Can someone help me out. I am interested in buying a Singer Featherweight 221 and have been looking on line. I have found them to be priced anywhere from 189.00 - 750.00. Does anyone know approx. how much it should be? The prices range from such a wide scale I am so confused as to how much I should be paying for it.

Are you wondering what to look for when you buy a sewing machine? Prices are all over the map. Watch and wait and spend what your wallet allows. Just because someone wants a million dollars doesn't mean it is any better than the one for $225. I think there are web sites all about Featherweight machines. I'm sure Joe will post a link for one for you.

annouell,

We paid around $280.00 or so for ours and that included shipping. It is a basic black FW in a stinky ( pee-u type ) black case. It has all it's accessories and a double score of bobbins with a few other goodies. The machine needed cleaning, lubing, a new belt, and freed up. There was thread under the bobbin case jamming it up.
After that was done she's a great little machine.

I am a bit of a piker, I won't pay the outrageous prices I've seen. I had decided to stop bidding on this one at $300.00. Glad I got it for less.

A good place to start watching is Goodwill auctions: { http://shopgoodwill.com/ } They always have some to watch. There are at least two or three there now.
Here's the sewing section: { http://www.shopgoodwill.com/search/s...umbs=on&page=1 }

Here are some more links to check out:
>The Featherweight 221 Factory { http://thefeatherweight221factory.com/ }
>Singer Sewing Machine Information Site Including Featherweight models { http://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/index/ }
>Featherweight Facts { http://planetpatchwork.com/fweight.htm }
>**Glenn Williams' 221/222/301 Parts { Glenn Williams' 221/222/301 Parts }
>sewing machine 221 sale { http://sewingmachine221sale.bizland....ore/index.html }
>**Singer 221 Featherweight sewing machine accessories, repair parts, t-shirts, patterns, books, batiks { http://www.thequiltgal.com/index.htm }
>April 1930's - A Sewing Shoppe...Singer Gauge Presser Foot Attachment Set { http://www.april1930s.com/html/singe...foot_atta.html }
** = members here

( Miriam was right, I got lots of bookmarks :) )

And like she said set a dollar amount and keep looking. It might take a while, but one will come your way.
Don't forget yard and estate sales, thrift shops, and church sales. You never know when you'll trip across that cute little box with a FW inside.

Joe

Hello everyone. I have a question that I hope someone can help me with. I am working on a Singer Foot Controller from the 20's and opened it up and found this.

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At first I thought that it was rust, but it doesn't seem to be. It feels like some sort of baked on substance almost like glass beads. I started to do research on it and found very little but I did see someone selling a part just like this and it looked the same. Is this normal? If not, is there a good replacement or some sort of retro-fit available? I like the foot controller and want to keep it with the machine if at all possible.
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
~G~

Grant I am not sure but it looks like a coat of mica.
Skip

It does look like an insulation layer. (It also looks like advanced rust to be honest)

I would use baking soda and water to clean the whole thing and then once completely dry (Baked or a couple days) then do conductivity test on every element I could contact to map out its electricity flows. If there is not "bad flows" then go for it.

Thank you Skip and Steve. You set my mind at ease. But now I feel really foolish. I turned it over and was looking at it and the same stuff that looks like rust is on the ceramic insulator. Ceramic does not rust. It kind of glistens in direct sunlight too like a moist cake. I am going to put an ohm meter on it and see what it says. If it checks out I will rewire this bad boy and the pretty 128 I have will be done.
Thanks again.
~G~

Grant,

The brown grainy stuff is a coating of some kind. You can see the glue on the far end of the ceramic that it was glued on with.
The contacts are copper so the brown on them is not rust. And of course the blue corrosion on the buttons is not found on steel either.

Clean the buttons and the under side of the swing arm, and adjust it for good contact. Then rewire it and you should be good to go.
I love old foot controllers like that. I do all I can to refurb them back to useable condition.

Joe

Does it have to be a Singer or will she accept a clone?

There are some very nice clones out there but they usually aren't painted up like the Singers. They do have CHROME!!! and KNOBS!!! and LEVERS!!! and PRETTY COLORS!!!