Does anyone know how to repair a vintage sewing machine?
I inherited an old Sears Kenmore Zig Zag sewing machine Model 1802 recently. It was my mom's and it is a very beloved and cherished item. It is one of the only things that was given to me after my mom passed away. It hasn't worked in many years, and I would love to have the chance to use it again as I did when I was young. As far as maintenance goes, we've oiled and cleaned everything we could after referring to the owner's manual. The motor works, the foot pedal works, but the needle and foot pedal are really slow moving. Is there anyone out there that might know a thing or two about this poor old relic? I would certainly appreciate it!
You have a machine made by Jaguar for Sears, and it's been awhile ago. Machines that have sat for a long time often don't move well. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to give them a bit of exercise by taking the needle out and just sitting there with your foot on the pedal -- floor it! -- for about 5 minutes. Stop and check that the motor and pedal aren't hot; smell for "electrical fire" smell. If everything seems to be ok, just floor it again and keep going.
If you haven't seen it start to loosen up in about 15 minutes, or if it smells or feels "hot", stop and take it to a sewing machine mechanic for a "COA" (clean/oil/adjust aka sewing machine tuneup). That'll be $60-100. Or pop over and join the yahoo group "wefixit" if you'd like to learn to DIY. Tell them it's a 158.1802 (the 158 part is important, too).
Sometimes grease solidifies in older machines, and has to be dug out and replaced with fresh. Sometimes someone has oiled a machine with 3-in-1 oil (which gets gummy and freezes the machine). Sometimes, if you really get unlucky, someone uses vegetable oil and that gets really gummy and pretty stinky (I shall never forget the machine I was given that had been oiled with extra virgin olive oil "because it's so pure!". .
If you can change a lightbulb and turn a screwdriver, chances are you can fix this machine with the help of the folks at wefixit.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wefixit/ 'Splain you're a newbie at this, and it has great sentimental value for you.
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