The Sewing Place
Machine Talk => Vintage Machines => Topic started by: BrendaP on June 12, 2018, 11:27:16 AM
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I was sewing the lining into a jacket with my Singer 201 (aluminium body) and the lining fabric was horribly fraying with fibres all over the place. Almost done and the machine stopped :o
At first it would move about a quarter of a turn on the handwheel but I tried to force it a bit and now it's not going anwhere. Motor is OK and with clutch released it runs normally.
On close inspection there is a small piece of thread sticking out from the shaft where the needle bar goes up and down so I think that is likely to be the cause of the problem though I'm reluctant to try and pull it hard in case it just snaps.
I can't see how to get at it without completely disassembling the machine. The screw you can see holds the needle clamp on and on the other side is a screw holding the thread guide.
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Oh Brenda that is a pain. Do you happen to have a pair or surgical forceps (hemostat) as these could well remove that stubborn little piece of thread quite easily. These surgical forceps can come in a variety of sizes, a popular one is about 5" long and can come straight or curved, and look like a pair of scissors only they are not, they have a locking device on the handle so when you open the blades which are grooved inside, and then applied to whatever, and the handles shut and locked you get superb grip - they are brilliant.
If you haven't got any but think you would like some, ask in your local pharmacy if then can order some for you or alternatively if you go to a Chiropodist they might be prepared to order them for your, Roughly about £5.00.
These forceps are excellent for the overlocker as well. I have a tiny pair that my sister brought over from Canada, and the accompanying leaflet gave a long list of uses in the sewing and crafting world, and also useful in the First Aid box and for fishing - removing fish hooks from both fingers and fish.
Hope you get this sorted soon.
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Thats a new one!
Maybe tweezers and a gentle pull? Have you checked behind the face plate? I once found pieces of thread there. I would check out the bobbin area too, maybe have the bobbin case out if it looks like it has frayed all over.
Another thing is to grab the hand wheel and stop motion screw and force the needle bar down. Maybe it can be given a gentle push from behind the face plate? It looks like the presser bar and needle bar need to be wiped off, a bit of oil have seeped down.
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As arrow said I’d check the dogs and bobbin case too, I found machines jammed with a whisper of thread in those areas too.
When you turn the hand wheel I find I can feel or hear when it’s stuck.
You could try chilling the needle bar to get you a little more wiggle room. Otherwise it may have to be slow careful pulling.
I have also had to push the needle bar up before when it was jammed with oil... in this situation you may need to pull it down while pushing the hand wheel too, be gentle but firm...
Good luck!
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Well I've just tried pulling with tweezers. I have an assortment with good grips, and chose the round ended ones but the thread just snapped and it's still jammed. :'( So all I've done this evening is to wipe away the excess oil I'd put there in the hope of it helping to release.
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B*****!
Have a glass of :gin:!
I’m trying to picture the internal of the front plate.
I take it that it’s stuck at the highest point?
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You should take of the face plate and inspect. You can't force the needle bar down when it's in top position, but if it's on it's way down it's possible.. A bit risky, and it should not be done before every other area is checked for stuck needle or piece of thread. On second thought, just ignore my advice. If the thread snaps, it's stuck though. Tighten stop motion screw well and ask someone with lots of muscles to turn the hand wheel?
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Aside from that is the thread natural or synthetic?
If it’s synthetic it might be possible to do something rash if all else fails....
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The needle is fairly near the top of its cycle but I'm not sure if it is still going up or on the way back down.
The fibres of the fabric I was sewing are synthetic, polyester.
If I try to turn the handwheel I can see the bobbin race try to turn and I can see the oil where bar goes inside the casing (behind the front cover plate) move when the handwheel changes direction.
There is only a mm or so movement on the handwheel, after that it can be forced but it just slips the cluch.
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I would be inclined to pull the needle bar down... remove the needle maybe wear rubber gloves and give it a firm even pressure downwards. And see if it goes, hopefully it’ll move and bring the thread with it.
The absolute last resort I could think of is to turn the machine on it’s side so the needle bar is at 45degrees with the front plate higher. Clean the oil off and apply heat to the needle bar... possibly a lighter or similar, and turn the hand wheel back and forth while you do. Hopefully the heat will melt the thread and you can get the mechanism moving again. The angle should allow the heat to rise along the bar. Just be really careful of the paint and the oil... you can see why this is the last resort!
Any better ideas out there?
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When I was renovating my first 201, I was pretty ruthless with it, and it survived! I did use a lot of Sewing machine oil, and PlusGas though to loosen things along.
I did clean it to within an inch of its life to which was probably overkill, but it did eventually free everything up.
The Tools for Self Reliance was an invaluable resource, but not sure if it's still available. I do have a pdf copy I could send if it would be of use?
Jessie
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https://web.archive.org/web/20130814050110/http://www.tfsr.org:80/publications/technical_information/sewing_machine_manual
This should help
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Thank you for that link - but unfortunately I can't see any mention of the needle bar other than oiling it - I've done that!
We've both had a busy few days so it's been left sitting in disgrace. Plans for us both having a bash it it (possibly literally! :( ) today have been scuppered by DD requesting his presence to help with getting a bath panel off to find the source of a leak. Hopefully later today.
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Ask someone with strong hands; hold the stop motion screw tight, use a bit of force, turn the hand wheel while holding the stop motion screw. I really wouldn't hit the needle bar if it is in top position, it needs the turning movment of the other parts (from the hand wheel movement, top internal rod).
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Is the spool and case ok, sometimes the needle appears to be jammed because of a bit of thread is caught up in that.
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We both had a go at shifting it this morning. Terry's pretty good mechanically but as he said he's used to industrial size stuff not 'delicate' bits inside sewing machines and was a bit scared of breaking it. He squirted WD40 at the offending area and it moved a bit but then jammed again, though it was enough to convince him that the problem is the needle bar and not further back or in the bobbin area because of where the noise came from there as we forced it - I knew it was the needle bar because of the stray thread!
Then he tried warming it with a tiny blow torch; apparently stainless steel expands more than most metals with heat, but that didn't work. So we've given up and it's now with the repair man who didn't think it would be a problem. Fingers crossed.
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Best of luck. A black cast iron 201K is my favorite. This is the worst case of thread jam I have heard of, nothing you expect you need a repair guy for.
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I've just collected it from the repair man, and it's all unjammed. 0_0
Peter - You really got that jammed didn't you!
Me - Yes, and all I was doing was sewing with it.
Me - Did you use brute force or did you have to take it apart?
Peter - I had to take it apart.
All working again but my purse is £35 lighter.
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thats pretty reasonable!
I wouldn't fancy dismantling a 201 myself - thats what OSMG are for :)
so glad its up and running again!
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£35 is a bargain!