Hey, all-thought I'd drop by for a cup and a chat, if you don't mind. It's nice to have found someone that isn't me or my osmg that's got a kink for old machines. :-)
I have a White (Betty the Backup) that I bought new in 2003 or so, but the older she gets, the finickier she is about bobbins. The moon has to be in the right house, you have to hold your tongue just so, and sometimes, she requires a blood sacrifice. (I swear, I haven't poked myself on all of my other machines needles collectively as much as I have on hers by herself!)
So I started looking around for a replacement, and ran into Noriko at the local Salvation Army. Noriko is a Riccar, built in Japan in the mid-60's. I like Noriko, and we've had a good couple of years together, but I've been holding out for what I really wanted-a Singer 237.
Which I finally found, also at the SA. Her previous owner smoked like a chimney but otherwise took good care of her, so after a good bath, I hauled her off to my osmg to have her noisy motor switched out for a 1 amp motor, which I like much better. She's currently in a hacked 70's Futura cabinet-the machine was garbage but I liked the drawer space, so... She also doesn't have a name yet-any suggestions?
Also from the SA (that place is a goldmine for old sewing machines, definitely!) is a nice little Singer Spartan I found. According to Singer, Fenella was made in 1949. She was frozen when I got her, but a healthy slopping of oil and some patience has got her working again. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics of her yet.
My most recent acquisition is a New Willard treadle in a pretty little parlor cabinet from the mid-20's or so. Mrs Willard came from an antique shop, and was still threaded and sewing. The story I got is that she'd been in regular use by the daughter of her original owner until just recently. She's actually the one I have the most trouble with; she sews beautifully, but I forget to keep my feet going, and can't treadle with both feet anyway. That and stopping without letting the treadle rock. I'm working on it. :)
Anyway, thanks for letting me natter. I'm slowly reading my way through the read, but I keep getting hung up on admiring everybody else's pretty machines!