I purchased an older Singer Stylist zigzag model 457 sewing machine at a garage sale. It doesn't have the owners manual and the bottom thread gets all knotted up. It also is hard to feed the material thru. Is ther any way I can download an owners manual

I can definitely help you with the owners manual. Go to http://parts.singerco.com/IPinstManuals/457A_105_125_135_143A.pdf and you can download it direct from singer, no viruses, nothing. Just save it in Adobe format.

The bobbin thread problem is called a birds' nest and can be from a number of problems. First thing to do is to change your needle, especially if it was the one you bought the machine with. It may look perfectly straight to the naked eye. But it only needs to be a little bent to cause a problem. If this doesn't clear the problem up, make sure you're using a new bobbin, freshly wound. If the bobbin isn't wound properly or is an old bobbin that's slightly bent or not quite round, it'll cause problems, too. Finally, the machine may need a new bobbin casing. Do a google search for Singer sewing machine parts and search for a bobbin casing for a model 457. You'll remove the plate from the top of the machine CAREFULLY (the screws are small, so be careful not to lose them!). Take pictures if you need to with your cell phone so you can see what to do when you need to put the new casing in. Bobbin casings are usually $25-30. This is the last thing, and I would only do this if you see that thread is catching on something in the bobbin area when you're moving the wheel by hand.

I've tried to be clear on the last bit, but I realize it can be a little awkward. If you need any other help with that, please leave me a comment back. It goes straight to my email, so I'll see it quick and will get back to you right away. The manual doesn't help a lot with your bobbin problem, so I'll do whatever I can to help you through it and get you sewing. Good for you for finding a great garage sale find!