Somethings don't happen often, but when they do happen, they happen in clusters of bunches. A problem was simply stated, "my machine is really running slow" and when we went to the typical culprit, the belt being too tight, we found that this wasn't the problem, this time around. And then the same thing happened three more times within this week.
Checking the belt's tension was the first thing tried. If too tight the machine will slow a lot and it is hard on the motor. The belt is to be no tighter than is needed to keep the belt from slipping at the motor pulley. The belt's not being too tight not being the problem looking elsewhere was in order. Removing the motor's pulley revealed the problem. Wound around the motor's shaft, between the pulley's inner flange and the motor housing, was an easy foot of thread packed in very tightly and dragging the motor speed down dramatically. With the pulley removed the wad of thread pulled off like a miniature donut. I suspect it got there by thread going native while winding a bobbin.
The solution is to remove the pulley and slide the thread donut off the motor's shaft. The trick is to make sure you remove the pulley correctly according to the type of pulley you have on your motor.
There are only two types of pulley; one of metal (steel) and one of plastic (Bakelite). The metal one looks like blackened steel, because it is. It can be attracted to a magnet and has a hole in its hub as it looks at you from the motor with the shaft pointing at your face. The plastic pulley looks like a double brimmed top hat, soft rounded edges on the hub and there is no hole for the sahft extending completely through the pulley's hub as it does on the metal pulley.
The blackened metal pulley has a set-screw that holds it to the motor's shaft as it bears down on a flat spot ground onto the motor's shaft. Loosen the set-screw one turn and the metal pulley can be removed from the motor. Just pull it off the end of the shaft.
The plastic (Bakelite) pulley found on white (pale green) Featherweights and painted tan to match the tan Featherweight's color is also found in natural black on some late model black machines such as the model 222. This pulley has a threaded pin that can be removed from one side of the pulley's hub. The threaded pin runs through one side of the pulley's hub and completely through the motor's shaft. This style of screw-pin has a slot like a screw head for the complete removal of the threaded pin.
The first guess for a machine that is running slow is that the motor belt is too tight, and now you know the second guess.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
I really am not a writer.
I know I have most of you fooled into thinking I am a writer. I really am not. I'm just an old guy who loves Featherweights. When I began writing my manual The Featherweight 221 and I, I just wanted to write what I would have loved to have in a book/manual like it, when I first lusted for a Featherweight; a book that went beyond telling me that I was looking at a sewing machine. As I learned about my Featherweight, I wrote, and it has been a wonderful experience, if for no other reason than I have met some of the most wonderful people.
There are things I am learning along the way though, both with Featherweights and writing. For example, don't use the word "it" unless it (oops!) is clear what "it" is.
One thing I stumbled upon that shouldn't have taken much thought, if I had thought for a moment, was that a paint color called "Lamp Black" by General Motors does not necessarily mean that they will call it (oops) that forever, or even a week longer just because I wrote a book. At the time I was writing my manual, I was talking about what I had in my hot little fist at the moment and never thought that the color would go away. (For you artists: I know pure black is not a color but the complete absence of color, which doesn't change the fact that you cannot go into a GM dealer and buy "Lamp Black" by color, or lack there of). How does a blog become so complex?
I got myself an email from someone who is touching up their black Featherweight, and she had walked into a GM dealer to get Lamp Black and walked out with egg on her face instead. Sorry, Mary. She did walk out with a tube of complete-absence-of-color touch-up paint that GM identifies as 1052807 Code 41 WA8555, which will work fine.
A person does not have to buy GM paint only, for that matter. Ford's complete-lack-of-color touch-up paint that looks just like Toyota's will do just fine. All you need to do is get basic BLACK and avoid name variants on the theme, such as, Mid-night-Shadows-on-the-Serengeti's-Rose-Sand-Dune-Lacking-Any-Color-Black.
I hope this helps those of you who are looking for paint to find it. (Oops again.)
