The sewing machine

**SteveB** · 17th March 08, 04:17 AM

BB,
You will be a great Nuclear Engineer. You may be a little frustrated at the moment with a very old fashioned form of mechanical engineering. Be assured that if you can master this minor problem at some time before your trip to boot camp, it will be to your advantage. May I suggest talking with some of the young ladies in your neighborhood? They may be able to help you learn the sewing machine and its weirdisms. While in the Air Force, I took my machine with me after basic training. It was a great money maker as I was able to quickly sew insignia on uniforms for men and women on my base.
I became very popular, and had a great time.

**berserkbishop** · 18th March 08, 02:20 AM

Here are a few pics of the contrapion. I think I messed up the tensioner when trying to adjust it. . . .

**Pleater** · 18th March 08, 04:20 AM

Your machine shares some features with my own - to wind a bobbin you place it on the small spindle on the top at the right hand side.

The spool of thread is placed on one of the plastic spindles on the platform behind the casing. It will flow more easily on the one with the red felt disk as that is a friction reducing device. The thread is led around the metal tensioner, which is at the back mounted slightly above the case level, and brought to the bobbin. A couple of windings around the bobbin will have the thread ready for loading - as long as you wind it the right way. Winding the wrong way results in it being flicked off when you try to start the process.

The trick now is to discover the control which disconnects the motor from the needle and transfers it to the bobbin winding spindle. When the bobbin is full it will be pushed out of winding mode by the shiny metal over filling preventer.

On mine to get into winding mode you simply put sideways pressure on the spindle so it slides to the right with a reasuring click, but on yours there seems to be a button nearby which could perhaps be involved. It could be to engage, or release the bobbin winding mode. Try a few presses and pokes - it won't do any harm - trust me on this - if you exert only gently pressure and have your brain engaged.

The wire guide on the tensioner needs to be rotated clockwise so it is on the other side of the disks about where the numbers 1 and 2 are in the photograph. It is under tension when in the correct position, and you must have released it when fiddling - try to repeat what you did the first time and look for rotational possibilities.

The metal pillar and collar on top of the machine to the left is to control the pressure on the sewing foot. If you open the inspection cover part of the casing on the left - it is hinged at the back and rotates around the vertical so you can change bulbs and clean/oil the mechanism - you will be able to see the spring coiled around the vertical rod. Pressing the pillar increases the pressure, the further down the greater the pressure. Pressing the collar at the base of the pillar releases the pillar and it will rise to the highest position and lowest spring pressure.

You see how the base of the machine is mounted within its case? There is a case coloured clamp at the front right, if you rotate that you will be able to tilt the entire machine backwards on the shiny metal hinges (being careful not to have it collide with anything that might break the spool holding spindles etc) and clean/oil the mechanism beneath the machine. Check the clamp is engaged before moving or using the machine or it could tilt unexpectedly.

Its not rocket science - you can do it.

**berserkbishop** · 18th March 08, 04:42 AM

Originally Posted by Pleater

Your machine shares some features with my own - to wind a bobbin you place it on the small spindle on the top at the right hand side.

The spool of thread is placed on one of the plastic spindles on the platform behind the casing. It will flow more easily on the one with the red felt disk as that is a friction reducing device. The thread is led around the metal tensioner, which is at the back mounted slightly above the case level, and brought to the bobbin. A couple of windings around the bobbin will have the thread ready for loading - as long as you wind it the right way. Winding the wrong way results in it being flicked off when you try to start the process.

The trick now is to discover the control which disconnects the motor from the needle and transfers it to the bobbin winding spindle. When the bobbin is full it will be pushed out of winding mode by the shiny metal over filling preventer.

On mine to get into winding mode you simply put sideways pressure on the spindle so it slides to the right with a reasuring click, but on yours there seems to be a button nearby which could perhaps be involved. It could be to engage, or release the bobbin winding mode. Try a few presses and pokes - it won't do any harm - trust me on this - if you exert only gently pressure and have your brain engaged.

