Buddy Folly

I took Steven along in hopes he would prevent it.  He didn't.  I truly felt a strong resolve that I could resist.  I would only buy it if it was in really pristine shape.  Truly I believed that.

But I caved.  I bought it.  It is far from prisitne.  I am weak.  That is all there is to it.

The decals are lovely from the front and the paint is good.  The machine is only 55 years old.  I don't think it was used much.

There is a bit of a flaw on the back.  The face plate is a bit rough.  The hook is icky icky icky.  Rusty Rusty Rusty. The wiring is good, though.  The motor likely is fine. I think I can save him,  I really do.

I took the hook out.  I removed the bobbin case first and almost had a heart attack.  When I released the retaining clip on the ring I thought I had broken the clip..  Nope, the ring just jumped right out of the clip.  Next the feed dogs came off and then the position plate. (I still don't know if  it is supposed to be bent like that or not.  Drives me crazy)

 Then I was able to remove the hook, in all its glory.

A picture is worth a thousand words.  

 I started to clean away the rust with the honing stick.  I have more work to do. 

Perhaps it is easier to note the before and after comparison on the retaining ring.  I haven't finished it yet, either.  You can see how much cleaner it is, halfway down.

I think it will be ok. Just more work.  I will, no doubt, take the clips off of the hook and really scrub it and hone it.  I just hope I can get into all of the little crevices. 

And I hope it wasn't folly to buy this machine.  I guess, though, that will be a good name for this machine.  Buddy Folly.   Boy.  It has been a long time since I named a machine.  Wonder if this means its a keeper?

Or Peggy Sue?  NAH.

Singer 201-3 transformed to a treadle

We had a beautiful warm March day today.  The snow that fell mid week has melted, almost completely.  The sap was running and  I half expected to see a robin or two.  Spring was in the air.

After I cleaned up the dog yard (you know what shows up after snow melts, and there was a whole lot of it) I set to work on the Singer 201-3 Centennial that I found when I was in NC in February.

You all know that I love 201s.  Though I am rather sick of them.  The bobbin case is a PITA to remove because the retaining ring is tricky to get out and back in.  For more information on that process go here http://vssmb.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-to-remove-201-bobbin-case.html.   The potted motor on the 201-2s (common around here) almost always needs re-wiring.   A rewarding, though tedious task, IMHO.

This one is a 201-3; external motor.  No need for a motor when treadling.  I ditched it.  But I still had to service the thing. 

This treadle stand is the one that I rescued last summer.  It was in terrible shape.  I see that I must shim up the front piece so that it sits flush with the machine.  More to do.  Later, much later.

The belt is way too tight on this machine.  I ordered the coil spring belt tonight from McMaster Carr.  Once it comes I can set up one treadle stand for many machines.  I tried this machine in each of the four treadle stands that I have.  Each belt was too tight.  Even this one, that usually houses the 237.

Even thought the belts were all too tight, I did manage to stitch with this machine on the treadle out in the shop.   It makes a lovely stitch.  I was hoping to make something tonight but the belt is just too tight.  I could go out to the cold, lonely shop and treadle on the stand out there.  Instead I will sip wine, cuddle with poodles and tell you all about my day.

I took the hand wheel and the face plate off.  Then I took the slide plate off to expose the bobbin and race.

OOOOH LA LA .  CRUD and DUST every where.
I took the bobbin out to discover a piece of thread caught up in the bobbin case and around the hook

I was sure that I would have to take the hook out to get at this, but turns out, my dental pick lifted it right out.  I admit, I was disappointed.  I was up for the challenge.

I took the needle plate off and removed the feed dogs  next. 

Then I removed the retaining clip and the bobbin case. 

Which exposed a boat load of dirt and grime and lint and FUN !!! 

I knew I would need to get the hook out to do a proper job of cleaning. I removed the position bracket to get at the hook.  But the screw would not budge.  So I dropped some Tri Flow onto the screw and applied some heat with the hair dryer.  I put some more oil on and then left it.  I believe in the tincture of time.

While time was doing its thing with the hook screw, I next serviced the gears. The shuttle gears are harder to get to.  I cleaned them all up with a toothbrush and Kerosene the applied the Triflow grease by reaching up and around with the curved syringe.   It isn't exactly precise, but it worked.  That thread was just sitting there.  I still wonder how it got in there behind the gear cups (which are not shown in this photo)

The back gears are easier to access.  I gave them the same cleaning treatment.  After brushing with Kerosene, I applied some vaseline as well which I then wiped off.  Finally I applied a thin strip of Tri Flow grease and turned the handwheel to distribute it. 

See how it gobs up?  I just took that gob and put it on the gears and turned the hand wheel again.

Then I put the gear cups back on and cleaned up the bottom.

By now the hook screw was ready.

Next post, I promise.