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

looks like my 27. That would be my guess as well.

I misunderstood what the question was and I apologize.
FYI: Does look like both of my 27s too although the serial # is definitely a mystery.
Chris

Originally Posted by J Miller

Christine,
You're welcome about the help. Glad to do it.

I think .... subject to further experimentation ... that I have the Kenmore's problems sorted out.
It's not the fleece,
It's not exactly the DCx1F serger needles I'm using,
It's the eye ......

When seated to the same length, needle bar to point, the eye on the DCx1F sits one eye worth higher than the OEM needle. That is the problem. This machine is critical with the eye placement.

Tonight I was sewing on a cotton / polyester blend scrap and it puckered up the material badly. Too much top tension. It also was skipping stitches too. We worked with it to no avail, even hosed the top tension out with aerosol cleaner-lubricant. Didn't help. I was trying the stitches with the top tension set at 1. Almost no tension and it still wasn't doing well.
So I remembered an email I'd sent Miriam this morning about the eye position, reached up and lowered the needle an eye width then tried again.
I went from tension setting 1 back to a normal 3 with good stitches and no skipped stitches. With that in mind I stuck the fleece under the foot and gave it another try. Perfect little stitches. Nicely formed with good tension top and bottom.
So, there's the it of it. This machine is not so critical on needle length, but that eye has to be in the right place or it ain't happy.

Joe

Sounds like you have a testy little machine there. It likes what it likes and you aren't going to change its mind!

This may be a good reason why I have no Kenmore machines in my collection.

I think certain Kenmore machines are fussy. This one complains because it doesn't have the hybrid needle it needs. A friend of mine has a Kenmore from 1974, all metal, uses cams, etc. The stitches it makes are lovely. The underside looks just like a Singer machine. It uses regular needles, not the extinct ones. Too bad we can't find a stash of those needles for you somewhere!

Joe; How old is the testy Kenmore? I have a vintage one that I need to unearth before I can give any more info about it but you have me curious about the needed needles now. Actually I have 2 Kenmores but think one of them is less vintage than the other one. Can unearth that one and look at it a bit more.
Chris

Here's a machine for the extremely short among us!

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/clt/3203638047.html

Have a question...
I have a couple of rusty bobbins ~ the spindle portion ~ and am wondering if they can be resurrected to new life or are they toast? I need some to go with the machine I'm donating and it came with those rusty bobbins plus two like I've never seen before that I am keeping for my own machines which use 66 bobbins. TIA.
Chris

Anyone heard of an Apartment SM? Looks like a 3/4 Singer, but definitely says Apartment across the top. Pretty neat little machine. It's for sale and I'm asking questions of the owner, but she works nights soooo...will take a while to get back to me.