Question: What single thing contributes to the problems a Featherweight might have?
Answer: A human bought it.
In a class recently, I was asked why I don’t compose a list entitled; “THE TEN MOST COMMON THINGS THAT HAPPEN TO A FEATHERWEIGHT”. You might note that most of the things that do go-bump-in-the-night are not caused by the machine. A brief answer to the question posed, follows that question....
(1) Why does my machine skip stitches or make frequent “long” stitches?
The needle is installed backwards. There is a flat side ground into the needle’s fat non-pointy end and that flat side must face to the left when the needle is installed.
(2) My machine has grabbed absolute handfuls of thread and has sucked it down through the throat plate.
You must pull the upper and bobbin threads gently out the back of the machine as you introduce fabric to the needle or thread can get caught in the hook assembly and you will spend tonight picking thread out of the hook assembly. All of tonight.
(3) There is a bird’s nest of thread under the throat plate and the machine has locked-up solid. Prevention; again, pull the upper and bobbin threads out the back as you introduce fabric to the needle. Have you removed the throat plate to clean under it? Is the positioning finger back in the slot under the throat plate?
(4) Why does my machine run slow?
More than likely the motor belt is too tight, loosen it. It should be no tighter than it needs be to keep the motor pulley from slipping when you step on the gas.
There may be thread wrapped around the motors’ shaft behind the flange of the motor pulley.
Has the motor been lubricated within the last 42 years?
(5) The foot controller gets hot.
An adjustment is needed within the controller. Unplug the controller. From the wall at least! Open the controller by removing the four screws, one in the center of each of the rubber feet, and locate the screw head in the middle of the metal plate at the end of the ceramic “controller”. Loosen the screw one and one half turns. Close things back up.
(6) My machine has two speeds: “stop” and “go like crazy”! And nothin’ in between.
An adjustment is needed to the foot controller in the opposite direction of the answer to question number (5) above. That metal plate should be withdrawn one-eighth of an inch (and be accurate) into the ceramic block that is the real controller hiding within what we call the controller.
(7) My machines’ light flickers and the motor stutters.
The posts of the electrical receptacle below the hand wheel are split so they splay out slightly to provide a positive contact within the plug of the power cord. The split posts may have been pinched closed. Spread them until the split (gap) is uniform and not pinched.
(8) The needle does not pick-up the bobbin thread.
Has the needle been threaded from right to left? Is there a three inch tail of thread coming from the bobbin case? Is there a lot of lint under the needle plate?
(9) “Something just isn't right, I can't put my finger on it.”
Re-thread the machine. No explanation needed.
(10) Operator error. I know, now I’m meddling.
That’s ten, I hope it helps.
