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ISSUE # 36 - November/December 1975

The sewing machine articles in MOTHER NO. 32 were excellent and informative . . . but I'd like to correct a few misconceptions which they contained, and offer some additional information. I think I'm qualified to do so, since I worked my way through graduate school as a sewing machine serviceman (an occupation, incidentally, which taught me more than I'd anticipated about business ethics in this field).

[1] Sewing machines are virtually indestructible. Most wear out because they must perform difficult tasks such as riveting, drilling, punching, or other operations which require the cutting or penetration of tough material. How much force is needed to push a needle through cloth?

Keep this fact in mind should some unethical salesman try to talk you into trading in your treadle machine on the grounds that it's "noisy" and therefore worn out. The noise is inherent in the design and perfectly normal . . . and if you do turn in the old workhorse, it'll be electrified and sold to another customer.

[21 Ninety percent of service calls are the result of accumulated lint, excess oil, or loss of tension which affects the stitch . . . and even so, service on the average machine is requested only once in seven years or thereabouts. Therefore, an owner who knows how to correct these problems can almost eliminate expenditures for repairs during his or her lifetime.

The following simple steps will do much to keep your machine running smoothly: [al Vacuum or blow out the lint that gathers around the head. [b] Since moisture causes rust, the machine should be coated lightly with oil and stored in a dry place when not in use. Clean and oil the mechanism once in six months during normal use. [c] Adjust tensions only if the stitches aren't forming properly (see the illustrations on page 29 of MOTHER NO. 32). First tighten or loosen the setting for the bottom thread, so that there's a slight drag on the strand when you pull it. The correct stitch can then be produced by adjustment of the upper tension control, which is easy to get at.

[31 Old Singers are excellent, but are getting hard to find. Some of the latest inexpensive machines, however, are similar in design and are good buys (few people realize that patents are valid only for 17 years).

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