Billy has probably already mentioned this in one of his posts, but this is NEW to me.

I was reading the instruction booklet to this Singer 404 (late 1950 - early 1960 slant needle machine) and it advised using OIL for some parts

and it said DO NOT OIL the gears - use the LUBRICANT/GREASE and this thread that I found elsewhere tells why. The oil flies off.


http://blog.sew-classic.com/2009/01/...g-machine.aspx

This is so funny - I'm so excited about having this machine working - and all it does it a straight stitch!

Ah, but it does a really *perfect* straight stitch! ;) You might find that it becomes your favorite piecing machine.

Congratulations on getting an "old gal" back to work. I'll bet she sounds happy, now. ;)

I bought it used several years ago - and apparently it hadn't been used for a while.

It sounded a bit "stiff" when we started to sew with it - but it's purring now. I took the top cover off and it looks wonderful inside - no rust at all.

Any machine that does any kind of decorative stitch, even the ones that just zig zag, don't make a perfect straight stitch. That, plus the wonderful sound of a vintage machine makes at least one a "must" in my collection.