The Sewing Place

FeatherWeight making an Awful racket

Lace

Re: FeatherWeight making an Awful racket
« Reply #45 on: April 16, 2021, 15:55:18 PM »
  Looking for repairman #2...

Are you a member of Singer Featherweights UK on FB? It's so easy to post a 221K for fixing. Quite a few people do and I know of two men who will repair them.
Formerly at The Sewing Forum. Singer 12K, two 28Ks, 66K, 99K, four 201Ks, 221K, two drawing room cabinets, and Bernina Sport. All dating from 1891 to 1981.

b15erk

Re: FeatherWeight making an Awful racket
« Reply #46 on: April 16, 2021, 16:14:28 PM »
Latest Report.

Went up to re-assemble the FW, and unlike yesterday, the bobbin assembly/shaft, went together beautifully.

With all my new knowledge, a maintenance book, and a video camera, I set to try my machine. Firstly I started by putting the needle plate back on without the screws, and rotated the handwheel by hand, with the stitch length set to the longest.  It was lifting up at the front of the needle plate, and as the feed dogs moved back, the needle plate dropped down.

I then moved the stitch length lever right to the top, in reverse, and there was very little clatter.

I repeated the exercise with the motor running - noisier with the stitch lever on long than in reverse.

I think I have established that I have a Feed Dog Issue... :boohoo:  The feed dog is coming too far forward and needs adjusting... I don't know if I can manage that.  :S :(  Just a smidge is all it needs...

Not sure how it happened.  I'll now go and compose a hopefully coherent account to post on the SFUK on FB.

Thank you all so much for your invaluable help and advice.

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

jesster

Re: FeatherWeight making an Awful racket
« Reply #47 on: April 16, 2021, 18:33:29 PM »
@Lace - Thank you for the idea, but I'm in the US.  I do have the name of another repairman here and am hopeful he'll figure it out.  #1 was a son-in-law of the great guy who did this work for years.


@b15erk - I believe there are just a couple of screws holding the feed dogs in place.  If one became loosened somehow, it might be enough to throw off the movement.  On the other hand, there is timing involved in the feed dogs as well as the needle/bobbin interface.  I wouldn't mess with that myself.  How frustrating!  Hope you find someone who can help.

Lace

Re: FeatherWeight making an Awful racket
« Reply #48 on: April 16, 2021, 18:43:54 PM »
@Lace - Thank you for the idea, but I'm in the US.  I do have the name of another repairman here and am hopeful he'll figure it out.  #1 was a son-in-law of the great guy who did this work for years.

It's a problem in the UK too jesster; they get old and retire!   My repairman died last August - he used to work for Singer near Glasgow.  Then I found another but he is 86... from today we are allowed to travel out of our local area and I just hope he is still in his shop.
Formerly at The Sewing Forum. Singer 12K, two 28Ks, 66K, 99K, four 201Ks, 221K, two drawing room cabinets, and Bernina Sport. All dating from 1891 to 1981.

LeilaMay

Re: FeatherWeight making an Awful racket
« Reply #49 on: April 16, 2021, 20:07:02 PM »
@Jester If you're in the US then I'd always recommend the Singer Featherweight Shop  :)

We did talk about the feeddogs at the very beginning of this thread LOL

b15erk

Re: FeatherWeight making an Awful racket
« Reply #50 on: April 16, 2021, 20:20:14 PM »
@LeilaMay

I know...  :|  :rolleyes:

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

jesster

Re: FeatherWeight making an Awful racket
« Reply #51 on: April 17, 2021, 00:28:57 AM »
@LeilaMay - thanks for that.  The FW shop is a great resource and I've ordered various bits from them before.  They are located about 2500 miles from me, so I would have to ship the machine.  I'd like to solve this one with someone more local if possible.  Repairman #2 comes highly recommended by people who have used his services, so I'm hopeful.
Yes, I saw the mention, but I hadn't watched the whole Andy video yet, so I missed his feed dog demonstration.  On my machine, I think there must be something in the link between the stitch regulator and the feed dogs that isn't holding, but it's nothing visible to me.  Might be hidden in the depths of the column?   :headbang:   Wish I could ask repairman #1 what he thought it was, but the shop is gone.  Will be looking forward to seeing the solution to @b15erk 's issue.  It might give me a new clue.

b15erk

Re: FeatherWeight making an Awful racket
« Reply #52 on: April 19, 2021, 10:22:00 AM »
I think I've done it! :dance:

With a lot of help from you ladies, and a phone call from Philip, from the Featherweight UK FB group.  It was indeed the feed dogs which were causing the problem.

