Thread: Vintage Sewing Machine Shop.....Come on in and sit a spell

Originally Posted by Kathie S.

I have had success with rubbing alcohol. Kathie

Alcohol will take off paint and decals!!! Try sewing machine oil instead.

Originally Posted by Barb44

I just got back from an auction where I bought a Victor treadle sewing machine for $20. The label on the machine reads "Victor Sewing Machine Co. Middletown, Conn." There is no number on it except a 4 on the post above the bobbin wider. It has a straight bobbin.

I searched the net for info. ISMACS is the only place that had a shred of info. The company only existed from 1876 to 1890. So this machine is really old. And it is in bad shape. A lot of rust on the metal legs, drawers are off and parts of the veneer on the cabinet is loose. The wheel only moves slightly. I think it is the shaft/bar underneath from the wheel to the bobbin that is frozen. And the cover box is in pieces. It's a challenge.

There is probably info on this thread about restoring machines that would help me, but going through 933 pages is daunting. I am anxious to get it working. DH now has a project. LOL

Does anyone know anything else about this machine?

My mother had a Singer treadle model 127. One of the dumbest things I've done is sell that machine. It sewed so well.

Barb do a search for turorials here. There are cleaning/restoring tutes and one for restoring the cabinet too. The tutorials are from Billy, our fearless leader here (lostn51), and Glenn our cabinet restorer! If you can't find them, one of us can find the link and post it!

Nancy

Originally Posted by tammy cosper

I just posted a pic of a gorgeous sphinx at this link.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-115711-1.htm
Can't believe she looks so bright after 100+1 years.
I am soooo thankful so many people took such good care of their machines.

Tammy very nice machine! Those decals look almost perfect!

Nancy

Originally Posted by Damienvon3

Originally Posted by Miz Johnny

Originally Posted by Damienvon3

You are lucky to have found the feet/accessories with yours, as they are very hard to come by. They have an unusual way of attachment--back clamping, but the top has a cross on it. I think I have two feet with mine; will probably never find any more to go with it. [/quote

Oh, that is good news then. I will try to get pictures of the feet that I have if you want. Just let me know.

That would be great!

Here they are, I just took out of the box and took a few quick pictures. If you want better pictures let me know.

Wow, those are really nice looking!

BoJangles, I did find the tutorials last night after posting. But this machine is so different that the dis-assembly tut doesn't help much. For example, the tension control is on top of the arm. It is a very simple machine. Luckily DH is very mechanical. Even though he thinks I am nuts, I can tell he's anxious to get it apart and clean it. As far as I know the only thing missing is the belt. There are two shuttles, but may be too rusty to use. One has a bobbin in it with blue thread.

It has a coffin top that is in pieces - just needs glueing. But it is missing a carved piece on the front corner. May have to move one from the back and put a plain piece in the back.

I did find a patent date on it of Nov. 1, 1881. I will keep doing research. The Smithsonian has a manual, but don't know if a print version is available.

Has anyone here won an auction on the goodwill site? I put a bid on a couple and am wondering if I want to continue with higher bids if necessary. My concern is the packing and shipping. How was your machine packed? Did it survive the shipping process? Thanks.

Haven't been getting updates, so have a lot of pages to get caught up! Just want to get back in the loop!

Originally Posted by incoming2me

Could someone please help me identify this Singer machine?
I was thinking about getting Great-Grandmother's treadle out and back into use. I called my mom, who has had the machine stored for over 30 years, to drag it out and send me a picture. I've not personally laid eyes on it in over 30 years!

I'm thinking it's a 15-30?
Hopefully it's a bobbin machine, not a shuttle.

Thanks!

I believe you have a Singer Tiffany. Your mother may be able to give you the serial number on the front so that you can get the exact date of manufacturing from Singer
http://www.singerco.com/support/serial_numbers.html

Here's another website that you can identify the model type if you do not know the serial number: http://www.sandman-collectibles.com/...r-machines.htm

You might also be able to gather information from Ismac's website: http://www.ismacs.net/faq.html

Hope this is helpful :)

Judy

[quote=BoJangles]

Originally Posted by Miz Johnny

If this gives you any idea, two of the nicknames are "Touch and Swear" and "Touch and Throw". With the exception of the 600 and 603, the machines all have plastic gears, most of which have crumbled by now. They cost more to fix than they're worth, and many repair people won't bother. quote]
Nancy

If you are going to attend a Ray White advanced seminar, those T&Ss are good to practice changing gears. It's fun to learn even if you don't plan on doing this type of repair very often.

Heed help! How do I identify a Serial # that starts with "JC". When I go to the site I can click on the 2 letters and scroll to the numbers. However on the JC, I can't go any further.

Also, does anyone have the Singer that uses the Bullit Bobbin? I did a search and found out how to thread it and seems there's a good replacement supply but wasn't sure how it compared to the 221s and 15s.

Thanks so much!!