Anybody Else Collect Sewing Machines?

[JupitersDarling]

Hi El, so nice to see another lounger joining us from SC! I'm in the upstate myself. Your machines sound wonderful.

I am not an active collector right now, (need more space & money before I'd even consider seriously 'collecting') but I might as well call myself a collector since I've somehow ended up with 5 machines, all vintage! 4 Singers (grandma's featherweight, a 99, a treadle 66 and 27) and (I think?) a 50s-60s japanese electric model.

Speaking of which... can anyone shed some light on an issue I'm having refurbishing the 66? I've been working to fix up the treadle 66, as it was beyond dusty and tacky when I found it. I haven't been able to determine yet how to replace the little red felt oil pad under the bobbin case that I accidentally removed in my cleaning... the original felt was brown/black, nasty, and falling into bits, but I didn't know it was supposed to be there until I read something about an 'oil pad' on a sewing machine blog and went "Oh, so that's what that stuff was... oh crud!' :eusa_doh: ! I haven't found any descriptions or dimensions about this 'oil pad', nor where exactly it goes under the case. Should I worry about it? Is this oil pad crucial to the smooth operation of the bobbin mechanism?

 

[59Lark]

oil wick

on those early 66 and 99k, there was a coil spring thing to the right and the felt sat in it, take a piece of red felt and cut a little piece and poke it into the springy coil thing and then soak it with oil and it will lubricate the hook as it goes by. some machines also have one in the centre of the hook in a hole, and you also need to oil it as it oils the main bearing. have been a singer mechanic for twenty 28 years , if you have any other questions about old singers ask away. 59LARK.

 

[Miss 1929]

I'm bumping this thread

because I am getting a fabulous Singer!

I am not sure what year it is (it isn't in my house yet) but it looks late 20s to early 30s. It's electric, has both the foot pedal and the knee pedal, and comes with all its original tools, manual, and every accessory you can think of - rufflers, buttonholers, automatic zig-zagger - even a little box of "templates" for the button holes. Whee!

I am of course, so excited I can't stand it! It looks pristine - not a scratch anywhere on the machine, no dust even (it has a vinyl cover thingy on the machine itself protecting it in the table.

So, since it has been sitting in a house with no one there for 20 odd years, and probably hadn't been run for decades before that, should I take it to be cleaned and serviced, or just oil it and try it?

 

[PoohBang]

Here's my current 1922 White

I'm currently on the hunt for a machine with reverse

 

[Miss 1929]

Turns out to be 1951, which is fine as it will be in better condition! And it really doesn't look a bit different than the 30s machines.

 

[John in Covina]

One of the things that gives me a pang of regret was that an elderly aunt and uncle of my father had gotten about 6 or so very heavy duty commercial type treadle (foot powered) sewing machines from some place. As a kid I was fascinated by them but wasn't allowed to touch them. At some point they were left out in the back yard to disintergrate and I am sure they were throw out at some point many years ago.

It is a strange thing where my dad's aunt often had the idea these had importance but somehow it was better to own them and have them fall apart than get them to a good home where they would be appreciated. This was repeated with a lot with assorted neat objects by that branch of dad's family.

 

[Miss 1929]

That sounds painful, John! Maybe that is why you turned into a collector - saving the world, one object at a time.

So here's my new baby!!!
So exciting. I did fire it up very briefly to make sure the motor wasn't fried, and it ran fine. I didn't continue as I want to oil and grease it before really taking it for a spin.

I have the manuals, all the tools, gazillions of attachments - heaven! And some excellent scissors and things too!

I am not sure why I have both a ZigZagger and an Automatic ZigZagger, I guess I will have to try them to see the difference! It looks like the Automatic has disks to change designs.

I am in love!

 

[texasgirl]

Congrats Miss 1929! That's fantastic! And all the goodies to go with it :eusa_clap

 

[jessesgirl08]

just inherited my first sewing machine

i have sewed before in high school and jr high but all of the machines were very modern and its been such a long time since i have sewed so when i received a juki 555 that used to belong to my mother in law and my eyes almost poped out of my head when i saw it so different from the machines i have used so right now i am still trying to figure out how to thread it let alone create something with it. but its exciting im looking forward to using it.

 

[Miss 1929]

You might find its manual on Ebay, they often pop up there! It will help with things like threading the machine etc.

 

[BoPeep]

Charbeau what a wonderful story. Don't ever sell your machine or stop using it!! My mother has two Featherweights and uses both of them for classes. Singer's are pritner indestructible! Attached is my sewing corner (alcove off the dining room). On the left is my grandmother's 1946 Singer - I use it every day - and on the right is my great grandmother's 1911 Singer treadle. Have never used it, but will keep it intact for now.

EDIT: Forgot the "little black box" tucked in the corner is my traveling 99K. Love my Singers!

 

[PoohBang]

so I just oiled/greased my brandnewtome Singer 500A! From the original owner!... pics later and on my blog..

It's the holy grail of singers....

