newbiequilter58

Picked this up as a cabinet for my Mom's neighbor who quilts and is looking for a cabinet. She keeps an eye on the house for me, so just a way of saying thanks. The machine in it is a Sears-Kenmore sea foam green machine that takes cams. Model #158-16012, S/N# 0046535 with 712 stamped vertically at the end of the S/N. The cabinet is a Sears cabinet tagged 566-9685.
If Judy the Neighbor doesn't want the cabinet, that baby is staying with me, but I would like to gift the machine to someone who will give it a good home. It has no cams, manual, or attachments other than a specialized plate and a plastic jig that looks like it is used for making different styles of buttonholes.

Monroe

I have a very similar model, and can copy the manual if you don't find one through Sears.com.

newbiequilter58

Forgot picture of cabinet and the buttonhole jig

newbiequilter58

Can you use Sears.com to date the machine by the serial number?

J Miller

I don't know about serial numbers but you can go here: { http://www.searsarchives.com/history.../sewing_id.pdf }
and use the model numbers. This chart says your machine was made 1970-1971. It would be made by Maruzen Jaguar in Japan, and is a very good machine. Currently I have 4 made by M/J and they all work superbly.

Got your PM, am gogitating about it. Will discuss it with Elaine when she awakens.

Joe

J Miller

The steel plate with the spring and lever on the bottom is the button holler drive plate, without it the button holler will not work. Remove slide plate, install, button hold drive plate. Put the button holler on the machine over the needle plate. There is a hole behind the needle plate for the screw in the narrow end of it to thread into. Put the round end over the drive gear on top the button holler drive plate. You rotate the big round wheel to choose your button hole, then set the fabric where you want it and using the big rectangular button hole foot start sewing. As cheap and goofy as those button hollers look, they work great. Yes I have one. I think I have four different Kenmore button hollers and three of them are for the 158-xxxxx series Kenmores.

Cams for those are easy to find. They are the blue/grey, or the orange and green top hat cams you see on shopgoodwill.com all the time. I think there's a set on there now. If I find it I'll post it.


I like the cabinet too. Were it me I'd either keep the ensemble together and keep it for myself, or sell it together. Finding Kenmore cases for portables is all but impossible and the plastic ones you can buy at All Brands are all but ugly.

Joe

J Miller

[ATTACH=CONFIG]418871[/ATTACH]

That machine should use this design top hat cams. Like I said, they also come in a blue / grey color. Other than the color they are identical.

Joe

path49

There are always sets of cams on ebay....10 or more on any given day. A complete set for your machine contains 30 cams. There are more cams but those stitches will be built in your machine (multi-step zigzag, blind hem, etc). It also takes the Kenmore super high shank feet....a little pricier than low, high, or slant shank feet but also always on ebay. The cases are also always on ebay. Your machine will fit in any Kenmore case for flat beds but, the one that was made in that time period is the best one. It's a pale grayish-green & comes with an extension that snaps on to the left side of the base....make sure it's there. Case http://www.ebay.com/itm/FREE-USA-SHI...item1e7be9626d

J Miller

path49,

Sigh, I so wish eBay wasn't the be-all, end-all place to find things. I haven't done eBay in years. There must be other sources for these things. There just has to be.

Joe

Latrinka

Nice machine and cabinet, can't beat a Kenmore!