Can I slow it down?

It would help to know what kind of machine it is.

-Irene

Skip - Does she sew bare or stocking foot? This helps control the pedal for me. Karen in CO

There is something called a "motor speed controller" that controls brush-type electric motors (normal on household machines, as opposed to phase controled motors normal on industrial machines) to allow full- power usage from barely turning to full rated rpm. You dial the max speed you want and go from there. Radio Shack used to carry them (don't think they do anymore) but Grainger (industrial supply) does for sure. A small controller suitable for a sewing machine goes about $25, as I recall.

I have two suggestions - both have worked for me. Cheap!

1. Instead of a wood block, I used multiple layers of corrugated cardboard and taped them under the pedal so they would stay in place.

1. This worked better for me. Turn the pedal around so the foot heal is on the ground, the middle of the foot rests on the "hinge" and then when you sew, the ball of the foot pivots forward. I seemed to have more control.

It's free and can't hurt to try.

Skip wrote:

I have always used my foot control like this, it never occurred to me to use it the other way around :)

Lizzy

Some machines just seem to have two speeds - full speed ahead, and dead stop. My old mechanical New Home was like this. I wish I had a solution for you, but I don't. I eventually got a different machine.

Iris

My foot control needed replacing a couple of years ago and the new one had much better variation of speed - I think that is one of those things that deteriorates slowly (like a clutch in a car) and it is only once you have a new one that you realise how bad the old one had got.

Lizzy

Yes, I thought about replacing the foot control on the old New Home, but it was more difficult than it looked. If it had been just a matter of buying and plugging in a new one, I'd have done it, but the pedal was wired in and so it would have necessitated taking the heavy old thing in to the repair shop. I was, instead, seduced by a new machine!! Still have the old one though.

Iris