Frozen Stitch Length Regulator - Consew 226 (Singer 111w clone)

[RWL2]

9 hours ago, Handstitched said:

@RWL2 Just out of general interest, how much did you pay for it?  

HS

Lets just say below market.  Frozen and rusted machines aren't worth much unless you're interested in reselling parts and I'm not in that business.  I think the machine had been out at the seller's yard sale last year and my guess is that he got tired of moving it - it's heavy!  Check your message folder.

[RWL2]

8 hours ago, Constabulary said:

My preferred solvent for "frozen" machines is paint thinner - not kidding. Or applying heat with a gas blow torch or electric heat gun.

Thanks for your vote of confidence on paint thinner.  This is my first thoroughly frozen sewing machine.  I've also been dripping paint thinner on some of the joints as well.  I have resisted putting a torch to anything for fear of annealing any hardened metal parts but I may try a hair dryer or cautiously a heat gun.

I'm thinking that limonene (Citrus strip / xylene substitute) might be worth trying.  That stuff ate the O rings on our tissue processor that had been designed for exposure to xylene, which dissolves wax (and a host of other old organic materials).  What I really wish I could use is spray on Easy Off oven cleaner but I don't want that in any moving parts since it's water based which will cause rust.  When I get greasy metal working machines and motors, oven cleaner has proven to be the easiest way to degrease them, including old dried on oil.  Oven cleaner has worked better than kerosene, paint thinner, lacquer thinner, gasoline, or xylene.  Leave it on for about 5 minutes and wipe the old oil off.  Leave oven cleaner on too long and it will soften and remove some paints.  Although some are partial to WD-40 as a penetrating oil, I'm not a fan because it leaves an oily film that becomes sticky / gummy over time.

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

This is an excerpt on how to adjust the gib of the feed eccentric.