When you set your vintage Singer sewing machine into bobbin winding mode, by cranking the stop-motion wheel counterclockwise, the needlebar is supposed to stop running. This is to save unnecessary wear-and-tear on the machine, and prevent you from having to unthread the needle to wind a bobbin.
However, if a few crucial parts of your machine are dirty, the needlebar will continue to move even though you are in bobbin-winding mode. This is easy to fix, and I've made two relevant videos, below, to assist you.
This first video explains the parts of your machine involved in engaging and disengaging bobbin-winding mode. If you are not interested in the mechanics of how your machine works, you can skip this first video (though some of you may find the "X-ray" part that starts at 3:15 in the video to be informative).
This second video, below, is where I show you how to actually fix the problem. The video may seem long, since I'm over-explaining things; but once you understand how to fix this, you will be able to fix this problem in mere minutes.
Note: If your stop motion clamp washer doesn't look like the one in the video, but looks like this one below...
...then click here to see how it goes on.
The oil I'm using in the video is Tri-Flow oil, my favorite. If you cannot find it near you (it's often sold at bicycle shops), here's an Amazon link:
Happy fixing!
Excellent! I don't remember you having such a NYC accent. But love the videos!
ReplyDeleteHaha. I tone it down when out-of-town, at work, or on the phone with customer service. Better results!
DeleteP.S., I quoted you in the first vid!
DeleteVERY well done!
ReplyDeleteThe x-ray shots are particularly useful. Excellent tutorial.
ReplyDeleteIf you are totally new to this, please note: don't wipe the Sharpie dots with the alcohol, you'll clean them right off.
Thanks, Rain. I no longer dread removing those pieces. Although the bit about using the q tip as a holder would have been good to know before I let the eared piece fall out.
ReplyDeleteLillian
I don't know what I did as mine works like you showed until I set the bobbin tire into place. Then the needle bar starts moving again.
ReplyDeleteI will be taking it apart and recleaning it as I may have *blush* over oiled it like you said not too.
I love that you take the time to make these tutorials for novices like me! I love my machine and am very scared to ruin such a fabulous antique.
Same problem. I have worked on all 3 of my 15-91's, cleaned, put back together, they work correctly until the bobbin tire is put into place and then the needlebar goes up and down.
DeleteI've heard that from a couple of people, but have not been able to recreate the problem myself. I have plenty more machines to get through, so if I am able to recreate the problem, I'll work on how to solve it and revise the post.
DeleteIn the meantime, if either of you figure out what it is, please do let the rest of us know.
As a complete wild guess, the bobbin tire does put side load on the shaft-balance wheel bearing surface, so and that force might be just enough to kick a just marginal case from spinning free to having the two parts lock and spin together. This could happen with a not quite complete cleaning, or possibly if the bearing surface is worn. Just slightly higher viscosity (thicker) oil -might- help in the second case, but it's a fine line between thicker oil to give a larger float distance, and having too thick an oil transfer rotation itself.
DeleteI'm the anon who theorized about oil weights possibly helping. I've just compared a machine with this behavior, clean and oiled but drives the needle bar when the winder is in contact, with one that behaves properly. The misbehaving machine has bad (worn, galled) bearing surfaces on the balance wheel and bushing. With no radial load they slip, but loaded they lock up again. I've tried several our weights, and light grease, with no improvement. New parts or resurfacing the bearing faces may be the only fix, provided the bearing is truly clean.
DeleteThanks for the informative videos. They were very clear, concise and easy to understand.
ReplyDeleteGreat videos, thank you!
ReplyDeleteCould you do a video of the oiling points for an everyday sewer? My wee manual is a bit hard to decipher on some of it. And I'm never sure how many of them to oil how often, and with what?
I was totally able to get the handwheel to spin and the screw to stand still, but as soon as I engaged the bobbin winder tire the needlebar went up and down. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteSee my response, three comments up.
DeleteThanks, I was changing a rubber strap to a rigid engine in a series 15 and I could not remove the wheel, thanks to this video was all very easy to do.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for posting these videos. I had the same problem with my newly purchased Singer 221 Featherweight, after taking apart, cleaning & oiling per your videos, works like a dream.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very informative video. Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI remember having one of those while growing up. The only thing is, is that I ended up getting a new sewing machine just recently. I had that thing for years and it worked wonders.
ReplyDeleteI was given a 206k in a cabinet...the only thing wrong was that the knee pressure lever was missing...no prob I dropped the foot petal on the floor and off I went... and so far I love it.When I got it I cleaned it and oiled it.ran it with no material or thread and i was amazed at how quiet it was.I loaded the bobbin on the winder and filled the bobbin and sewed for a while.Today I sat down to make some hot pads for the wood stove and ran the bobbin out.When I went to fill the bobbin I loosened the stop motion wheel and pushed the lever down on the bobbin winder...the stop motion wheel goes around but it acts like the small wheel on the bobbin winder doesn't touch the belt and the bobbin doesn' turn or fill.Is there an adjustment I can do or do I need to go to a repair service?
ReplyDeleteI had a similar problem and it turned out that the rubber tire on the bobbin winder was worn down and therefore was not thick enough to touch the spinning hand wheel. When I replaced it with a new rubber tire the bobbin winder spun round when it is supposed to do so. Good luck.
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