How to make a TRP (Tension Release Pin)

A while back I was working on a machine that needed a tension release pin.  I can't remember what machine or why it needed a pin.  I think, actually, that the machine had a pin, but I wanted one a little bit longer.

I had some small nails that looked to be just about the right size.  So I got out the  nippers and cut one to size.  It worked quite well.

Recently, a reader emailed me about the tension release pin on a Singer 301.  I promised that I would cut  a TRP to the correct size and send it off in the USPS.  I finally got to it today.

I took the tension assembly out of the Singer 301A long bed that I bought last spring.  I had performed some aluminum rot surgery on it then and  never really finished that job.  I have yet to prime and paint it.  But the surgery was apparently a success.  No evidence of further corrosion.  At least on this spot.  Since the weather is going to be nice this weekend I think that I will finish this job and prime and paint the repairs.  Don't know why I didn't do it in the first place...

TRPs have a darling little nub on one end that prevents the pin from falling out of the tension assembly.  I cannot replicate that nub, so when using a custom made TRP, one must be careful not to let it fall out.

The TRP is 1 1/8 inches long.

The nail is 1 1/2 inches long

I cut off the sharp end and filed it down so that is was smooth.  Then I lined up the two pins next to each other in the  nippers

 And cut it to size.

I stuck the nippers and nail inside a large yogurt container when I cut the nail.  That prevented the nail and cut piece from ricocheting around the shop.  I did not do that when I cut off the sharp point.  Luckily the nail didn't fly far.  Who knows where that little pointed sharp piece is.

I did have to cut the nail again because the first time I didn't get it short enough.  Better that than the other way, eh?  

This pin will fall out of the tension assembly, unfortunately.  I guess one could put a tiny little dollop of JB Weld on one end to prevent that.  Hmmm may have to try that.  

Escapement

I worked on the 328K some more today and finally decided that I would just live with whatever was making that "whisper" in the bobbin case.  I put the machine all back together and cleaned it all up.  But the tension assembly was filthy and I just couldn't live with THAT.   I could not find the set screw to release the tension stud so I just took the parts off with the stud still in the machine.  I found the set screw once I had all the parts off.  You must access it from above.  I decided that I could just reassemble the thing without all that bother.  The check spring isn't quite right, but.....

Once I had the machine all back together, I tested the stitch.  Omigosh.  There was an awful racket from below.  I was sure that I had not pushed the position bracket back into place.  Nope.  All was fine.   The top tension felt terribly tight.  I took it apart, AGAIN, honed the discs and reassembled it. (Which is why the check spring isn't quite right, it was perfect the first time).  Still no better.  I took the slide plate and the needle plate off and watched the thread as it made its journey.  It was catching in two places.  First just along the bobbin case  and again in the back. 

Work with me here,  imagine that there is a bobbin in the machine and there is thread catching along that path.  The answer to the problem is in this photo.  The clue is in the title of this post. 

In order for me to see where it was catching in back  I had to remove the feed dogs.  which I did .  Then I figured it out.

I had tightened the bobbin case position bracket too tightly and there was NO ROOM for the thread to escape along its journey to making the stitch.  In this photo there is some space space between the bobbin case and the position bracket.  I took this photo yesterday before I started messing with the machine.   This space is the escapement.  There MUST be space there, or thread will catch.

I thought that the bobbin case sounded too rattly so I tightened it up.  Too much. There was NO SPACE there after I made the rattle go away.   I moved it back and the machine stitches.  Yes, it is noisy.  It is not as quiet and smooth as the 401 or the 301 or the 201 or even the Janome 2212 (Omigosh I am comparing a Vintage Singer to a plastic modern machine.  Blasphemy!)  But it makes a very nice stitch.  Tomorrow I will adjust the tension and find a zz cam for it and post it for sale.  Or not. 
(No, the whisper was not the noise of the position bracket rubbing on the bobbin case.  Those two pieces are stationary)

Singer 201 tension issues continued

I changed the needle a couple of times.  I even took a picture of the needle to look for a burr or a bend or whatever.  NADA.

I adjusted the bobbin tension looser and that seemed to help some too.  But not enough.  Something was making the bobbin tension tighter or the top tension looser.