There are things I am learning along the way though, both with Featherweights and writing. For example, don't use the word "it" unless it (oops!) is clear what "it" is.
One thing I stumbled upon that shouldn't have taken much thought, if I had thought for a moment, was that a paint color called "Lamp Black" by General Motors does not necessarily mean that they will call it (oops) that forever, or even a week longer just because I wrote a book. At the time I was writing my manual, I was talking about what I had in my hot little fist at the moment and never thought that the color would go away. (For you artists: I know pure black is not a color but the complete absence of color, which doesn't change the fact that you cannot go into a GM dealer and buy "Lamp Black" by color, or lack there of). How does a blog become so complex?
I got myself an email from someone who is touching up their black Featherweight, and she had walked into a GM dealer to get Lamp Black and walked out with egg on her face instead. Sorry, Mary. She did walk out with a tube of complete-absence-of-color touch-up paint that GM identifies as 1052807 Code 41 WA8555, which will work fine.
A person does not have to buy GM paint only, for that matter. Ford's complete-lack-of-color touch-up paint that looks just like Toyota's will do just fine. All you need to do is get basic BLACK and avoid name variants on the theme, such as, Mid-night-Shadows-on-the-Serengeti's-Rose-Sand-Dune-Lacking-Any-Color-Black.
I hope this helps those of you who are looking for paint to find it. (Oops again.)
Monday, June 13, 2011
About those button hole attachmments
The botton hole attachment most often used with the Featherweight model 221/222 has the part number 160506 stamped on it.If you have the complete attachment there will be multiple drop-in "cams" that govern the size and style of button hole you are performing when you use the attachment.The embossed image on the back of the cam shows you the style and size of the button hole the cam produces.
There should also be a chrome metal plate about four inches long having a slotted blued steel strap sticking out one side of the chrome plate. There is a thumb screw that should be there as well. It is used to secure the feed-dog cover plate. This pate covers the feed-dogs of the machine while providing a smooth surface for the fabric to move around on. The Featherweight is not a zig-zag machine, therefore the fabric has to be the thing that moves. In use, don't try to direct the fabric or hold it down allowing the fabric to be free to move as directed by the attachment.
The attachment is secured to the machine just like the original presser foot, only a whole lot bigger. Unlike the standard foot the button hole attachment also has a lever that I call a "pickle-fork" that straddles the needle setting screw as the attachment is installed on the machine. As the needle bar travels up and down the screw drives the lever and powers the attachment.
Please practice the use of the attachment before you attack something for real. A secret with the attachment is that you sew around the button hole twice. The button hole will be better than many found on modern machines. Modern machines and their button hole function work like they learned from Arthur Murry. Step-side-step-side-step-step. The Singer attachment sews the botton hole in one flowing movement that you fall in love with. When done sewing the button hole you must cut the hole in the fabric for the button to go through still but I'm sure there is a app' for that!
Once you get fairly good with the attachment you might want to try adjusting the zig-zag stitch wider for the first time abound the hole and then reduce the width of the stitch for the next time around and change the color of the thread to a complementing thread color for a two-tone button hole that can be very striking.
But oiling your button hole attachment comes first. If metal touches metal inside the attachment and they move against each other, put a drop of oil on it.
There should also be a chrome metal plate about four inches long having a slotted blued steel strap sticking out one side of the chrome plate. There is a thumb screw that should be there as well. It is used to secure the feed-dog cover plate. This pate covers the feed-dogs of the machine while providing a smooth surface for the fabric to move around on. The Featherweight is not a zig-zag machine, therefore the fabric has to be the thing that moves. In use, don't try to direct the fabric or hold it down allowing the fabric to be free to move as directed by the attachment.
The attachment is secured to the machine just like the original presser foot, only a whole lot bigger. Unlike the standard foot the button hole attachment also has a lever that I call a "pickle-fork" that straddles the needle setting screw as the attachment is installed on the machine. As the needle bar travels up and down the screw drives the lever and powers the attachment.