The wire guide on the tensioner needs to be rotated clockwise so it is on the other side of the disks about where the numbers 1 and 2 are in the photograph. It is under tension when in the correct position, and you must have released it when fiddling - try to repeat what you did the first time and look for rotational possibilities.

The metal pillar and collar on top of the machine to the left is to control the pressure on the sewing foot. If you open the inspection cover part of the casing on the left - it is hinged at the back and rotates around the vertical so you can change bulbs and clean/oil the mechanism - you will be able to see the spring coiled around the vertical rod. Pressing the pillar increases the pressure, the further down the greater the pressure. Pressing the collar at the base of the pillar releases the pillar and it will rise to the highest position and lowest spring pressure.

You see how the base of the machine is mounted within its case? There is a case coloured clamp at the front right, if you rotate that you will be able to tilt the entire machine backwards on the shiny metal hinges (being careful not to have it collide with anything that might break the spool holding spindles etc) and clean/oil the mechanism beneath the machine. Check the clamp is engaged before moving or using the machine or it could tilt unexpectedly.

Its not rocket science - you can do it.

Thanks for the explanation, I will give it a go when I get home today!

BB

**Jake_S** · 18th March 08, 07:58 AM

BB,
Check out this link. It's the threading (and bobbin winding) for a New Home machine that has a similar set up to yours, unfortunately it's not a complete manual, and it's not the same model as your machine..

http://www.sewusa.com/Threading_Diag...ng_Diagram.htm

**cacunn** · 18th March 08, 10:47 AM

Pleater - is the thread on the side of the machine, in the well, the correct thread for this type of machine? I would appear that if this thread is being used it would not fit the spool spindle at the top of the machine.

**Pleater** · 18th March 08, 02:50 PM

That looks like the type of thread which is used in more modern machines, where the spool lies tilted over and the thread is pulled of upwards, without the spool rotating.

I use enormous spools of thread too large to fit onto the spindles on the machine, also intended for the thread to be drawn off upwards.

What I do is place the spool behind the machine below the spindle, then place an empty lower thread bobbin on the spindle. I bring the thread up, lay it into the bobbin so it is between the spindle and the back of the machine casing, then thread the yarn as normal.

The yarn is then drawn off the spool as intended, and the bobbin on the spindle protects the plastic from the friction of the moving thread as it is drawn off.

It saves time and is more economical than using the small spools, but as long as the spool you have will stand upright and not dance around then you can use that sort of spool.

You could always stick it down with tacky putty.

If the bobbin will not cooperate and the thread will not feed off properly, fill up some of the lower thread bobbins with it, then just drop one onto the spindle to use for top thread. You can hold the bobbin horisontally behind the machine so the thread is drawn off as it wants to be.

I have several dozen bobbins, as it is one of those rules that no matter how many bobbins you have you never have one with the colour of thread you want to use on it.

I keep them in a multi compartmented case - I have two identical ones, the other is for the collection of 'feet' for different types of sewing.

**cacunn** · 18th March 08, 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by Pleater

I have several dozen bobbins, as it is one of those rules that no matter how many bobbins you have you never have one with the colour of thread you want to use on it.

Isn't that the rule just before the rule that the bobbin will run out of thread 2 inches before the end of the seam?

**SteveB** · 18th March 08, 04:41 PM

I have four plastic cases of bobbins with many different colours of thread. This is the way of sewing when most of the time it is mending rips and tears in clothing.
The bobbin MUST run out of thread when you are two inches (5 cm.) from the end of the last seam to complete the job. The other time it MUST run out of thread is when you are trying to sew a seam ( think pocket) in the most visible part of the garment.
The main spool MUST tangle, or break at the presser foot when you are sewing the over fringe on the apron of a kilt.
--- Steve

**berserkbishop** · 18th March 08, 10:29 PM

Ok, so I am more frustrated now. I got the *&(^^ thing working for about 2 minutes last night and now I cant get it to do anything. I have fiddled, I have faddled, now I am just frustrated. It cant be that difficult. . . . . I dont know if it needs repairs or what. Now it wont draw the bobbin string up. When I could get it to sew, the stitches on the bottom were INCREADIBLY loose. Argh. . . I dont understand these contraptions.

BB