 Then just before we had to go to Treadwell for the Stage Coach Run, I wondered about the top tension.  The knob seemed to have a bit more "play" in it than the other machines in the shop (well the few that I checked....a couple of 201s, a 66, a 206, a 301)  so I wondered if the spring was sprung.  It did not look any different from another spring from a 201 but what the heck I switched it out.  Then I put the tension back together and set it a bit tighter.  It was hard comparing the lighter numbered dial to the black one......

but it looked like I had not turned the knob quite tight enough originally.  I held the numbered dial against the spring and turned the knob tighter before I  released the dial.  I set it at 6 and the bobbin tension was fine.  The top was a bit tight.  I finally inched it down to 4 1/2 and it seemed ok by then .  Even at top speed.  So who knows what was really wrong?  I did not take the bobbin case out again.  It is a ROYAL PITA in the 201 though I am getting good at it.  THANK YOU RAIN.


The machine seems to sew just fine now.  I will try it out again and see if it is holding true.  But I think the Centennial has to go........I can only have one 201-2 in the house. ...... 

Now, folks I am off to the shop again.  I bought a new toggle switch at the Hardware store today during my lunch break (yes I should have been doing charts, but a sewing machine addict has to do what she has to do) and I am dying to see if it will fit.  

Singer 201-2 Tension issues

This Singer 201 -2 Centennial is for sale.  I think..  I finally got around to servicing it and getting it stitching  I thought that it was all good to go a few weeks ago.  I tried sewing with it and it was a mess. The thread would get caught somewhere along its path around the hook.  Then the bobbin case would pop out of its proper position in the position bracket and that would be that.

I re-read Rain's blog http://vssmb.blogspot.com/  all about 201-2 bobbin case maintenance.  I also read his post about removing the hook.  I made sure that the bobbin case was seated correctly and, for good measure I took the hook out and checked that the retaining clips were tight.  Yup.  All good.  Then I looked at the position bracket.  I had  taken it out to get the hook out anyway.   Something did not look quite right to me.  I compared it to the WIP (work in progress)  201 and sure enough, the position bracket was bent.

Now, I know that I did not bend that.  As a matter of fact, this was a part that I purchased on eBay because the original piece was broken, just at that spot.  When I installed this on the Centennial I was unaware that it was bent.  I thought it was supposed to look like that.

I gently bent the piece back into place but I decided that I wanted to use the un-damaged bracket on the Centennial....in case I sell it.

I put that in and the  issue  was solved.  I finished cleaning the machine and tested it.  Very nice stitches.  And it ran like a top.  So fast... so very fast. And quiet.  This is a really nice machine.

Cosmetically it shows its age.  It was a school machine and came with the 401 four drawer school cabinet.  You can see initials carved in the bed of the machine.  I think there are about 4 or 5 sets.   Otherwise it looks ok.  It shines up nicely.  I hope to take some decent photos, just in case.... My camera is sick.  I think I have dropped in one too many times.


I have two   other  201-2s.  One is not usable and the other is "mine."  That machine has the first motor that I rebuilt and so I have decided to keep it.   I think....but it is having tension issues.  It would sew fine at "normal" to slow speeds but if I ran it fast at all, the tension would be all wrong.  Stitches would be ugly with loops on the bottom intermittently.  I knew something was wrong.

  I took out the bobbin case and oiled and cleaned all around in there.  It was pretty clean.  I examined the needle plate. AH HA!  A big old burr on the needle plate

I sanded that down and for good measure I honed the hole as well.  Still not better.  DANG

Out came the bobbin case again.  I figured it had to be something to do with the bobbin tension. I just did not see how the top tension could loosen that easily and intermittently.

The tension felt fine when I pulled on the thread.  It was a little raspy, but the tension itself felt perfect.
I dug around in the spring with my dental pick.  Voila.  LINT!!!!!  

That helped, but there were still times when the stitch would just, well, SUCK.  The 201 is supposed to have the LOVELIEST stitch.  But this one was not so lovely.

So then I went back to square one.  the thread would pop out of the first thread guide.  It was not tight to the body of the machine so I gently tap tap tapped it into place.  No better.  By now its time to go to visit some friends.  I had to give up.  Only temporarily.  The rest of the story......tomorrow.