With great difficulty this morning, and a stubby screwdriver, I undid the back screw holding the feed dogs in place.  It was really stuck, and I really struggled with it, but eventually, I managed to remove it.  The front screw, I was surprised to see, was quite loose in comparison, and I'm wondering if this was causing enough 'give' to create my problem. After fiddling a bit with no luck, I had a think, and I moved the stitch length lever up to the highest point, and then screwed the feed dogs down.  It seems to have worked because when I moved the handwheel, there was no clattering of the stitch plate.

I have yet to try it with the motor running though, so fingers are well and truly crossed!

Many thanks to you all for your advice and encouragement, I couldn't have done it without you!  :grouphug:

Jessie




Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

LeilaMay

Re: FeatherWeight making an Awful racket
« Reply #53 on: April 19, 2021, 11:06:07 AM »
It has to be something to do with the feed dogs then - there is nothing else under there that moves in that way.
You checked the dogs were screwed down tightly?
And that the plate is in the right position?
 :thinking:

Glad you've fixed it, I really am - but what can I say? I asked you that question ages ago!
Enjoy her now she's better.

b15erk

Re: FeatherWeight making an Awful racket
« Reply #54 on: April 19, 2021, 11:21:03 AM »
@LeilaMay , you are well entitled to an 'I told you so' moment, what can I say... :| :|

I did check the screws on feed dogs, but only the back one really.  Because the back one was so tight, I didn't really try the front one... :[ :|

If nothing else, it has shown me that there are limits to my DIY FW skills...

Jessie (with a very red face this morning!)  :|
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

LeilaMay

Re: FeatherWeight making an Awful racket
« Reply #55 on: April 19, 2021, 12:04:45 PM »
I am truly very happy for you if it's sorted now.
It's just the 'being mis-believed because you're a girl' thing.
Like when you take your own car to the garage, and tell the mechanic the tappets are knocking or whatever, and you get the "Alright love, we'll find out what it is" attitude.

If I was a man, would you have believed me when I told you it was the feed-dogs? You know?
I worked in a predominately male workplace, and I am so fed up (at 60) still being treated like I don't know what I'm talking about because I'm more interested in mechanics that knowing how to turn a collar or cook a three course dinner  :(

My problem not yours, I know, I'm sorry to rant.

I hope it's perfect now :vintage:

jesster

Re: FeatherWeight making an Awful racket
« Reply #56 on: April 19, 2021, 15:00:07 PM »
@b15erk   :dance:  So glad you were able to fix it.  Well done!

StitchinTime

Re: FeatherWeight making an Awful racket
« Reply #57 on: April 19, 2021, 15:35:24 PM »
It's just the 'being mis-believed because you're a girl' thing.
If I was a man, would you have believed me when I told you it was the feed-dogs? You know?

@LeilaMay I'm sorry for your experiences in the work place, but if b15erk had not believed you because you are a girl, I would have thought she would not have checked the feeddogs at all. It seems to me that she did check them, just not as thoroughly as was needed and that not checking the front screw was due to the status of the back screw and nothing to do with who had made the suggestion.
« Last Edit: April 19, 2021, 15:42:16 PM by StitchinTime »

Silverlake

Re: FeatherWeight making an Awful racket
« Reply #58 on: August 15, 2021, 21:43:13 PM »
FYI: There's a 'Singer 221 Adjuster's Manual' that might have helped in this situation. It covers the Stitch-length-regulator too (also mentioned here). It's an Owner's Service Manual, dedicated to Singer Featherweights. Originally published by Singer, its now reprinted by a third-party. I've only seen them for sale at 'The Featherweight Shop', USA. I bought one a few years ago - a little pricey - but well worth having and keeping with your Featherweight.
« Last Edit: August 16, 2021, 01:50:47 AM by Silverlake »

jesster

Re: FeatherWeight making an Awful racket
« Reply #59 on: August 16, 2021, 15:55:06 PM »
Also found a free download of the original one here recently.   :thumb: