Peasantlizzie

Is that meant to be sarcastic? I hope not because if so then I will be put off asking questions on this site again. Yes I do, and did, use "the Google search engine" and other ones too, but had not been able to find what I thought might be that particular video. Thank you for the link - I will look it up.

I'm not very familiar yet with how this site works, so hope this gets posted in the right place. Eric - I know this is an old post, but I'm currently struggling to adjust the presser feet on my Seiko stw-8b and wondered if you could post a link to the Juki video you mention.

Thank you - this is helpful. I've had a look there and set up a selection. I have to admit though, that finding your way around this website does seem complicated, compared to others I use. Maybe it's just me...

I hope I've put this in the correct section. I joined the site a few weeks ago, posted a question and got notification of some answers, which were helpful. I also posted replies. I would like to receive notification of other posts, so that, apart from general interest, if I have anything to offer in the way of help (unlikely at this stage of my career with industrial sewing machines but you never know!) I can offer it. I thought I had set my settings so as to receive notification of posts, but have received nothing. Having looked at the settings again, it looks as if I can only receive notification of anything related to my own posts. I can't see how to change the settings so that I receive notification of anything else. Can anyone help?

Hello again I just thought I'd let you all know that the machine is now up and running (still practising on it though, taking it slowly) minus the belt guard! I was downstairs one day and heard some banging coming from upstairs. I'd talked to my husband about removing the guard and guessed that was what he was up to. I left him to it! He did it - he's had some experience of farm machinery and although I can't repeat his explanation of how he did it I know it involved the strategic placing of coins! After some more cleaning he got it back on as well and everything seems OK. Then I practised with the stitch length regulator on some card, and then with real thread and fabric and all seems to work OK. I'm so pleased as this machine is a new experience for me and I was worried I'd taken on something I couldn't handle. Thank you all for your help! Lizzie, UK

Ah thank you so much, that's very helpful! Yes that threaded hole in the handwheel end of the top shaft is what I was referring to. So it sounds as if it doesn't matter too much that it's missing? Although maybe I should get one. I did wonder if that bolt on the reverse lever was what I should be adjusting; I will have a go. Makes you wonder why someone didn't do it instead of letting it cause that damage. I had wondered what those other 3 screw holes were for, so thank you for the explanation. I have read your reply out to my husband and he thinks a motorcycling friend might have a puller. Hopefully I shall soon be able to tell you all that I've got the wheel - and wretched belt guard! - off.

Thank you to all who have replied. I'll let you know if I manage to get the wheel off. However, no-one has answered my questions 2 and 3...... I'd be very grateful to anyone who can.

By "pulley" do you mean the balance wheel? If not then I'm confused...

I knew there had to be a reason why so few machines I've seen photos of had guards! I did try tapping the wheel gently but had no luck. My husband had thought that I might perhaps have trouble getting the wheel back on in the right position, if I did get it off. what do you think? I think I might investigate buying or borrowing a gear pulley, as I hate the guard being there. Especially now I know that real sewers don't need them....

Yes, as I said, I did remove those but then realized that the wheel wasn't going to come off at all easily!

I am new here, and have already gained a lot of knowledge just by reading through the questions and answers in this forum. I am not a leather worker but would like to start sewing with heavier duty fabrics, hence buying this machine. I have previously worked on lots of domestic sewing machines, particularly old Singers, and have gone from rarely even changing the needle or doing any oiling (I was never taught maintenance!) to getting old machines going and learning basic maintenance. However, this is my first industrial machine. I bought it from someone who oiled it but that was about it. He kept it at the same stitch length all the time. He didn't even know what the 2 buttons were for although he'd done a lot of sewing on it. I have done some cleaning and oiling and it stitched OK though I have yet to master the whole stitch length thing..... Here are my questions. 1 Most machines I see do not have a belt guard on, which is interesting. I went to remove mine, as I realized it was slightly out of position, meaning I couldn't get the bobbin winder in place correctly. Then I realized that I could only remove it if I removed the balance wheel, as there is a screw holding the guard on, which you can only get to if you do so. I removed the two screws in the wheel and had a bit of a go but it's stuck fast. I could probably just push/bend the guard out of the way of the bobbin winder a bit and be happy with that, but I'd really like to remove it, but am I just giving myself a lot of work which might also give me more problems when I go to replace it? My husband thinks I am. (I have removed balance wheels plenty of times on domestic machines.) I have read a post on here by a lady who removed the balance wheel with a puller thing (sorry, have forgotten the correct name) and I realize it could be tricky, to say the least. 2 There is no screw (I think it's called the adjusting screw) in the balance wheel - does it matter that it's not there? 3 As you can see in the photo of the reverse lever, there is an indent where the lever has clearly been catching - for decades, I would think, to make an indent like that. I assume something needs adjusting but can anyone tell me what exactly? I have looked all over the internet, and in manuals including military ones, and watched lots of videos but I can't find the answers, so if anyone can help I'd be very grateful! Lizzie, in Oxfordshire, UK