How to Speedup your Sewing Machine Motor in 5 minutes for $10
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Using a Brush Seating stone to polish the commutator will speed up your motor by removing deposits and smoothing the commutator.
www.grainger.c...
The Manufacturer's Catalog of stones can be found here: martindaleco.c...
MUSIC: Potato Deal by Craig MacArthur
Thank you Andy! Just ordered on of these. I am going to clean up all my motors!
I love this trick and have done many motors. Don't push down hard on the stone. Tiny particles flow to the carbon brushes and polish the commutator while seating the brushes. I was surprised with the speed improvement the first time I tried it.
@@andytubesewing1953 Follow up. I got my diamond polisher. Did my 301A and 500A. My motors are stronger, run fast and can go at slower speeds. Thank you!
@@matthewdegraffenried2771 Nicely done. It's almost too easy, isn't it? It's about the best 10 minutes you can spend to improve your motor performance. The polisher seems to last forever, too. Happy sewing, Matthew.
I'll add my two cents to this, You're amazingly generous with your education and experience. The other 98 cents belongs to your many students of vintage preservation and I hope they chime in as well. Thanks for teaching us how to save a dollar. Be safe and smiles to your and your's.
The most rewarding two cents I ever received; thank you, and thanks for watching my channel. Take care.
I agree wholeheartedly! Andy, you have helped me so many times I can't count them all! Thinking of you lots, and hope you are doing okay. Very glad every time I see a new video from you!!
@@graymaquilter9641 Thank you very much! I'm doing OK right now, but the Dr. told me to stay away from everyone due to the virus situation. A little cabin fever, so I've been sneaking out to the park early mornings to walk, have a coffee and hear the birds welcome the sunrise. That's good for a whole day of isolation, hehehe.
@@andytubesewing1953 Glad to hear you are ok, very nice you are near a park, nature is a great healer. Good to get out and away! I am working on a 401 this morning - watching your 404 tension disassembly video. Sooo helpful!
@@graymaquilter9641 A nice day for tension work. Take Care.
I did this for my 503A motor in situ and it sure made a difference! Combined with a carbon stack cleaning, I have much less trouble with the "hum-and-no-run" it was doing before, it is much more controllable at low speeds, and faster, too!
sounds like a win/win! Thanks for sharing.
Such a great video! You are always so helpful and informative - thank you Andy!
Thanks. 🙏 Happy sewing.
Thank you so much for this video! At first, the machine only got a wee bit faster. I was a little timid and was afraid to do too much. This machine was not slow, it had come to a complete stop. So I decided to try again. It took quite a bit off the stone. After I sprayed it with the cleaner, I noticed some little grooves on the copper. I used a straight pin and seam ripper to clean down in the grooves. This seemed to help also. Now it is speeding along. This was a machine I had given to my 95 year old MIL. She lives 2 states away so I took mine and brought hers home with me. I’m very thankful to have it working. I missed my 401. By the way, you may find this interesting. I brought about 45 little dresses she had made for children in an orphanage in Cambodia. This makes a least 250 total. I cut them out for her and she sews them. Sewing is our therapy! Thanks again for all the advice over the years!
Nicely done. I think you're smart to be timid at first until you see how much it's going to work and get the hang of using the little stone. So good job with that. Depending on what machine it is, the foot pedal. May need some cleaning and adjusting too. I have a couple of playlists for different styles of foot controllers. You can find them on my playlist page and I love that you guys are sewing together on this project and donating the clothes. I truly just love that I have donated a lot of the machines that I repaired to crisis nurseries and women's shelters and even a couple of convents in the Philippines. Seems like the machines will last forever with a little bit of TLC. Thanks for sharing and good luck
Excellent video Andy. I worked in the Phosphate Industry for 30+ years after leaving Stromberg/Carlson. At least once a month they would shut down the different draglines with up to 65 yard buckets, and the electricians would "stone" the commutators on the huge DC motors. They ran on 4160 3phase voltage and generated DC current IIRC. I should have remembered that I have a few small machinist stones similar in size to what you showed. I'll definitely use this method from now on.
See? You knew about this before I did, haha. Read what I said about you making videos again. You could do it 😀
Awesome! I’m about to tackle the motor on my Singer 201-2. Funny, I was thinking that your motor sounded like a jet engine and you said it. Thanks
These PA style motors in the Slant Needle Machine sure have a unique sound. I think it's the top bearing and the TEXTOLITE gear on the handwheel. With a potted motor like the 201-2, I had to put the motor shaft into an electric drill and support the other end while running the drill to spin the commutator. It cleaned the commutator perfectly but you cant seat the motor brushes that way. It is still clean and quieter though and it is worth the effort, IMO. Thanks for watching my channel and good luck.
I'm a little late to the party, but I just ordered one.. Thanks Andy..!
You will love it. Very rewarding for a small effort. Zoom Zoom
@@andytubesewing1953 I got my stone yesterday, I took the covers off my 237 motor and looked at the brushes, they look new, not worn at all, but the commutator looked a little dirty, so I stoned it. WOW, only took me a couple mins.. worked awesome.. Thank you.!!
Oh, one suggestion. Spray the rotating commutator & brushes with canned air to blow any stone particulates away...then hit with the CRC cleaner. Thank you for great videos.
Great tip!
Thank you Andy. The Salvation Army shop manager said "it runs slow,....maybe it needs oiling" i haven't checked the motor yet.
The price went up to 17.75 not including shipping on the website you shared . Just a heads up.
First, thanks for letting me know about the ridiculous price ZORO is charging now. They come in boxes of 12 and not that many sellers will just sell one. GRAINGER has started selling individual stones for $7.07 +ship so I changed the link.
I'm sure your machine needs a proper and complete oiling. You can download the Instruction Manual for free from Singer support and see the correct places to ad oil (and grease) www.singer.com/search/support?title=401
Lack of oil is not the only thing that slows down a vintage sewing machine. One of the more common reasons is that the foot pedal has never been serviced and needs cleaning and adjusting. An out-of-adjustment pedal is more common that a slow motor.
The foot pedal controls the amount of electricity that gets to the motor, a bad pedal equals less electricity.
Here is a Playlist for cleaning and adjusting the pedal that came with the model 401A in the USA:
ua-cam.com/play/PLsCOZgzzaiKL6ePPxLpmnWSzTyxPKTb71.html
@@andytubesewing1953 Oh Andy I'm sew excited to find you and your expertise help... 🥳 thank you sew much ! You rock 😍
Thank you Mr. Tube. Great video. I am working on a featherweight now and I am concerned with my motor getting to hot. I appreciate all your videos. Thanks you again. 🙏
The motor on the Featherweight has 2 grease wicks to lubricate the motor shaft ends inside the bearing/bushings. If they are dried up and hard then the shaft and bearing get dry and run hot. It's bad for the motor, of course. Here is the playlist of my 221 featherweight videos: ua-cam.com/play/PLsCOZgzzaiKIA1OPw0k6QOSTE-wAUZ4kp.html
There are 5 videos about rehabbing the motor, parts 1 through 5. Here is part 1 if you want to see what those videos are like: ua-cam.com/video/1XfYoQV4URo/v-deo.html Just call me Andy, please. 😃
@@andytubesewing1953 Thank you. I am watching your playlist now. Thanks so much Andy.
Hi Andy - Just ordered the stone. Thank you! You must be a mind reader. I went through your PA motor cleaning tut last year. After looking/running someone else's 401, realized mine only runs at 1/2 speed). Machine is clean, no binding, and use it alot (run it daily) so I figured it must be the motor. I tried other controllers (electronic + button) but still the same 1/2 speed. So I'm anxious to give this a try - thanks again for the great info!
I think it could help your motor, especially if the electronic pedal made no difference, then it could be the commutator has a lot of carbon buildup on it. I think you will like using the stone. A viewer commented it may be better to use alcohol to rinse the particles out rather than the electronic cleaner. Also, I would use a little brush or vacuum before the spray or alcohol next time I do this. Good Luck.
Great video once again, Thanks again for your time and knowledge.
I have done this on the 404 that belonged to a family member that was handed down to me it made a great difference in how the machine and the controller response was.
Thanks for the verification and for taking the time to comment. Take Care.
