Question for Glenn, Can I glue the covering of my featherweight case back on? And what kind of glue would I use? Thanks

Wow!! That would be the coolest job yet!! :-)

Whew! I did it! I cleaned out the bobbin area. I could see old thread caught in it, so I took it apart, found more thread than I could see, and put it back together. One little baby step at a time.

How beautiful. If I was there I would sure have a hard time listening to my checkbook. Wow. Thanks for taking the pictures. Lovely eye candy. :-D

Wow, great deal! The panty pattern sounds even better than the loose .22 ammo I found in one of my treadle drawers.

I have a 503a thats missing a few parts, including the bobbin winder. That is missing becasue previous owner changed motors and new motor isn't made for bobbin winders.

Will this motor work? Is the extended top part the difference in the motors? Is that a decent price?(for those of you work on electrics)

http://cgi.ebay.com/SINGER-SEWING-MA...item2c5dcced91

I watched her swap out another motor so I am thinking of repairing this 503a. It needs the different motor, the bobbin winder, and the top lid (which has all the instructions for the cams). I have a full set of cams and my daughter was playing with it yesterday and man did it have a beautiful stitch! The tension needs adjusted but it was still awesome. I'm thinking of repairing it and gifting it to her if she wants it....and if not then I'll sell it and say I got the experience of working on one...lol. She seemed interested at the moment, but she's 23 and sews rather sporadically :). She actually has a D9P started right now that she is doing totally on her own.

My 500a just arrived at Billy's and I'm so excited about getting it repaired!

I know once one of you tell me, I'm going to be smacking my head and saying, "Doh!", but I can't figure out what an "F&F" is. I did find this information:

Chicago Sewing Machine Co. Est 1875 - 1882
◦Factory: Chicago. Illinois
Became:
Chicago Sewing Machine Co. Inc Est 1882 - 1902
◦Factory: 42 – 52 North Halsted Street, Chicago. Illinois.
Previously:
Tyber & Sweetland Manufacturing Co. to 1875
Machines Made:
◦No’s 1 – 5, 7, 11
◦Chicago Low Arm Singer
◦Imperial High Arm
◦The Columbian
◦The Peerless

As for selling it, it's worth what someone will pay for it. That is not meant as a snide or snarky comment, it's just that you can't really put a value on something like this and expect it to hold true. If several people want it, it's worth more. If only one person wants it, it's worth less. THAT'S why everyone thinks their machines are "worth" $400 or whatever--they saw one go for that on Ebay, and don't take into consideration all the other factors: availabilty, 2 people in a bidding war, drunken stupor, whatever. (BTW, there's a Sphinx on Ebay right now--asking price is $3,000.) Most genuine collectors will not tell someone what an machine is "worth", and most sewing machine sites state that at the top of their page, as that is the question most frequently asked.

There are a host of little changes, notably the needle plate. I have discovered several different needle plates on the later WW 9. A big difference is the bobbin case. The last 9W used a FW bobbin--much easier to find than the bagel bobbins!

If he's selling them, you won't stop him. He's making great art.

Nope, people sell Grandma's stuff all the time. You can't keep everything. I actually kept very little when my mother died two years ago. I thought it out and decided to keep just the few things I felt I could best use. Most everything else, including her vintage machines, went to family members. What they do with those things (including sell them) is up to them. I am a certified hoarder, and I just couldn't see bringing more stuff I couldn't use home with me.