miriam

A singer 319 has endless possibilities for decorative stitches if you can find a set of 30 flat cams. I like a singer 403 with a full set of cams rather than a 401 which doesn't make any more variety of stitches any way. I also agree a Japanese with a nice set of cams is a good choice. Some are set up to change stitch patterns if you change the needle position. The real old Kenmore machines are my other favorites.

Elna made some great machines and you can find a wide variety of disks for a price. The old green Elna machines have issues with the pulley unless you change it out to one that accepts o rings. The SU is a great machine. I wore mine out.

There are some old Montgomery Ward machines that are pretty cool I had one that closely resembled a Bernina. Keep an open mind about non singer machines.

miriam

I would be breaking open the piggy bank to buy that CL machine

purplefiend

The Bernina 930 is also a good choice. My friend sews all sorts of costumes for Anime conventions with hers and has very good results.
Sharon

bkay

I had reported earlier in this thread that the black top hat cams for the Singer Touch and Sews would work in place of the other black top hat cams. They do not. I tried one on my 503 and it wouldn't work. According to the internet, you can modify them slightly and they will work. I have no experience with doing that, though.

(I just wanted to straighten out my mistake.)

bkay

tessagin

I concur with Mickey about the 401. I bought mine at an estate sale. The previous owner was an interior designer and used it (401) on a daily basis. She also made her own furnishings with help from her daughter. I took it for a test drive. It had 5 cams with it. I had my 'test" kit which consists of a 10" square of denim and one of cotton. I also carry my own thread and a variety of needles. That machine sewed through the denim once, twice and three folds to where it was a total of 6 layers of denim. I told the gal right then and there sold. My husband was not very happy with me. He tested it the next day by using it on his denim jacket. I did not know he had used a 401 most of his life growing up. His mother taught him and his 2 sisters. He helps maintain. It sews like butter, purrs like a sleepy kitten. I paid $150.00 for it. That was over 2 years ago. It has a chart for the different stitches and you can download the manual free. It's a long one. I have the original which is small but very informative. When you check one out take a test kit; denim and cotton 10" squares, couple packs of needles small pair of scissors and thread so you have a variety of thickness. I never know what I'm going to find at an estate sale or thrift store so I keep a kit in my purse. Doesn't take up much space. you also may want to take maintenance kit like the ones that come with machines, the brush, screwdriver, oil. Just in case.

rryder

Thanks everyone who replied to my question.

I did purchase from eBay a White selectronic 970 only to discover that the cam on the stack that allows it to step back has a crack in it. The seller had shown the picture of the crack but apparently thought that cam was a spacer since he didn't see it get engaged on the stitches he stitched out. I beleive this was an honest mistake on his part. I didn't realize that it does in fact get engaged on the "hidden stitches" that the machine is capable of until I noticed that some of them get wonky and start to make a rather interesting mess, each in their own unique way, at which point I opened up the machine and observed the cam stack while running the machine.

Further testing revealed that the presser foot foot pressure adjustment is stuck. I can't get it to release from the highest level of pressure. Am wondering if a liberal oiling would help?

Fortunately the seller refunded all my money and told me to keep the machine (which is why I always pay attention to ratings on eBay). So I am now searching for a cam stack. Since it will likely take a while to find one, if ever, I'm continuing to check my local Craigslist and thrift stores for other machines that have separate cams and will suit my needs.

The white is an interesting machine as it was originally manufactured to have user replaceable cam stacks. There were apparently 3 made for it, so if you had all three you could do something like 90 different stitch patterns with it. It has a 1.6 amp motor. I haven't taken it completely apart yet, but what I've seen so far is metal except for the cam stack. I think it was made in the late 60's or early 70's based on its looks and the atomic symbol etched into the flap that covers access to the bobbin compartment. I have to admit I am rather taken with it from a purely aesthetic point of view. lol

miriam

I may have one of those machines but the throat plate is trash and tears up thread and I haven't looked at the cam stack.
If you think you can get it out send it off and then get it back in and make it work, there is a guy over on Victoriansweatshop forum who might make a new camstack out of metal. His name is farmerjohn

rryder

Thanks Miriam. I have taken the cam stack out and put it back in just fine. I was wondering if it was possible to get one machined. The cracked cam is a two layer thick one and is separated from the others by a metal ring that is screwed in. The crack is right next to a screw so I'm thinking that the screw was overtightened. I will check with farmer john to see about either redoing the whole thing as a metal cam stack or if it's feasible just to do the cracked one.

Next question, does anyone have any experience with unsticking one of those button/ring style presser foot pressure controls? The manual says to press the outer ring and the inner button (which is the top of the presser foot bar) will spring up. You can then leave it like that for darning, or press it halfway down for sewing on lightweight fabrics, or all the way down for heavier fabrics. I've pressed it down, nothing. Then looked it over carefully and noted a little tab that looks like maybe it protrudes just a tiny bit from the outer ring, squeezed that, nothing, tried using my fingernail to push it in, nothing. Oil?????

Rob

rryder

Here are pictures of the White and the cracked cam and the camstack with the removable stitch plate. Apparently if you bought the other 2 camstacks they came with a stitch plate that you inserted in place of the original one so you'd know where to set the stitch change lever.

Rob