Thanks Andy for this video. My 401a motor has uneven wear on the commutator. I haven't seen any other pictures of wear like it. I am going to try this method and see if it helps.
@@kayconleycammarata7854 I've had a couple very bad motors like that and the brush seater made a huge difference just be gentle with it and don't take off too much of the copper then you should have a big improvement thanks for the comment and I appreciate you watching my channel good luck
@@andytubesewing1953 thank you!!!
@@kayconleycammarata7854 Sure, good luck.
Saw your video explaining why you go slowly. To learn French, I watch French YT videos with the CC on. It really helps. Bet there are hundreds of people around the world who you are helping to learn English, while learning to sew and maintain sewing machines.
Thanks for the acknowledgment. I do have many emails from countries around the globe from viewers who thank me for going slower, not using slang terms, stating the names of many parts, etc. They've told me that using the CC and hearing the word while having their hands on the machine has somehow reinforced the English for them and has improved it. I'm telling you... that makes me feel great 😀 Until I received some of those emails I'd never thought about the learning English possibilities, but only wanted them to learn about their sewing machine. I feel I have benefitted more than they have. It's a blessing.
Very informative as usual Andy. I remember this from your August 2019 upload.
Thanks for watching it again. I hope people try it sometime when they have the need. I just love the results. Take Care.
Great video, this is an amaizing education experience, just bought my first vintage sewing machine a Singer 404 and
I'm going to have fun restoring it and learning how to sew.
Thanks, Abraham. IMO, you picked a great model for a first vintage machine to work on and learn to sew. It's so strong and durable that most of the Schools used the 404 in their Home Economics classes. (That's going back a few decades 😊) You will admire the engineering and craftsmanship of the machine and it sews very smoothly. Thanks for watching my channel and good luck.
ua-cam.com/play/PLsCOZgzzaiKIB4kvIHCfHYuyLMUp5A4UI.html
Great demo Andy! Always learning with every video. 😊
Thanks very much.🙏 I hope you have a great New Year🎉
@@andytubesewing1953 Happy New Year to you too!!
Thanks for recommending this video Andy. I'm sure my 401A will benefit from this. One suggestion though, maybe I missed it, would be a warning to be careful about the exposed 120 Volt terminals right above where you're working. Thanks again!
thanks for the safety tip, Doug. I just give people credit for understanding wires carry electricity I guess, forgetting many people have never worked with it. Note made to mention safety with wires, tools, and chemicals in the future. 😀
Wow! I just ordered the stone. Thank you.
I do this on every machine I work on now, and it still is impressive every time. Who knew it could be so easy and quick. I'm still using the original stone I bought. Use a light touch. Thank you for watching and good luck.
Oh that's cool, I could definitely see some sparks & hear it speed up.
Faster and smoother. Like me back in the day, haha. My friend calls it "All Jazzed Up" thanks for watching.
How did this video get past me? I want a hot rod 403 and 500A, so I ordered the stone. Thanks for the tip, Andy.
Zoom-Zoom 🚀 It made me want to paint my motor with "Speeding Ticket Blue"
Thanks for watching
Nice job man I'm gunna do this!! Hope you are well! Rolf
@@GUCR44 thanks very much you'll be impressed by how well it works and how fast your motor will run I appreciate your comment
Hi Andy. I so enjoy all your help over the years. I love old machines and have fine tuned mine with your help. My sister has a 417 that needs the motor cleaned. It’s not as easy to take apart as some of the others and I’m a little apprehensive about getting it back together.Have you ever worked on a 417? It seems to have more plastic . Thank-you
I have not worked on that model. It is a little different with the dials than both the 416 & 418 models. They all have the same type of internal motor inside the upright. Those motors are "open" meaning no covers like the external motor on a model like the 99k or 237. ua-cam.com/video/sDcexZeS0f0/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/TmnnvGrEfmg/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/mVX2Io_tomk/v-deo.html
Are you sure the motor needs work? I find the pedal to need servicing much more often than the motor does ua-cam.com/play/PLsCOZgzzaiKItPLWcK24FBoMdHK8vTXNi.html
Good Luck
Thank you Andy. I see spark/arcing in the motor when I have laid it on the back and have ran it that way.
