Thursday, December 17, 2009

Isn't it ironic?

Let's see.

On the one hand, we have a dead sewing machine. Died suddenly, with no warning.

I already posted a 'Please help' post in PatternReview, but here's the text...

Hi,

I own a Singer Esteem (yes, I know), it only cost about a $100, so I'm a bit reluctant to take it in and spend $70 repairing it. (Plus, the guy I took my last cheap machine to said he would charge $70, but wouldn't guarantee that he'd fix anything, which made me just replace the machine.)



The problem is that the hand wheel won't move at all, and the needle shaft (the one that goes up and down) won't move either. Completely jammed. Thinking it was a thread tangle, I removed the throat plate, but there's no thread jam at all. The thing just won't move. I've disassembled it, (as best as I can, I've removed the plastic covers and the throat plate), and here's what I know:



(a)The belt isn't broken - it is intact, and the bobbin still winds.

(b)However, as soon as I set it to sew, and try to move the hand wheel, it doesn't move at all. Not even a little bit.

(c) The motor is fine, I think, since the bobbin still winds, and I can hear the motor strain to do something when I press down the pedal.

Any thoughts/suggestions? Help, please, I'm halfway through a quilt, and the library just told me that David Coffin's Trouser Workshop is waiting for me, and the timing stinks for my machine to die!!!!

Thanks much!

Reethi

On the other hand, here's the notice I got from the library, 10 minutes after I'd disassembled the entire machine, figured out I didn't know what to do, and given up.

17 December 2009

HOLD NOTICE

The following materials are available for pickup until the date shown below.

Review Your Account at http://catalogue.torontopubliclibrary.ca/

Thank you for using the Toronto Public Library. For more info visit:
http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca or call Answerline at (416) 393-7131.

This message is delivered in an automated fashion and cannot be replied to.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Making trousers for men & women : a multimedia sewing workshop / David Page
Coffin
37131091049957
646.3 COF
Pickup Library: Northern District
Pickup By: 24/12/2009

Can I just scream now? Please? I've been waiting for the David Coffin book for over 3 months. AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!

1 comment:

Summerset said...

No joke. Arrggggghhh! I have no suggestions, but it does seem like something is binding up the mechanism in the top of your machine. If the motor is fine, and the bobbin winds, then there is some sort of obstruction or part that is not allowing the machine to make it's full cycle through the stitch.