oldsewnsew,

Here is the link to the thread I posted about recovering the case for the black SEWMOR 404:
{ http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...x-t202882.html }

The case I put the Silver SEWMOR in is just a good one I got somewhere. I'll have to look through my files and see if have any pics of it. If not I'll take some.


Joe

American Beauty 15 Clone
 

My most recent 15 clone. With the motor rewired and some cleaning, it will be a beauty. Have already adjusted and sewn with it. It sews like one would expect - GREAT!!!! Note the two holes where the American Beauty decal is. They are threaded and I assume are there to accept a metal badge. The under-carriage sports "Eagle." I could find no JA number. There is an American Beauty rose in the center of the base plate. Decals and paint are intact. Not sure what I'll do with it, but it was too nice to pass.:o[ATTACH=CONFIG]438130[/ATTACH]

Here is the Modern Deluxe 60 I picked up on Friday.
Won the bid at an Estate Auction on line.
Machine, cabinet, buyers premium, & tax was $19.33.

Greetings, Clone enthusiasts! I've enjoyed looking at all the machines and was inspired to buy one, a Mercury, when it turned up on CL yesterday. I have taken some pictures, but they're stuck in my phone for the moment. I'll post them soon, but meanwhile, if you go to post #203 in this thread, Carolyn S has pictures of hers, which is almost exactly the same. Her decals are in better condition, and the badge on mine is a "gold" vertical oval that says "The Precision Home Use Sewing Machine Mercury Electric Reg. Trademark". The case is similar, with the faux brown alligator, but there's a front flap that opens to reveal a little drawer, which was empty except for a spool of vintage Walmart thread.

The machine has a serial number along the front, under the bed that says TA 37451. Since some of the Japanese made machines have a JA on them, I wondered if it was possible that the TA could indicate a different location, possibly Taiwan? My motor says Universal rather than Morse.

Mine has no attachments. I'm having to buy a new bobbin case and thread tension assembly, and have ordered them. The foot that was on it was a zigzag foot from a much newer machine, but that's just as well because the first thing the seller did when he was showing it to me was push the pedal to show that it runs, which it did, with the foot down on bare feed dogs and not a drop of oil anywhere in at least 10 years. He admitted that he'd had it that long and never did anything with it. I said "It's not good to run them without oil," and he said, "Yeah, but I wanted to show you that it works!"

The needle was in backwards - maybe. The seller didn't have the manual for this machine, but I happen to have a manual from a Singer 15-90. According to that, the flat side of the needle faces left and the thread goes in from right to left, but the picture seems to indicate the needle clamp thread guide is on the other side from what's on the Mercury. When I got home I threaded it up according to this manual and put in a bobbin case from another machine that happened to fit, as far as I can tell. Even with a completely rusty tension mechanism I was able to get it to pull up the bobbin thread. So that's an encouraging sign, but I suspect that I do have the needle in backwards and the thread going the wrong way. If so, I have to say this machine is already less persnickety than any other I have tried. According to a youtube video I found for threading a Singer 15K, the needle went in opposite from what it does on the 15-90. Is that correct? I think with this one I'll try it the other way and see if it makes stitches. I don't think it's going to be a serious problem as long as it's not hitting anything.

The wiring is highly questionable, and the old round plug is cracked. I don't plan to run it until I take care of that. Instead of plugging into the motor, it's hard wired to the case under the bed. If any of the gurus on this list would like to offer some advice about what wire to use and where to get it and so on, I'm eager to know. Does this type of motor need grease or other attention? Thanks, you all!

My Precision/Montgomery Ward 15-clone has the needle inserted with the flat side facing right, and is threaded from left to right..

I'm thinking mine are all that way, too.

Thanks Mimack and Miriam, I'm sure this one is supposed to go that way, too. It just feels right. I was very surprised that the manual for the 15-90 indicated that other direction because it just doesn't make sense with the thread coming from that face plate area, but I don't have a 15-90, so maybe I'm missing something. The manual was included one time when I bought some attachments on eBay.

Some of the Singer 15s do thread the other way but the clones seem to pretty much go needle inserted with the flat side facing right, and is threaded from left to right

I hope my pics come through.

Paid $19.33 (machine, stand, buyers premium, & tax)
for this Modern at an estate sale on line.

Picked her up last Friday.

Whooopppsss, Sorry, posted twice.