Originally Posted by
ehoopes
I just bought a vintage White Rotary sewing machine. I don't know the year, but it's all mechanical and also beautiful. I've actually never owned a sewing machine before, let alone an antique!!! ANY advice is welcome from all subjects starting with cleaning, threading, resources, reading material, ETC!
Any help is welcome,
Thanks!
Emily
Needles, bobbins, and thread! This one takes regular modern needles. Go ahead and buy a pack of more expensive name brand needles like Schmetz or Organ because "Singer" brand notions are not always good today. The bobbins are not regular modern bobbins and have to be bought online. I have a pack from sew-classic.com called "White and Kenmore Rotary" waiting for me to find a machine that they fit. (We call this baiting a sewing machine.
) Buy regular thread on a small spool and do not jump right into using cone thread. These machines were built before cone thread existed. It is easy to get them to use cone thread once we know they are clean and ready to stitch but while figuring them out it is good to get as close as possible to the original sewing conditions and that means little spools.
The manual is super easy to find online. I am sure you found it already.