FOOT PEDAL SERIES #1: Do You Have a Rheostat? A Peek Inside Sewing Machine Foot & Knee Pedal Types

[@SG-ou2xr]

Did you ever make a video where you replaced knee pedal to an electronic one but adapted to knee pedal? I was actually looking for that when I came across this video!

[@beakittelscherz5419]

Hello from Germany . I want to say *thank you* for this Series! Great channel. I appreciate all your Videos. Please put this Foot Pedal Videos all together in ONE Playlist, bc you have over 400 Vids on your channel, and it took me a while to find the first one! Thanks Fantastic Topic, very helpful right now!

[@marlenebudnik3133]

Thanks so much, I appreciate your videos and the way you speak!👍🏼🙂👍🏼

[@ifromamsterdam2519]

Sewing for some hours today... i loved viewing and listening to your videos'...learned soo much!! Never knew why there was a right second button on the foot pedal of my singer 201K2 :) still listening !!

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Wonderful!

[@paulm8157]

Spot on! I restored a Singer 15 treadle that had been long ago been converted to motor. It had a rheostat knee pedal attached inside the machine cabinet, just like the one you showed. It worked, but the wiring was frayed and the pedal had to be pushed very hard, making the machine run either very slowly or else full speed - nothing in between. I replaced the old unit with a reproduction rheostat type foot pedal; works smoothly. At first I thought about adapting a lamp dimmer switch to use instead, but decided to go with the reproduction foot pedal.

[@ladydrdelicious1273]

Thanks I just procured a MORSE 4300 with a rheostat pedal. Now I know what to check for when restoring.

[@crowznest438]

Oh my goodness, I loved this! I'm working on my first major repair and rewiring of an old, but good, Simplex.

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Good luck!

[@crowznest438]

@@VintageSewingMachineGarage It's done and it works great! Thanks for all the info!

[@anne-mariesteinmetz370]

Thank you for this. Quite informative .

[@MillyToast]

Absolutely fascinating thank you. Loved it. I would like to see one of those bits with the damaged end.

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@rhondamercado7527]

I have a foot pedal I’m working on that has the numerous small coils, it looks like the Necchi foot pedal here in your video. this particular foot pedal doesn’t have that screw in the middle so you can remove that middle section to replace the springs, they used rivets. Are you familiar with that foot pedal and any idea how to get those coils replaced or how to work around the rivets. Thanks.

[@wdtaut5650]

12:07 "...it extends the flow of electricity to all the coils, and now, again, the machine is moving very quickly..." Look again. At the highest speed, the coils are bypassed. There is no flow of electricity to any of the coils at all. The electricity is taking the shortest path to the motor, through the brass bar at the side. Less electric current is lost as heat, more current gets to the motor, so the motor runs faster. It's at the slowest speed that all of the coils are carrying electricity, there is more resistance, more heat, less power to the motor, the motor runs slower. If any of the coils break, current can still flow once the control moves past the broken coil. With no coils at all, the motor can still run, but only at highest speed.

[@megannix7065]

Thank you so much!!! You just blew my mind. I got a singer 201 this past weekend and noticed the knee pedal and was wondering how it worked. Mine has the button pedal. I'm so excited to check and see if the bracket is there!

[@qwertyui90qwertyui90]

i got a singer 99k with the knee pedal, i would love to change it for a foot one :'(

[@cavtroopermunoz]

Thank you, this was helpful as I try and get a Kenmore 148 12040 running again. The one I have is a Mercury circa 1955, looks in good shape but the machine doesn't run. Hopefully I'm not missing something so simple as a switch that I don't know about.

[@AnonymousAmyMakes]

I have one of the Necci style knee press levers on my White model 265. One of the springs inside snapped or came off. I've got a replacement, the same type. Is there a way to clean the little copper bits? Also, both of these did not have a backing on them when I removed them. Should I try to find a replacement back?