If and when you can get to the motor commutator here is a 5 minute $10 fix for the sparking caused by uneven brush seating and dirty commutator: ua-cam.com/video/pzq4tv8qn94/v-deo.html
Thanks. I’ve seen you do this before. I think it is great. I’ve taken 3 or 4 pa motors apart to clean. This looks easier. Always enjoy them. I was watching “cute” (the 99) tension and bobbin area videos yesterday. I have a Singer 185 I’m getting ready to be in sewing shape. That tension assembly is different eh?
Model 185 is the replacement for model 99K and does have an updated BW system. There really is not a separate service manual for the 185; it is the same one as the 66 & 99. I do have a parts diagram for the 185K if you'd like it just let me know andymanuals53@gmail.com
Thank you for this informative video. I have my late mom's Singer Dial a Stitch sewing machine. I managed to flip it over to the side (since it sits in a housing) to look underneath it. I did not see the same mechanical parts shown at this video. I guess because my machine is almost 50 years old. It looks like it has a motor on the outside. The problem is that it is slowing down a lot. Also it only works for 5 minutes then it slows down so much, while feeling hot to the touch, that no matter how much I push on the electric foot peddle it does not go. I have to wait a half hour or so, and come back and it will give me another 5 minutes of operation. I want to hold on to it for sentimental reasons, but not sure what I can do to make it work better. i appreciate your feed back
Hi Sarah. I can't find a Singer "Dial a Stich" model or picture. A model number would be helpful to answer your question. These instructions from Singer can help you find the model number if needed; www.singer.com/en-ca/find-your-model The motor/machine in the video is about 60 years old. Singer made models i=with internal and external motors. If you machine is 50 year old vintage Singer it may have a carbon stack style foot controller. They cause more problems than a motor, in my experience. Often then have never been cleaned or serviced. A machine that sat idle for months/years/decades usually is full of dried sticky oil residue that can make it run with a lot of resistance and the motor can strain and overheat. People often think of the motor when it could be a different problem. MY Playlist page has Playlist for cleaning and adjusting foot controllers, motors, cleaning machines, oiling, etc. ua-cam.com/channels/USPDsHaFtRoz1VA2U1xJ4w.htmlplaylists
If you'd like more specific suggestions I need a model number. Thanks for watching my channel and good luck.
@@andytubesewing1953 Thank you so much for taking the time and responding to my last post. I searched for the model number on the Singer "Dial a Stitch" here are two no.'s I found. One on the small motor by the side of the Machine: No.1 692 A09. it also had things like volts 115/30 input 80w and cycles 50/60. Then I flipped the machine outwards from the housing where it sits, and it had this no. 401-TW 90184. i am not sure if these numbers mean anything. I do appreciate if you think you can have an answer for me. Either way. You have done a lot more than expected. Have a beautiful day
@@Sarah-yo1dd Very sorry but those are not model numbers. All the original Singer documents are by model number, like 221, 401, 753, 6825, etc. I still can't find a picture that identifies a machine as a "Dial a Stitch". 😞😢
@@andytubesewing1953 Thank you Andy. I will see if I can find any more or other no/s Appreciate you trying to help me. I really do
@@Sarah-yo1dd ✨
Worked beautifully - thank you Andy!
You're welcome! I'm glad you tried it.
Is it OK to use 91% alcohol in place of the electronic cleaner, or is the electronic cleaner just the safest way to go? Thank you so much for showing this method; I've watched your other videos about it, and now I think I'm ready to give it a go.
91% alcohol is 9% water. Don't use it unless you are taking the motor completely apart. You can use a vacuum and lint brush to remove as much of the stone dust as possible. That's OK to do.
I would love to purchase one like yours but I can’t find it on Amazon. Do you happen to have the link?
If you want to buy from Amazon here they are: www.amazon.com/s?k=DIAMOND+D+Brush+Seater&crid=2XGPY01PAPHX1&sprefix=diamond+d+brush+seater%2Caps%2C152&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 This is the one I buy: www.grainger.com/product/DIAMOND-D-Brush-Seater-Medium-Soft-426P65 Good luck, and thanks for watching.
Thank you, Andy your videos are very helpful
You're very welcome. Thanks for watching.
