Mrs. SewNSew

I have some JB weld tightening a loose joint on my Necchi's janky light fixture. It claims to be good up to 600 degrees. I can't imagine the lamp gets that hot. I had planned to start stripping the Necchi cabinet, but something else pressed to the front of the line.

I have a Singer 127 up on the table getting cleaned and oiled so she'll run nicely once back in her treadle. She's already moving much smoother than she was yesterday. I wasn't planning on getting her, really I wasn't. I avoided the tasty looking ad on CL for a whole FIVE hours! Finally, I gave a call and BOTH machines were still available. She was a toofer along with a centennial Featherweight in lovely condition and apparently no one else was interested.

Her cabinet is in beautiful shape, just needs a wipe down. Even her irons are in nice shape with the gold paint in nice condition. Geez sometimes they just make it so you can't say no.

ArchaicArcane

Yup,.. I have the same problem. A computer client emailed this morning and asked if I wanted his mom's old 411G. It's free but only to my good home. LOL! DH will pick it up on the way home while I'm out at our quilting group.

Mrs. SewNSew

Yahoooooie! Lucky you! I want pictures when you get it!

ArchaicArcane

Just for you Christy! (Everyone else avert your eyes! :P) This is exactly as it showed up here, other than being removed from a Europro plastic fantastic sewing machine box. I really hope that's not what she planned on replacing this machine. I know she sewed for 3 or 4 boys and lots of denim, now there are grands...

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It looks to me like the large majority of the attachments are there, just the box is missing. Curiously there are 2 binders, 3 zipper feet and 2 straight stitch feet. The chaining plate is there and the correct bobbin case is in it so it's another chainstitch capable machine. For some reason, some of the ones I hear of or find have the wrong bobbin case so they can't chain. I will probably clean this one up and find it a good home. I still have my own 411G which besides my 301 is the only slant I kept in the "Great Downsizing".

LOL! Looking at that pic, I thought of some people who have said that they only don't have machines in their bathrooms and kitchens... if I have a kitchen in my studio... does that mean I have sewing machines in my kitchen?

Now you know why I usually shoot pics in the other direction.

ArchaicArcane

OK, so the machine I'm fiddling with today is a Kenmore 16 stitch. It's a Janome made machine, probably close to the beginning of their run (385.1584180).

The bobbin winder stop had lost its nut. Found it in the machine but it didn't fit the bolt which was all corroded but nothing else in the machine is. Weird. Pawed through several stashes of nuts and bolts, ended up gluing a new nut in place and using a different bolt.

Looked around after I'd put all the bolts and nuts away that I'd be searching through... apparently I'd put -1- of the Kenmore's screws away with one of the 5 batches of bolts. Awesome. Luckily they're m4 bolts and I had spares (in one of the tubs of screws) and I can finally get back to what was supposed to be a fast service.... 2 hours later.

Jeanette Frantz

Tammi, those little parts and pieces are so easy to misplace! Don't even ask me how I know!

Jeanette

Mrs. SewNSew

EEEEEEeeeeee! I love it! It looks like a cross between the 401 and the 328. I've never seen one around here. Are they not so common? Does it actually do a chainstitch?

Rodney

I think I found most of the problem with the Kenmore I've been messing with. I'm very close to having it right now. It is now reversing the feed dogs for the decorative stitches and I think it's timed correctly or at least it's very close to right. The decorative stitches are recognizable but still sloppy. It has a ducky stitch but they don't have beaks. I think a little more fine tuning is needed.

Mrs. SewnSew very nice 127 and Tammi great get on that 411.
Rodney

ArchaicArcane

Hey Christy,
There's no reason it won't chain now that I've given all of her jewellery back. I've always seen them as a cross between the 401 and the Rocketeer. I love that little "blade" at the top left. It reminds me of the fins on the backs of the cars from the 50s. The 411G seems to be relatively common here. Possibly not as common as the 401A but more than the Rocketeers. I have had possibly 5 or 6 of them come through the house as machines I've bought/been given. I've also serviced a few that belonged to others. I don't know that I remember seeing anyone in the US post one here on the QB.

Well, I finally finished the Kenmore but it turned out my fabrication skills were still required.

The 411G needed a little help but we overcame.
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• Crazy dirty and really dry. It was really close to seizing up around the stitch selectors but not quite there.
• The plus/minus ring on the tensioner was broken but all pieces were present so I glued it back together.
• The set screw on the outer tensioner ring was broken and not original, so I re-tapped for another set screw and installed it (that ring is the last part to reinstall) - it functions as original now.
• The bed cushions were replaced by felt and the original screws were gone. I found 3 that fit in my spares and the 4th bolt hole was stripped, so I found something else that fit mostly and tapped for it - since the hole was stripped, I figured I might as well make new threads. Back to the original bed cushions.
• The usual problems with the spool pins. Added the spacers and reassembled. Looks like one is a little crooked, so I'll fix that later.
• Removed the cord from the treadle knock out and reassembled.

All that's left is to test sew to check and adjust tensions, straighten the spool pin, adjust the bobbin winder stop and do a test sew for Christy with the machine chain stitching. That will all be tomorrow or the next day now though. I have a play date with my cousin tomorrow.

3 hours plus the work tomorrow and it's almost like new.

Mrs. SewNSew

"treadle knock out" thank you! I knew something looked weird about the cord. Oooh I would love to see the chain stitch. Some day I will find a good chain stitch machine. So far, one either hasn't crossed my path or I didn't know what it was.

That is a pretty col machine. I might just have to add it to my watch list. First I need to see that chain. Thanks for sharing about it!