The Sewing Place
Machine Talk => Vintage Machines => Topic started by: LeilaMay on June 15, 2017, 15:22:52 PM
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Having the sewing machine 'fiddling' bug, and just about to send the Pinnock off to the charity shop, I thought I'd put out a WANTED on my local freecycle site, for an old not working sewing machine to try and fix and then give away. A nice gentleman has offered his mother's machine, which he hasn't parted with even though it doesn't work, and is delighted that someone might love it again. He describes it as
"probably a 1970's Husqvarna Viking"
Now it may be a lot of plastic, if he's right about the date, and I've no idea what's wrong with it. But anyone really keen and knowledgeable on these, or will google be my best friend?
Collecting tomorrow so more details once I've got it in hand. If I can get it working it will go back to freecycle or the charity shop, whichever he prefers I think.
Thanks
Leila
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As the former owner of a couple of Husqvarna machines from the 70s I can only tell you that they were great machines in their day but sadly prone to cracking in their plastic cams with age and especially after not being used for a period.
My lovely red 6570 served me well for over 30 years but with minimal use for the last 7 years. I got another (slightly lower spec) as a used machine for my daughter but sadly both have now gone due to cracks in the cam connectors.
If you use that issue in your search you'll probably find a fair bit of info on that weakness.
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Thank you - I did wonder abut that, knowing that other brands of that age are prone to such.
Is it possible to replace the parts now I wonder?
Thank you.
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I took mine to Theobald's of Luton (who have an excellent local reputation) as a trade-in thinking it was only a minor fault but he didn't want it and only took it for parts as he said it was difficult to get the faulty part and wasn't worth it - that was a commercial assessment, of course. I took him to mean only used parts were an option now.
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By the way, my daughter's machine is still hanging about but not working so if you do give it a go and need a part other than the cam connector, just let me know. You're welcome to whatever bits you might need.
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Thank you. I'll know exactly what it is once I've seen it, and then must try and figure out what might be wrong by slow and careful inspection. How exciting! :)
:vintage:
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My Husqvarna 350 is like this one (https://duringquiettime.com/2009/06/sewing-machine-meme.html) and dates from about 1999-2000. I bought it about ten years ago from the daughter of the woman who first taught me to make bobbin lace, in Adult Education classes. Vera (hence the name of my machine) was also a competant dressmaker but I suspect that her choice of machine had been influenced by her dressmaking tutor colleague who always insisted that any new machines bought for the college were Viking/Husqvarna.
A few years before I retired from tutoring/admin in the same Adult Ed Centre in 2009 three new Husqvarnas were bought. These were not high-spec machines but were electronic (rather than computerised) and may well have been 350s. I do remember that they were white with a bit of blue.
Those machines were bought to replace a couple of old Singer hand cranks (Probably 99ks) which were sold off very cheaply and joined a number of older green Husqvarnas. Some of those were straight stitch only and some had zig-zag but nothing more. From memory they looked like this (http://ismacs.net/husqvarna-viking/index.html) or probably more basic as I don't think any of them did more than just zig-zag. I think the green colour dates them to 1940s-1960s. The machines of the 1970s were white.
The dressmaking tutor retired a couple of years before me and when she left I 'inherited' a number of wall posters and leaflets etc relating to sewing, one of which is a history of Husqvarna sewing machines. Scans attached as they may help you identify your machine.
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I have got a 500 and brought it in the 90's ,take it out now and again still runs lovely
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So the Viking has arrived - it's a 5200-series.
It's filthy and has no accessories at all apart from THE BOOK! That might be the most useful thing right now LOL
I'll not be unpacking it further tonight as it's going to need a dedicated table space with coverings, and I haven't shifted off the Pinnock yet. But when I can I'll take a couple of pictures and take of the covers and see what we've got.
Thank you all for help and interest,
Leila
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There is someone who often has 70s Husqvarna bits on e bay including cam stacks. I've got 2 Viking 3600 machines that I'm hoping to make one from as they have different faults. Unfortunately it is plastic bits that go. I might get on to it one day.
