Rewiring the Featherweight

The Featherweight came with bad wiring.  I was not intimidated by that.  When I inspected this machine at the Auction  I saw that the three pin terminal female end had screws and nuts to access the wiring.

This wiring has the power cord and the foot pedal connected to the female terminal end which means there are four wires connecting to it.  For a single cord dis-assembly please refer to  The Vintage Singer Sewing Machine Blog post: http://vssmb.blogspot.com/2011/09/bad-wiring-save-terminal-plug-before.html#more

In order to re-wire something, dis-assembly should proceed carefully.  I recommend that you carefully inspect the wires and look over what you have.  Take photos each step of the way.  Having photos to refer to helps immeasurably when you are trying to put things back together.

First carefully unscrew the screws and catch the nut as the screw is loosened.  I do this over my magnetic tray so I don’t lose that itsy bitsy nut.  I then place these parts in the tray for safe keeping.  Separate the two parts and place the top part with the screws. 

This is the nut.  It is very very small

 Then carefully inspect the wiring on the inside.  What a nice tidy job.  Naturally, it was done by a professional.  Notice the two wires on the right are knotted together.  I hope to replicate  that with the new wire.  These brass connectors lift out of this half of the terminal pin.    Notice how they nestle right in the pin?  That is the only way they go back. 

Here I have freed them up from the terminal pin.  Look at the middle connector and notice the indentation.  This is where the wire nestles when it is settled back into the terminal pin.  If you use 16 gauge wire it will not nestle very well.  I recommend 18 gauge.  The wire all the way to the right is marked with red.  The two wires on the left (a black one and a white one) are soldered together. The wire in the middle is black and occupies the middle connector all by itself as does the wire on the right (the red one)

 I pulled this wiring a part a bit more to study it and mark it with color coded electrical tape. I also marked the terminal end accordingly.  Notice the bare wire on the middle (white tape) lead.  YIKES.  That insulation was so fragile, it just flaked right off.

Here you can see how the "yellow" leads are soldered together.

I took the brass connectors off each wire and put them back in the terminal end  female half for safekeeping                                                             

 And then put the whole thing back together and tucked away, labeled, until I need it for the new wires.










Then I took this photo to document what went where.  I had hoped to actually do some wiring today but I don't have enough wire.  I have ordered some wire which will not be here for a week or so.  Until then I tucked this project away.