Presser Foot Sticking

[Teslabolt]

What would cause my presser foot to stay in the up position after using the knee lift or the hand lever? I can release it if I press very hard on the top of the foot. 

Consew 206RB-1

Thanks!

[Ferg]

A little bitty metal bur.

Ferg

[Pintodeluxe]

Might need a few drops of oil from above.  Sometimes machines do this temporarily, if they've been sitting unused for too long.  Other times you have a bent part.  

More times than not, a liberal oiling will free it up.  

One quick test to rule out the feet as a potential source... Remove the feet and re-test the lifting action.  If the problem remains, it's the articulations in the head at fault.  

[Wizcrafts]

An out of round hole in the pressure adjuster screw will cause the foot bar to hang until you rotate it to the right position. Also, add more pressure to overcome the out of round condition.

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

See attached, it's likely the knee stopper highlighted index 2 is making contact before the knee lifter mechanism on the machine is.  

Also, the thrusting bar as they call it may be hitting and stopping at the bell crank, making it more like you are lifting the machine out of the stand rather than continuing to lift the bell crank up under the  machine.

[Teslabolt]

11 hours ago, Pintodeluxe said:

Might need a few drops of oil from above.  Sometimes machines do this temporarily, if they've been sitting unused for too long.  Other times you have a bent part.  

More times than not, a liberal oiling will free it up.  

One quick test to rule out the feet as a potential source... Remove the feet and re-test the lifting action.  If the problem remains, it's the articulations in the head at fault.  

It still sticks after removing the feet. Can you be more specific on the articulations in the head being at fault?

11 hours ago, Wizcrafts said:

An out of round hole in the pressure adjuster screw will cause the foot bar to hang until you rotate it to the right position. Also, add more pressure to overcome the out of round condition.

Thanks, Wiz. I will try that as well. 

[Teslabolt]

16 minutes ago, Gregg From Keystone Sewing said:

See attached, it's likely the knee stopper highlighted index 2 is making contact before the knee lifter mechanism on the machine is.  

Also, the thrusting bar as they call it may be hitting and stopping at the bell crank, making it more like you are lifting the machine out of the stand rather than continuing to lift the bell crank up under the  machine.

I checked that as well and it is good. I can recreate the issue if I push down on the lift bar at the back that is connected to the lever underneath where the knee lift operates. How far is the presser foot designed to be moved up? Wondering if I am lifting too far? As I go up it becomes tighter and tighter. I will post a video of where it's hanging. Possibe the bar is bent? Man, I hope not. 

[Teslabolt]

 

[Wizcrafts]

If rotating the adjuster screw doesn't free the presser bar, open the faceplate cover and observe the bar as you raise and attempt to lower it. You'll probably see where it is hanging up and be able to adjust or oil that part to free it.

[Teslabolt]

2 minutes ago, Wizcrafts said:

If rotating the adjuster screw doesn't free the presser bar, open the faceplate cover and observe the bar as you raise and attempt to lower it. You'll probably see where it is hanging up and be able to adjust or oil that part to free it.

If I tighten the presser bar spring (flat) all the way down, it does come free, but then I have will have terrible marks in my leather. I have the front faceplate off and cannot tell where it is getting hung up. I definitely feel some rubbing as I get to the top.

[Constabulary]

Not sure but try this: loosen the set screw (from mack side) and adjust this thingy here with a screw driver - there is a slit on the top side. You can also raise it a bit just carefully hammer it a bit upward

Edited January 22, 2020 by Constabulary

[Teslabolt]

7 minutes ago, Constabulary said:

Not sure but try this: loosen the set screw (from mack side) and adjust this thingy here with a screw driver - there is a slit on the top side

Brilliant! That did the trick. Thanks! 

Just in case anyone else needs to know, here is the location of the screw that I backed of a bit. Too tight perhaps. 

[Constabulary]

I meant the fork type part but in the end you figured it

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

And that's the other thing to check for on the machine.  Not at all uncommon for this area of the machine to hang up if not adjusted properly.  

[Teslabolt]

Found a more likely culprit to several woes on this machine. The presser bar extension was bent. Is this common on these? How does that even happen?

 

 

[SolarLeatherMachines]

29 minutes ago, Teslabolt said:

Found a more likely culprit to several woes on this machine. The presser bar extension was bent. Is this common on these? How does that even happen?

Commonly known as "buckling".  Too much compressive force on a rod will cause it to bend and deform.  The longer and thinner the rod, the lesser the force required to buckle.  

F = n π² E I / L²     is the Euler formula for long, slender rods if you're interested.  

At some point, the machine forced to sew something stiffer and harder than it was designed for, causing the rod to buckle.  

Edited January 24, 2020 by SolarLeatherMachines

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

Most often this occurs when someone who does not know that this will hang up if you remove the needle bar rock frame without pushing it out of the casting hole on top.  It can be usually bent back in place and does not have to be 100% straight to work very well.