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

Originally Posted by Weedwoman

Originally Posted by tomilu

Here is the freebie DH came home with. Singer Golden Touch and Swear 640. It did clean up nice, but is missing the 5 prong cord and slide plate. My slide plate for the 401 fits it, but I don't want to rob the 401. The plastic gears seem ok, but won't know until I get it running. I was able to download a manual for the 600s and instructions for threading and bobbin winding for this model. Now to locate the parts.
Tommie

I have a Touch & Sew 626 that I've had for years and I totally love that old machine. I truly like how the bobbin fills right in the machine and the fact it can be set up to chain stitch.

I hope this old girl will sew ands the gears are ok. I need to look at the manual and see if it will chainstitch. Never even thought about that. Thanks for your comment.
Tommie

[quote=roseOfsharon][quote=sewnserge]

Originally Posted by roseOfsharon

Hi Billy and everyone! I have just purchased a rather in need of work 99 singer 1924. She is missing cord and foot pedal. Is is hard to locate those and are they reasonable? I got the sewing machine for 11.50 plus shipping. She needs a new belt too.


Thanks, I hope to be able to get what I need for her. AND that she works! Can't tell till she has the cord and foot pedal :) But I am confident she will kick in.

I am having a senior moment (again) and can't think what type of cord yours takes. What kind of prong does it have?
Tommie

[quote=tomilu][quote=roseOfsharon][quote=sewnserge]

Originally Posted by roseOfsharon

Hi Billy and everyone! I have just purchased a rather in need of work 99 singer 1924. She is missing cord and foot pedal. Is is hard to locate those and are they reasonable? I got the sewing machine for 11.50 plus shipping. She needs a new belt too.


Thanks, I hope to be able to get what I need for her. AND that she works! Can't tell till she has the cord and foot pedal :) But I am confident she will kick in

I am having a senior moment (again) and can't think what type of cord yours takes. What kind of prong does it have?
Tommie

Three prong it is.

[quote=Weedwoman]

Originally Posted by Miz Johnny

This is probably a no brainer, but did you try raising the needlebar to the highest point before putting the bobbin case in?
Hold the bobbin by the latch, put it in place over the stud, then push back until it sort of "snaps" into place.

I agree that this is the biggest negative with the 306/319. They are so big and heavy, and have to be tipped back in order to insert the bobbin. It's a PITA and in general a bad design. But they sew so well!!


I've tried everything I know how to do. I can take the bobbin out of the case and it 'snaps', however, with filled bobbin in the case, no 'snap'. Maybe I need vintage L bobbins but the ones I'm using came with the machine but I guess that doesn't mean anything. Maybe the previous owner had fits with it also. Freaky though because I've sewn with it before w/same bobbins. I guess it's just my day to be frustrated. Maybe I should go sew on one of my other 25 machines, lol

I found on my 306 and 319 if I don't fill the bobbin out to the edges it fits into the case better and snaps into place better.
Just something I found out to do and it works for me.
You are so right about having to man handle the machine and I have burnt my hand on the light a time or two trying to tilt the machine back.

Originally Posted by BoJangles

My 127 shuttle bobbin measures almost exactly 3 mm or 1 1/8"s. Are you sure your SN is right? The shuttle bobbins just drop in the shuttle and you thread it like any bobbin. I have not tried the new bobbins in my 127.

Nancy

Well, as you all can see I have been up since 4 am so I thought I'd try to answer some questions. One of our chihuahuas is having heart problems. He is getting weaker and having a hard time breathing so I have been trying to comfort him all night. It is very hard when you love these little guys so much!

Hi Nancy.... first off, I'm sorry for your little guy. I love all my animials and when they are not doing well, I do the same thing. Hold them, give a what comfort I can.... I hope things get resolved for him and you.

On those bobbin's... thank you. For some reason, I didn't think that 1 1/8" was 'long'. My thread tangles a bunch, so I was thinking that maybe the bobbins I had were not the correct ones. It could be the thread or tension. I'll work on the tensions and figure it out. I didn't ever check the S/N actually. lol. I know it's a 127, cause it's full sized, VS2, Sphinx, spoke wheel, but electrified, and has the bobbin ejector. The 27's didn't. So this has got to be the newer 127... It sews slowly... it's not lack of oil or grime, I think it may be the old wiring/pedal. I may just chuck the electric motor all together.

Originally Posted by misseva

bummer! you can tell I know nothing about a 127. maybe stopping & resewing over previous stitches IS the only way except to turn it around and that's not fun even on small items much less a quilt.

There's another trick I learned whilst making historical costumes. I still use this method for sharp darts and stitched down pleats... and it occurs to me that it might could be used to help stabilize a seam - but it would take a relatively long time to do so. Might not be 'worth' it.

