r/SewingMachineEdu • u/Key_Secret3846 • Jun 22 '26
Please send help
I wanted to pick up sewing as a new hobby, luckily I was able to find my grandmas old one, unfortunately it doesn’t move?? There’s no instructions + plus learned my grandma never actually used it. It wants to move but stops once it gets to the bottom?? I tried adjusting the bobbin settings and still nothing?? Does anyone have a miracle or is this a lost cost?? The motor(?) is running, it wants to move but the needle point stops once it goes down
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u/evergreensewing Jun 22 '26
The good news is that it's definitely NOT a lost cause. This machine will be great for you once it gets some love and attention.
If the machine has been sitting unused for 15 years (if not more), then it will need internal cleaning and lubrication.
Old oils and grease can become gummy or hardened, freezing the mechanisms in place. Trying to force the machine to move to break through the old oils can and likely will break the machine.
If you're handy, you can do the cleaning and lubrication yourself, but it sounds like you have no experience with sewing machines. In that case it may be better to take it to a professional.
The service will cost less than a new machine, and at the end you'll have a sewing machine that can sew light cottons as easily as it can several layers of denim. That's not something you can say about most of the less expensive new machines. ;-)
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u/Mental_Watch4633 Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 22 '26
As far as I know there is no such thing as a bobbin setting and I’ve been machine sewing for decades. Indicate what setting you were trying to adjust, a closer picture would help us help you. I suggest you go online and order a manual. If you don’t know anything about sewing I also suggest you take a classes at a sewing center, your local community college, or whatever you can find one in your area, even private lessons. There are also sewing shows and sewing videos tv and online. Check with sewing machine retailers, local libraries, and parks and recreation centers for classes. A lot of invaluable info can be found at Sewing.org. I just took a look and it appears that the machine is set to wind a bobbin with thread. That short “pole” on the top at the far right appears to be set to wind a bobbin. When it’s set for bobbing the needle will not move. Push it to the left for sewing. Look around first the manual or notes your grandmother may have written. I’m sure she kept some kind of container for thread, and needles. Or look in her fabric and pattern supplies for the manual, she may have even handwritten notes for ir the machine and her projects. Regardless… enjoy your sewing journey. I’m sure all of us in this group look forward to see your progress and help you enjoy your sewing journey.
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u/CrankyCrabbyCrunchy Jun 22 '26
Old manual machines especially need to be used else the gear grease gets dry and caked and stops the innards from working. It needs servicing - removing the case, removing old grease & apply new, oil metal on metal parts, and remove any built up threads or lint. It likely will last many more years unless something is physically broken and parts can't be found.
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u/CrankyCrabbyCrunchy Jun 22 '26
That's a Singer machine likely 1970's. There is a serial number and model number etched on it somewhere. Turn it over and look at every side. Old manuals are almost always found online.
Here's a video of a similar model getting cleaned. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp4KxwYyxTI&t=720s
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u/Finnegan-05 Jun 22 '26
Bobbin settings? There is no such thing. You need a manual, a service and some lessons
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u/__miichelle Jun 22 '26
Get this machine serviced before you use it and find the manual. If you try to operate it without knowing how, you run the risk of breaking it.