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BROWSE SCHOOLHOUSE

| Posted by Carmon Henry

Motor Lubricant and the Proper Melting Point for Sewing Machine Motors

  Are you using the right motor grease and lubricant for your Singer Featherweight?  There are old, original tubes, new tubes and even some new kinds on the market... but are they properly suited for the Singer Featherweight?  How would you know?  Watch the video tutorial above and our old one below from 2015 or scroll down to read through Carmon Henry's 1st video tutorial in text format.   PART 1 from 2015, showing other grease comparisons above. *We have now updated our Featherweight Shop Motor & Gear Lubricant video tutorial with a "Part 2" to reflect the new SEW-RETRO...


| Posted by Carmon Henry

Adjusting the Belt

Is your Featherweight a bit sluggish or does the belt slip when you sew? This quick tip for how to adjust the belt will help you remedy the problem in no time at all. The first thing you will want to do is remove the spool of thread as well as the bobbin case from the machine. Next, using a long screwdriver, loosen the screw on the motor bracket as shown in the photos below: With the belt on the motor pulley and the handwheel, depress the foot controller to full power and raise and lower the motor until the...


| Posted by Carmon Henry

The Importance of a Thread Stand on a Singer Featherweight

Learn about the various types of thread spools and why a Thread Stand is important for proper tension on a Singer Featherweight!   In the original days of the Featherweight, the only thread spools available were the wooden "stacked" spools, designed to spin as the thread was gently pulled straight in the direction of the first thread guide on the machine.   Today's new, modern cross-wound thread spools, however, are specifically designed to have the thread "lift" off to eliminate extra tension as the thread is directed toward the needle. Having these heavier-weighted cross-wound spools (while great for the quilt project)...


| Posted by Carmon Henry

Is Your Machine Jammed?

Hook Assembly with Bobbin Case Base Removed April 7, 2020:  UPDATE & ADDENDUM, New Video Tutorial In September of 2014, we posted a Video 1 Tutorial showing how to remove thread from the hook assembly on a Singer 221.  Then, in May, 2018, we updated the video to add the tutorial for the Singer 222 (first video below).  Finally, in April of 2020, we have a newly Featherweight Shop designed apparatus that will make this process even easier - the Thread Jam Tool!  Designed to be used with universal application on Singer 221, 222 and Singer 301 hook assemblies.   Watch the first video...


| Posted by Carmon Henry

How to Fix a Floppy Bed Extension

For today’s hint, we will be discussing a floppy Featherweight bed.  This remedy is quick and easy and will keep your bed from flopping down too fast. (Note: This only applies to black and tan Featherweight Machines.  Singer cut a few manufacturing corners when they made the White Featherweights and how the bed attaches to the machine base was one of them.  Instead of screws, they used pins.  Thus, it makes it more difficult to adjust the bed’s position.) So, how do you fix that floppy bed?  Removing the screw from your machine bed, reposition the flat washer and cupped...


| Posted by Carmon Henry

Featherweight Needle Direction

NFL – not the National Football League, but that does work as a good reminder. Needle Flat Left While today’s tip might seem elementary to some, it is the most common culprit to a Featherweight that has suddenly stopped sewing correctly. We get numerous calls from frustrated quilters who snapped a needle only to find that after replacing the needle that the machine no longer stitches properly. The simple answer is usually that the new needle was installed incorrectly. So here is a helpful reminder as well as photos of the correct needle installment. Needle Flat Left – When sitting...


| Posted by Carmon Henry

Featherweight Timing (and how to replace the Gib Hook)

In this video tutorial, Carmon Henry gives the step-by-step process for how to set the hook timing on a Singer Featherweight.  Timing is almost never an issue on a Singer Featherweight 221 or 222.  What that means is -- that it is virtually impossible for a Featherweight to get out of time just from normal, everyday use.  This only happens if someone has disassembled, changed or wanted to adjust any of the assembly rotations or shaft positions, even by accident. This tutorial includes removal of the entire hook assembly as well as reassembly and timing of the sewing machine hook....


| Posted by Carmon Henry

How to Fix a Stuck Hook Assembly

After removing the hook assembly screws on a Singer Featherweight 221 sometimes the assembly will still remain stuck on the shaft. This quick tip will help you remove it easily without damage to your machine or that expensive original part... just be sure to watch all the way to the end of the video for complete instructions and explanation.  


| Posted by Carmon Henry

How to Adjust the Handwheel

If your Singer Featherweight 221 or 222K has a needle that won't stop going up and down and still moves when winding a bobbin, then most likely your handwheel needs an adjustment inside. This easy to follow video tutorial not only shows you how to fix the annoying problem but explains the process of how your stop-back-motion knob works.  Wind a bobbin with no needle movement, once again.     


| Posted by Carmon Henry

How to Adjust the Stitch Length Lever

Yesterday, there was a question on our Facebook group about the stitch length lever (or sometimes called the "stitch length regulator") and so this video tutorial was made to help answer that question as well as addressing a couple other things, too. I will show you what to do if the lever is too loose and rotates around or if it is too stiff and difficult to raise for reverse and lower to adjust the stitch length. There are a couple of places to oil once you get it adjusted and with this tutorial, you will learn where those spots...


| Posted by Carmon Henry

How Thread Affects Maintenance, Upper Tension & Bobbin Tension

Hello everyone, Carmon here. There has been a lot of discussion about thread brands the last couple of days on our Singer Featherweight 221 & 222K Sewing Machines Facebook group so I thought I would weigh in. As a teacher of Featherweight Maintenance Classes and Workshops, and the owner of The Featherweight Shop, it is a general assumption that I should be able to get your machine sewing properly, regardless of what thread you choose to use. This is a fair assumption. I was on the phone today with Dave and Sharon McCallum, who are dear friends of mine. My...


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