[@lysefafard5880]

Hi. I have a foot pedal that only give light. It stopped making the machine sew last night. Any idea why? I have pictures

[@bethg2815]

My pedal is making soft cackling Noises, it assuming its a weird connection maybe? If so how could I fix it? I have a fleetwood zig zag deluxe

[@gailmckone9454]

Commenting on #1 foot pedal series/ March 22/24 I have a Singer 185 K from 1959ish and built in St Johns, Newfoundland. I was sewing with this machine and suddenly the pedal started a snap sound and was hot. I opened up the Rheostat style foot control and it has no air holes or raised base because its insides are identical to a foot control from a Singer 401A which I also have. (The black button one you also showed in your series). So what do I have here and should I continue to use it? Thank you for your videos, they are very helpful.

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

I would replace your pedal with a new generic electronic one that can be wired to your current power cord/plug.

[@zipastewards1906]

Thank you! I just got a singer 328j and the pedal was confusing me

[@TheSmittyImage]

I have a Pfaff with a control pedal designed with , instead of coils and lever, a ceramic block with a wire winding. I need to replace the winding since the wire is worn through. Have you found a good technique for rewind with new wire?

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Unfortunately, I have not. NOTE: I would HIGHLY CAUTION against attempting your own winding. It is a very specialized skill that most people, myself included, do not possess. However, you should be able to get a generic replacement pedal (if not a vintage original replacement) that can be wired to your power cord; assuming the cord is in good shape. Just be sure with any generic replacement that the seller claims it will work with your machine AND that the amperage is at least or above the rated amperage for your motor.

[@creativelychristen9955]

I am working on a Singer 301. The whole base is missing from the pedal. Does anyone know of a metal substitution to fabricate.

[@donaldharris1763]

Can you tell m if the electric motor on a singer 7256 Fashion mate is brushless or if it ha brush’s?

[@joseveliz6979]

I am not an expert but an amateur electrical/electronics hobbyist. "A rheostat is a variable resistor which is used to control the current flowing in a circuit ." The resistance is lowest at the highest speed (delivering the full current to the motor) and highest at lowest speed. The resistor converts the excess current to heat (glow) at different points. It is one constant coil with taps at different points. The pedal moves the knob to a certain tap where it can bypass a portion of the coil and thus increasing or decreasing the resistance. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Thank you Jose. It sounds like your description is accurate. Funny, but I have found the other analog type (Carbon Pile) to be more adjustable for speed than the rheostat. I'm sure there are exceptions though.

[@ChristianPinnock-u5c]

​@@VintageSewingMachineGaragedo these ever get hot like boiling hot I got two that are acceleration type

[@jnl.]

i have that rheostat foot pedal but its missing the first wire coil and the pedal jumps from off to high speed. is it possible to replace the coil? the pedal looks like its in good condition otherwise. the missing coil is not inside the pedal, it must have fallen out or someone might have removed it.

[@DRobichaud8408]

My button style foot pedal has only one speed. It sews too fast. Can you do a video on adjusting the acceleration on this foot pedal please?

[@Sumjolie7]

I have the same issue!!!!...I really hope he responds

[@dinasalazar1552]

Thank you we got rid off the foot pedals in the Necchi because of safety concerns and we just got an electric one on line and it is to fast very sensitive to the touch I do not like it please help me 😢

[@suzannelivermore1307]

Do you have a video on rewiring the button style foot pedal? Please

[@suzannelivermore1307]

I’m in way over my head here😳

[@rochesterfan5693]

How could I contact you. I need to make a New Pedal for my Kenmore Model 148 Sewing Machine. I will like to find out if you have a wiring diagram for that.

[@gavinhodge2290]

Hi, do you have any idea where I could get another rheostat foot pedal, all I'm seeing is the carn block types

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

You can purchase new 'old style' metal foot pedals either pre-wired with a cord or just the pedal like in this link. This one is carbon pile design. There may be something similar for Rheostat type, but I would start your search here on Ebay. Other sewing supply sellers may have them as well. I've never used this Ebay seller but its just an example of what is out there.

[@mikehilbig8280]

Buy an large single ceramic floor tile to rest the rheostat pedal on, if pedal needs to be used on carpeting. Always unplug when the machine is not in use as the pedal can burn up and possibly catch fire if out of adjustment or contacts are misadjusted.

