, using #50 thread. My wife has pretty much taught me how to "feel" the thread to know weather the tension is right or not. So when I have a machine that's close at 3 ± I'll tweak the bobbin adjustment to bring them together.
As for checking the bobbin, I've played with them enough that I normally can feel if they are right just by gently pulling on the thread after the needle has pulled it up through the needle plate.
A very "scientific" method. LOL

I do the same type of things with the round and long bobbins. If there is no dirt, or mechanical problems they all respond pretty much the same.

Joe

Cleaning up that shuttle changed the stitches. They aren't so puckered and the tension has been decreased on top now that the bobbin is moving freely. When stitching small pieces, the machine curves them to the left. Does that sound like a presser foot issue or a feed dog thing?

After reviewing my herd, I've decided that Climax Kate may need to be sold. I'm not terribly attached to it and only have space for the best sewers. Someone's going to love her...

I have a couple that won't stitch straight. It's annoying to say the least. I haven't tried to figure them out yet.
When I do I'll start with a new presser foot. Then go from there.

Joe