Karen,

I'm really glad that we could help you. Most repairs are very simple, they just look complicated.
Cathy

Hi Everyone. I spent most of the afternoon viewing the pics of GORGEOUS older machines & drooling. My first daughter came home & told me about a tag sale down the street so I promptly turned off the computer & bought a Singer 66 Red Eye treadle that acutally works! I'm so excited. The last treadle I bought was electrified & blew up when we tried to sew on it. Can't wait to test my new beauty. P.S. I'm sick. I have the addiction. I Have 2 FW (black & white of course), two 301's (black & tan), a 401, an industrial consew, two Bernina's, two BabyLocks & an electric 66 in the basement.

Oops! Forgot about the two Elna Grasshoppers!

mild infection........

About my Adler: I got the selector knob to move accidentally. I cannot get most of the patterns to work - the zigzags are good as are 2 others but about 10 others don't work properly. It is like the reading arm (or whatever details the design) isn't catching the cam correctly. I have pictures to post but need the cord which is inaccessible right now.

Chris

keep up the T-F and maybe a little heat - I had a Bernina that was stubborn like that.

The cams are plastic which might be part of the problem but I will apply more T-F and some heat. Heck, I'll just put it outside tomorrow. 90+ degrees in the sun should be enough heat.

Does anyone here have a Singer Fashion Mate 362? I have one with a tension issue and was wondering if the darned thing takes metal or plastic bobbins which might be an issue if I am using the wrong one. I am just rehabbing it to give to a teenager to use to see if she wants to sew. I have told her mom that it is not a high end machine nor a particularly good one but mom wanted one with more than straight stitch. OK by me but her daughter may not thank her for the decision.

The tension on the 362 may need to be taken apart, cleaned of dead oil and lint then rebuilt. It isn't difficult but the first time can be a foreign puzzle. If you can read a pattern you can do it. The bobbin shouldn't matter if it is plastic or metal. You are right those aren't particularly good machines - I have one that is total junk and one that 'works'. I hope you can get it working well enough for her to learn to sew.

Miriam,

Thanks for the advice. I have to travel for work beginning soon so the 362 will sit and wait until I get back to it. I don't want to give someone a not so good machine and have them become totally frustrated by sewing because of the machine. I might need to approach the mom again about one of the old heavy Singers that does a straight stitch but performs like a thing of beauty.

Chris

BINGO!!!