You first sew onto a scrap piece of cloth, then sew off that and take a few stitches 'in air' before sliding the real work under the foot. Sew the seam as normal. When get to the end of the work, continue sewing off the material, taking several stitches 'in air'. Stop, cut threads so that you have long 'tails' at both beginning and ending of the work seam. Then at the beginning and at the end, use the two tails to tie a series of small knots at the edge of the fabric. Cut tails.

This is something... like i said... you do for garment/costume and 'finish' sewing. But it might help in this case too.

When I'm doing 'assembly line' quilt block sewing, I don't bother with backtacking at all. I first sew a scrap piece of cloth to the edge, the abutt the 1st of the blocks up/under the needle, assembly line sewing all the blocks, then sew off the last block and onto an ending scrap piece. Then you don't get all the thread snarls on the bottom of your work when starting on small bits of quilting.... I saw this on Bonnie Hunter's quilting site. She calls it, 'using leaders and enders'.

Originally Posted by Becky Mc

I just bought a Singer and not sure what she is Serial # is AG647013 no other numbers got her for $35 needs a little cleaning up runs light works no attachments just extra bobbin. I went to the singer site and it said AG639261-659260 Model #15 quanity20000 4-8-46 But can't find any info for a manual any help out there please and did I get a good find? I hope, not sure how to thread it just got home a little while ago and took pics and posted them but was told to post them here

That's an AWESOME looking 15-91. $35??? A steal. It will use regular, low shank attachments/feet.... they're an easy find. Side clamps too, just like many modern machines. There's a free downloadable manual out there... just google for it. This machine will FMQ like crazy!

Originally Posted by mpeters1200

A quick question about maintenance.
So...fast forward to the vintage machine. I have 2 full pages in my owners manual with 24 odd places of interest for oil. REALLY!?!?! I have to oil this every 4 hours? How am I supposed to keep track of the hours?

I don't want to break or otherwise hurt the machine or her production by either oiling/cleaning too much or too little or in the wrong places. There's more arrows on my manual than Carter has liver pills. I just have no idea what I should be doing with her.

mpeters.... lol! love your post. The old, cast iron Singer type machines (and I believe all the other old vintage/antiques out there) do need oil and sometimes grease. Just in case someone hasn't mentioned the basics yet:

First off, if no one's yet told you... always use 'sewing machine oil' in the spots, holes, felts, etc. of your antique machines and only where the manual tells you to. Not all 'holes' are oil holes. Use some common sense too.... lol... it's unlikely that you're going to want to put oil into the motor! It will smoke up a storm!

Also, it's a good idea to put a drop where there are moving metal parts sliding on moving metal parts. You'll see those 'Carter liver pill' oil ports/arrows in the manual - notice that many times the oil points are underneath, and inside the side (behind the faceplate) and in the back underneath the metal plates. So get a screw driver and unscrew the plates and oil it in there too. That's why there are readily removable plates there... so users can access the inner workings to clean out fuzz and oil.

These old machines are not 'self-lubing' so to speak. But they're not really hard to take care of either. One drop and one drop only, in each oil spot... on a maintained machine is good. If you're refurbishing a machine or it's sat for 20 years... it'll need cleaning, and a lot of oil to get it to work. But it will work after you're done with it!

If you sew a lot, constantly, then you might need to oil it every 6 months or so. If you're an occasional sewer, then 1/year or so. After using the machine for a while, you get a 'feel' for when the machine is going to be 'thirsty'. Some people say they can 'hear' their machine metal parts starting to rub more, or that they can 'feel' it needing oil.

Some of the early electrified Singers (and potentially some of the similar, non-singer machines) also had 'grease tubes' for the early motors. The manual will show you where/if you have them. Use Tri-flow or Singer sewing machine grease/lub only. Do not use appliance grease, white lithium grease, automotive grease, etc. Many of those have additives that won't help your machine. If you have a specific question about all that, check with others on the site, like Billy, Glenn, or ???

And lastly.... if anyone else comes along and gives you more advice... go with them! <grin> I'm still new to antique machines, but have progressed a LONG way with the help of this board and this topic/thread.

Have fun with your machine, take a bit of reasonable care... and it will outlast you... and your children.

Originally Posted by Miz Johnny

I have several different style needle cases and thread cabinets, and even a DMC floss cabinet. Name it, I've probably got one somewhere.
Incorrigible.

OOOOOhhhhh! MJ! I am so envious of those DMC floss cabinets! I'm so GREEN! lol.

Originally Posted by quiltdoctor

Anyone know anything about a 1950 Eldredge. Didn't know they were even made. Saw one in a cabinet for $30, that looked brand new. Had that rough dull finish.

wow... Crinkle or wrinkle or Godzilla finish. AND if you look close at it, it looks like a Singer 101 CLONE! How unusual! I love it!