You are awesome! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge!
Thanks for watching my channel.
As always a great help. Thanks Andy.
Thank you
We have a slow sewing featherweight. If we clean the copper communator, will it speed up the machine?
If the slowness is caused by a dirty commutator then yes, cleaning it will speed it up.
Chances are the foot controller has dirty carbons, or is out of adjustment, or both and that is causing the slowness.
I assume you have properly oiled the machine and it turns freely by hand.
Here is a link to a family that knows more about featherweight machines than I could ever hope to. They have a whole section called "schoolhouse" with many tutorials about featherweights. I don't think they would approve of my method of using a diamond stone to polish the commutator b/c they talk about using an eraser. I'd feel better if you looked at their advice and if you had questions asking them.
I will say I have cleaned my wife's machines' electric motors annually for years the way I show and they run perfectly and powerfully. Here is the website I mentioned: singer-featherweight.com/
They probably cover cleaning and adjusting the pedals also, but if in case here is my playlist for doing that: ua-cam.com/play/PLsCOZgzzaiKL6ePPxLpmnWSzTyxPKTb71.html
Best of luck with your beautiful machine, and thanks for watching my channel.
Thank you so much for sharing your valuable knowledge!!!
You're welcome and thank you for the nice comment, and for watching my channel.
I have a 600E that surges and is running slow. I've oiled everything and greased the gears, so I wonder if you think this might help speed things up and stop the surging??
"I've oiled everything" as in all 33 oil points shown in the manual on pages 50 - 53. Anyone needing the manual can download a free copy from Singer Support at this link: (last one on the bottom) www.singer.com/search/support?title=600
If oiled, then if the machine is not binding while turning the wheel by hand it could maybe be the motor. Cleaning the commutator and resetting the brushes as in this video will speed up the motor, but even a very dirty commutator doesn't cause surges unless there is oil all over it.
It is much more likely that the foot controller (foot pedal) needs good servicing. It uses two carbons stacks of small carbon discs that get deposits built up on them over the years. They can even crack and crumble if used a long time in that condition, and the pedal gets rather hot. There are also contacts on the springs that get deposits and pits that cause more resistance to the electricity flow. The electricity will "build up" to fight thru the resistance and causes the surge, then the current goes down and causes the slowing. I would normally look at the pedal before the motor if I was working on your machine.
I made a playlist of videos about cleaning and adjusting the pedal you may want to look at to give you an idea of what is involved. You can do it yourself, as thousands of others have, and at the least, it will improve current flow and speed control. It should stop the surges. Here is the playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLsCOZgzzaiKL6ePPxLpmnWSzTyxPKTb71.html
If the motor still seems slow at top speed afterwards, then I'd use the Diamond stone on the motor.
Hey Andy, This video was great! Thank you so much for your informative videos! I am so glad I watched this! Yay! Kathy from Southeastern Arizona
OK, Kathy, and thanks for watching.
Hey Andy, if I don’t have that liquid spray you used at the end will using alcohol and a Q-tip work just as well? Asking for a friend😂
Sure you can use alcohol. The idea is just getting any of that loose powder and debris out of there. Just don't leave any cotton q-tip shreds behind. Tell your friend hi👋
@@andytubesewing1953 🤣🤣🤣
Compré una máquina 403A singer pero está trancada totalmente. La he estado limpiando y poniendo lubricante pero nada. El motor es lo único que funciona. Veo el programa en T.V. pero el subtitulo sólo sale en Inglés, no hay opción para cambiarlo
Aprenda a usar la función de subtítulos ocultos de los videos. Puedes abrir el CC y luego cambiar el idioma a español muy fácilmente. Los siguientes videos muestran cómo hacerlo. Cómo cambiar el idioma de los subtítulos en UA-cam usando la computadora
ua-cam.com/video/Q-6_7_dbhRo/v-deo.html Cómo cambiar el idioma de los subtítulos en UA-cam usando un teléfono celular Android ua-cam.com/video/KPSgueF_Cpg/v-deo.html Aquí están los 27 de mis videos 403A:
ua-cam.com/play/PLsCOZgzzaiKKyqvdDRwS-9MfLuwSNJTcg.html Obtenga un manual GRATIS de Singer y mire las imágenes para asegurarse de que está engrasando todos los lugares correctos. Cuando la máquina está congelada, por lo general los ejes principales y los cojinetes están atascados con aceite viejo y seco. Usar un secador de pelo en las partes puede ayudar/
www.singer.com/search/support?title=403A If you want to see normal cleaning and oiling of this type of SInger Machine you can watch this video (very long) ua-cam.com/video/Sn2XD4EILFM/v-deo.html
This is like laparoscopic surgery vs open surgery! Tried opening up the motor and using scotch brite to clean commutator. Not much improvement. Will try this. All my machines stored in unheated attic for a few years are all running slowly. It ain't the foot pedals. (shorted them with screwdriver shaft,,,no increase in speed.)
