Sewing machine problem?

[Harry Bloomfield]

Very old 1950's basic Singer sewing machine (201K), which was given to us twenty odd years ago and we never needed it until now. It is one of those black painted things with gold decoration and the optional electric motor.

The instructions are still with it, so I'm fairly sure it is threaded up correctly and it looks right, but it doesn't sew. The lower spool of cotton just sits in the bottom, with a large very tight screw head below it, which I have not been able to budge.

From the beginning...

The upper thread goes down through the hole with the needle, is dragged around by the hooked rotating thingummy underneath going around the lower spool, it brings the lower thread up as it should [1]. Leaving the two cotton threads out the back I insert the cloth, bring the foot down and start to stitch -except it doesn't.

It doesn't actually create any stitch in the material, it just moves the material forward with no stitches, then eventually the thread knots, jams and then breaks.

[1] The hook doesn't always catch the thread, when trying to get it set up to start sewing.

[Andy Cap]

[Harry Bloomfield]

Andy Cap submitted this idea :

The lower spool does come straight out, the large screw head is directly below the spool and I fancy serves as the centre for the rotation - I was simply trying to add to the description in the hopes someone might recognise it and the problem.

[Andy Cap]

Well it definitely sounds like an alignment problem. Bent needle. Needle in the wrong way round. Bent finger. Might be worth trying rewinding the bobbin, if that too tight. Just trying to help ! ;-)

Andy C

[Cicero]

=========================================

You might have the carrier / cotton spool threaded incorrectly. From distant memory..

The spool carrier for the lower spool should show a curved steel spring with a small slot and hole in it. The spool should go into the carrier so that the thread unwinds to the left and is inserted through the slot in the spring.

You might also have the thread tensioner set incorrectly. Look for two 1" diameter dished disks held together by a spring - on the left hand side above the needle. Check that the cotton can only be pulled through this with some friction.

Also check which side the thread goes through the eye of the needle - your manual should tell you the correct entry for your machine.

Cic.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Cicero submitted this idea :

It was.

I had the tension set to minimum - 0, as when turned up to 5 it broke the thread if pulled towards the needle.

I assumed it went through from front to back, but I will check that point. Thanks...

[meow2222]

Its been a long time since I played with an old swing bobbin thing, but the basic idea is that the thread from the top is looped round the bottom bobbin on each swing. Now IIRC those are fairly open mechanisms, so you should be able to see what happens when you try to sew with no cloth in place, and from that it should be possible to deduce where the lower bobbin thread is in the wrong place.

NT

[Cicero]

=========================================

Most machines thread from left OR right - worth a check that your needle is correctly inserted.

I think you'll probably need more than zero tension on the tensioner.

Cic.

[S Viemeister]

That could well be the problem. Many of the old black straight-stitch machines have the needle set to thread from the side, not the front. All of the modern, multi-stitch machines I've used, thread from the front.

[S Viemeister]

Indeed. It would be worth checking that the discs aren't rusty, and that there is no thread or lint build up. Also check for bits of thread and lint in the bobbin race.

[R]

Found this Harry......Not sure if you have tried it....

[John Gifford]

I see from original post that you have threading instructions.Check that bottom spool is correct way round and top and bottom tensions are the same. John G.

[Harry Bloomfield]

The needle when I first tried to use was inserted with the eye lined up front to back. There was a couple of spares so I had tried replacing it with a spare, but inserted the same way. Once turned sideways and threaded right to left, it works fine - just needs a replacement drive belt.

Thanks for all of the suggestions, including the one which solved it.