Anyone up for a little Singer troubleshooting help?

In article , IMS of Road
Runner uttered

Old Singers all thread from left to right, honest.

Nope....some don't. FWs, 201s and 301s for example thread from right to
left.

Thinks ... you're right! Sorry for the inaccuracy, folks! (Mind you, not
got a 301 ... yet ...)
--
AJH
no email address supplied

Trust me Kate is correct. But it is not all model 15's just some of them,
there are quite a few versions, thread right to left and the flat of the
needle goes to the left. Also model 221, and 301.

--
Ron Anderson
A1 Sewing Machine
PO Box 60
Sand Lake, NY 12153
518-469-5133
http://www.a1sewingmachine.com
"She who would like to be obeyed once every Preston Guild"
wrote in message
...
In article , Kate
Dicey of Customer of PlusNet plc (http://www.plus.net) uttered
She who would like to be obeyed once every Preston Guild wrote:

Old Singers all thread from left to right, honest. But you do need to
get the needle in the right way round. From folk memory (without
dragging a machine out to actually look) the scarf (long groove) on the
needle goes to the left, therefore the flat side to the right.

Not quite right: the needle in the 15 is the other way about and threads
right side to left, honest! Take a look on my web site, and see.

If I put the needle in 66-ways-round, or thread it left to right, it
doesn't sew!
I'll take your word for it - but it's blooming odd, coz I had a quick look
online in somebody's "Manuel", and it said what I said ... I'm still not
clambering in there and dragging a machine out here to test the theory
though LOL!
--
AJH
no email address supplied

On Sat, 23 Apr 2005 06:55:35 UTC, David Nebenzahl
wrote:

It's a "No. 15", at least according to Singer's serial # scheme from their
website. (Except that the manual I downloaded shows a treadle machine while
mine has that newfangled e-lectric motor; the kind with gears instead of a
belt. Everything else seems to match up to mine.)

So it's a 15-91.

Everything looks OK, but when I try to sew, the bobbin thread doesn't get
stitched in. I can draw the bobbin thread up from below with the needle, so I
*think* the bobbin's threaded correctly, but no go.

Also, I'm not sure of the correct threading: the manual says to thread the
needle from left to right, but this seems wrong, as the last hook above the
needle is above the right side, and this would make the thread wrap around the
needle.

Thread it the way the manual says to. You probably should also clean
the bobbin case, and check the thread path through the needle plate
and around the bobbin for burrs.

Help! Anyone have any simple troubleshooting advice? (Yeah, I know: get rid of
the damn thing and enter the 20th century.

Not at all! You've got a great machine there.

--

David Nebenzahl wrote:


Help! Anyone have any simple troubleshooting advice? (Yeah, I know: get
rid of the damn thing and enter the 20th century. But I like this old
beast, and like I say, it used to work and hasn't been dropped or
otherwise maltreated.)

NO, No, NOOOO!!!! Don't get rid of it! Keep using it and keep it in
good shape and it will last forever.

Thanks to all who responded (so quickly! amazing...). Thanks especially to
Sally Holmes for your link showing the two types of needles. That was the
problem; I had assumed that the screw that secures the needle went against the
flat. Put it in right, threaded it up (right to left as I had suspected) and
it stitches fine. Well, not fine, but at least it *works*. I need to tweak
some tensions, I guess.

And no, I hadn't seriously considered getting rid of this machine. I love old
stuff! What's not to love--black lacquer, gold curlicue decoration, massive
iron castings, beautiful chromed fittings. Got it for $25 at a junk shop, and
so far I've refinished the top deck with its beautiful walnut veneer with
curly figure. All it needed was a good cleaning and lube to get it purring
like, well, like a well-oiled sewing machine.


--
It's a good guess that one of two things is going to happen in the
coming days and weeks: Either Bolton goes down—-or we start learning
a lot of unpleasant things about Sen. George Voinovich.

- _Slate_, 4/19/05 (http://slate.msn.com/id/2117028/)

Pogonip wrote:


No, no! Do not get rid of it!!! Copy the manual from
http://hubben.crosswinds.net/15-91text.html and check your
threading. That's almost certainly the problem. The 15 is a
fine machine. --

OMG!!! I almost choked over:

"To Connect the Machine to Electric Service Line
Push the terminal plug at one end of the electric cord as far as it
will go on the three-pin terminal block at the right of the machine.
Attach the plug at the other end of the cord to the nearest electric
light socket and the machine is ready for operation."

"...the nearest electric light socket..." How far we've come...

My mother had one of the old black Singers, I would give anything if I
still had it. Dad was furious that she had to pay *extra* for a
machine that sewed forward-and-reverse! He learned very well *why*
over the next 30+ years. She traded that machine for one of the first
zig-zags, it had disks mounted on the *front* of the machine.

--
Beverly
delete nospam and .invalid to reply

David Nebenzahl wrote:
Thanks to all who responded (so quickly! amazing...). Thanks
especially to Sally Holmes for your link showing the two types
of needles. That was the problem; I had assumed that the screw
that secures the needle went against the flat. Put it in right,
threaded it up (right to left as I had suspected) and it
stitches fine. Well, not fine, but at least it *works*. I need
to tweak some tensions, I guess.
And no, I hadn't seriously considered getting rid of this
machine. I love old stuff! What's not to love--black lacquer,
gold curlicue decoration, massive iron castings, beautiful
chromed fittings. Got it for $25 at a junk shop, and so far
I've refinished the top deck with its beautiful walnut veneer
with curly figure. All it needed was a good cleaning and lube
to get it purring like, well, like a well-oiled sewing machine.

You are a good man, David Nebenzahl! Cherish it, it should last
another 100 years or so.

--
Beverly
delete nospam and .invalid to reply

Kate is right on target with her answer about threading the machine. But as
someone else suggested, it may be time to clean out the tension discs, check
the bobbin to see if the tension is okay, and a new needle might be in
order. Let us know if you'd like any more help. We who have old Singers
love them, no matter what other "toys" we have, and do not want anyone
giving up on one.
Emily

Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles.sewing
From: "Ron Anderson"
Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2005 16:59:01 GMT

Subject: Anyone up for a little Singer troubleshooting help?

Trust me Kate is correct. But it is not all model 15's just some of
them,
there are quite a few versions, thread right to left and the flat of
the
needle goes to the left. Also model 221, and 301.

Ron Anderson
---
Yup. My old Singer # 15, which was converted to electric, threads
from left to right. Not only that, the needle must be what is specified
in the manual--not all needles are long enough to pick up bobbin
thread.

Cea