 

[59Lark]

NICE machine miss 1929`

miss ninteen twenty nine, what you have is a singer 15 91 direct drive oscilating hook straight stitch in a school cabinet with a knee bar bracket, which you can put the buttonstyle foot control on the floor or slide it into the bracket and use the knee bar bracket to operate the foot control. Also the difference between the zig zagger is one is only for just zig zags but the deluxe ones has cams so you can different zig zag stitches but the zig zaggers never caught on because the needle doesnt move from side to side , the gadget moves the fabric from side to side and its hard to overedge the edge of a piece of fabric that is moving from side to side. The direct drive allows to more power when sewing heavy fabrics and no belt slipping . The process is not in machines not to quality but cost issues only. The unique stuff on his model is the latch on the bobbin case in on otherside from most bobbin cases and the hook has the point opposite and the needle goes in flat side to the left and that machine threads right to left . the only thing too watch is the condtion of the wiring and dont use old oil and dont use motor lube with those tobes. if you have any questions ask away am familar with this model it was the model a of singer machine and was in production for over twenty years. excellent workhorse and the treadle version 15 88 is the most common sewing machine found in amish homes. 59Lark

 

[59Lark]

bo peep machines

bo peep; you have a singer 15 88 which is one with a motor on the back with a leather belt part no 193077 and is the same machine as miss 1929 but with a different motor set up, and the cabinet you have it in is a style 40 with matching stool and the seven drawer treadle you have looks approx 1902 era , i believer an embossed , the wood trim stamped and glued on the drawers most of those were made in singer cabinet plant in southbend ind. it probably has a singer 27 memphasis decals with the phinx on it, long bobbin shuttle but at time also there were peacocks and pheasants, gingerbread and flowers. the most common is the egyptian memphasis decals. the attachment box if still in drawer might be a oak puzzle box with purple velvet and folds open and has brackets to hold each part. the fifteen eighty eight is a excellent work horse and is long living and you can still buy the belts, the light bulbs are still used in new machines and the needles and bobbins and the bobbin case are still be made and common. 59Lark

 

[59Lark]

miss 1929

i last comment looking at the picture of your machine the bakelite lamp cover is not pushed all the way to the right you shouldnt see the bulb from the top . it wont reflect the light right and the heat shield fits into the bakelite looks like all you have to do is push it to the right. 59lark.fftopic:

 

[BoPeep]

Miss 1929 - If you haven't tried the zigzag attachment for your machine, it's a bit tricky. I bought one at a rummage for my Singer. As 59Lark noted, the attachment moves the fabric from side to side. It's hard to keep a straight zigzag line with the piece jumping all over! I have the cams too, and haven't had much luck with any of them. Definitely not for doing button holes, but if you play around to get the right weight fabric (not too light or too heavy), it may work for decorative stitching as shown in the manual for the attachment. Still a fun gadget to have. You do have a great assortment of gadgets!

59Lark Thanks. You sure know your Singers. My treadle is a shuttle bobbin and has the floral decals. My mother has an Egyptian decaled machine in gorgeous condition. Stunning!! I've heard those were manufactured in Britain and sent to their colonies in Africa. Do you know anything about that?

 

[PoohBang]

now a few pics of my 500A....

more pics on my blog

 

[Miss 1929]

Thanks 59Lark and BoPeep! It's really good to know about the zigzagger and its ways! I will probably keep my modern portable Singer around for doing zig zags, but biym those attachments are cute.

I plan to go to the local Singer shop (since we have one) and get new oil and the special motor lube for it, as the ones that came with are probably old and icky after all these years. Such a nice machine!

Now if I can only make more time to sew...

 

[59Lark]

slant a matic 500 a

The 500 was nicked name the rocketeor , for its modern buck rogers styling new in the late fifties when it was introduced even its buttonholer box was weirdly shaped and modern and one of those space show once used a rocketeor buttonholer case as a prop in a show science fiction. The 500 The A stand for andrerson north carolina where it was made, it was a alum die cast all steel gear machine, with direct drive gear drive instead of motor belt and it also feature built in stitches want to do zig zag match up the lever with B L and straight stitch is A K 3 , and to the other question the capital city in egypt was memphis so the sphinx decals are called memphis decals and the machine were made all over the world but the most famous factory was the kilbowie singer plant in scotland so machines with a k after the model no were made there, A was anderson nc and w was the old wheeler and wilson plant and E was elizabeth nj and J was saint jeans quebec in Canada and M was monza in italy , G was germany. i have a book downstairs hope i havent mixed any up a lot of those 27vs were made in elizabethport new jersey, and with the 500 you can grease all the gears except the ones near the flywheel in the top the long skinny one is direct from the motor and spins quite fast if you grease that one, the spinning motion will liquify the grease and oil will run down into the motor and run on the armature and cause it to smoke and run slow. keep them clean the narrow gear on the indside of the flywheel is a fibre gear designed to have some giffe so to accept stress of jerky starts. i have in the sewing machine business for nearly thirty years and have been a singer dealer for almost 25 years. I have 200 machines in my basement for parts alone and i have a lot of parts in my cellar. 59Lark

 

[PoohBang]

are you saying NOT to grease the red fiber wheel? The manual shows to put grease there?