New here from FLA
 

Hello from FL. I fool around with old cars and a while back, I got an estimate of over $4,000 to re-do the interior of a car I had at the time. I also found an adult-ed class in "auto upholstery" for $35 for a 10 week session and decided to take a couple of sessions and see if I could do it myself. The Consew and other industrial machines were nice, but faster than what I wanted. I did OK, but really liked the mechanics of these machines. My interior came out pretty nice and once you learn something, they can't take it away from you. Fast forward to a month or so ago...I saw a couple of nice older, all metal sewing machines at a flea market and it got my interest going again. Now I was looking for a machine that would sew thick leather or heavy cordura nylon for holsters & such. I found this forum and began researching different machines here. I'm still learning a lot from this site and looking harder at the vintage Japanese made machines. I understand how they began their rise in quality after WW-2 when Edward Demming went to Japan and convinced the manufacturers over there how to produce better products than what was made elsewhere. So, I went from no machines that would fit the bill to a White 764, a Singer 401and a White 571 within 3 weeks and looking at more.


Thanks,

49T&C

Glad to have you here and finding things that work for you. My neighbor was a construction worker who had been just been released to go back to work when Covid struck... for awhile he borrowed one of my vintage machines to make masks for his family and really thought about maybe going into upholstery or commercial sewing of drapes and such.

My own vintage is a Remington, I also like Morse machines a lot -- they tend to have two toned paint jobs and fancy buttons and that wonderful incredible powerful straight stitch that can sew all day with no fuss. Otherwise, I use a rather cranky and particular modern Bernina that can do many things on days when it isn't fussy. Sometimes I wonder why -- but then I'm using the auto threader and the super huge throat and the bright lighting and I know why Bernie is now the main machine and Remy is the special use/loaner.

I just added a Singer 237 portable and 534 in a cabinet. $10 each. I really got the 534 just for the cabinet. Is it unusual for the 237 to be built in France and the 534 comes from Great Britain? I haven't dates these yet. I'm looking at a Remington later today.

49T&C

The Singer specialty sites are fantastic amounts of information, I don't actually follow them very much. I have a 301 that is my only Singer, another great little sturdy machine. Only slightly heavier than a Featherweight, the 301 is all metal but is the slant needle and only straight stitch. I also have a vintage Pfaff, the hubby brought his grandmother's machine with him 20 years ago -- it worked then but haven't looked at it since, I think it is a basic Wards.

For awhile in the 80s I bought a lot of the Japanese machines and fixed them up for a charity that connected refugees with sewing machines and that's when I really started liking the Morse brand. Often they had lost their bobbin casing and once a new one was provided and the machine cleaned up. they were good to go.

I recently picked up a gorgeous two-toned aqua Morse for $12 through a local auction site, it needs a new belt, the case is in terrible condition but it has a good foot. I thought I could just take that foot and put it on my Remy, but now I'm thinking I should restore the Morse. It never ends if you let it get started! I think I'm going to take both machines to my repair guy and let him make the decision -- and if he wants to restore the Morse he can have it but I'm not starting again.

I see a lot of beautiful sewing machines in my area. Craig's List people pretty much always price them too high, the average going price for "vintage" machine in my area is $40 or less at thrift stores and garage sales. Some of the newer/computerized brand name machines sell for higher. Featherweights go higher. Treadles -- vary greatly. Last year just before Covid, there was a gorgeous (electric) White machine in a stand in perfect condition. Everything was there, the accessory kit, the booklet, the decals were perfect. It had obviously stood in someone's parlor for decades first, then carried around by the descendants, and now had been in the goodwill for a month and it was tag day (the last day in the store) and it was $2.00....

It still hurts but I had to leave it there. I just don't have the room or the time to do anything but store it.

Howdy & welcome from Texas. Sounds like you are on your way to a good collection of machines. You just can't beat the old, vintage machines. Plastic is in everything these days & just doesn't hold up or have the strength that those old machines have. Happy sewing!

The 237 is supposed to have a very good satin stitch. The 534 probably has some plastic gears which many from this time frame would be cracked. There is a section here at https://www.quiltingboard.com/vintag...thusiasts-f22/ for vintage & antique machines.

We like pictures. In order to post pictures on Quilting Board, you will probably need to reduce or compress the picture to a file size that is smaller than 2MB. How to post images can be found at https://www.quiltingboard.com/attach...020-01-17-.pdf
Don't forget to scroll over to the far right to find and click on the "Upload" button.

I have found that only the big red "Reply" button or "Quote" work to give me the paper clip icon to work for adding pictures.
https://www.quiltingboard.com/attach...p-location.jpg

Some additional info regarding reducing images at post #4 and images for the scroll and upload button can be found at #5 of https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f...d-t312607.html

Or simply - Make sure pictures are smaller than 2MB
Click on red "Reply" button
Click on the paper clip icon
Click browse - choose picture/s. (only 5 allowed per post)
Once they show up as being loaded, Scroll over to the right side and click on "Upload"
After the pictures show up as being attached, you can close that window and go back to the screen to finish posting your post.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

Thanks! I'll work on the pics