Anybody Else Collect Sewing Machines?

[cw3pa]

We found a couple of old Singer machines while I was stationed in Calif. years ago.
I believe this is a model 66; at least that's what is on the owner's manual that came with it.

Here are some of the accessaries the came with it.

We also found this little one. I can't remember the model number though.

 

[Shangas]

My grandmother's Singer holds a special significance to me. I've made it a personal mission/project to try and restore it to its original condition.

Since my last postings, I have greased the lock, and I have been gifted, by a friend (who collects keys), an actual Singer bentwood-case key:

I've cleaned the case and I'm currently cleaning the machine. I've removed the faceplate and polished it and cleaned it, and I've also cleaned out the insides of the needle assembly, wiping away all the old grease from the pistons and wheels, and picking out all the bits of dust and fluff...

I've plugged the machine in and tested it. The handwheel and belt-drive run satisfactorily, as does the bobbin-winder. But the needle assembly refuses to move. I strongly suspect that this is because of a need for oil.

I have a sewing-machine shop in the next suburb from me. I've sent them an email asking if they have oil for sale. I've also asked them if they have a replacement slide-plate for my machine. Apparently, slide-plates go missing all the time, so there's an active market in manufacturing replacements for a wide variety of models. Mine's a Singer 99k, so finding a replacement should be fairly easy.

I learnt that there's a bracket on the underside of my bentwood case. I never figured out what it was for, until I looked at a couple of photographs of similar brackets online. Then, after a bit of poking and wriggling, I finally figured out what it does...

It's for the knee-bar!

I had to read an old Singer manual, to figure out how to thread the machine and fit in the needle. I'm a little embarrassed that I had to do this...I used to do it every single day for my grandmother as a child, on the exact same machine. I can't believe I forgot how! Her eyesight didn't allow for her to thread her own machine, so she used to get me to do it for her. I remember watching the spool bouncing up and down on the spool-pin when the machine was operating. It was fun to watch.

Once this Easter weekend is over, I'm heading off to the sewing-machine shop in the next suburb to try and get some oil and a replacement plate for gran's machine (and maybe, some needles, if they sell them). One way or another, I intend to get this machine back to its original condition.

 

[Brinybay]

I don't really collect them, but I have one. I picked it up because Western Electric used to make sewing machines, then phones (which I do collect). I haven't done anything with it since I got it a year ago. Not sure what I'm going to do with it, I can't even keep up with my vintage phone projects.

 

[59Lark]

Loungers ; the machine at the top of page is a 66 class singer with lotus decals, the cabinet shown is a deluxe parlour or drawing roomtreadle cabinet. Very high end for the day, there are two kinds one where the machine just goes down normal and one where there is a monster spring and a brass button and the machine goes down like a elevator and look out when you hit the button and it comes up. These parlour cabinets where the cadilacs of treadle cabinets. The childs machine after it, is a kids sewhandy model 20? western electric did not make that machine but simply market it with their name on it, did at one time who made it, have forgotton, and the motor is really old , brass and is friction rubbing against the flywheel , have seen those labelled edison motors.59LARK who works on some like this every week cause thats what he does for a living.

 

[Brinybay]

... western electric did not make that machine but simply market it with their name on it, did at one time who made it, have forgotton, and the motor is really old , brass and is friction rubbing against the flywheel , have seen those labelled edison motors.59LARK who works on some like this every week cause thats what he does for a living.

Thanks for the info Lark. I have the foot pedal for it too, but it's not pictured and in sad shape. GF and I were on a road trip last year and we were stopping at yard sales and looking on CL for the areas we passed through. Saw this one for cheap so I took it.

 

[cw3pa]

Thank you for the information on the Singer 66. Our machine has the brass button and "monster" spring. If one is not careful the spring will launch the sewing machine into low earth orbit.

 

[2jakes]

Two years ago, I bought a Singer sewing machine just because I like the looks of it.
It looks like the first picture on post #1. It's not electric. Has a hand wheel on the side to make it work.
It comes in a wooden case. It's mostly black with gold trimmings. The condition is excellent ! I have never seen
such beautiful work for a sewing machine, like I said , that's why I bought it !

 

[Shangas]

They don't make 'em like that no-more, and Singer's a shell of what it used to be. Look after it.

 

[BigFitz]

I spotted a Kenmore very similar to this at my local thrift store complete with table. Any thoughts on vintage? I'm guessing '20's to 40's. I've been thinking of getting a machine to USE at home, any thoughts on if this model would be worth it to get going again?

 

[Shangas]

No offense to any of the other manufacturers out there, but when trying to get a vintage ANYTHING running again, it's best to buy a market-leader. There were more spare parts, the machines are more familiar and the fact that they're still around is a testament to their quality.

From what I've seen, a solid, classic black-and-gold Singer, such as my grandmother's 99k, which I'm restoring...

...sells for about $100 in working condition on eBay (or anywhere else in the world, for that matter). I reckon for a hundred dingdongs, you got yourself a good machine. They're soild, unbreakable, easy to clean, oil, service and use (otherwise I would NEVER have attempted this project!), pretty much idiot-proof, and in my mind, value for money.

From what I've seen, they can be a bit tempermental and you need to figure out the little intricacies of stuff like thread-tension, foot-tension, stitch-length and whatnot, but you have to do that with any sewing-machine...

 

[2jakes]

I spotted a Kenmore very similar to this at my local thrift store complete with table. Any thoughts on vintage? I'm guessing '20's to 40's. I've been thinking of getting a machine to USE at home, any thoughts on if this model would be worth it to get going again?