[@moniqueatkinson2610]

I have the same foot pedal for my Brother machine that you indicated is a Necchi one. Mine got terribly hot after use, is this normal? Is there a way to fix them?

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Hello Monique. You ask a very important question. Some of the electrical pieces such as foot pedals were often made in the US or Canada during that time frame and were added once the main head of the machine was shipped over for distribution. It is possible your pedal was original to the Brother but it could also have been added later as a replacement for the original (a prior owner could have dropped the original in the past for instance). Analog foot pedals normally get warm when used, but should never be so hot that you cannot comfortably touch them. This head could occur if you are using them on a non-hard surface flooring such as carpeting/rugs. (Non-electronic pedals need hard surfaces to rest on so they can cool by convection). Another very possible issue could be anything from loose wiring connections to damage inside due to the pedal having been dropped in the past. All pedals new and vintage are very vulnerable to damage if dropped. Electronic pedals are sensitive to this due to their electronic boards while the vintage style pedals almost always have porcelain inside that will crack/shatter when dropped. All of these possible issue can cause your pedal to malfunction so it's very important to stop using the pedal. You can attempt to have a local sewing-vacuum repair shop to see if it is repairable or it may be no more in cost to replace it with a generic electronic pedal. Your local service shop would also be a potential source for this service. Normally, replacing a foot pedal does not require a huge amount of time so any estimate you get should not be super expensive since the pedals are not high cost (as long as they are generic) and labor is not high as the time for replacement should not exceed 30 minutes. It often can take me an average of 15 minutes to swap out a foot pedal. I would err on the side of safety and have your pedal repaired or replaced.

[@moniqueatkinson2610]

@@VintageSewingMachineGarage thank you so very for your inciteful and very useful information. I am very grateful. I shall look into getting a replacement.

[@jimbreen3578]

I have a White Rotary 695 that was made by Juki in Japan the base inside says Juki 201 would you have any service info on this machine or direction where I might locate info? Thanks regards Jim

[@nmjerry]

Actually, to use button style foot pedal. pivot at heel between pressing button and resting foot on stub.

[@nmjerry]

Actually, the coil provides resistance is in series with the sewing machine,, the wiper provides power breakout point. the more coil is bypassed, the more power gets to motor. The more resistive coil the power must pass through, the less power gets to motor, and the more is dissipated too heat.

[@michaelmatheson2564]

mine has the knee control. still works just fine.

[@stoneblue1795]

I sew barefoot so I can feel the button on the pedal.

[@xopheoscarmike9458]

That rheostat would make a great gift to my mother in law... For everybody else, even if it were brand new, any appliance with a metal enclosure that plugs into the power grid _must_ have a three leads cable, one of them directly connecting its enclosure to the earth. And even if it were brand new and properly grounded to the earth, why would anybody want to use one? To waste energy and money? To warm their foot? To only have 6 speeds instead of a virtually infinate number of speeds? To enjoy mechanical failures?

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Good question on why people would choose the older style over a newer pedal. Some people might want something that is less vulnerable to power surges. If you don't plug an electronic pedal into a surge strip, it is somewhat more vulnerable to surges in current than analog style units. The only other reason I can pinpoint is that the metal foot pedals are heavier and easier to keep stable in one place. Although I personally find that with proper rubber bases, the newer pedals, though much lighter in weight, can be made to sit still on the floor. If anyone else has a particular preference, share with us which pedals you prefer. I should add that the Singer Button Style pedals with their Bakelite shells and resting foot design can, when properly adjusted and cleaned, provide a surprising level of needle control for a device without electronic components.

[@michaelmatheson2564]

as long as you remember its there and don't sow your fingers together.

[@abelincoln95]

Can I make a suggestion? If you are using a a lavalier microphone, you need a pop filter or a fur filter. Your "P's" & "T's" are popping across the audio feed really harshly at times. Or reposition the mic away from your mouth. Just creative criticism.

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Great feedback Abe. Thank you, I will consider following your advice!