Sewing Machine trouble

[LIZS]

I have an elderly New Home 580 which I set up to use for the first time since moving yesterday (last used at Christmas). However it doesn't seem to be powering the needle properly. If I loosen the drive wheel, as if to load a spool, it runs normally but if I tighten it to sew it barely moves the needle even at full pressure on the pedal which then causes the motor to spark Typically I can't find the manual atm and no info online. Any ideas please ?

Hurrah I've found the manual (taken all day and me sorting through loads of boxes only to find it in a filing tray feet from the pc!). Now just needs dh to operate on sewing machine- perhaps it could use an oil and belt tension check ?

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My machine is not the same model as yours but is decrepid all the same! lol
I don't change the drive wheel between bobbin winding and sewing tho?

ah, forgot an update . We did clean/WD40 it and it is much happier now Apparently you are supposed to do it quite frequently maybe I've done it once or possibly twice since I inherited it from my mother at least 15 years ago !

I'd take it for a service TBH. I took my old Elna in and it's like a new machine now.

lol ! No I do use it, usually intensively for a week or two then not for many months admittedly. Got curtains to make/alter atm and normally use it for kids' costumes (as in this case) or crafty stuff near Christmas(the last time!). Once upon a time I made clothes , and should really do some for dd, as have stacks of cute fabric, before she gets too sniffy about it !.

oooh also meant to say, if you dont use it regularly, it gets lazy!like a car, it needs excercising regularly!
unthread it all and give it a good thrashing with the pedal to the metal or as fast as you can wind it (yes, i also have a wind up singer job! lol) from time to time and make sure there is absolutely no fluff or crap behind the bits that hold the bobbin in.
if there is a SPECK in there mine chews all my stuff up in protest!!
lol

Try using them with a class of 22 kids, all saying at the same time in chorus "Miss, my machine has jammed, broken" etc. Stress rating 100%. Sometimes I hide in stockroom to breathe.

Sometimes such is my fury, I do gentle swearing in front of Y11, who are equally pissed off with them. Shut my ears to mutters of "you thing" I know EXACTLY how they feel

Really I want to hurl them out of the nearest window though.........

the kids or the machines (or both)

Depends who's behaving worse. Kids or machines, usually it's no competition, machines win hands down every time!