The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

The New Hotness

  • Kenmore Model 158: Older Foot Pedal Resistor

    Based on the paperwork tucked into the sewing table, the most recent Kenmore Model 158 sewing machine in our stable dates to 1972, a bit earlier than the others, and has a metal-cased foot pedal with a wire-wound resistor:

    Kenmore Model 158 - new-ish foot pedal resistor
    Kenmore Model 158 – new-ish foot pedal resistor

    The cord insulation stiffened up over the decades and I wanted to replace it, but the contacts in the sewing machine connector were spot-welded to the conductors with no room for teeny screws:

    Kenmore Model 158 - new-ish foot pedal connector
    Kenmore Model 158 – new-ish foot pedal connector

    I blew out the fuzz, put it back together, and it works pretty well, modulo the usual low torque at slow speeds issue.

    The discrete resistor taps produce a somewhat stepped response, but early reports suggest it’s not enough to be annoying; it’s much more stable than the carbon disks in the more recent pedals.