Expert: Bill Eaton - 3/6/2009

Question
QUESTION: Mother illness kept machine idle for about 2 years.
Yesterday She try to use it, put good bobbin in, try to get bobbing thread up to sew but the wheel wont turn enough to get needle all the way down to catch thread.
Read all your recent Answers and checked with http://www.tandtrepair.com but can't find any information.
Mom have the machine since she bough it and not been used much as she's not a seamstress, most of the use is been to patch and shorten 3 boys pants and never had any problems.
I look and see that does not have caked oil or grease in under part, is clean, not dust bunnies and is oiled OK.
Sir: What do you think is the problem?.
Can you help?.
Sincerely Willard.

ANSWER: Hi! Chances are your 750 has a broken plastic gear or gears. In the mid-1960s Singer changed from the super-strength steel gears to the plastic (nylon) ones. They claimed it made the machines more quiet which it did. They had no way of knowing that in 40 or so years those gears would rot and have to be replaced.

You can replace them, but it's a big job for someone who has never done it before. Here are a couple of websites about the Singer 750. Bill Eaton. Old Singer Man.

http://www.tandtrepair.com/700_TanS_Items.html

http://www.tandtrepair.com/SingerGears.html



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Mr. Eaton: Thanks for your reply, I think you are 100% right, she has 2 others all metal but she like the looks and all those things on the big box that make fancy stitches.
I think the solution is to take that one in the recycle place.
Willard.

ANSWER: Hi! I guess you might take off the parts that are salvagable such as the cord and control, presser foot, tension assembly and attachments and the box they come in as these parts will fit many other Singers. Bill Eaton

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Mr. Eaton: I have one more question for you.
Mother has an old Kenmore that uses pattern disks but the disks were lost or perhaps stolen my house help at one time or another during her Illness.
Could she be able to use the disks from the Singer Touch and Sew on the Kenmore?.
Once again Thanks for your Help.
Willard.

Answer
Hi! No, Singer made sure that most of their parts would not fit other machines as they didn't want to help the competition.

Even singer screw threads are of their own making so it's almost impossible to go to your hardware store and buy a screw for a singer.

Old Isaac Singer wanted to make every dollar he could.....LOL,Bill Eaton