1970s Singer sewing machine

[Bushbaby]

Hi All,
This may be an unusual request for help/guidance. My dear wife has decided to take up a hobby of machining/dressmaking as we had an old but relatively unused Singer Fashion Mate 148 sewing machine in our garage for years. It has been kept dry and with its cover on etc.
I was suprised (perhaps too suprised) that the machine started working as soon as it was plugged in. Today we decided that we would practice loading a bobbin with cotton, threading up etc. I gave the machine a quick run up and started to thread the cotton in the bobbin whilst the light was on/motor off of course. I next to no time 'fizz' and lots of smoke from the motor whilst the light was still on.
Any thoughts? Is the motor burnt out?? What do I do next?

Thanks

Rob

[Bushbaby]

I've added some pics.

Could I be as lucky as the mains suppression cap going awol?? I think the motor looks clean and unburnt?

Thanks

Rob

               

[Joe]

Obvious question: Does it still work? If so it's odds-on the cap and, as with radios, it'll work quite happily without it.

EDIT: Should have looked at the pictures first, I blame the home-brew. That's the cap that's gone OK. Just snip it out and carry on. It looks like it was a Rifa and they re getting a name for not ageing well.

- Joe

[Mark R]

Sounds like a cap. Have you tried measuring the windings of the motor to see it they are shorted?

What worries me most Rob is you say you gave the machine a run up and started to thread the bobbin..........whatever that means.

So it is seamstress Rob now??

cheers Mark

[Bushbaby]

The cap was also a wee bit wet with oil and yes the light stayed on whilst the 'fizzing' was taking place. Can i replace with a 400v X2 (don't like the idea of not having a suppression cap).

Tailor Bob to you young Mark! I was actually quite a good machinist and tailor in days gone past and I really wish I had pursued it. However, it didn't seem a 'manly' thing to do so I became a very poor research chemist (I loved doing that too). why are all the jobs you really enjoy doing poorly paid (unlike stupid footballers - but lets not go there!!).

Ta guys

Rob

[Mark R]

Is the machine still working Tailor Bob?

if it does an it is just a suppressor cap you can leave it out, up to you old bean.

Chemist.........making things explode, now that is a good job!

cheers Mark

[ed731pdh]

Be aware that the original foot controller boxes of this vintage are absolute death traps and should be replaced with a more modern equiv if not already. Have a Harris 9H here (with whitemetal gears) and when the fot box went it was a miracle the use was not wired to the national grid due to the internal windings and metal case.

[Yorkie]

The cap was also a wee bit wet with oil and yes the light stayed on whilst the 'fizzing' was taking place. Can i replace with a 400v X2 (don't like the idea of not having a suppression cap).
Rob

The short answer Rob is 'yes'.

All domestic appliances which have motors (vacuum cleaners, electric drills, electric mowers, strimmers etc), have an X2 suppressor capacitor fitted to suppress noise interference on TVs, radios etc. This should not be confused with the modulation hum suppressor cap sometimes fitted on valve radios across the mains input, such as on DAC90As. That is to minimise hum on the radio - not to prevent the radio from emitting interference. Removing this cap on a radio will have no discernible effect on the radios performance. However, if you want to see what happens if you leave the cap off your sewing machine motor, switch the TV on with the motor running and observe the results on the screen, or try to listen to a radio.

Hope that helps a bit Rob.

As an aside, I noticed sewing machines in a department store recently, and was amazed at how cheap they are, given their versatility. Several were under £100.

[AlanBeckett]

I had the same problem with a relative's machine a few weeks ago. I replaced the caps with a couple of half decent ones and it works fine.
Alan

[Bushbaby]

Thanks all.
I intially thought that, having persuaded Angela to take up a hobby at last, I blown it (literally!) in one fail swoop. It wasn't until I took the housing from the motor that I felt a wee bit better.
I know I have a range of 275v X2's and I think I have a 400v one somewhere.

Rob