miriam

I am finding that I just clean the tensions and rebuild - saves a lot of hassle. Once you learn it - no biggie. That way I know it is ok.

Glenn

I agree with Miriam I take the tension off and clean it saves hassels later. BTW my wife and I will be at Miriam and Phil's on the 12th and I am sure she will put me to work on the shop or machines. If she will let me I will take some pics. We always have fun with Miriam and Phil.
Skip

miriam

I'm looking forward to Glenn and Pat coming up here - I hope they bring cool weather. I have a whole llloooonnnngggggggggg list of things to do. It never ends. I have machines I haven't figured out, too. There seems to be one or two that go into time out and never come out. Or they come out of time out and go back... I have a couple machines for Glenn to haul home, too. Pat will faint - Phil will do a happy dance. He's been getting a lot done on the shop this last week. I'm pretty excited. Phil is planning to bake some scones - he just needs a good excuse (er people to eat them...) It's ok he would bake them for Wilbur, too - well as long as Wilbur shares..

nanna-up-north

I know you all will have fun. I'd like to be a fly on the wall, taking in all the info you'll be sharing. And I might get a morsel of scone, too.

Working on that 15-91 is the plan for my day. I need to get it ready for its workout....... quilting a full size bed quilt should be a good trial run, don't you think? Originally I was going to get it going for my DGD and her DH to make decorator pillows but they found a 201. So, this one will stay at the cabin for doing FM quilting. Looking out on the lake would be a good place for it to live........ right next to my faithful FW that does all the piecing. Life is GOOD!!

grant15clone

Chris, I posted a picture of it a while back here. http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...164361-24.html
It is a fairly good picture because it shows the color pretty close to the actual color. It is hard to get a really good pic of it because it is dark. Some photos it looks black. I have not seen another dark green one with the Ambassador badge on it. I just love that machine though despite it's cosmetic flaws.
~G~

grant15clone

I couldn't agree more. I try to eliminate all of the question marks before I test sew on a machine. It narrows things down a lot if you do have a problem later. I always replace the needle with a new one of the right size. I clean the upper AND lower tension. ALWAYS!!! These are my golden rules. It eliminates the wild goose chasing later trying to figure it out. The only time it bit me was when I had a defective, new needle. My tensions are always in the ballpark when I start too. Most of the time I don't have to adjust the tensions at all. One in ten or twenty is not too bad. Besides, a clean upper tension often times looks really good. If you have done it enough times you can clean one in just a few minutes and it could save you a lot of time in the long run.
~G~

miriam

Grant you put it into words!!! YES. It is so amazing when the machine sews right off but it is because all the guess work is gone. I've seen machines come in that look brand new but have had something off in the tension. If I hadn't looked at it right off I would have been on a goose chase. Besides no matter how new it looks it still has old dried up oil. The ones that get me are the ones that someone tried to 'fix'. A lot of times people get rid of a machine because they don't know how to work on a tension. Then a lot of the time it is something pretty simple. Then every once in a while it is best that Wilbur is NOT in the shop...

nanna-up-north

I worked on my 15-91 again this afternoon. DH helped me get a few screws out that the oil had loosened a little. I still couldn't get them but DH is good..... he got them just fine. I cleaned, polished, oiled, etc. I tried it out without threading and it just stitched so smooth..... yeah! I put a needle in.... kinda held my breath since the needle it came with was bent at the end..... the needle didn't hit anything..... so far, so good.

I threaded it... and started to stitch...... 2-3 stitches went well and then, I could tell that the bobbin thread was clogging up. So, I took all the thread out and opened the slide plate. I watched the needle go down, the thread go around the bobbin, come back up for 2-3 stitches again.... then, the thread got caught on the bobbin case part (don't know the correct name) where you lift up to take the bobbin case out. Then I looked carefully at the bobbin case. The little lifter is bent. It doesn't lie flat like it should. It's catching the thread as it goes around.

So, I brought it inside and showed the DH. He thinks he will be able to bend it back. I think it will break or twist the bobbin case in some way. I think I just need to buy a new bobbin case. But, it won't hurt to try. Do any of you have any suggestions? I think I won't be able to take the bobbin case out of the machine if that part breaks off.

miriam

Sew classic has bobbin cases for not too much. You will be happier. It is fun trying to figure things out isn't it!

I picked up a Singer 201 that doesn't move at all. I haven't had a chance to go at it but there are quick clues. 1) The needle is broken off 2) There is thread stuck in the bobbin area 3) it may need new oil - 10 second lookie over

nanna-up-north

Yes, it is fun to figure things out. .... unless you can't figure it out. I'm pretty mechanical so I keep working at it until I figure something out. When the DH came out to see what I was doing, he was amazed..... said he's decided it's not such a bad looking machine after all..... haha.

I did look up the cost of a new bobbin case.... $4.99.... I'm going to order it tonight..... if the 'fix' doesn't work when the DH tries it, the bobbin case will already be on its way.