Expertise with sewing machines **NOW SORTED**

[HarryM1BYT]

I wonder if anyone might have some expertise with old sewing machines?

It a very ancient Singer, very basic, black with gold - with an motor adapotor - yess that old. What its doing is as the top cotton is pulled down below the deck and wrapped around the bottom thingummy, the thread twangs and tends to break. If actually sewing, it sews a few stitches, each getting tighter and tighter until it breaks. It seems to be that it is trying to pull thread back from where it has already been stitched, hence the breakage. M

It does this even with the top tensioner almost completely free.

Watching it below the deck, it seems to snag on the rotating thingummy, but the thingummy is completely smooth and polished.

We were given it many years ago and it annoys me that over that time I have not found the problem. Someone else has obviously had a go at it before me and like me failed.

[HarryM1BYT]

Sorted after several hours of faffing about with it

..and unfortunately I don't have a clue what I did to fix it

We had four single quilt covers, which for the past year we have used loose, just tucked around the 4x mattresses sections in the caravan, to protect them from the two dogs. Of course they annoyingly came un-tucked, so my plan was to try to make them fit properly, mattress's inside, which meant 4 x 6 feet of hand stitching, absolutely not something I'm practised in .

Now I'm glad to say they are all done and what's more, they are a perfect fit

The device of torture was an ancient Singer 201K built between 1923 and 1963 according to today's frantic research.

[klarzy]

I should imagine your tension-a-ma-bob was miss adjusted causing excess play of the spin-a-martonic rotor in the underslung thread hoist... nest time eat peanut butter just prior to use.... your time will be better spent.

[Jumper75]

I've had this problem before it's not the top tensioner it's the adjustment of the shuttle mechanism. Once they go really out of whack it's almost impossible to get them right again.

If you do a lot of sewing just buy a new one, you can get a decent single needle toyota or similar for somewhere over £100. They won't handle anything heavy but you get a lot more than just the basic blanket stitch that your old singer does.

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by Jumper75

I've had this problem before it's not the top tensioner it's the adjustment of the shuttle mechanism. Once they go really out of whack it's almost impossible to get them right again.

If you do a lot of sewing just buy a new one, you can get a decent single needle toyota or similar for somewhere over £100. They won't handle anything heavy but you get a lot more than just the basic blanket stitch that your old singer does.

To add a bit of detail....

The upper tensioner had been pulled apart by someone and not correctly reassembled plus it had received a knock and bent the threaded spindle it runs on. It took me ages to work out how was intended to work.

The last thing I did, after which it started to work again, was to try to pull the under the deck bobbin apart. I didn't get very far at all, there was like a C clip held in place by a spring clip. I removed that and refitted it, nothing more and I saw nothing wrong with it.

They are mechanical marvels, when you consider how long ago they were made. My mother bought herself a brand new top of the range Phaff (SP?) in the early 1960's - (I wonder what happened to it?), that would do a massive range of fancy and decorative stitching. It was absolutely packed with cams, gears and rods. I don't remember her ever once using it.

Its not really worth our while buying one, like everyone else, we almost never need it. Until recently, we had a neighbour who would do any small sewing jobs might need.

[Jumper75]

I agree the old singers are almost indestructible, but I do find it useful to be able to do a mending stitch or a buttonhole occasionally.