I found a 221 featherweight!
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 865
You've got to be kidding! You got the table as well? Are we talking about the wooden oval shaped table or the card table? In either case, congrats.
The first thing I would do is remove old grease (lubricant, not oil) from the gears and re-grease with Tri-flow (lubricant) for the slow start you mention. There is not much to these machines; the are easy to fix, maintain, and clean. Check that the belt is only tight enough to function, and not overly tight. I would recommend Tri-Flow oil also, but if you can't find it, use sewing machine oil. Some Featherweights need motor oil lubricant in the two oil ports in the motor; I'm not aware of any good substitute for that. Anyone?
I also have a "new" Singer 221 Featherweight and, boy, is she a beauty! Not a scratch on her and the decals are perfect. I just started cleaning her last night. She has the scroll back; I haven't looked that up for date yet. She only came with a few feet but that's okay; this machine takes regular short-shank generic feet and they are easy to find. She also came with a leather belt;l first time I saw that. I might call her "Black Beauty."
I'll be using mine for piecing quilts (with no pins allowed). What are you using yours for?
The first thing I would do is remove old grease (lubricant, not oil) from the gears and re-grease with Tri-flow (lubricant) for the slow start you mention. There is not much to these machines; the are easy to fix, maintain, and clean. Check that the belt is only tight enough to function, and not overly tight. I would recommend Tri-Flow oil also, but if you can't find it, use sewing machine oil. Some Featherweights need motor oil lubricant in the two oil ports in the motor; I'm not aware of any good substitute for that. Anyone?
I also have a "new" Singer 221 Featherweight and, boy, is she a beauty! Not a scratch on her and the decals are perfect. I just started cleaning her last night. She has the scroll back; I haven't looked that up for date yet. She only came with a few feet but that's okay; this machine takes regular short-shank generic feet and they are easy to find. She also came with a leather belt;l first time I saw that. I might call her "Black Beauty."
I'll be using mine for piecing quilts (with no pins allowed). What are you using yours for?
Last edited by cricket_iscute; 05-13-2013 at 03:27 PM.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 865
Could be that cleaning, oil and lubricate the motor would fix it. If it does not, check the brushes and perhaps they need to be replaced. Another way you can check about the brushes (besides the slower speed) is if it gets hot to the touch when you sew - sure fire way to tell that the brushes are too short and need to be replaced. Check my website for supplies: www.thequiltgal.com.
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