Originally Posted by
redbugsullivan
vdot
You make some very valid points. It is always interesting to have a new perspective on our old machines. When I bought my first VS Singer, about 15% of the decals were left. It deserved a better look, even if it meant going solid black. Now when I sew with it, those worn out decals don't ruin the mood. I appreciate it for what it is, a very solid and dependable handcrank (with an aftermarket crank). Thanks for posting!
Thank you, Annette, for reading my long apologetic on rebuilding.
I was afraid some might suggest a lynching, thinking I was attacking some established vintage SM community members' views, but I felt strongly about my logic and feeling behind the when and whys of going for a remake on oldies but goodies.
Your Singer VS's percentage of decals is more than that which my White VS2 has left...only 5-10%.
On a different subject, I just learned why Whites turn/crank the direction they do (versus Singers). The first Whites all came with a hand crank to get them started (which I guess was easily disengaged), and their engineers felt hand cranks are more-naturally turned clockwise, or "pushed" (which I agree with). So they built the internals to work that way, and apparently just kept with it. I assume Singers probably all weren't made with cranks early on, and their engineers found the motion of "pulling" a handwheel which has no crank, easier than "pushing" (which I happen to agree with, too). You can see one example of how White may have made their early White machines' handcranks, by looking at the "end view" picture of a White Peerless at this site:
http://www.sewmuse.co.uk/white.htm
It got me to thinking that I might like to get an after-market hand-crank for mine, or make one. I'd also love to have a White Gem or White Prize.
I found this new info in the following book, which has some extremely good info in it, if you like sewing machines. Being a download on Project Gutenberg, it is all text, and has no illustrations (just place-holders). I would like to get a printed copy of it for my library. I also found a great little table of needles needed for almost all of the White shuttle machines (which was hard to find). I found it on an English website, which has some other great info (it's actually a Singer site):
http://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/antiques/white/
I'll post my rendition of the table below this book info:
====== Book Info =================================
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Invention of the Sewing Machine, by
Grace Rogers Cooper
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at
www.gutenberg.net
Title: The Invention of the Sewing Machine
Author: Grace Rogers Cooper
Release Date: June 4, 2010 [EBook #32677]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK INVENTION OF THE SEWING MACHINE ***
Produced by Chris Curnow, Joseph Cooper, Louise Pattison
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
http://www.pgdp.net
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM
[Illustration]
BULLETIN 254
WASHINGTON, D.C.
1968
[Illustration]
THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION PRESS
_The Invention
Of the Sewing Machine_
[Illustration]
_Grace Rogers Cooper_
CURATOR OF TEXTILES
MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION WASHINGTON, D.C. 1968
_Publications of the United States National Museum_
====== End of Book Info ====================================
Here's the White Shuttle Machines' Needle table:
White Sewing Machines - Needle Chart*
Model White Singer Boye
White VS's (except those listed) FS 20x1 12
White Boat Shuttle RS 1x1 20
White VS8 WSM 15x1 16
White Gem 16x1 Round Shank
White Prize FS 20x1 12
White Automatic Chain Stitch WSM 1x11/25x1 Round Shank 20-1/2
White Rotary WSM 15x1 16
*-Flat Shank except as listed
I hope this is useful to others with Whites as much as it was me.
-Dave