Kenmore 158.1931

I just had to work on a machine today.  I spent too much time trying to get a decent photo for the web page http://sewingmachinemagic.com.  I had to haul the 201 down from the sewing loft and set it all up and try and try to get something in the back ground that would allow readable text.  This will just have to do.  Later I will take another photo...Much later.

This Kenmore is one of my favorites because it has a free arm.  I use my 1760 a lot and I love the free arm capability.   There are times when I feel that I should be loyal to the flat bed machines....then I need the free arm and I am done with that silliness.  There is nothing like a free arm when you need it.

I bought this machine on eBay from BM.  She packed it very poorly and it arrived damaged.

 She did agree to take it back.  Then I changed my mind.  Forgetting to include the foot controller in the package when I packed the machine for return  inluenced my decision.  Plus it came with a whole lot of goodies.  The machine makes a very nice stitch and the stretch stitches now work (they didn't when it arrived, "fully serviced and ready to go.")  Whoever serviced this did  a lousy job.  The old grease was still stuck on the gear cover.  

And the gears were dry

I cleaned out the old grease and put some Tri-Flow grease on those gears.
Much better....You can see how the Tri-Flow grease really sticks. 

The tension was all wacky and I spent some time taking that thing apart and re-assembling it.  I finally got it right.  Setting the number dial on this machine is not as easy as setting it on a Singer such as the 66 or even the 401.  I just fiddled with it.  Don't ask, please, I just really don't know what I did.  I did not try to machine out before I took the tension apart.  It looked odd to me so I just figured it was wrong.

The machine stitches very nicely now.  Except that the cams don't work right.  Tomorrow the machine goes in the Jetta for a sauna.  Maybe that will heat some of the gunked up oil and grime and then I can put more Tri-Flow somewhere in there and try it out.  Who knows?