Help! Singer 111w155 stripped / stuck screw

[matthew123]

Hi All!

First I just want to say how grateful I am for this forum.  I've learned so much from you all.  Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise!

I just picked up my first compound feed machine, a Singer 111w155.  It sews OK, but the outer presser feet don't lift up enough to accommodate thick material.  Based on the manual (see pic attached), it seems that to adjust the relative height of the outer foot with respect to the inner (needle) foot, one has to use the lifting eccentric.  However the set screw is stripped and very stuck.  See the pic attached.  I believe the stripped screw is "C" in the manual screenshot.  I also noticed that screw "D" (which I think is the one people call the worm screw) spins freely, which seems weird.  It appears someone may have ground away part of the machine casing to get better access to this screw in the past...can anyone confirm from the pic? 

 

So far I have tried:

spraying the screw with PB blaster nightly for a few nights

using a Dremel with a small pineapple burr to deepen the flathead groove

gently tapping the screw with a screwdriver and hammer

heating it lightly with a mini butane torch

I got the screwdriver to bite better when I drilled out the groove, but when I applied force, it again started widening the screw groove again and eating away at the screw head.  

 

Can anyone offer other suggestions?  I am considering taking it to a local machine shop to see if they can rescue me.  I am hesitant to try a left hand drill bit and screw extractor, because the option of deepening the flathead groove further with the dremel seems like a good one and I don't want to burn that bridge.  Help!!  Am I missing something? 

 

Thanks!

Matt

 

 

 

[Constabulary]

how about a screw extractor. not sure if it works but IMO it one of the last options you probably have.

There are other model video show just a random one.

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Constabulary