Please practice the use of the attachment before you attack something for real. A secret with the attachment is that you sew around the button hole twice. The button hole will be better than many found on modern machines. Modern machines and their button hole function work like they learned from Arthur Murry. Step-side-step-side-step-step. The Singer attachment sews the botton hole in one flowing movement that you fall in love with. When done sewing the button hole you must cut the hole in the fabric for the button to go through still but I'm sure there is a app' for that!
Once you get fairly good with the attachment you might want to try adjusting the zig-zag stitch wider for the first time abound the hole and then reduce the width of the stitch for the next time around and change the color of the thread to a complementing thread color for a two-tone button hole that can be very striking.
But oiling your button hole attachment comes first. If metal touches metal inside the attachment and they move against each other, put a drop of oil on it.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Hot time in the 'ol house tonight
For years we've heard that our sewing machines should be unplugged if we leave our machines for an extended period of time. You just heard it again.And I don't mean just the Featherweights owners should. Almost every manufacturer of sewing machines today still tells owners to unplug their machines.
Many Featherweight owners will reach over and turn the switch located down low and to the right of the base of the machine off, and the light turns off. And that is all that that turned off. By turning the switch off you have not turned the machine off, just the light!
If the foot controller wonders out of adjustment after sixty years the controller can get hot. Very hot. The adjustment of the controller will be the subject of the my next blog, but for the time being please unplug your machine before you walk away for an extended period of time. Once and awhile feel your controller to be sure it is not getting hot. Room temperature is one thing, hot is different!
. Unplugging the machine is such a bother, but turning off a power strip isn't I plug a radio, my additional lighting and my machine into the same power strip. My Man-Cave is up stairs and all I have to do is cock an ear at the bottom of the steps to assure myself I have turned things off because I can't hear the radio.
Many Featherweight owners will reach over and turn the switch located down low and to the right of the base of the machine off, and the light turns off. And that is all that that turned off. By turning the switch off you have not turned the machine off, just the light!
If the foot controller wonders out of adjustment after sixty years the controller can get hot. Very hot. The adjustment of the controller will be the subject of the my next blog, but for the time being please unplug your machine before you walk away for an extended period of time. Once and awhile feel your controller to be sure it is not getting hot. Room temperature is one thing, hot is different!
. Unplugging the machine is such a bother, but turning off a power strip isn't I plug a radio, my additional lighting and my machine into the same power strip. My Man-Cave is up stairs and all I have to do is cock an ear at the bottom of the steps to assure myself I have turned things off because I can't hear the radio.
Trying to wind a bobbin? And the machine continues to run-on.......
To wind a bobbin you first turn the "stop-motion-wheel" to the left releasing the hand wheel to spin freely without all the rest of the machine continuing to turn. But, in the real world........
The hand wheel and the bushing it turns on is rarely oiled. The hand wheel needs only a drop of oil at the gap of the hand wheel and the flange of the bushing if it had been oiled routinely. If it hasn't been oiled since the machine left the Singer factory the hand wheel will need to be removed, the bearing surfaces cleaned, oiled and restored to be correct.
But there is a deeper problem that may be causing your machine to run-on. I have in the past done all the cleaning and oiling thing and some machines will still run-on. These machines have gotten perfectly "run-in". The gears and bearings and all that kinda' stuff have worked with each other long enough that the wearing-in of these parts has made these parts fit each other perfectly. Every thing turns with seemingly no resistance except that which is felt because the motor is being turned by its' connection through the drive belt.
If you suspect you are having a problem this way remove the motor drive belt and turn the machine using the hand wheel. If you can't really discern any resistance consider this cure.