[/QUOTE

Check with your local sewing machine shops & get more info regarding parts & costs for getting it to work again.

 

[Shangas]

If it just requires cleaning and oiling, you can actually do that yourself (I did!). But if it's something more serious (broken parts, electricals, etc), then best to get a professional guy to take a tinker.

 

[59Lark]

2Jakes; what you have is a white rotary machine made in cleveland, the exterior is different and its labelled sears but its a white, it runs backward ie counterclockwise, singer run clockwise. It take those flat attachments and rotary bobbins, and most are friction drive, the parts are available if you know how and who. I believe i have one in cemetry, and attachments and such. They are a pretty good machine and can do blue jeans pretty good, the friction drive rubber gets a flat spot sometimes after 50 years or so. If you have any other questions you can contact me, have fixed these things for 30 years. 59lark.

 

[59Lark]

White who made that machine , the sears was no 2 at one time and made a fine machine, but you need someone who knows, date late forties to early fifties, white closed the cleveland plant in the 1950s and japan took over, maurzen sewing machine co first co in japan to make a zig zag machine machine got the sears contract in 57, they won awards for the high quality metal machines they made , had the contract till 75, then janome got it. maurzen became jaguar internation corp, who are they , they make those electronic singers you see in walmart made in china and vietam. 59LARK

 

[TackCollector]

For those machines with the friction drive, if the rubber roller part isn't too out-of-round, you can put a piece of tubing over it, like a sleeve, to get the friction back. People said they bought it (tubing) at Home Depot or Lowes or other hardware places. I've never owned any White machines, so I can't testify whether that fix works or not, but many people say it does.

 

[TackCollector]

I don't really collect them, but I have one. I picked it up because Western Electric used to make sewing machines, then phones (which I do collect). I haven't done anything with it since I got it a year ago. Not sure what I'm going to do with it, I can't even keep up with my vintage phone projects.

National / Eldridge made a lot of those shuttle machines, under various badge names, too. http://www.farmcollector.com/equipment/western-electric-sewing-machine.aspx says the machine itself was made by National, and the motor was by Western Electric.

the machine disappeared from the market by 1918

 

[Phineas Lamour]

I just picked up a Singer Model 714 with a sewing table at a yard sale for $10. My wife has taken it apart and oiled it and got it working. It needs a foot, a bobbin and a screw for the needle. I will post a pic soon.

 

[Flicka]

I don't collect but as I'm currently staying at my mother's (due to renovations on my place), I thought I'd show the little kiddies Singer I learned to sew on, that my gran had as a child:

I made lots of stuff on that as a kid - mostly doll's clothes but bigger projects as well.

 

[Fulvster]

my newly-adopted machine

I am new here but enjoying the collecting thread and photos very much; thank you for sharing. I do not collect but just a week ago I rescued a Singer Sphinx treadle machine from the curb and she now sews a beautiful stitch. Everytime I have uploaded the .jpg it tells me the format is unsupported so sorry, no pic. I do not collect but sure wish to find my own mechanical zig zag machine ... something with knobs and colours like a beautiful, funky radio. I am on the hunt. Do any of you refurbish machines for sale? I hope I am not violating any rules in asking; apologies in advance if I did.

Fulvster in South Carolina

 

[Shangas]

Before the year is out, I will probably have ANOTHER sewing-machine in the house!

My grandmother was a dressmaker for 30 years. She ran her own shop and made women's clothes (as well as some undergarments and simple shirts and shorts for children, like my father).

When her business was in operation, she had five sewing machines. Three in the shop, and two at home. One of them was the Singer 99k knee-lever which I displayed on this thread earlier:

This machine was her PERSONAL machine. Which makes it very special to me. But I have recently been told by my father that some of her OTHER sewing-machines may have also survived.

When my grandmother retired, she gave away or sold the sewing-machines, apart from her personal Singer, which she took with her when she migrated here to Australia.

Among the people who took advantage of the free vintage Singer giveaway when her shop closed, was my aunt. She took proud possession of TWO of my grandmother's vintage Singer TREADLE MACHINES. My aunt worked with my grandmother as a dressmaker, in her youth.

This information was confirmed to me by one of my cousins.

Now, the sad thing is that our family does NOT have a good record with family heirlooms. It's the Asian thing that does it. The older generations just DO NOT understand the value of antiques. So as a result, we have very few heirlooms in our family, because they're all thrown out or given away or chucked in the bin or sold on the street-corner once they get too old.

I was TERRIFIED that my aunt would one day figure that the Singer was no good for her and that she'd chuck it out. I BEGGED my dad to ring up my aunt and ask her for the sewing-machine. Yes, it probably weighs about 200 pounds, yes it's the size of a small desk, yes it's old and hasn't been used in ages and yes it probably needs a lot of TLC.

BUT I WANT IT!!!! It belonged to gran and so I WANT IT!

Good news!

My father rang up my aunt and inquired about the Singers.

She already gave away one (which is kind of understandable. She doesn't need TWO machines). But she does still have the other one (both originally belonged to my grandmother). She attested to the fact that it's in good, working condition, although it's been unused for a long time, and is currently in storage.

She has agreed to put it on hold for my father and I.

We're going on holiday later this year and plan to stop off in the Old Country to see relations. So we'll be able to go over to her house and look at the machine and figure out how we can get the damn thing back home to Melbourne!