Mere oiling will probably not be enough to free up the swivel arm, it might need some help. First thing to try is heat, preferably from a hair dryer. Heat will cause the parts to expand, hopefully they will expand enough for some of the new oil to work down in where it will do some good. It might take several applications of oil and heat to get the swivel arm loose enough to move. Apply oil, heat and wait overnight.
Once the swing arm swivels the tiniest bit, you're almost home! Remove the needle, bobbin case and shuttle and hold the stitch width lever to the widest point you can get it without forcing it and bending some linkage. Run the machine at top speed, holding the stitch width lever to the right. As that new oil works its way in, you should notice the needlebar taking wider and wider strokes and the stitch width lever moving gradually to the right. When you are able to move the stitch width lever all the way to the widest stitch and the needlebar is taking full 5mm zig zags, you are done.
Ironically, the Necchi oiling diagram does not show these as oiling points and does not even direct the owner to remove the end cover to oil anything in that end of the machine. There are lots of moving parts in that location that require lubrication - the needlebar, presser bar, takeup lever, and others. Once you've taken care of the zig zag problem, before closing up the machine, put a drop of oil every place metal rubs against metal and your machine will run quieter and smoother.
Ed
23 comments:
thank you so very much. I am going to try this right away. There is no date printed in the manual. Do you know how old the Necchi Lelia's are?
The Sewing Machine Blue Book does not give specific manufacture dates for the Lelias, but places them in the range of machines made between 1963 and 1971. - Ed
Hi Ed,
You sir are a genius. The oil and heat did the trick, the needle bar moves freely, it zig-zags and we have three different needle positions yipee. thank you so much.
New problem now that we have three different needle positions, the needle is hitting the bobbin shuttle making a clicking sound and bending needles. Also the needle positions are not exact the centre position is off centre and the left is not all the way to the left. I am on needle number 4 now. Your thoughts? Also, what is the tension supposed to be like? My old treadles the tension is really tight both top and bottom. On my Piedmont the top is tighter than the bottom but the stitches are perfectly even. My newer computerized machines the needle tension is darn near identical top and bottom.
Hope to read more from you soon.
Good Morning,
I slept on it then fixed the needle hitting the bobbin shuttle. There is a screw attached to the lever that adjusts the needle position. while my needlebar was froze up I loosened that screw the lever to the needle bar would move, when I retightened it I must have moved it off centre to the right. So this morning I loosened the screw and positioned the needle right in the centre position, tightened the screw and it is fixed. Yes most Excellent. Then I threaded it and eased up the tension until it was sewing perfect straight and zig-zags in all three needle positions.
thank you so much for your help.
How often should my Lelia be oiled?
Most mechanical machine instruction manuals say that they should be oiled after every 8 hours of use. I personally think that is a bit too much and I judge by the sound and performance of my machine. Once you become familiar with a particular machine, you know when it is starting to get noisier than usual or controls are getting stiffer. Also, it varies between machines - some of mine need oil every month, others only once a year. - Ed
What happened to your Necchi pages, by the way? It says the page isn't found now.
Hi Ed,
I would really appreciate some help dating these toys:
Domestic Automatic Model 761 by White. The serial number is JZ85340 I believe it was made in Japan. It weighs a ton, I bought the machine in a cabinet with all the accessories, including 12 cams to make fancy stitches, the manual and a chair for $45.00. There is no date printed in the manual.
Two identical Piedmonts model No. 108 #KB900227 J-A2 the other is J-A2, J-C3 #Z14379. They have a left side needle position % they are zig zag machines. Lovely finishing on both. I believe they were made in Japan.
The Piedmonts, Domestic Automatic and Necchi Lelia all use high shank presser feet.
Elna Special in a grey portable case with one half fitting into the free arm to make a flatbed sewing surface. This one sews zig zag, blind hem and a wavey stitch.
#91CM235557. Several needle postions, it is white with a soft pink top.
My Elna Stella was manufactured in Switzerland in March 1981.
Some of my machines are published on my blog.
Does the sewing machine blue book have any information on these?
Hello, I don't have a question about the Necchi, I have one about a Singer. I am a collector of sorts (but also a user!) and I have a 603E that sews great but is a bit loud. It sat in someones home for 20 years unused and I would like for it to be a great machine for my daughter. Any suggestions?
Love you blog, thanks for all the great info.
