SteveH

Success!!! ALL you need is that little bit of movement... Once that has occurred, you are on the way to smooth running. Patience and Persistence. My method at that juncture is to clean what i can see, move it slightly, clean again, repeat until movement is smooth.

Remember that even thoughthat was the major hurdle, there are other sticky areas, so when you "scoot" this a little, clean and oil every joint you did before (since they moved now too)

The reward of sewing with a "rust bucket" cannot be measures in $$

Thanks, glad to be back!

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I knew you'd get it to move, just doesn't look that bad ..

The door stopper ? you mean my repaint, yes it fully functioning machine . The only paint left on it was the column, so it had to have something to stop it from rusting up again.

ok I reworked a photo, above The red spot is that slide thing I keep talking about, I do see shine in there, but watch to see that it slides easily . The red line is the friction surface at the adpater

that handwheel adpater look as if the pin is still in it ? see if you can get that off,, reason is it is a friction surface, where the big round part meets the machine body, needs to be smooth and clean. sometimes that area will be wrapped with thread. plus with it off you'll get a little back n froth movement on the upper shaft. That will help you get the rest freed up.

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one more little trick in cleaning rusty parts.

I know in saying this eyes will roll. so before ..

you have rebuilt motors, you must have taken parts into machine shops, like nasty old heads . engines blocks. they come back looking like new. This is done using an acid bath. common ol swimming pool cleaner (acid) it's muric acid (sp?) about $8 a gallon at a building supply, you'd want to read up on using this before hand. it's not that bad to do..

I use the stuff sometimes, it would have that machine rust free in minutes.. I've never cleaned parts this way while there in a machine. I do clean then in a parts washer while still together, I do use gas as a solvent. Don't be afraid to just take it outside and use a water hose, just wait til is hot out and oil as soon as it's dry or as it dry's, wd 40 work PB blaster works as an oil I like automatic transmission fluid in a squirt can to be clear on all this, I wouldn't do much of this on any having good paint or ornamentation

crocee

Its been pouring rain all day so anything outside is a washout. The machine moves pretty well now with only a small tiny catch. I'm going to wash it out with kerosene to remove all the now dissolved rust and other ickies. Its a good thing sewing machine oil is relatively cheap cause I've gone through a lot of it.

ETA: I thought about using the acid but then decided against it as it will destroy the finish and make more work.

crocee

After I get things rinsed out and ready to put back together is there any grease that needs to be put in the pivot point at the bottom of the machine? I looked and there doesn't seem to be any way this part would receive any lubrication when oiling and could have the potential for binding.

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I do put grease in there, and oil. just use the lightest/ thinest grease you have even vasoline. what I have is sold for the gear unit in weedeaters, before that I use grease made for hair clippers which looks and feel like vasoline.. to lube that you need an oil bottle like tri flow comes in with the long tube..

acid would eat the japaning / paint on that machine. if your doing a real nice repaint all that should be taken off

if you still have a sticky spot, put the handwheel on and spin it watching that area between the body and adapter, see if there's wobble, see you need know if one has been dropped, the slightest bend can make the adapter rub on the body.

now you know what it takes to free up a really bad stuck machine... you see what that rockers pivot looked like the crud in there, welp every pivot in that machine looks just like that.

do you have a treadle stand for that ? if you do take it apart, and clean it's pivots pedal and flywheel, doesn't take much time on those..

next find a very cheap singer model 15, take that one completely apart there much simpler to work on.

crocee

I found the sticky spot only appears when I run the stitch length knob/screw almost all the way in. If I back it off just a bit then the machine spins smoothly with just 2 fingers.
I'm not repainting it, I'll be following Glenn's method of repairing the japan finish and installing new decals.

miriam

A while back I got a 1902 Singer 15-30. I spent a lot of time on it but I never did take it all apart - I never felt like I had to. It turns very smooth now and is one very nice but ugly machine. I think some times the ugly ones turn the best.

crocee

I don't have a treadle for this one at the moment so it will become a hand crank via Miriam's method of a suicide knob on the hand wheel. When I get this one working smooth and cleaned up I've got a Paragon I need to tackle. This one is in a treadle.

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I take them apart only because I know ho well they work afterwards... see The polishing I do is 10 fold over what was ever done in the factory, This is polishing surfaces that you'll never see. reducing the rotating friction as much as possible . The factory machining really wasn't all that great, another reason that these cruded out well used machine are a better choice than the pristine bell of the Ball. there broke in and those surfaces are already semi smooth by time and use.

In a prefect world, I'd love to take a model 15 and install caged needle bearings, in my next life time


Is the paragon stuck also ?

and

now that you have this one free. what do you think was the problem area ??