Hello again,
Has singer made production models with just a hand crank? As opposed to a treadle and/or a motor? And is it fairly straightforward to convert a motor unit into a hand crank unit? Does singer make its own hand crank?
After watching this video, I really want to get a hand crank machine.
https://youtu.be/ajhk84KcEeA?si=QODK_I-uNGBiuguT
I think it is super cool to be able to sew like this. It is plenty fast enough. Especially if you are just doing stuff around the house, and basically for fun and practical purposes.
Yesterday I did my first ever machine sewing repair. On a pair of jeans that had a big rip in the rear. It is a pair that I use for yard work and in the old days I would have just reluctantly pitched them. I have been known to pull out a needle and thread in the past, but it is just a big hassle for a big rip and I’m not very good at it. But I feel like a pro after doing this. hahaha. It was actually fun and a little bit challenging and strangely satisfying. The stitches are actually beautiful. hahaha.
So . . . I would like to set up a hand crank unit. I would like to have my little grandson turn the crank and show him how we can complete a little repair or just make something. I know he would be fascinated.
I had been looking on eBay and found it a couple of sellers in Canada that have some really nice units, including a couple of hand cranks. They both have 100% ratings, and you can tell that they are really into what they do. But the descriptions usually say something like “retrofitted with a crank.“ It is never clear to me that there is such a thing as an original Singer hand crank unit, straight from the factory.
I was ready to pull the trigger on one of the Canadian machines, but I just looked at a local one today. It’s a 1955 99k in a really nice cabinet. It has a belt drive motor. I plugged it in an it works. So now I’m torn between buying that one for $90 and adding a crank or buying one of the much more expensive units from Canada, sight unseen and without a cabinet.
Sorry for the long post, but I truly do appreciate any advice from people here with experience.
Dominic