Roll your machine over onto its' back on to a padded surface. The machine's hand wheel should be to the right for this conversation while you are looking at the drip pan on the machines' bottom. Exciting isn't it? Remove that drip pan and have a look within. There is a gear at one right end of the silver colored lower high-speed shaft that has the chrome hook assembly (where you snap the bobbin carrier with its' bobbin into) at the left end of the silver shaft. (The white/green model 221's do not have gears so use the rubber t gimbler drive belt hub for your point of reference). The shaft goes through the gear (hub) and into a "block" that is part of the machines' base casting. In the middle of the block is a screw, a set-screw. The bushing that supports the gear end of the shaft is held in place (kept from moving) within this block by this set-screw. If you over-tighten this set-screw CAREFULLY the tightening will deform the bushing slightly and induce some resistance to the turning of the lower shaft and therefore the whole machine.
This set-screw hasn't been turned in sixty years. Loosen the screw before you tighten it. Press firmly into the set screw and use a quality screw-driver that fits the screw slot properly. Ladies, you might need some help with this, after sixty years of waiting for a little attention the screw will not like to turn at first and will start to turn with a pop. Loosen the screw before you try to tighten the screw and maybe even remove and oil the screw or its' hole. When you tighten the screw keep turning/testing the hand wheel to feel for added resistance. As we tighten the screw we will be turning the screw tighter than is required to just hold the bushing in place. I am asking you to tighten it just enough that the bushing distorts slightly and pinches the shaft inducing a resistance to the entire machines being able to turn. It will take some effort to turn the screw enough to make a change but the screw will only turn about 1/32th of a turn at most.
Tighten and test for resistance of the machine to turning. If things get a bit too tight, loosen the screw and the shaft will respond accordingly. We do not want a lot of resistance to the turning of the machine, but there must be some. Properly adjusted the machine will turn easily but you can feel it turn rather than something that seems almost sloppy loose.
The hand wheel and the bushing it turns on is rarely oiled. The hand wheel needs only a drop of oil at the gap of the hand wheel and the flange of the bushing if it had been oiled routinely. If it hasn't been oiled since the machine left the Singer factory the hand wheel will need to be removed, the bearing surfaces cleaned, oiled and restored to be correct.
But there is a deeper problem that may be causing your machine to run-on. I have in the past done all the cleaning and oiling thing and some machines will still run-on. These machines have gotten perfectly "run-in". The gears and bearings and all that kinda' stuff have worked with each other long enough that the wearing-in of these parts has made these parts fit each other perfectly. Every thing turns with seemingly no resistance except that which is felt because the motor is being turned by its' connection through the drive belt.
If you suspect you are having a problem this way remove the motor drive belt and turn the machine using the hand wheel. If you can't really discern any resistance consider this cure.
Roll your machine over onto its' back on to a padded surface. The machine's hand wheel should be to the right for this conversation while you are looking at the drip pan on the machines' bottom. Exciting isn't it? Remove that drip pan and have a look within. There is a gear at one right end of the silver colored lower high-speed shaft that has the chrome hook assembly (where you snap the bobbin carrier with its' bobbin into) at the left end of the silver shaft. (The white/green model 221's do not have gears so use the rubber t gimbler drive belt hub for your point of reference). The shaft goes through the gear (hub) and into a "block" that is part of the machines' base casting. In the middle of the block is a screw, a set-screw. The bushing that supports the gear end of the shaft is held in place (kept from moving) within this block by this set-screw. If you over-tighten this set-screw CAREFULLY the tightening will deform the bushing slightly and induce some resistance to the turning of the lower shaft and therefore the whole machine.
This set-screw hasn't been turned in sixty years. Loosen the screw before you tighten it. Press firmly into the set screw and use a quality screw-driver that fits the screw slot properly. Ladies, you might need some help with this, after sixty years of waiting for a little attention the screw will not like to turn at first and will start to turn with a pop. Loosen the screw before you try to tighten the screw and maybe even remove and oil the screw or its' hole. When you tighten the screw keep turning/testing the hand wheel to feel for added resistance. As we tighten the screw we will be turning the screw tighter than is required to just hold the bushing in place. I am asking you to tighten it just enough that the bushing distorts slightly and pinches the shaft inducing a resistance to the entire machines being able to turn. It will take some effort to turn the screw enough to make a change but the screw will only turn about 1/32th of a turn at most.
