You bet repairs are something women can do but you sure never saw women work on machines back in the day. I was blown off way back then, too when I wanted to learn. I have had to figure things out myself. I thank God for the internet. Everybody here is so encouraging and there is such a wealth of info. I'm also thankful I can find parts and repair manuals! If you want to learn sewing machine repairs get a cheap old junk machine and take things off and put them back on. If you botch it oh well - we all have little boxes of parts to our shame... well maybe except Joe. But then you could also look at it as having a box of junk you can always use to keep some other machine alive and you know where those parts came from.

My 301 is my go to machine for piecing and FMQ both. I've never had a bobbin jam in the three years I've owned one. Nor do I have to hold the thread to start so the bobbin won't jam - I did that for 40 years with the Elna. My kids disliked that machine for that reason. BTW, I love Miss Elna - just not for anything concerning a quilt.

Depends on what "in the day" you are discussing.
These are from an article in the Scientific American from 1889(ish) showing the inside of the Wheeler & Wilson factory.
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Not in my day - not repairs. I've seen the Singer factory movie where women worked in the factory but not in the repair shops I was in. They maybe sold machines and vacuum cleaners but did not do repairs. I don't think the men wanted women to know how to do anything - they wanted them to bring machines in for every little thing and then sell them a new machine if they could. It took nearly 50 years after they were invented before men would buy a sewing machine for a woman to use at home. Things are so darn sexist with sewing machines. I get men coming to my shop very sheepishly telling me they want a sewing machine for themselves - when I tell them there are plenty of men that sew they look so relieved - some sew for business some sew just to relax - I don't know why they sew but they do - probably for the same reasons women sew... What ever... LOL

The last OSMG stash I bought out had a stack of 3M paper with prices. Some time I should type some in. The OSMG must have died in the mid 1970s or early 80s. Stuff was tossed into a closet. Cheeky grin. It is all prior to that time. I could shoot a picture but the print is so small it won't show up very well. Maybe someone with a scanner could print scan it and make a pdf or some such. Computers are not my area of expertise. Oh I have every kind of plastic gear - rattle my cage if you need some. I have some kind of early electronic part thingy too. so adhd.......

A 99 Singer is a strong sewer with a dependable stitch. They are easy to maintain and take standard needles and bobbins. The price you pay depends on where you live and the quality of the machine. I've seen perfect ones, in a cabinet, in the Pacific NW go for $100 easily. Food for thought.

My VS2 (Rosie) is capable of buttonholes! I looked around for information about attachments then hooked the buttonholer to her and started treadling. Here is the result:
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Haven't tried yet but I'm quite sure I'd have the same level of success with the swiss zigzagger. Is there nothing we can't do with these old soldiers?

Quoting Manicmike: "Is there nothing we can't do with these old soldiers?"
Probably not. I loaned one to a friend and he said it could be used a self-defense weapon by the lady in the house because of the weight. I agreed having dropped one on my foot only once but that was enough. Thankfully nothing broke on me or the machine.

It must have missed all of your bones then! With the featherweights being the exception, all of my machines would break your foot if you dropped them from almost any height. Very lucky (or unlucky depending on how you look at it).

I always have dreams of being self sufficient with every machine, but they're like friends so I guess I'm only helping to raise their self-esteem :D

Manicmike, I have to say, that is a pretty machine.
Sorry for the absence, trying to catch up on threads here. A Yahoo update has screwed up everything.

I would like to mention something that came to my attention recently. A woman asked her local SMG if he would work on her vintage machines. A 66 and a 201-2. He said that they were too old, and declined to take them in for maintenance. She found me (I think from QB) and I did the necessary work for her. She couldn't find anyone local to work on them. She drove 1.5 hours each way to drop them off and pick them up so, six hours drive time total. I have to admit, I felt bad about the drive time she had.

Has anyone else had that happen to them? A local shop here has started to take in restorations and I am doing them for him because he only knows the plastic machines. I have asked him about a Singer 66 and he looks at me like I am speaking Greek to him.

Also, as far as women doing repairs, my mom grew up on a farm back in the 40's and she taught me a lot about how to fix things. Some have it and some don't, no matter what the gender is.
~G~

I was out and about yesterday - on my path was a thrift store I stop at when I go that way. It is a tiny one - it supports a shelter among other things. Anyway I found a couple things and saw a sewing machine. I looked it over, closed the lid and went to pay. The manager asked me why I didn't buy the SM - I told him it needed work. He said yeah it has a cord we can't figure out where it goes. So I showed him. Then I showed him what else I saw wrong. Then he said well I guess we should throw it away. I guess I looked at him funny so he said would you pay me $3 for it. Sure. I bought it. They even put it in my car for me. Then I got thinking. I went back in and we worked out a deal for me to buy the derelict machines for sure and he would call if something came in - either way and I can evaluate them. I think I know where some of my working machines are going to go now. I like that place. The bigger thrift stores aren't so willing to work things out - at least not around here.