miriam

It doesn't sound like it is the bobbin. I know I have had some go rounds with Elna tensions in my past. There are two screws in the bobbin holder that can be adjusted one is for the owner and plenty of info on that - the other is by design set up for a dealer to work on - you may need to have someone who has worked on Elna machines do the adjusting. They take a special tool to do it or some know how to do with more than one screw driver at a time. It maybe that someone has messed with that part of the tension at some point. I got a lot of help at Ray White's class. I wouldn't let your local man work on that tension unless I was reasonably sure he has been trained in some way shape or form on an Elna bobbin tension. Once you get it to working right it is a dream to sew on. I don't know if you could send just that part to Ray White and have him adjust it for you or not. I sure would try to find him. Don't know what it would cost. Those are tricky to remove and tricky to put back in the machine.

ArchaicArcane

I suspect that if it was messed with, that it was the dealer, unless by complete accident. The tension on the bobbin case was set quite high when I got it (about a 2) and it looks to me, based on the "mark" (just below 1) that's way higher than it should be.

When I got the machine, I noticed that it had been way over oiled in some places, and in others, it looked like it hadn't been done at all. It was last professionally serviced in 1985 according to the service tag. The lady who owned it had passed a couple of years after she got this machine, and it went into the basement.

I may have to contact Ray White, because the Elna dealer in town doesn't know anything about the older ones (told me you can't get a new friction pulley for it, and that they don't fix them (meaning the supermatics) anymore.) and the other guy I know who has fixed sewing machines for years, and loves the elnas (has a huge collection of them, and is always trying to get me to buy one off of him), is the one who said that compromise is required.

It took me a minute of wiggling the bobbin case around while following the video I posted, but I did manage to get it out. That part doesn't worry me too much.

Now, to be honest, other than the fact that the tension -looks- a little off, because I can see the top thread on the bottom, the stitches seem tight, and they lay flat. I really am tempted to leave it for now, rather than send this bobbin case across the border, and hope that Canada Post doesn't lose it.

miriam

Ray has the friction pulleys and the tool to do it.

Candace

I would probably leave it be. It's not that bad and you will notice as you use different threads and stitches, you're going to have to play with the tension to get it how you'd like.

I posted a thread on how I redressed my pulley. http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...r-t187975.html Not all of them need to be replaced. But, yes there are several places on the net that sell them the part!

ArchaicArcane

As for the tension, I think I will leave it alone. It's really not that bad now that I've spent a couple of hours futzing with it. I do have to say though, it's a good thing the bobbin tension is so easy to set, or I'd have lost my mind trying to get this thing as close as I did.

I did see your thread. I redressed the pulley early on. I think I mentioned it in an earlier post in this thread. I could see a flat spot, so I figured what the heck. The machine appears to have sat unused for more than 25 years. The main reason I'm thinking of changing it is because it slips a little from time to time, just on start up or at top speed, so I probably shaved a little too much off the pulley.

I had read that Ray White is the guy to go to for the pulleys. I may contact him and see what he says. The 2 week rental of the tool won't work for me, since it takes Canada Post a minimum of 2 weeks to get anything to me from the US. Worse still if it's Christmas or up to 2 months after it. He'd be a minimum of a month waiting for the tool, and that's if I got to it the day it arrived.

miriam

Explain that to him - he is very nice.

ArchaicArcane

I think I will Miriam. Thank you!

miriam

BTW we did replace one in class - took a very short time - gotta have the tool.

Candace

Yes, if it's slipping you probably do need a new one. It's also possible that it's been redressed before, so maybe not all your fault:> If I were going to replace one I'd for sure rent that tool, too.

Rose_P

Ha! I had to laugh at that piece of yarn in the bobbin area. How do these things happen? I had a garage sale Singer that worked well for a number of years even before a repairman found a plastic part from a kid's toy jammed in the slot behind where the upper thread goes. (Not from my kids, who were beyond that age when I got the machine.)

I have a Supermatic 62 C that my mom bought new in about 1967 (I think). If yours has the same system for exchanging cams and setting the various built-in stitches, one area to look at is that dial. Could it have moved during transit? I'm thinking if it's a little off the stitches might not be forming properly. I tried to read everything here, but might have missed something. Does it form nice stitches when you use a straight stitch? I get consistently good tension with the lower tension set exactly as shown in the manual, and have not noticed it being particularly picky about thread, as long as it's the same kind top and bottom.

By the way, mine works only with the bobbins that have the plain bottom side and holes on top. Pulling up the bobbin thread seems a little inconsistent, and I usually verify that the bobbin thread is coming across the way it's supposed to after I have pulled it up to the top.

The final thread guide above the needle is my only complaint about this machine. The thread does not like to stay in it, and the manual says it's very important.

Otherwise, I adore my Supermatic. Good luck.