J Miller

OK, I stand corrected. I don't do eBay much at all anymore.

Joe

Jeanette Frantz

My son picked up a Singer Featherweight a few months ago at Goodwill locally (Ocala, Florida) for $50. It was absolutely an unbelievable buy! It needs a belt, a good cleaning and oiling before I use it, but my son was a sewing machine mechanic for 14 years, so I don't have to go to the shop with it! The machine is in excellent condition otherwise, but I'm really lucky that he found it!

Jeanette Frantz

Mornigstar

Jeanette Frantz --I'm half asleep reading your post and then I remembered. -----While in Fl last winter met a
man who told me his relative was sewing machine mechanic for 14 yrs. I needed a part so he wrote out the
name and info. Mentioned Ocala area but I go south of Fort Myers. Somewhere in my briefcase of notes I have
his name which I believe is the son you referenced because I remember the "Frantz" part. Awesome!
If I can find that tomorrow I will write the name. As is said --It's a small world

Seems to me the man siad it was his brother --is that probable to you?

carolynjo

I love, love, love my 401 A. 53 years and counting and no trips to the hospital. I piece, embroider, and quilt with it.

ShirlR

Thanks for the link to GW's auction site, Joe,

I will check it out. I just read the 2 replies below yours, and I, too, saw a featherweight being sold through eBay by GW for a machine located at an Oregon location. This was well over a year ago, but hence my comment about that issue.

cabbagepatchkid

I have to say thank you, Joe, also!! This must be the week for buying 401's! I found a 401g (made in Germany) on Craigslist and went to buy it yesterday. The person selling it had printed out the manual for me (wow...tons of pages!!) but I'm glad to see all of the pics and information that you have supplied above.

My machine has lots of old grease on the gears, which I would like to clean off. Is there anything that might cut through it without actually giving it a bath in kerosene? The 401g comes with a little detachable extension that I've never seen before.

ShirlR

It's sure nice to know that all Goodwills are not selling them at auction. Congratulations on your new addition!

ShirlR

Oh, what a beauty! It looks brand new! Congratulations! (Isn't Joe a nice guy to not only post the pictures, but indicate in red the key points on them to oil, etc.! Wow!)

PsychoPixie

I also have a Singer 401, as my one and only machine. It is great for sewing and piecing, but I have tried quilting, and the bobbing thread seems to tighten to the point that the fabric won't move anymore, until the bobbin thread snaps. Any advice? I've tried almost every combination of thread tensions, and I don't THINK it was the feed dog plate catching....

Maybe one of those universal screw-on cover-plates would work better than the built-in raised plate?

Candace

Are you talking about regular quilting or free motion quilting? You need the correct foot for both or the thread can catch and break.