Thanks everyone for your warm welcome
The Madpatter The Excelsior fascinates me a bit too! It works so differently from the Singer Class 15... I don't know how to thread it... On a French forum, they gave me a scan of a user manual for an Excelsior machine but it is not the exact same model... Here is my attempt
[ATTACH=CONFIG]608023[/ATTACH]
I do think there is a mechanical problem because the needle thread goes down nicely and the bobbin hool takes it right but it fails to "knot" the bobbin thread... So I end up with either a non existant stitch or a big bunch of thread all around the hook...
Down below: some more pictures of the machine and a picture of the bobbin case and hook...
[ATTACH=CONFIG]608018[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]608019[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]608021[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]608022[/ATTACH]
(The pattent number is under the engine it reads : 1167740)
Thank You for the link! It is the same machine "brand" under a different name
Mickey 2 the funny thing about my machine is its double origin: the pattent number says it was built in Scotland but the decal claim "Made in France" and its specific threading makes it definitely a French one too (you thread the needle from right to left). Apparently this specific thing comes from the fact that in 1956 the French Singer factory was not yet equipped to cast aluminum (and my machine is aluminum) so they had the body cast in Scotland while the rest was made in France
leonf thanks for the link
About the lamp: this sort of lamp is very common on vintage Singer machines in France, much more than the sleek Singerlight!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]608026[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]608027[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]608028[/ATTACH]
Sorry for the superlong post... I hope the admins don't mind