Syndy
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
If I come up with any questions about the Necchi Lelia I just got at an estate sale I will be back. Tammy gave me your website after I put a comment on hers. It is so nice to find a place like this. I have to watch out, because I love to collect things.
Ed! I'm so glad I found your blog. I need your help!
I recently bought a Necchi Lelia 510 (looks like it's from the 50's or maybe 60's) and it's got all the parts except for the bobbin case. And I'm not sure the proper needle is in the machine either.
Any advice on how I can find the right parts?
I can send you a photo of the machine if you like if that helps.
Ed, I've heard such wonderful things about Necchis. I was so disappointed to see a plastic lever to raise the presser foot on the pics of the Lelia 510 I found on eBay. Was this something they started doing on later models?
External plastic parts have been on sewing machines for many years. The problem comes when the manufacturers put plastic inside the case for two reasons:
- The teeth on plastic running gears are under much more stress than faceplates, balance wheels or stitch length levers. Early plastics were not strong enough to handle that stress.
- Internal plastic parts are in contact with sewing machine oil and grease. Plastic and petroleum do not co-exist peacefully. It takes years, but the plastic parts yellow and become brittle and crack or break.
I am not concerned about plastic on the outside of a machine but if I lift the top cover and see plastic inside (especially gears), I walk away. - Ed
Hi, I think I have the same problem with a Necchi Lelia, I can HAMMER the swing needle to left and right but IT WONT BUDGE AT ALL, with oiling, havent tried the hairdryer treatment yet (dont have one) do you really think it is in the swing needle where the problem lies? as it is BLOCKED SOLID! thanks necchigek@yahoo.com
It does sound like the same problem, I have had them frozen so tight that I had to use a hammer and block of wood to get any movement. After a few cycles of hammering, I grabbed the swing needle with a large pair of pliers and moved it back and forth using them. After that, I could get just a little zig zag when running the machine. I kept holding the stitch width lever to the left and running the motor and the zig zag got gradually wider until eventually I got full throw. -Ed
Hi, I have EXACTLY the same problem, Ive got a few Necchi's and this Lelia 512 is the fist that I have had that is TOTALLY FROZEN up in the needle bar assembly, the zigzag lever WILL move when the handwheel is in a certain position and the needle position selector WILL move when the handwheel is also in a certain position, but the swing needle WILL NOT BUDGE, its in Holland this machine and I can HAMMER the needle bar to left and right, I havent tried heat yet, just got a hairdryer to try it, its a real SHAME as it sew straight stitch PERFECTLY on the left needle position but WILL NOT even move to the right even with pliers on the needle bar. Do you think this is DEFINITELY the needle bar that is to blame?? I am totally stumped and annoyed that its the first Necchi I havent been able to fix. Thanks NecchiNut!!!
early sat. 04 dec. OOH I do hope the hairdryer and oil and wooden block hammering does work,.bought a nice cheap 1200w hairdryer in UK today to take back to NL next week and try on this Lelia, its the first one I have come across that is SO FROZEN, I can see that the eccentric cam behind the zigzag lever is moving properly there, and the linkage from the needle psoition lever looks intact, the machine will only sew (beautifully on straight stitch) with the needle at far left, but given this is frist machine that has STUMPED me I am dismayed and upset about it!!! I will e-mail if I DO get it moving, my email is Necchinut@gmail.com thanks.
Ugh! I'm having just the opposite problem. My mother and I opened and oiled a Necchi Julia 534. In the beginning, only do straight stitch, but as knobs and levers started to losen with the oil, we were able to make zig-zag. The problem is that now we cannot go back to straight stitch. Everything is where it's supposed to be, there are no cams in the machine, the lever is set to 0, we don't know what to do anymore :(, can you help us?
Hi, found a Supernova today. Despite the fact that it only sews in reverse, I bought it. Made sure that the Automatic Sewing Mechanism is stopped. Knobs are in the right positions, yet it only sews backwards...but hums that great Necchi sound. Looking at the reverse button and lever inside, doesn't look like it is spring loaded. Is the lever out of alignment with a push rod maybe? Any help will be much appreciated since I haven't hit on diagrams or schematics on the web. Gail
Hi Ed, I have a question...Is the Necchi Lelia 512 and Industrial or Domestic Sewing Machine as I'm selling mine?
Thanks so much. A bit of oil did the trick on my Necchi Royal 4595 (newer model but same issue).
I would love to have some help in dating my Necchi Julia 534. The serial number is 5340655659. Many thanks.
Best guess is mid-1960's. -Ed
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