The Sewing Place

Featherweights for Dummies

Acorn

Re: Featherweights for Dummies
« Reply #15 on: January 15, 2018, 18:55:59 PM »
Thanks Barny.

The pedal cables do look pretty good, and the mains plug is clearly relatively new (ie less than 20 years old).

The machine was running perfectly, with the light on, for a few minutes when I first tested it.  When I tried again about 10 minutes later it was again fine, but within a minute of stopping the machine started by itself with a little puff of smoke - the capacitor had gone.

Now, with the capacitor removed, it runs perfectly, but when the motor comes on the light goes off.  Nothing else has been touched other than the capacitor and the three pin connector.

The three pin connector has the colours of the wires clearly marked, and they are correctly wired, so I don't think anything has been reversed.  I will check the wiring again tomorrow when the light is better.
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

Barnyard

Re: Featherweights for Dummies
« Reply #16 on: January 15, 2018, 19:13:56 PM »
I shall take a pic of mine with the tray removed to give you a true digram of the wiring however it will have to wait till tomorrow im afraid.

Barny

Acorn

Re: Featherweights for Dummies
« Reply #17 on: January 15, 2018, 19:19:24 PM »
That's very good of you - and no hurry!    :)
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

Acorn

Re: Featherweights for Dummies
« Reply #18 on: January 16, 2018, 14:31:52 PM »
I'm not sure whether there's anything here that can help, but the first picture shows the 3-pin connector, with yellow going into 1, two blacks into 2 and red into 3 - all nice and tight.

The second picture shows the plug for the pedal, with the pedal cable coming in on the left and connecting its red to the first and its black to the second connector, and the mains cable coming in from the right, with its black connected to the first and its red to the third.  (Counting connectors as 1 to 3 from the left.)

The wiring on the pedal plug isn't brilliant(as in the way its wired in, not the wires themselves, which are fine), and I will redo it, but I don't think anything looks as though it is touching anything it shouldn't.  I'll let you know what happens when I have redone it - I may wait and get Mr Acorn to do it on the basis that he can tighten things better than I can!
« Last Edit: January 16, 2018, 14:45:10 PM by Acorn »
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

arrow

Re: Featherweights for Dummies
« Reply #19 on: January 16, 2018, 17:45:19 PM »
You have to trace the wiring from the motor, lights, pedal and mains plug to the three pin socket. Draw them on a piece of paper. I think the inner wires are blue or red today? One of yours is black and red.

The original wiring I have seen have been very neat, insulation crumbling away, but originally it a good job was done. Ends can be carefully twisted and soldered in a neat circular shape, or they have round metal pieces fitted on, sort of clipped on. The inner wire  can be knotted and tied, it's done deliberately to keep the wire inside the plug and to prevent strain on the end connection. Rewired machines are often not that neatly done, but usually to an acceptable standard.

arrow

Re: Featherweights for Dummies
« Reply #20 on: January 16, 2018, 17:49:58 PM »
Here's a diagram I found in a blog.




Acorn

Re: Featherweights for Dummies
« Reply #21 on: January 16, 2018, 19:23:17 PM »
Right - the pedal/mains plug seems to match up with that, although her blue wire is red on my machine.

The three pin connector, however, doesn't seem to match up.  Having suddenly had a flash of understanding as to which cable goes to the lamp, I can say that the lamp wires are yellow and black, and the motor wires are red and black.  Therefore my 3-pin connector has lamp into 1 and 2, and motor into 2 and 3.  Looking at the connector from the outside of the machine, the lamp cable is on the left and middle pins, and the motor cable on the right and in the middle.

That doesn't seem to match up with the arrangement in the picture above, but the colours are all correct as per my connector's labels.

I hope that makes sense!  Hopefully the photo below helps where I've failed...

I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

Barnyard

Re: Featherweights for Dummies
« Reply #22 on: January 17, 2018, 00:45:22 AM »
The black feed from the light on the machine end is in the middle. Light needs to be on pins 1 and 3. Sorry for my tardy response, today has bit a bit of a crud one.  :x

Barny

Acorn

Re: Featherweights for Dummies
« Reply #23 on: January 17, 2018, 10:03:48 AM »
No problem Barny - thanks so much for your help.  I really hope today is much, much better for you. 

 :drink:   :cake:  <--- virtual hot chocolate and cake as a thank you.

I'll switch those wires and let you know what happens later.
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

Acorn

Re: Featherweights for Dummies
« Reply #24 on: January 17, 2018, 18:59:03 PM »
Success!!!

It looks as though the lamp has been re-wired at some point, with black/yellow wires instead of red/yellow (unlike the motor wires, the lamp wires don't have those nice metal rings). 

That wouldn't have mattered, of course, but they then wired it into the black and yellow connectors instead of the red and yellow ones.  It is now wired with the lamp going into 1 and 3 - yellow and red - and it works perfectly.  When I can find some red insulating tape I'll put some round the black lamp wire as a reminder.

Many, many thanks arrow and Barny.

And the best thing is that I understand it a whole lot better than I would have done if it had been right from the start.


I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

Barnyard

Re: Featherweights for Dummies
« Reply #25 on: January 17, 2018, 23:30:30 PM »
Thats fantastic news! Happy to hear it is now all sorted and running as it should. If I can help in the future please feel free to ask. Having said that the gears do look a little devoid of lubricant...

Barny  <3

Acorn

Re: Featherweights for Dummies
« Reply #26 on: January 18, 2018, 09:33:39 AM »
Ooh - thank you.  All advice is welcome!

And very well spotted!  I oiled everywhere as instructed by the manual, and then filled the grease cups on the motor, but I forgot to go back and do the lubricating mentioned in the section on oiling - which was, of course, lubricating the teeth of the gears.   :D
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

Acorn

Re: Featherweights for Dummies
« Reply #27 on: January 18, 2018, 18:32:02 PM »
It is now nicely lubricated and I have put on its lovely replacement feet (sorry, base cushions  :) ).

It's sewing almost perfectly, but I need to get to know the tension a bit better before it is as perfect as I would like.

(And then... maybe a hand crank in a cabinet... something very decorative...  :ninja:  )
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

Acorn

Re: Featherweights for Dummies
« Reply #28 on: January 18, 2018, 18:52:38 PM »
Apologies for triple-posting, but does anyone know what this is, and what it's for?  It was in the accessory tray of my Featherweight's case.

It looks like a piece of slate, but seems a bit too heavy for that.  It leaves a clear mark on paper, which made me wonder if it was graphite.  It's about an inch and a half by three quarters of an inch.
« Last Edit: January 18, 2018, 18:55:51 PM by Acorn »
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

BrendaP

Re: Featherweights for Dummies
« Reply #29 on: January 18, 2018, 19:38:42 PM »
Is it some sort of French chalk?  does it mark fabric?
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.