Common Causes of Singer Featherweight Machine Trouble

Causes of Upper Thread Breaking

  • Machine improperly threaded (see instruction book).
  • Tensions too tight.
  • Needle bent or having blunt point.
  • Thread too coarse for size of needle (see instruction book).
  • Needle too fine for size of thread and material to be sewn.
  • Burr on needle hole in throat plate (caused from sewing over pins or breaking needle).
  • Burr on needle hole in throat plate (caused by breaking needle when pulling material from machine).
  • Needle incorrectly set.
  • Needle too long for machine, or not all the way up in the clamp.
  • Take-up spring bent or broken (see adjuster for repair).
  • Tension disks worn so that thread works in groove.

Causes of Lower Thread Breaking

  • Improper threading of bobbin case (see instruction book).
  • Tension too tight.
  • Thread wound unevenly on bobbin or bobbin wound too full.
  • Spring on bobbin case worn to sharp edge.
  • Burr on underside of throat plate (sometimes caused by sewing over pins or breaking needle).

To Avoid Breaking Needles

  • Do not sew heavy seams with a needle to fine.
  • Always use Singer Needles
  • Use proper size needle for thread and material to be sewn.
  • See that the presser foot or attachments are securely fastened to the bar and that the needle does not strike the edge of the hole or slot in the presser foot or attachment.
  • Do not pull the material to one side when taking it from the machine. The needle may become bent and strike the back of the needle hole.
  • Do not bend the needle when pulling out the needle before cutting thread.
  • Do not leave pins in the material after basting and sew over them with the machine.
  • Singer Regular Point Red Band Needles
    Style 2020
    Size 80/11
    for lightweight woven fabrics

Skipping Stitches

  • Needle not correctly or accurately set into the needle bar, blunt, or bent.
  • Needle too small for the thread used.

Stitches Looping

  • Looped stitches are usually caused by improper tension. If the loop is on the upper side, it may be corrected by tightening the under tension. If the loop is on the underside, it may usually be corrected by tightening the upper tension.

For Average Sewing Keep Your Tension Set on 4.
Before trying to adjust a tension problem:

  1. Be sure the machine is properly threaded.
  2. That the bobbin is inserted correctly
  3. That the needle is inserted correctly
  4. That the needle is good and the brand of thread is of good quality.

Other reasons for tension problems are any kind of chemical contamination caused by fusible interfacing or things that have glue involved in the sewing process. If you feel that you need to adjust the tension after checking all these things then only adjust the top tension. To increase tension on the top side of your stitching lower the top tension a little at a time until the tension balances. To increase the tension on the bottom side of the stitching increases the top tension until the stitch balances.
Always insert the needle with the flat side to the left.
Be sure the bobbin turns counterclockwise when you pull on the thread with the bobbin inserted in the bobbin case.
If you have skipping or broken threads, try a new needle inserted properly.
Use Schmetz needles for best results.

Universal point needles for average fabrics.

Ballpoint needles for stretch fabrics.

Sharp point needles for dense fabrics.

You can also use Quilting needles, Topstitch needles and Leather needles. Remember you cannot change your needle too often.

A good rule of thumb is to change needles every other project. When in doubt change it!

The size of the needles is important:

Use a 70/10 for delicate fabrics.

Use an 80/12 or a 90/14 for average fabrics.

For heavy fabrics use a 100/16 or 110/18.
It is very important to use good threads such as Gutermann, Mettler or Signature. This is especially true for skipping and broken thread problems.

Cleaning the Machine

As far as cleaning the machine, we gently scraped off the old crud and replace it with new. Some of the things we had to bring to class were newspapers to open the machine on, a Hat Pin so that we could clean some of the really hard to reach areas and clean lint free cotton fabric to gently rub off the old grease. She did show us how to change the belts. The motor is held on with a screw that is directly under the belt on the base of the machine, kind of straight back from where the light switch is. That screw is loosened, not taken out, and the motor will then slide and loosen up the tension on the belt. The old belt is taken off and a new belt put back on. The motor is then adjusted so that there is about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of play in the belt. It should be kind of not too tight and not too loose. This part takes a few tries to get right. If the belt is too tight the motor has to work too hard and if it is too loose, you don’t get the full power from the motor. Mimi also has all of us carrying around a 3/16 screwdriver that has a 9" blade, I got mine from Sears. This makes it simple to remove the throat plate so that you can clean the lint. Because the screwdriver is so long, the handle doesn't get hung up in the machine.

Take the needle plate off...and that is about the only place that needs to be cleaned. Look around the shaft to see if any thread is wrapped around the shaft. Once a year, you should do this: Use a tooth brush, or any kind of a brush...brush the lint from under the needle plate. On the whole machine, you can wipe with Baby oil. It makes the featherweight shine. Then take a dry rag to wipe off most of the Baby oil. This will not hurt your fabrics.

