Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Virginia Woolf and the Mysterious Green Splodges

And so the cleaning continues. With my trusty brush in one hand and a jar of de-natured alcohol in the other, I continue my foray into the world of the machine. It seems a pretty simple operation in principle. If it looks dusty - remove dust. If it looks dirty - remove dirt. If it looks greasy in places it's not supposed to be - remove grease. If you've just finished d-n a'ing a panel on the base and suddenly little green splotches turn up...

Um...


Go over them with the dna again! And again... and again...

OK, folks, any suggestions?

In the meantime I return my focus to the poorly functioning carriage. 

On closer inspection it looks as though the carriage strap is intact and connected to both ends.


Although it does look a bit frayed on the edges towards the middle. 


Is it possible that the loose threads could be hindering the movement of the carriage? 


This makes me suspect that it is the spring and not the strap that is causing the problem.

Does this mean I will have to remove the platen to access the carriage spring?

I have no idea. 

Stay tuned, friends.


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1 comment:

  1. Bill MJuly 15, 2015 at 2:47 AM

    I've never had one of these come across my workbench. I do by best to re-tighten the mainspring by turning it by hand if I can get my fingers to fit. Then I re-attach the draw string and test the machine. Sometimes I need to add more tension; sometimes remove tension.
    The green looks like normal corrosion or mildew. You can remove it with plain rubbing alcohol and then wipe the area over with a light sewing machine oil (or almost any non-detergent oil works on the frame) so the black oxide will not rust.

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