This method works better than just cleaning the commutator b/c it helps "seat" the carbon brushes onto the commutator while cleaning it at the same time. I hope you like it. Good luck.
I've been wanting to try this. Just found a site to buy it in Canada. Should receive it by the end of the month. Your links didn't show up.
Yes, I forgot the links but added them later and they should show up not. Sorry about that. If you can, share the link you found in Canada and I'll have UA-cam unblock it so your comment will show up. There may be others interested. I can add it in the description below the video too. Thanks very much.
@@andytubesewing1953 I bought a Diamond D brush seater, 4 3/4"x 1/2"/3'8". The item cost $15.34 Canadian and with shipping and tax my total was $25.82C.
It's on this site, www.grainger.ca/en where it is listed as item #WWG426P68 and manufature model #BRSRX10MS
The do have a 1/4"x1/4" stone like yours for $9.28 Canadian.
@@terrymcclean4582 That's great! Thank you. I know you will enjoy using that on your machines.
Andy Tube Andy, I don’t see the links you added on where to buy the polishing stone.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Glad it was helpful!
mi máquina es una bionica americana modelo 401g13 tiene mas de 60 años de construida ; cose todo tipo de tela me gustaría saber mas para hacerle mantenimiento
No encuentro un modelo 401g13 en ninguno de Singer Records.
La "g" en un número de modelo Singer generalmente significa que fue fabricado en Alemania, 401G, 404G, 411G, 431G, etc. ¿Quizás haya un 413g?
Su otro comentario menciona traducciones al español. Aquí hay un par de enlaces a videos que muestran cómo configurar los CC (subtítulos) en videos en el idioma que desee.
cambiar el idioma de los subtítulos
Computadora: ¿Cómo cambiar el idioma de los subtítulos en UA-cam?
ua-cam.com/video/Q-6_7_dbhRo/v-deo.html
Teléfono Android: Cómo cambiar el idioma de los subtítulos en la aplicación UA-cam
ua-cam.com/video/KPSgueF_Cpg/v-deo.html
Aquí está mi lista de reproducción de videos sobre el tipo de motor en los modelos de aguja inclinada de EE. UU. y Alemania:
ua-cam.com/play/PLsCOZgzzaiKJSu0T9oeaheTZsrUe91kkZ.html
Aquí hay dos listas de reproducción que contienen un total de 44 videos sobre los modelos 401A y 403A.
ua-cam.com/play/PLsCOZgzzaiKLiDl9yFTP6mJgQmz5lj4NO.html
ua-cam.com/play/PLsCOZgzzaiKKyqvdDRwS-9MfLuwSNJTcg.html
Espero que esta información sea de ayuda. Gracias por ver mi canal y buena suerte.
Would I be able to do this on the potted motor on the Singer 201?
I believe so. I have seen videos of this being done on larger motors. Get a stone about the width of the commutator. You have to have a running motor to use the stone, meaning it must be turning with electricity. I've never worked on a potted motor, so I'm giving general opinions, not from personal experience. Thanks for watching, and good luck.
@@andytubesewing1953 thank you for your help and your amazing videos!
@@ibeleevinfairies You are very kind, thank you. I am happy to have you as a viewer. Take care.
Thank you!
Very welcome!👍
Fantastic and informative videos! Thank you!
Glad you like them!
That's amazing!
I'm still impressed every time I use it. A very nice performance increase. An easy touch is best with that stick. Take care.