Screw falls out
 

The screw in the handwheel keeps falling out. If I tighten it enough to stay, I have to get a screwdriver to unscrew it and fill a bobbin. If I don't tighten it that much, or forget to re-tighten it, the screw will just fall out after sewing for a while. So far, I've heard it drop.

So, can I just leave it out and save it? Does it really need to be there? Do I just have to keep a screwdriver by this machine and hope I don't lose the screw?

bkay

[ATTACH=CONFIG]585409[/ATTACH]

Does it look like it's a wrong screw? I think they usually are chromed like the rest of the stop motion screw. Which model is it? Like Tartan mentions tape will hold it in place, but the first thing that came to my mind was loctite.

No, it's the right screw. It will tighten up well and stop all motion. However, everything seems to work properly without the screw in there. That's why I'm asking. It's my Singer 401A.

Painter's tape is a good idea.

Thanks,

bkay

I wonder if it's the wrong screw, too. Don't they usually sit perfectly flush with the knob? This one looks like it's really seated deep inside the hole. If it's too short, that might be why it's falling out. I think I mixed up a face plate screw and a balance wheel screw once; they look almost the same, and fit into each other's holes, but the knob kept falling off until I realized my mistake.

I was wondering if it was the wrong screw. It sounds like it needs to be longer to be able to screw it down and have it stay in.

I thought of Loctite but if she wants to be able to loosen it, that might not work. But I"d probably just use the Loctite and wind my bobbins on another machine :D

I looked up a few pictures of the 401 hand weel, your machine does not have the original screw. I guess it has been replaced at some point. This is the best picture I found, it's on an ebay auction.

bkay, have you tried removing the knob and rotating the stop motion washer (the washer with three little nubs that fits between the knob and the handwheel) around 180 degrees?

No, Rocsew, I havne't tried that, but I will. I had the handwheel off a while ago when I was cleaning the nasty beast, so could have messed it up putting it back.

Mickey, fledrmaus and Cash's Mom, it's the right screw. The 1st photo is of the handwheel without the screw. Sometimes, I do not use the right term for a part, so included the photo to make sure I'm understood.

bkay

With the screw:
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I think that might be the problem: those three nubs on the washer are what the screw stops against when you loosen the knob. If the washer's turned the wrong way, you won't be able to turn it far enough. You shouldn't have to remove the screw every time.