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Having problems with sewing machine

13 years ago

I got an old Singer Merritt 2404 through Freecycle and it didn't come with a manual and I'm not sure I'd be able to understand a manual anyways.

The machine is pretty simple and straight forward but I'm having a problem with it. When I've been sewing for about 30 seconds in, the thread coming from the top, from the spool, wears out and shreds. This is happening around the needle, I guess. My mom mentioned that the tension may be too tight but I don't know how to fix this or how to tell if that's the source of the problem.

I know next to nothing about sewing so please use simple and easy to understand directions and terms.

Thanks for any help.

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Comments (8)

ms_minnamouse
Original Author
13 years ago
Sorry, I made a mistake. I am having problems when I sew in reverse. This when the thread bunches up and shreds at the needle. It's sewing fine when I sew forwards but not backwards. Any ideas?
kathi_mdgd
13 years ago
Did you try changing the needle?? It may have a burr on it.
Kathi
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The feed dog is that little grill-like thing that grabs your fabric and moves it along. It is located behind your bobbin and directly behind where the needle strikes. It can be manually raised and lowered according to the type of fabric that you are working on. My thought is that is why your fabric is bunching---maybe your "dog" is not raised high enough to grab your fabric and move it, and that is why the thread is bunching up. You need to consult your manual. Some machines "automatically adjust" so maybe you just need to turn your machine off and then on. You might try posting this on the sewing forum. They are way more knowledgeable over there than me. :)
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evaf555
13 years ago
Is the thread old? Thread gets old and dries up and becomes brittle.
brownthumbia
13 years ago
sounds like the needle to me too. Also, did you try going online to the Singer company to see if they could steer you to where you could get a manual? Sometimes they have them online and you could print it out from there. It would be nice in case there are other problems you may come across
ms_minnamouse
Original Author
13 years ago
They suggested it may be a bur on the needle too. So I changed the needle and am still getting the same problem. Then I encountered the same problem on another sewing machine! So either I am encountering 3 burs in a row or it's me.

I never did get the manual. I don't feel like spending $10+ for it. Ridiculous!
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
13 years ago
Well if the machine was free, a $10 expenditure for a manual would still make the overall cost pretty darn cheap = J

I did exactly that w/ a machine I rescued from the curb - & I'm glad because I wouldn't have known how to thread it properly if I hadn't!
blitzyblond_protege
13 years ago
I found a machine by a trash dumpster a few years ago. When I first saw it, I thought it was just a case. When I went to pick it up, I knew it was a full machine. Got it home and cleaned it up and it works beautifully.

I tried to get a book for it, but no one had heard of a Golden Stitch sewing machine. Hunted around farther away and found an old repair guy that recognized it. He said they were made in 1958 & 1959 before the patent was bought out by Singer. The book he sent off for cost $25 and I am so grateful to have it. That book showed me tricks that were not obvious that the machine would do.
lynfromontario
13 years ago
Your Mom is right....the problem is with the tension. It would be well worth the money to take it in to a shop and have it cleaned, oiled and set up for you. I'm sure the person doing it would give you a quick course on how to set up the tension so you can do it on your own in the future and the machine will have to be oiled by you on a regular basis if you want it to sew properly for you in the future. It's a small price to pay for a free machine really and I'd be ordering the manual for it as well.

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