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

Originally Posted by Janis

I just bought a button holer that I thought would fit on my 401A, but am now unsure and need help. It is aSinger Professional buttonholer and says it is for vertical zigz-zag sewing machines. In the book it shows 3 different cover plates. I have the # 86748, and it says that is for vertical-needle zig-zag sewing. Will that one work with my machine?
Thanks for any help you can give me. I'm totally new concering these slant shank sewing machines.

If you look at the button hole maker at the top where it holds on to the shaft it should say 'slant' if it will fit a 401 or other slant machine. There are a couple different kinds. One comes in a pink or green case - they load the cam from the bottom. There is also a professional button hole maker - it loads from the top. There is a professional button hole maker that works on short shank - it is marked 'straight' on the top where it attaches to the shaft. I don't know why but I like the one that loads from the bottom better even though you have to remove it to change cams and I can't tell you why I like it better.

[QUOTE
Miriam did you get to see Glenn's quilt in the flesh?[/QUOTE]

NOooooOOOOOOOooooooooo Glenn left it at home. I did get to pet his dog.

Originally Posted by Janis

Thanks Miriam, I never loooked to see if it said anything on the part that attaches to the shank. In fact, I didn't even look at that part. Dumb me!
Will these plastic button holer templates work in the other button holers too? I have always had the metal ones, and never thought that some would be made of plastic, but now I know. I guess when they started making the gears on the machines in plastic, these came along too in plastic.

I don't know if they are suppose to but I've done it

Originally Posted by J Miller

Not Miriam, but the button hollers were not marked prior to the introduction of the slant shank machines.
And I'm not sure the Greist versions were marked. Hang on while I go take a look see ............................
OK, I'm back. Neither my Singer nor Greist slant shank button hollers are marked "slant". I guess that came later.
The standard plastic and metal cams are interchangeable. The cams for the Professional Buttonholler are larger and not interchangeable.

Joe

The professional button holer is marked straight or slant - you are right the older ones are NOT marked - the ones that are slant are marked slant on the shank holder part

Originally Posted by J Miller

Not mine.

My one low shank Singer Professional Buttonholler is not marked at all.

Neither of my standard slant shank Buttonhollers are marked.
The Singer has the black wedge shaped metal body and is in a burgundy colored plastic box.
The Greist has the black hump shape metal body and is in the brown tweed colored box with the dark brown text on it.

Two of my low shank Singer standard Buttonhollers are marked with "straight" on the mounting place.
Both are the beige plastic bodied versions, one is in a green plastic egg the other in a white pasteboard box with it's picture on the front.

None of my other ones are marked.

Joe

I have the buttonholer that was with my 301, and it is the same as Joe's, black wedge shaped in burgundy plastic box. No markings.

Joe,

Yes, the Q foot is a clear plastic kenmore foot that came with q needles. I see them in sets on shop goodwill sometimes. That foot was the life saver for t shirt type fabrics. Also, you can try cheating the needle down just a smidge, if you don't have the q foot. Not sure of the logic, just that it sometimes worked back in the day.