I also gave the inside of the machine a WD-40 bath. Use WD-40 cautiously, clean well, and do not use it as a substitute for sewing machine oil. Don’t get it on the gold decals.It will clean lubricate and protect metal, though they still recommend oiling with sewing machine oil when you are done, since it is heavier. The local sewing machine guru say NOT to lubricate the motor, just to get it as clean as possible. The both agreed they had seen more motors ruined from over lubrication then from lack of it. A motor needs very little lubrication.

Cleaning Attachments:

If the attachments are very dirty or gummy, you can dip bits of pad in alcohol or spray with WD-40 to dissolve grime. Do NOT use alcohol on your FW body -- I think it's one of the things that can dissolve the gold decals!

Cleaning Substances:

On the machine itself:
Armour All = Good
Baby oil = Good
WD-40 = Good
Mild dish detergent & water = Good
Alcolhol = Bad (dissolves finish and decals)
Lestoil = Bad (same)

Naptha is good gunk remover on underneath parts and works well on nicotine stains; man, how some of the FW users smoked. Be advised use naptha in a well vented place with no open flames about. FW machines appreciate a good waxing using a good quality car wax.

Best way to remove gunk so far has still proved to by WD-40, but sometimes
it has to sit for a couple of hours or overnight. To clean out the oil holes, try pipe cleaners. To de-gunk screw threads or free up joints, try dental floss. I've been using chrome cleaner made by Turtle Wax with good success. I got it at a local auto-supplies store for less than $2 a can. You wipe it on, let try, and then polish off. Serious corrosion (black stuff similar to silver tarnish) requires repeated applications to get down through the build-up. By the way, if your machine is pre-1920's the "bright" metal isn't chrome, its nickel (according to Graham). Surface
rust may require the use of 0000 steel wool. I've found it doesn't hurt the metal but DON'T use it on the machine surface -- it leaves tiny scratches. Genuine pitting, however, is there to stay. If you can get the rust off, the pitting isn't really so bad -- just proves your machine "has a story to tell". If the throat plate has trouble fitting back in, be sure the parts of the plate and the machine that make contact aren't also gunked up. I had the same problem with the rear slide plate on my machine. Burnished off the side of the slide plate with 0000 steel wool, and cleaned out the machine surfaces (very gently) with either a tiny screw
driver blade or a large straight pin. After so many years, what looks black like the machine's surface can really be solidified gunk that really doesn't belong there.

The Smell

First, leave the machine out of its case for awhile. Most of the machines pick up the odor from their case; I believe it is the glue used in the cases that creates that lovely smell. Put the case with an opened box of safeguard soap in a sealed plastic bag aside for at least three weeks.
Then, if you want to eliminate the odor from the machine, take off the plate from the bottom of the machine. You will find a felt like gasket under that plate. Take it out and trace it onto an old pizza box or other similar cardboard. Cut out the new replacement gasket and put it in place of the felt like one. The felt like material can absorb odors and make the machine smell badly; also the spool felt can absorb odors as well. You can get replacement spool felt discs at any Singer dealer. Once you have replaced these felt items, and leave the machine out of the case for a few weeks, the machine's odor should go from strong to mild and possibly nonexistent over time.

I have tried so many methods, in the past, to get my case to smell better, including airing outdoors, activated charcoal, baking soda, fabric softener sheets, baking soda, cedar, etc., etc. and nothing works like the safeguard soap - no other brand seems to do the trick. BTW, the odor won't leave completely, but I keep the opened box of soap in my case all the time and it is just "ok" with that. I only put the machine in the case to transport from one place to another, and then it is taken out immediately once I am at my destination. One other thing, I saved the original felt gasket from the underside of my FW, the pizza box remains in place. I sealed it in a zip lock bag (so it didn't smell up other things) and just left it. I didn't want to discard any original parts to my machine.Bottom of Form

  1. Keep the FW case in a dry upstairs room, up off the floor, with lots of
    air circulation; never in a dark closet or on the floor.
  2. Place GEL SILICATE packages in the case when it is closed. I got
    several in boxes along with new shoes. These little packages absorb the moisture inside the case.

¼ inch Seam Allowance

A workshop leader sat down at everyone's machine with a 6 in onmigrid ruler and baggie of 1 1/4"Long 3/8" wide strips of DR SCHOLLs(sp?) white foot and shoe cushions. NOT moleskin, it’s sold at the same place in the store but this stuff is white and sold in pieces about 3"x4" for about 3.50. (she cuts it up with an old rotary blade and I would guess that she gets at least 75 pieces out of each package.) Anyway, she sat at each machine (regardless of the make) and with the fly wheel slowly put the needle down right on to the 1/4" mark of the ruler, then making sure that she had the edge of the ruler square to the machine, she put the presser foot down to hold the ruler, then she peeled the Dr. Scholl’s strip and carefully put it down at the right edge of the ruler. It works like magic, it doesn't mark the machine, it can be easily removed and after the initial investment, its virtually painless to remove when you don't need it.

