Featherweight motor question.
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Harrisburg, OR
Posts: 443
They do sew with the light off. In fact, if your lightbulb is anymore than 15 watts I would keep it off until you can replace it. Mine came with a 50 or 75watt bulb in it and I have a nice burn scar just above the wrist to show for it. :/ it had only been on for just a couple minutes too.
#22
Mine has what I assume to be the original bulb and is 15 watts. I keep it off because it does get warm and I sew with an OTT lamp on my desk so it isnt really nesacary. But thanks for letting me know.
#23
One thing I find with the old motors (ie the ones hanging on the backs of the machines, fw motors, etc) is they always have a smell to them when they're fired up after a long rest. It's -probably- OK, as long as there's not a lot of heat to go with the smell. (touch the outside of the motor when it's running, or even a minute or two after, and feel it. It can be warm to the touch, but not hot.
However when it's time to end the sewing and remove the fabric I noticed the underside has three threads going and the fabric won't move. I'm pretty new to seeing so I'll ask first is there something I need to do first to finish it off? On my other machines I just gently pull and both the top thread and bobbin thread give and I can pull enough to snip the thread. This one is rather stuck like either the top thread and the bottom thread are snagged somewhere. :/ I snip it and then have to remove the bobbin casing out and pull out the random loose thread that is neither attached to the top or bobbin thread! Any idea why it's doing this. I re-read the manual and I didn't see anything specific for finishing the thread. :/ help!
A FW is a lockstitch machine, just like your758, and most of the other machines you'll ever use. It will finish a stitch the same way.
I put and threaded as the manual instructed. The flat side of the needle faces to the left so the eye is sideways. (now I did this to MY left. Since the machine is facing me should it go the other way???) and then I threaded going right to left. I had to remove the needle and push it further in to get it to even sew. Also will it not sew if the light is off? It happened at the same time I adjusted the needle so I wwasn't certain if that prevented it or not. I'm slowely figuring her out. the good news is that her tension and timing seem good. I adjusted the tension just a smidge because there was a little looping on the underside of the fabric.
Always seat a needle in the FW, and all Singer's I've used, until they stop. There's a guide that stops the needle when it's seated high enough.
Tension is always an ongoing thing. You'll need to address it depending on the fabric you're using, etc. What is it set on right now? What number?
They do sew with the light off. In fact, if your lightbulb is anymore than 15 watts I would keep it off until you can replace it. Mine came with a 50 or 75watt bulb in it and I have a nice burn scar just above the wrist to show for it. :/ it had only been on for just a couple minutes too.
Ott-Lites are way better quality of light too. Your eyes won't get as tired as fast.
#24
i will take a look at "Tucci" again soon! Today i distracted myself with getting my W&G up and running. i will take a peek and see if there are any other strands stuck in the bobbin. I did feel the motor a few times and it didnt feel warm to the touch. granted i wasnt sewing for a long time, but i figured if it was a problem it would probably heat up rather quickly. Is a birds nest just a "nest" of tangles in the bobbin?
the tension is set between 3 and 2. i lowered it to 2 when i first started sewing it and i could see loops on the top thread. it was between the 3 and 2 when i first brought it home so i figured it was the tension it was last used at. (which i guess doesn't necessarily mean its whats best. ^_~ )
the tension is set between 3 and 2. i lowered it to 2 when i first started sewing it and i could see loops on the top thread. it was between the 3 and 2 when i first brought it home so i figured it was the tension it was last used at. (which i guess doesn't necessarily mean its whats best. ^_~ )
#25
A nest is basically a lot of needle threads under the needleplate. They don't usually end up -in- the bobbin, though they can "tie" the bobbin case to the needleplate. Lots of fun.
I've made nests in probably every color under the sun. I really hated that 290C I started on. In retrospect, it really wasn't the fault of the machine. I blame my dad. He never let me take lessons or Home Ec, and just thought I'd figure the machine out. Keeping in mind that's before the Internet days.
