Overcoming Sewing Motor Weakness Disorder
electric resistance

Most of us, live our lives with certain expectations.

We expect the light to turn on when we turn the switch. We expect our cars to go when we press down on the accelerator.

So, when we press down on the foot control of our sewing machines we expect the sewing machine to work.

At times, we get to thinking of your sewing machine like a friend or in a sense like a real person. We talk to it. We touch it. We listen to it. Sometimes, it may appear that our friend is stricken with an infection or disease. This is especially true when we press down on the power and very little happens.

When you press down on your foot control, does your sewing machine hesitate? Does it groan a little? Does it turn ever so slowly or maybe not at all?

If so, then your sewing machine may have the dreaded Sewing Machine Motor Fatigue Syndrome..

You can determine if this is your problem fairly quickly with a few basic tests.

You set up your sewing machine and are ready to sew, but when you press down on the foot pedal the machine barely moves at all. It is as though the machine is tired from a long hard summer. No matter how hard you press down on that foot control; no matter how much power you put in; the sewing machine just drags along.

The two most common sources of such a problem are the potential for a bind in the sewing machine mechanism itself and problems in the motor.

To check for binding, turn the hand wheel by hand and feel for any undue resistance. If the machine is stiff, your problem may be the mechanism. If the machine moves freely, it is probably a problem with the motor.

The AC motor in your sewing machine or mounted behind the head of your machine, will often accumulate debris inside. This debris may consist of partially burned carbon deposits, dust and dirt, and old lubricants. Gradually, this debris takes its toll on the operation of the motor.

You do not need to be an expert on motors, to understand how deposits of debris can make it more and more difficult for the motor to perform as expected. Over time, the motor loses its ability to work properly and may even fail to turn at all.

One solution to this problem is to remove the deposits by actually burning them away. By running the motor at full throttle for several minutes, it is often possible to do just that.

Follow this procedure: In the center of the hand wheel is a break that causes the machine to turn when the hand wheel turns. Release it so the hand wheel moves freely without turning the machine. Hold down the power pedal using by hand or use a clamp or weight to hold it down. The motor should slowly begin to turn. If not carefully turn the hand wheel while applying electricity to the motor to help the motor turn. Once the motor is turning, Keep it turning at full speed for about five minutes. Allow it to cool and test it again.

Attend the machine as long as you have it going. Watch out for extreme heat, sparks, or smoke from the motor.

The motor burn is often very effective in burning off the old carbon deposits, debris, and gunk. Essentially, you are heating up the motor to melt away and burn away the debris. In the process, you may find that the motor gets overly hot, excessive smoke begins billowing from the motor, or sparks may fly from it. Be very careful not to let these become problematic. Shut down anytime you sense, the burn is getting out of control.

In some cases, the motor burn does not work. The damage to the motor is too extensive. In such cases, you may remove the motor brushes and replace them. You may disassemble the motor housing and clean away the gunk from the contact points and armature. If you do so, beware. Using solvents in electrical appliances can be extremely dangerous. Before applying electricity to any motor make certain it is 100% dry and free of anything that might ignite, smolder, or otherwise cause harm.

Usually, you can fix the Sewing Machine Motor Fatigue Syndrome with a ten minute motor burn or service.