Thread: Know your Vintage Machine

Originally Posted by miriam

Billy,
I found an old black Japanese sewing machine, cleaned it up and everything seems ok but the tension had everything missing but the hole. I tried to put one together from a front tension but I think something might be missing on the very back inside somewhere. I have rebuilt other tensions so getting one together is no problem. Any suggestions? Is there anything special about those kind of tension?

Do you have the adjuster that the entire assembly fits into. Its like an inner sleeve that goes into the faceplate (if it is a model 15).

Billy

There is an inner sleeve - it is a Univeral I think it is similar to a model 15.
I think it would be a pretty good machine if I can get it to work.

nothing moves when the take up lever moves

oops somehow I lost the pictures - I'll try again
I can pretty much assemble a donor tension in the sleeve. I think a piece is missing - possibly some kind of spring. It does not engage when the take up lever goes up or down.

ok the pictures turned up. LOL sewing machines I can do but pictures drive me nuts. I got the tension to assemble but I don't think it is right. I'm going to take a pic of the machine. This machine was salvaged from a flood. I did a lot of clean up and it turns beautifully. I think it would be a very powerful machine. I was surprised how well it cleaned up and that there was no rust in the bobbin area.

I have one just like it and I love the machine!! It is my favorite machine that I use in the studio. Lets see if I can find the photos of mine that are together.


Billy

Is your table a hollow core door with a machine insert set over a treadle base? Did you add support to the underside? A store nearby sells slightly damaged doors for $5. I might want to get another one. I already use one hollow core door on three filing cabinets :supplies and patterns in the file drawers, and huge ironing mat and cutting mat on top.

Originally Posted by emmah

Is your table a hollow core door with a machine insert set over a treadle base? Did you add support to the underside? A store nearby sells slightly damaged doors for $5. I might want to get another one. I already use one hollow core door on three filing cabinets :supplies and patterns in the file drawers, and huge ironing mat and cutting mat on top.

Yeah its a hollow core door with a filing cabinet on one end and a cabinet under the other. I put 3/4" MDF on the underside and mounted my treadle under it sitting on a stand. I am going to have a solid plank for the next quilting table in the addition. It will be 48x140 finished and I will be able to walk around it on 3 sides.

Billy

okay you are missing a couple of pieces on your tensioner. Here are photos of mine to give you an idea.

Billy

It looks like your lever has much closer contact with the back of the tension than mine does. That thing doesn't come close on mine. The tension in the pic was robbed off a donor machine from the same flood probably off a very rusty Singer 66. I'm thinking that lever should hit a pin in back of the tension. I wonder if there is another spring or something inside.

The motor is missing but I have the wheel off the 66 if it will fit & some treadle legs in the garage.