I've been at this machine for a couple of days now and finally decided to go online for help. It's a Singer 252 Fashion Mate. My problem is that the needle picks up the bobbin thread when I put a new bobbin in, that is, it brings the bobbin thread up, but that's it. When I try to sew anything the bobbin thread just stays there.
I see that the bobbin wheel (the thing that picks up the thread from the needle) grabs the needle thread every time it goes around.
Any ideas?
By Meneer
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This is a vintage machine made when Singer began using plastic or silicone parts for some of the gears, and your problem is that the plastic or silicone toothed bobbin gear has worn out BUT the part isn't made anymore by Singer. Your best repair bet is going to be hoping the repairman is able to source a replacement part made new by one of the generic parts companies.
Most repairmen will either find you a brand new part (might be pricey but is worth it if you prefer your vintage machine for sewing as the part will last a very long time), or they will take a working gear from a 'parts' machine...a salvaged part will fail after a while, ask me how I know. Even if there aren't many sewing hours on the salvaged part, it is still plastic or silicone and that stuff tends to crumble over the years after coming out of the mill. Plastic/silicone just isn't as reliable as a good metal milled sewing machine part. Quieter, yes, reliable over the years, no.
Singer started using some plastic/silicone parts in their machines sometime in the 60s or 70s (depends on the country of manufacture, some countries were still using all metal parts into the early 80s).
Since newly milled plastic/silicone parts are hard to find here in the UK, and salvaged parts don't last reliably I gave up on vintage machines with plastic parts. I now have a modern Singer (Talent 3321) (under warranty, and inexpensive to replace-when they stop making parts for it, I'll move onto another inexpensive modern Singer model). Great little machine, I love it.
But I also have a 1933 Singer treadle 66, and a 1917 Singer hand crank 99-parts on the 66 and 99 are ALL metal and are easy to find.
I use the modern one for most garment sewing (lighter weight fabrics, stretch, and some basic embellishment with the 20+ decorative stitches), and the 66 or 99 for heavier fabrics-I do waxed cotton field jacket repairs and the old Singers sew those beautifully! Also moves through heavy fleece and wools very nicely even when I use the zig-zag attachment.
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