Pheonix 82
 

PHOENIX 82 SEWING MACHINE
I've been working on a Phoenix 82. There was a reason it was incredibly cheap... Maybe two... To be safe, it should be rewired but not hard to do. The machine was well used but well taken care of - some time ago. It had the usual sitting around surface grime and on first glance internally looked clean and cared for. I noticed the pressure foot was hung up and hovering high over the feed dogs but I thought I would test it with free motion... Thread kept breaking or shredding... I checked for burrs any where along the thread path. I cleaned off more dried oil. I thought I already got it all with naphtha but when I went back over it with denatured alcohol it still came up with something yucky. There are places you just can't see to inspect and you can't feel there very easily either. The going over again includes thread guides, tension unit removal and a thorough clean up. Internally the hammer lever thingy behind the tension unit was not moving properly on closer examination so that has been corrected... I think so any way. I cleaned and cleaned invisible dried oil... Then the bobbin area has throughly been gone over checking for burrs and bobbin case taken apart and cleaned. It was the upper thread that kept breaking so I extra cleaned anything in the thread path. The throat plate shows signs of honing so I suspect it was in a shop and it still had issues with shredding and breaking thread. From past experience, dried up oil can be the culprit. I just kept working it over alternating naphtha and denatured alcohol. It is now a fantastic machine. It sews zz and ss. Needle is center homing. I wish for a manual. What is the little thingy on the belt guard? It seems like it should be a thread guide. What is the thread path for the bobbin winder? The machines seems to be from late 1940's or early 1950's. It is light weight. It seems to be well engineered - so different from Singer. It could go on a treadle. The bobbin case is cool and supposed to be tangle free. So far I haven't tangled anything in the bobbin case. I should try to tangle it and see what it does. Note the hole the thread passes through at the top of the bobbin case. The bobbin in its case just fits its two prongs with a bar and the door shuts. Very simple. The zz only looks complicated. All it needs is the bottom lever to move in position and the knob above it turned to lock it in position. The two upper knobs can set where the zz can go. The Pheonix was made by The Baer & Rempel Sewing Machine Company.
i also posted this at the Victorian sweat shop with more pictures.

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I forgot the picture...
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Bobbin area I hope. Note thread path for the bobbin.
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What an interesting machine you have. Never heard of this brand before. Kind of looks like Art Deco on the left side. Good Luck with getting it up and running.

It is from the late 1940s or early 1950s an early home zz machine. Some time I will compare it to a Singer 206. Side by side. Comparable time period and machines do the same things.

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*** Neat machine.
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Neat looking machine, miriam! Hope you get it up and sewing to your satisfaction. :)

Very nice machine! I'd love to use one, and if I had lots of room own one. I remember reading somewhere that Phoenix was a German company, but don't quote me on that.

That is the mose unique bobbin case I have ever seen. Sorta trapizoidal. I'll have to dig out my iPad and see if I can find video of it in action (my desk top doesn't play video.)

Thank you for sharing! Glad you got it working, I'm sure you or someone else will treasure it for years to come.

Dragon, I'm not sure you would see much from a video. All there is to that bobbin is getting the thread loaded up behind that bobbin spring as usual on any bobbin, then going through that little hole in the bobbin case. Then it sets on the drop down door wedged between the thing that sticks out. Slam the door. If you do it wrong it won't close. Thread not in loop no sewing. Pretty easy.
There are no stops on the tension like on a Singer so it sets like an old Singer 66 - a little unnerving.
Yes it is German made. Well made in its day