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The best place for info on these is the Yahoo Vintage Husqvarna (https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/vikingsewingmachinespre1980/info) group. There are a couple of expets over there giving detailed help. If you discover a damaged part it's a good place to ask, and you might be able to track it down on the web too. I have noticed some models from the 60s and 70s are regarded as better than others. These have stretchy stitches and cams. I fell for the 19e and 21e models, and there are a couple of nice stretch stitchers too. It can be a minor thing, sometimes all a faulty machine needs is oiling and a good cleaning. Husqvarnas are not suppose to need oil, but if it turns slowly it might benefit from something teflon or a spray can oil. The metal gears and hinges can probably be revived with the right type of lubricant, it was a combination of a porous metal surface and a special grease that was activated when the machine was used. Now 40 years later it tends to be dried up, though it worked very well for decades.
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So the Viking has arrived - it's a 5200-series.
It's filthy and has no accessories at all apart from THE BOOK!
Will this (http://sewingparts.co.uk/library/viking-5200-series.html) help?
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Arrow - many thanks for that, I'll check it out.
BrendaP - thank you, but I do have the book (hurray!) but nothing else. No feet or any thing. But then it might not go so I might not need 'em I suppose LOL
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I hope it cleans up well. It is a light weight cast aluminium body? I looked it up and the 5200 series are made to be oiled, so little to worry about there.
Best of luck :- )
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I hope it cleans up well. It is a light weight cast aluminium body? I looked it up and the 5200 series are made to be oiled, so little to worry about there.
Best of luck :- )
Yes, my OH says it is, it's too light to be steel bodied.
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Well I've got feet and bobbins that might fit if you do need them but I'm not sure of parts as the machines look fairly different. Mine is a later style more like this (http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/s5sAAOSw71BXQa~O/$_1.JPG) .
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Might not be relevant to your machine, but I had a 1980s Husqvarna 190 which I absolutely loved. Unfortunately it developed a fault inside it where the electric socket plugged in. Although there are a lot of spares available, that part wasn't one of them. I was heartbroken to see it go. I now have a new Husqvarna but it isn't the same!
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First pictures. You can see I have taken off all the removable plates and the motor cover.
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The case is grubby, as are the covers I've removed, but it's the insides that will be crucial :)
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Well I've got feet and bobbins that might fit if you do need them but I'm not sure of parts as the machines look fairly different. Mine is a later style more like this (http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/s5sAAOSw71BXQa~O/$_1.JPG) .
That is very kind of you, thank you. Currently there's one foot and one bobbin, so something to test it with if I can get it going. IF it goes it would be nice to have some more bits - there's no box for tools, or extension table or the different feet the book tells me it should have - I'll chat away here about how it's going, and maybe be buying some spares off you if I get lucky :) (positive thinking here LOL) :sew:
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I'll chat away here about how it's going, and maybe be buying some spares off you if I get lucky :) (positive thinking here LOL) :sew:
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you both. ;) The closer I look at your photos, the more I think some of the internal parts may also be compatible. I'll open mine up when you're at that stage and send you some pics. If it's looking promising (and depending where you live) we may be able to drop the whole machine off for you to pick apart as we like to get around and may link it with another trip. No need to pay for parts, I'd be so happy if they can be put to good purpose.
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I'm in Glastonbury - don't come this week or next LOL
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That's a way off me. No plans to be over that way this year although we've travelled past en route for holidays for the last few years. Royal Mail for bits then if you need any.
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We do occasionally come over to the east, and we have a friend who lives out your way too. So all is not lost.
Right now I'm just gazing at it, trying to dare myself to begin. I picked all the fluff out so far :)
:sew:
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If we had an icon of tools - or a disassembled machine, I'd put it here :)
First off I can see the capacitor on the motor is shot - but it's an easy fix. The one in the pedal may be gone too, but Mr will be able to replace both of those for me.
I think my first step is going to be to carefully apply contact cleaner on the cams, as I suspect they may be stuck together and I need to start freeing them, very carefully.
I have already removed the mountain of fluff from the bobbin case area, but that doesn't really count as repairs :drink:
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Sunday morning update.
:sew:
Well the capacitor + resistor in the motor housing are easily removed, and don't affect the running of the motor. Theoretically the motor may then create "electrical noise" but it's not registering on my digital radio so I don't think it's going to be a problem to run it without them.
The foot pedal has a very elegant internal design, and doesn't have a capacitor at all, so no worries there.
The motor runs, and moves the machine (slow test to begin with) and I've oiled everywhere that I can I should.