Tighten and test for resistance of the machine to turning. If things get a bit too tight, loosen the screw and the shaft will respond accordingly. We do not want a lot of resistance to the turning of the machine, but there must be some. Properly adjusted the machine will turn easily but you can feel it turn rather than something that seems almost sloppy loose.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Getting a replacement belt for the White Featherweight 221
Determining the birth date of your Featherweight is fairly straight forward but the information you find can be a little misleading as well.
If you go to; singer.com you will find a "button" that will take you to "Singer support" and from there you go to "machine serial numbers". There were several variations of the serial numbers on Singer sewing machines over the years. The earliest serial numbers for Singer machines were simply six numbers. Then there came a single letter before six numbers, and close on its heals was the double letter with six that Featherweight owners relate to. Select the "Two Letter Prefixes ".
If the first letter of your Feather's serial number is an "A your machine was born in Elizabethport, New Jersey, USA. If your serial number is proceeded with an "E" your machine was born at the United Kingdom's Clydebank Scotland site. If you desire to print out all the pages of the Singer serial numbers, even just the single letter serial numbers, you will need a lot of paper in your printer before you begin. I went through a pile of paper and just the twos letter prefix numbers filled a one inch binder.
If you go to; singer.com you will find a "button" that will take you to "Singer support" and from there you go to "machine serial numbers". There were several variations of the serial numbers on Singer sewing machines over the years. The earliest serial numbers for Singer machines were simply six numbers. Then there came a single letter before six numbers, and close on its heals was the double letter with six that Featherweight owners relate to. Select the "Two Letter Prefixes ".
If the first letter of your Feather's serial number is an "A your machine was born in Elizabethport, New Jersey, USA. If your serial number is proceeded with an "E" your machine was born at the United Kingdom's Clydebank Scotland site. If you desire to print out all the pages of the Singer serial numbers, even just the single letter serial numbers, you will need a lot of paper in your printer before you begin. I went through a pile of paper and just the twos letter prefix numbers filled a one inch binder.
Another thing about the serial numbers. When one goes to the Singer web site they will find a very specific date written before the year of the machine's manufacture you are looking up. This date is not the machine's birth date. For production record keeping and production planning a "block" of numbers was set aside on this date shown and thousands of machines were built with numbers in a sequence taken from this block of numbers. The year stated is dead-on, the month/date will be somewhere between the date shown and the date of the next block of numbers having to be set about three months further down the road. The numbers after the prefix can give you a feel for a date by subtracting the first block of serial numbers form the next block of numbers and noting where your serial number fits into that string of numbers, but you cannot come up with an absolute date by day and hour, sorry.
Monday, April 11, 2011
White belts for white Featherweight sewing machines that are green (?)
It interests me the way the desire/need for products flows in and out like the tides. For years I have not had a single request about a white belt and now I have had three requests in two days, and I now have a well rehearsed answer.
They don't exist, sorry.
I've asked around for them a good deal over the years and I even asked about getting some made. I was told that if I would pay the up-front costs for 10,000 belts they would manufacture them for me. I told them I would get with my staff, we would think on it and get back with them. The infamous "be-back".
The white belt has not been manufactured in 50 years. The demand for the white belt does not justify the expense of gearing up to produce them (even though I know of several who would stand in line for a week in January for the store to open). A supply of originals was found about 10 years ago, in the back of an obscure storeroom, and they sold instantly. They sold to people who pondered later why they so urgently needed a 40 year old rotting piece of rubber covered with white cloth.
New white belts do not exist any longer I fear. You will have to settle for a black belt. May I caution you that there is a cogged vinyl belt that isn't white and isn't much good in my opinion. These clear to light tan colored belts are difficult to adjust and I don't think they look good on a machine of any color.
I have honestly looked pretty hard to find white belts for myself to no avail. The market for black motor belts is strong because there were many more black machines manufactured.
Black is basic and goes with most everything I have been told.
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