Rodney

I'm fighting a different problem with the feed dogs on my old White zigzag. It's basically a 15 clone with zigzag, no decorative stitches. I have the pin moving freely, it was stuck at first but the parts the pin holds together still aren't moving so the dogs still aren't dropping. It's been a couple days since I've had the chance to attack it. Maybe the oil has had a chance to work now. The hook assembly on this one had a lot of rust and was stuck too. It could be parts closer to the feed dogs are rusted where I can't see it. I'll take a look a bit later this morning.
It seems like I always get the strange ones.
If a machine has been maintained and stored properly these problems don't come up as much or as severely. I like the looks of the White but it wasn't treated well in the later parts of its life and I'm paying the price for that right now.
Rodney

wilburness

Miriam, I am still a newbie to this vintage obsession I have. BUT I have to say this is one thing I have taken apart and cleaned. so I knew what you were talking about. you just gave me a pat on the back and a boost to my knowledge. thank you. thank you. I feel GOOOOD.

great tutorial with pictures

miriam

I would pull that rod with the bullet thingy off the machine and then try cleaning it with solvent. Is it missing a spring???

Rodney

I fiddled with it a bit more. The spring loaded part is supposed to turn freely on the shaft. That part was stuck with a bunch of dried oil. I loosened up the screw that clamps the whole assembly to the shaft and slid things back and forth on the shaft and cleaned out all the old oil I could get to. Alcohol is a good solvent for the oil but be very cautious of which machines you use it on. Alcohol and black japanned machines don't go together. This is a painted machine from I'm guessing the late 60s that I'm working on.
The feed dog drop is working now. I have up and down just fine but the middle setting for delicate fabrics doesn't seem to be letting the feed dogs drop from the up position. I have a little more adjusting to do but the big problem is solved.
I learn something new with every machine I tackle.
Rodney

miriam

I should shoot a picture of the feed dog drop under my Pheonix 82 - it is totally different.

DresiArnaz

I acquired an old Kenmore with a stuck feed dog knob.

I looked underneath it and someone had disabled the dropping feature by installing a cotter pin in the linkage.

I couldn't understand for the life of me why anyone would disable the feed dog drop.

miriam

Maybe she had 8 kids and the 4 year old thought he could make all the knobs work. After the hundredth trip to the repair shop the OSMG took it on himself to make sure it didn't recur.

Cari-in-Oly

I've seen many Japanese machines where the rod was connected at one end by a cotter pin, so probably it was normal.

Cari

miriam

Well if it isn't the cotter pin check the piston and see if it will fee up. It usually isn't the lever or linkage... But just in case, oil it, too.

miriam

Naphtha helps dissolve the dried oils some times I alternate with alcohol.