So we went to a couple estate sales and I bought this sewing machine for $5. The lady swore it worked. It does, sorta, not really.... It's a Necchi Bu Mira, a kind of light green color.
It sits in its own table and weight like 500 lbs. Andrew did all the heavy lifting, and we did not destroy the inside of his car. If it wasn't so hot, we could take the Oldsmobile, it is gigantic inside and I have already ripped up the roof felt moving around my bike, so no worries!
I cleaned off the outside which was very grimy. But then we couldn't get it to work. So Andrew took off all the plates, and the motor and we poked around inside. Then, he looked underneath and realized the knee pedal was not plugged in. Oops! So he put the motor back on and we plugged it in and the belt moves, weakly, as long as the needle is disengaged. It groans and can't move the needle the rest of the time. I'm going to go buy some oil at Jo-Ann and see how the oiling will help.
Help me:
Beyond oiling it, it is having trouble moving the needle up, the rest of the movement is easy. Any thoughts on what inside would do this? It does have a manual, luckily.
Afternoon update:
I have oiled it (prob too much, they were squirts more than drops) and it will stitch. Well, I haven't tried thread yet, but it moves. It seems like either the plastic belt is too loose, or the motor is giving up...
No idea, but good luck to you!
ReplyDeleteI bought my first vintage machine at a sale today too. Mine might be a bit younger than yours. I am home late and only plugged it in briefly before I bought it. Mine is a singer 603E Touch and Sew.
ReplyDeleteI need help to. I will be watching to see how you make out. Good luck. I know someone will be able to help you. It looks wonderful!!!
From my experience--oil where metal meets metal. If you have metal gears, use a lubricant--I use the Singer brand. Sew slow for a bit and then oil again. If it has been sitting for a long time, it will take a while for things to run smooth. You might want to replace the belt before replacing the motor. Just my thoughts. Good luck to you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a find! I would have bought it too, just because I like the way it looks.
If the machine has set for any time, the belts will have stretched out. I would see about replacing that first. Also, check to see if the feed dogs are truly engaged. This is something on older machines that is seems to be a bit of a problem. Oil it good. Then run some felt pieces through it, wait a couple of days and oil it again. Run some muslin through while changing your stitch width and length. The longer it has sat, the more it will dry out. By oiling it twice, it lets the first one actually get in to the workings, then the later oil is just to maintain. The machine looks great.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the cabinet alone is worth way more than $5. LOL
ReplyDeleteIt is all oiled. The belt was squeaky and slow, so I put some oil on it too and now it flies!! It still has that weird old electric smell. I don't know if I will make Andrew help me re-wire it. I still haven't threaded it yet....
ReplyDelete