help with "new" machine?

I left my trusty, tried and true sewing machine with the rest of my stuff when I moved to Ohio. Last week my husband found me a machine at the second-hand store. I was thrilled, until I discovered a problem.

It seems to work. The needle goes up and down when the pedal is pushed. The bobbin thread gets picked up, and the bobbin itself spins freely. The problem is... no stiches result from actual sewing. Holes in the fabric, just no thread running through them. Needle is threaded, bobbin is rotating, and threads seem to be advancing...

Anyone have any idea what the problem could be? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, as I have hit a brick wall!

 

No idea, but what kind of machine is it (if you're not sure maybe a pic) and I'll ask around.

 

Not of any help, but the SAME exact thing has been happening with my new machine. Very annoying, isn't it? I hope someone has an answer--sewing by hand is starting to hurt my shoulder (can't seem to take even a few days break)!

 

I think you might want to try re-threading it.

 

With mine, I re-threaded it about five times, and then had three other people try it out to no avail. Maybe there's some super magical threading method that I'm missing out on... Or, I'm going to try it out, it's going to work and I'll feel like a moron. Yeah, that'll probably be the case. Heh.

 

have you tried putting a new needle in? it might be a little bit bent, which could screw things up.

 

i'd also try a new needle and also you could play around with the tension for both the top and bottom threads.

kathy

 

Thanks for the input everyone. I have tried new needles... and played with the tension. The brand is "Mongomery Ward Signature".... and I think it dates from the late 70's/early 80's.

regan

 

Ok, I asked around and this is what I was told:

1)You need to remove the throat plate and slide back the part that covers the bobbin. Then take a vacume cleaner and suck out any lint that is in the bobbin housing. I was told you should use a vacume cleaner to do this bc/s it doesn't just blow the lint around like the canned air does, but actually removes the lint. If you can't do the vacume then your other choice is to use the canned air. Apparently if you don't change your needles regularly shards of the needle can get logged in the bobbin area too.

2) Take a piece of thick thread, like quilting thread, denim thread, or upholstry thread and dip it into alchol. Then take that thread and slide it into all the places where you thread the machine and move it back and forth (like the tension disk area). Your using the thread as floss to clean any grime that may have accumulated in these areas. You're also going to take the thread and "floss" it where you thread the bobbin.

3) Then oil the machine (grease if you're familiar with how to do that too).... this will be hard to figure out if you don't have the manual.
You can get one for $11 here though: http://pages.sewing-machine-manuals.com/173/PictPage/1922126147.html

4) Then rethread your machine; make sure the presser foot is up when you are doing the threading- then put the foot down and thread the thread throught the needle. Raise the foot- thread the bobbin- close the plate with the thread hanging out. Lower the presser foot and turn the handwheel until the upper thread catches the bobbin thread. Raise the foot again and slide the threads off to the side and start sewing.

Is this your machine? http://cache.tias.com/stores/relics/origpics/smm230apdfa.jpg

I hope this helps. You're suppose to do all the stuff above every 20 hours or so of sewing. I do it about once a week or once every other week- but didn't realize that it was so important.

If you're feeling really ambitious or have a machine that goes into a cabinet and can easily get to the workings (what's in the pic) http://www.bobvila.com/images/ArticleImages/FIG_SewingMachine_02.jpg Then you can take a vacume cleaner and suck out any lint in that area also.

 

Wow... thank you so much! You really went above and beyond! You rock!

 

I have the exact same machine, and have had the exact same problem! I went through several needles, until I realized that the needle was too big for the fabric. Try a smaller gauge needle. That's ALL I did and now it runs fine. It's an awesome machine otherwise.

 

thanks Sugrmag! I really appreiciate everyones help!