That and I'd asked for a bike for my 10th birthday and got a sewing machine. Doomed from the start I tell ya!
Typically, a properly adjusted machine, with "Regular" thread, and average weight fabric will be between 3 - 5 on the upper tension.
That said, if someone's messed with the upper tensioner, or it has fuzz in it, or someone's adjusted the lower tension, this could be different. There's information in the manual about resetting the upper tension. It's intimidating the first time, but work through slowly, and you'll be fine.
Were the loops on the top or the bottom?
Bird's nests are top tension issues. Bottom thread problems usually just look like the thread isn't tight against the fabric, or the stitch makes its "knot" on the top side (too loose) or the bottom of the fabric (too tight). (Or at least that's the worst I've run into.)
Best the thread with 2 different colors while testing, so you can see what's happening.
One weird little trick I do when threading the needle thread is:
I know the manual says to thread with the pressure foot up, and I do, up to the tensioner. Once I've threaded through the tensioner, I put the foot down for a second, tug up on the thread coming into and out of the tensioner to make sure it's completely seated, then put the presser foot back up and resume threading. This makes sure that the tension is what it should be, and I don't have phantom problems from the tensioner not having a good grip on the thread.
Might help.
I've made nests in probably every color under the sun. I really hated that 290C I started on. In retrospect, it really wasn't the fault of the machine. I blame my dad. He never let me take lessons or Home Ec, and just thought I'd figure the machine out. Keeping in mind that's before the Internet days.
That and I'd asked for a bike for my 10th birthday and got a sewing machine. Doomed from the start I tell ya!
Typically, a properly adjusted machine, with "Regular" thread, and average weight fabric will be between 3 - 5 on the upper tension.
That said, if someone's messed with the upper tensioner, or it has fuzz in it, or someone's adjusted the lower tension, this could be different. There's information in the manual about resetting the upper tension. It's intimidating the first time, but work through slowly, and you'll be fine.
Were the loops on the top or the bottom?
Bird's nests are top tension issues. Bottom thread problems usually just look like the thread isn't tight against the fabric, or the stitch makes its "knot" on the top side (too loose) or the bottom of the fabric (too tight). (Or at least that's the worst I've run into.)
Best the thread with 2 different colors while testing, so you can see what's happening.
One weird little trick I do when threading the needle thread is:
I know the manual says to thread with the pressure foot up, and I do, up to the tensioner. Once I've threaded through the tensioner, I put the foot down for a second, tug up on the thread coming into and out of the tensioner to make sure it's completely seated, then put the presser foot back up and resume threading. This makes sure that the tension is what it should be, and I don't have phantom problems from the tensioner not having a good grip on the thread.
Might help.
#26
Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Dayton, Ohio
Posts: 50
Ok, just finished putting singer lube in the two lube tubes of motor. Manual says to fill them, hmmmmmm not sure how I tell when full and afraid of getting them too full, is that possible? Says to lube motor every six months but wonder if I put in enough. Thoughts?
And yes light bulb is very hot.
And yes light bulb is very hot.
#27
I think Dave McCallum says a 5 second squeeze. If you over fill it, it will squish out the top, don't worry about overfilling.
I've never liked the "6 months" or the periodically type time references in the manual. If you use the machine every day all day, it's going to need service sooner than a machine I use once a month. Best thing to do is to listen and smell your machine. For things like grease that it will consume, top it off when you remember. If it squishes out the top, it's probably still full.
We do call it a FW tattoo for a reason. I have a pair of them.
I've never liked the "6 months" or the periodically type time references in the manual. If you use the machine every day all day, it's going to need service sooner than a machine I use once a month. Best thing to do is to listen and smell your machine. For things like grease that it will consume, top it off when you remember. If it squishes out the top, it's probably still full.
We do call it a FW tattoo for a reason. I have a pair of them.
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