Unsticking a machine
 

One of my enablers bought a 15 clone, in beautiful condition, except it is stuck, stuck, stuck. I've oiled sever times, used kerosene, waited, rinsed and repeated, still no movement whatsoever.

I used the heat gun to free up the presser foot bar to remove it. I need to heat up the rest of the machine and I was wondering if I could do this in the oven, to heat up everything at once. I know this sounds silly, but I'm curious if anyone has any thoughts.

Wow! That's seriously stuck! As long as there aren't any parts that will burn or melt, why not. I've actually used Dawn dish soap successfully, a couple times.

Try penetrating oil, such as Kroil or PB Blaster. Heating again, ...may take several times.

Oven seems drastic. How about a hot car?

I thought about the car, but we're into Fall here, not sure I would get the temps I need. I have a solar oven but I can't control the temperature well enough.

To unstick the presser foot bar I had to get it hot enough such that I couldn't touch the front half of the machine without gloves.

There's nothing to melt or catch fire, I figure I'm heating it up quite a bit with the heat gun, what's the difference if I reach the same temps in the oven? Put the machine in a foil roasting pan, 200-225. I don't know. My enable did say if I couldn't get it going I could part it out, so I'm not sure I have anything to lose.

I put one machine in a black contractor bag then sprayed with Kroil then closed it and put in the sun. It got pretty hot. I'm thinking that the smaller area to heat up than a car. I've had dark cars and know how hot it can get in them.

Call a machine repair person, they may have a suggestion. Good information shared here. I would not use the heat gun,or oven. Best wishes.

Joe is a repair person !;)

I had a featherweight that wasn't actually all the way stuck, just didn't run smooth unless heated. Finally figured out that some of the underside parts were not properly put together.

Using a heat gun and/or hair dryer are proven and often used tools to un-stick a sewing machine.
bkay

Thanks Janey.

Good News!! I was able to get it moving sans oven roasting, although I was willing to go that route. I had to apply more force to the hand wheel, in the opposite direction of operational rotation, to break it free than I have ever done on a machine, then more oil, more oil, and hooking up a motor and letting it spin, which it did slowly at first and I could hear it pick up speed as it moved off the old gummy oil.

It's a 15 clone badged as a John Wanamaker, which my enabler tells me is/was an upscale store in the East. The machine looks almost unused, except some missing decal on the name.

Two unusual things, when I put the nose plate back on and tightened the screw (there is only one screw holding it on) it lifted the bottom of the plate away from the machine and then the presser foot lift lever wouldn't engage the tension release pin. I put a couple of washers under the plate and tightened the plate against this, no more lift at the bottom and the tension release functioned as it should. Also, with the nose plate dropped down against the screw and then tightened up, the take up arm was hitting at the top of the channel, never seen this before on a 15 clone. I had to tighten down the plate with it lifted slightly up off the screw, I also had to bend the arm a little bit towards the middle of the machine, so it would move up the center of the channel in the plate.

The machine makes decent stitches, so my work is done and it's going back to my enabler who plans on trying to sell it on ebay or some other place.

Thanks for everyone's input.