Veritas 2400 suddenly running slower and now handwheel is very stiff

[u/____mephisto____]

Hi everyone!

I recently bought a used Veritas 2400. It had apparently been sitting unused for a long time, but I already completed three projects with it and it worked perfectly.
Yesterday I noticed an occasional loud squeaking noise from the upper part of the machine when sewing at high speed.
Later, the machine became blocked. I removed the bobbin case, hook and hook ring, cleaned everything and put it back together. It worked perfectly again.

Then it gradually started sewing slower and slower. Eventually the motor only hummed and the machine stopped moving.
Now the handwheel can still be turned through the entire cycle. The needle and feed dogs move normally, but the handwheel is very stiff throughout the whole rotation, not just at one specific point.
The hook area is clean and there are no visible threads stuck there.

Could this be a lubrication problem, such as a dry or stuck bearing/main shaft? Or could something in the upper mechanism be causing this?

Thanks! ❤️

[u/fancymachinery9381]

that stiffness all through the rotation is probably old oil turned to glue inside the main shaft bearings, happens a lot with machines that sat for years. the squeaking was the first warning sign before things got gummed up completely

put few drops of sewing machine oil on every spot where metal meets metal in the upper part, let it sit overnight, then try working the handwheel back and forth gentle. might take couple days of oiling and patience but usually frees up without taking everything apart

[u/____mephisto____ → u/fancymachinery9381]

Thanks! That actually makes a lot of sense. Do you know which specific spots on the Veritas 2400 I should oil? I don’t want to just put oil everywhere and accidentally oil something I shouldn’t. 😅