There is a product in the sewing/fabric stores in the gadget section called a magnetic seam allowance. Because it is magnetic, it will fit anywhere on your sewing machine. It has a ridge that's about 1/4" high and can move anywhere you need it to for different seam allowances.

Things Every Featherweight Owner Should Know

Threading The Featherweight 221 threads from right to left. Follow instructions in your manual for threading your machine. I like to use Gutterman thread for my sewing. The machines were built to use No 50 cotton thread and they really sew best with all cotton thread.

Oiling
Oiling Your 221 machine needs to be oiled for every 8 hours of use. Use only sewing machine oil and oil all the places that it shows you to oil in your manual. You need to lube your motor about once a year and probably the gears about twice a year. Never use oil in your motor.

When the machine needs oiling, it sounds differently when it runs- kind of a 'clackety' sound. When they are freshly oiled, they 'hum'. The SInger instruction booklet that came with the machines says they should be oiled everyday if used frequently.

Cleaning
Clean out your bobbin case area after every sewing project. Be sure when you put your
needle plate back on that the bobbin case base tip is inserted between the two little
bars on the bottom of your needle plate. Your machine will not sew if that is not done correctly.
Belts
Sometimes you need to adjust your belt especially if the machine is running hard. To do this, loosen the screw that mounts the motor and move the motor up or down a little bit so that the belt is not too tight.
Smell in Case
To get most of the smell out of your case, first clean the bottom plate on your machine and take the old felt off and replace it with clean felt if necessary. Set the box outside in the hot sun for several days and it should smell better.
Bobbins
The original bobbins work the best in the machine but be wary of the carded bobbins. Buy your bobbins from a dealer that sells them in bulk as these are made in Japan and are better bobbins than the carded ones.
Foot Pedals
There are two different foot pedals for the 221 machine. The early ones are all metal and were in production for about 5 years. The later pedals are made of bakelite and are good pedals. The speed of your machine depends on your pedal. If your machine only wants to go fast you can take the pedal apart and adjust the screw on the back of the pedal. You can also rewire a pedal when the wiring goes bad. Dealers have new lead cords for sale and they work fine.
Featherweight Attachments
The original 6 attachments that came with your machine are ruffler, narrow hemmer, widehemmer, gathering foot, binder and edge stitcher. Also included were a screw driver for the machine and a screw driver to adjust the tension.
Trouble Free Sewing
The main way to keep out of trouble with your 221 machine is to never, never, never sew unless you have material under your needle. If you do that you will get thread around the bobbin case area and it is the pits to get out. If you cannot get the thread out easy spray the area with WD-40 every 15 minutes for about 2 hours and it will usually dissolve the thread.
General Rules
Don't drop your featherweight, don't store in a damp basement or a hot attic, keep it clean and it should give you years of use. Read your manual and do what it says to do and you will save yourself lots of trouble.

The Belts

Some machines run faster than others and this can be partly attributed to the belt. The belt uses some of the motor energy. The trick is to minimize this energy. Energy is used bending the belt around the pulleys, especially the small diameter motor pulley. The tighter the belt tension, the more energy consumed. Ok, so just adjust the belt tension to be as loose as possible and not slip.
Slipping is not good! Another consideration is the belt itself. The original belts are black rubber, Singer part no. 194144 or 194144-001. The numbers are printed on the back side of the belt, but old belts will have them worn off by the bobbin winder. These belts are OK but hard to find anymore. The replacement belt is Singer part no. 194144-007 or 194144-701. These belts are also black rubber, but are heavier (thicker in cross section) and are not as desirable because they consume more energy. The best belt, for two reasons, is the Bando 1712. This is a plastic toothed belt, tan or pinkish in color. It is more flexible than the rubber beltsand also has a higher coefficient of friction, thus you can run it withless tension and it won't slip. I have found the Bando belt labeled 1712 and also a similar looking belt with the number 1712L 194144. You will need to go to a sewing machine repairman or Singer dealer to find belts.
Another benefit of the Bando belt - the bobbin winder will work better. The bobbin winder runs off the back side of the motor belt and if you have an old belt, chances are, it is hard and slick on the back side and does turn the bobbin winder wheel without pushing down while winding a bobbin.
To adjust or replace the belt, loosen the motor screw just one turn or so, don't remove it all the way, then the motor will slide up and down on its dovetail mount. Sometimes you'll need to rock the motor back and forth, to get it to slide up or down. The screw is located just to the right of the machine column looking from the front. You'll need a fairly large screwdriver, preferably, with a long blade.