Magical Missing Screw

[TomG]

Well, this may be the stupidest question ever posted, but I have to share my pain.

I am sewing down each side of 3/4" straps. Done many of them, so it should be a drop-kick.

I have a pretty new Consew 227R that began giving me erratic bottom stitches last night.  I get a few lines that look pretty good.  Then I get one where the entire line has the top thread being pulled down to the bottom.

Now, to get the "good" lines, I had to adjust the top tension to almost max to pull them up.  Bobbin tension felt relatively light and adjusting it in 1/4th turn increments didn't seem to help.

Threaded, re-threaded, re-threaded, etc.  (Using 138 nylon). Bobbin in correctly.  No snags, thread pulls through smoothly on top and bottom. 

I stopped by my local dealer and his tech said I might have a damaged bobbin tension spring or trash in it.  I took it off to check it.

Dropped the tension screw down by the hook and it disappeared. 

I took off the cover under the hook but I can not find that stinking screw.

So -- the stupid question is --- Is there some little nook or cranny under there that these screws like to hide .  There's ALWAYS some oddball place that lost screws hide <g>...

Hopefully, my dealers service shop has some spares tomorrow.

End of Pain Sharing !!!!

 

 

[CowboyBob]

If you have a tile or cement floor somewhere,take the head off the base,take your slide plate over the bobbin off & turn the machine upside down & shake it till it falls out.

As you probably know now it's always best to take the bobbin case out when removing those screws.

Edited November 3, 2016 by CowboyBob

[dikman]

The big worry is where it actually went - you don't want to run the machine unless you're sure it's not hiding inside, waiting to jam/break something.

[TomG]

58 minutes ago, CowboyBob said:

If you have a tile or cement floor somewhere,take the head off the base,take your slide plate over the bobbin off & turn the machine upside down & shake it till it falls out.

As you probably know now it's always best to take the bobbin case out when removing those screws.

On carpet but I could lay some cardboard down. I don't even think it's in there now.  Of course, it IS small.  I've used a very bright light and laid under the machine, in back, front, top etc.  I've used a dental probe to see if anything shifts as I poke around and had my wife turn the wheel as I looked and nothing moves.

When I pulled that bottom case cover off, the cover sort of snapped off suddenly, so if it was in the bottom of that, there is no telling where it went.

Turning the head upside down and shaking will have to wait until I get some help. I had surgery on my wrist last week and am still in a cast.

And dikman... that is my worry as well.  It would be just my luck...

[TinkerTailor]

I like to lay down a bedsheet to shake it over, the screws don't bounce and you can pick up the corners to get anything that fell on the sheet into the middle in a little pile.

I also stick a big magnet to the body of the machine near where I am working and stick the screws to that to store until i put them back in. Fun story, I have 3-4 little magnets stuck inside the metal shade of my bench lamp and this is where i keep my hand sewing needles, separated by type/size on the different magnets. They are always right there above the work and easy to find. I also keep binder clips all around the rim of the light. One of these days i am going to do my own studio tour thread. The better half is a costumer for the film industry. Our whole 2 bedroom townhouse is basically a studio. We have 6 regularly used sewing machines, including my 5100 and white rotary treadle cabinet, and another 6-8 more  display antiques We also have a 4' knitting machine and a few weaving looms. The 6 foot wide loom is disassembled.....

I have magnets under my baseboards I think and any small screw that hits my laminates floor goes under there right away. Also happens to the last snap cap or one side of the last rivet. The problem is all the baseboards are too high cause they didn't move them down when the previous owners switched to laminate from carpet before i got here. I even masking taped the baseboards behind my machines to prevent the flashlight and butter knife crawl on the floor. Anyone know who sells magnetic butter knives? Never did find the attachment screw for my outer presser on my techsew 5100, fortunately I had an old junk Kenmore home machine that had the exact thread and length screw, and it is a thumbscrew which is a bonus. I like thumbscrews. They don't have slots to strip and you can get just as much if not more torque on them without tools. With a pair of pliers you can get one way over tight if you want. Anywhere that i have to adjust frequently or change stuff, i prefer to swap out the slot screws for in thumbscrews if i can find the right size . If I cant fit a thumbscrew, I will swap the slot screw to an allen bolt. I hate slot screws.

Edited November 3, 2016 by TinkerTailor

[Yetibelle]

I have screws that are the size of a grain of sand.  Magnets are awesome for this, I have them now in all over the place. Also a magnet pen that I can extend and poke around in the hard to reach areas.  I also have the magnet tray.  (see side story)

If you have a shop-vac, clean it out really well and then go over the Machine and the floor and you may be able to get it that way.

-Recommend-

Performance Tool W1265 Large Magnetic Nut and Bolt Tray

Master Magnetics 07228 Magnetic Pick-Up Tool, Telescoping, Retrieving Magnet, 25" Length, 3 lb Hold                              

Side Story: I was stripping a machine over the summer and I was taking off the parts in sections and I place them in plastic pint containers (from left over take-out). This way I can snap a lid on them and let them soak in special sauce to get the grime off.  I thought I had a great system.  The kids next door were running around and playing and in slow motion I saw the basket ball heading full speed right into my sorted parts and screws.  They flew up and all over I think some even made it to the next state over.  I was lucky borrowed a magnet nail sweeper, then realized I should be using magnets more often.