But the front dial which would alter the stitch type is still jammed solid. I have tried contact cleaner, heat and then oiling but so far to no avail. I know if I force it I'll crack it, so not sure what to do next with that. So I'll keep cleaning and enjoying the complex unintelligible insides LOL
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Turn dials are notorious for getting stuck, especially the more fancy ones, some are literally geared, others are combo push-turn things. The simpler ones are usually easier to unstick. Either way, it's usually all about getting a degreaser, solvent or spray lubricant to the inners of them. Ideally some should be picked appart, cleaned and put back together again, but I never feel safe unless I have a very precise guide on it. You are spot on being careful with plastic knobs.
I just read something on the 6000 series; knobs and cams can be difficult. An expert on this brand insist parts have to be "rebuilt", and perferably by an expert. There's hardly anything on the 5200 numbers, but nothing is impossible. A thin spray can oil with teflon?
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Yes I might have to sort out a brand of that kind of thing here, thank you.
I'm sure it would benefit from being dismantled by an expert, but I daren't do that. It's too complex and I don't think I'd get it back together. Because there's a chance this machine might work I don't want to spoil it by mis-handling, you know?
If I had a definitely dud one, then it would be a good learning experience, but this seems to be working so far so I'm not willing to break it by trying to be too clever :) Or the money to find an expert LOL
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The Turtle Moves!
(terry Pratchett for those who don't know)
Well, the stitch selector knob now moves, which is nearly as epic :) It was the hair-dryer bit that did the trick. Now to keep cleaning and lubricating, and later see if it will sew.
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Tension unit
So the tension unit on this machine is screwed inside the opening end of the machine, and has to be taken out (along with several other bits) to be able to clean it. It has slightly rusty tension discs, but I hope my cleaning might be sufficient. here's a few shots for anyone interested.
The last view is one of the cleaned up discs.
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Heat speeds things up, a very nice trick to be reminded of. Keep oiling and moving the lever, if it's caused by dirt and grime it will take a bit of effort to flush it out. It usually works well by repeating it often.
I see you have to be clever with some machines, tension units are not all the same.
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The gentleman who gave me the machine got back in touch with me today - and look what I have now...
p.s. the spider will have to go :(
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LOL, was it like that when you handed it in?
Hopefully everything shifts nicely know. Have you threaded it up, test sewed a few buttonholes?
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It was just like that when he gave it to me, but I have washed it now :)
It still isn't working - the knob which should pull out when you want to buttonhole will not pull out, although it turns, so taking it apart again - but I'm determined to get there eventually.
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These pictures are for Marniesews as well as everyone else - as she has kindly offered me some parts for the machine if she has spares.
So here are the pages from the book which show what should have been with the machine to begin with.
I have the basic presser foot for straight stitching and zig-zag, but no other feet at all. These are snap-ons.
There are four bobbins, and one bobbin case, so not bad there.
One lovely little grey handled screw driver, which actually came with another machine but is definitely a Husqvarna with the crest on it!
I have the tool box now, but not the extension table, which might have been white plastic or white metal, I can't tell.
And that's it. So any spare feet, and any extra bobbins would be really super. And an extension table if Marnie has one.
I keep hoping if I can get all the bits, it will magically encourage the whole machine to work LOL
:sew:
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Well, we've found the second machine in my daughter's attic with a metal extension table and the push in tray but you don't need that now and it's a different design anyway. Typically the box of feet weren't with it!!! :( Now it's just a case of searching through her stuff - and possibly mine (which is an even worse option but one that we've been planning to do for quite some time).
We're away for a few days but after that I'll send you some photos of the machine close to in case there are any mechanical bits that you think may be usable. Then it's time for a bit of a sort through :| looking for the feet as we go. Fingers crossed.
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Well I'm sorry you're going to have to rummage and sort - but maybe it'll be good in the long run? And thank you for finding the extension table :)
And no rush here, as you know, as it's not actually fully working yet LOL
hope you're time away is super.
Thanks and best wishes
Leila
:flower:
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Patience and working at it will get you there. The most stubborn case I have had is a screw in my 201, when it loosened I dedicated a post to it a few weeks ago lol It's the one in center of the bobbin case, it was stuck for two years and six months at least, one day it was just loose. In the center of the screw there's an oil point for the set of meshing gears below, so it was oiled a lot. I actually have have had a couple of screws like that.