Vintage Sewing Machine Shop.....Come on in and sit a spell
05-06-2011, 07:08 PM
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Originally Posted by kwendt
mpeters.... lol! love your post. The old, cast iron Singer type machines (and I believe all the other old vintage/antiques out there) do need oil and sometimes grease. Just in case someone hasn't mentioned the basics yet:
First off, if no one's yet told you... always use 'sewing machine oil' in the spots, holes, felts, etc. of your antique machines and only where the manual tells you to. Not all 'holes' are oil holes. Use some common sense too.... lol... it's unlikely that you're going to want to put oil into the motor! It will smoke up a storm!
Also, it's a good idea to put a drop where there are moving metal parts sliding on moving metal parts. You'll see those 'Carter liver pill' oil ports/arrows in the manual - notice that many times the oil points are underneath, and inside the side (behind the faceplate) and in the back underneath the metal plates. So get a screw driver and unscrew the plates and oil it in there too. That's why there are readily removable plates there... so users can access the inner workings to clean out fuzz and oil.
These old machines are not 'self-lubing' so to speak. But they're not really hard to take care of either. One drop and one drop only, in each oil spot... on a maintained machine is good. If you're refurbishing a machine or it's sat for 20 years... it'll need cleaning, and a lot of oil to get it to work. But it will work after you're done with it!
If you sew a lot, constantly, then you might need to oil it every 6 months or so. If you're an occasional sewer, then 1/year or so. After using the machine for a while, you get a 'feel' for when the machine is going to be 'thirsty'. Some people say they can 'hear' their machine metal parts starting to rub more, or that they can 'feel' it needing oil.
Some of the early electrified Singers (and potentially some of the similar, non-singer machines) also had 'grease tubes' for the early motors. The manual will show you where/if you have them. Use Tri-flow or Singer sewing machine grease/lub only. Do not use appliance grease, white lithium grease, automotive grease, etc. Many of those have additives that won't help your machine. If you have a specific question about all that, check with others on the site, like Billy, Glenn, or ???
And lastly.... if anyone else comes along and gives you more advice... go with them! <grin> I'm still new to antique machines, but have progressed a LONG way with the help of this board and this topic/thread.
Have fun with your machine, take a bit of reasonable care... and it will outlast you... and your children.
First off, if no one's yet told you... always use 'sewing machine oil' in the spots, holes, felts, etc. of your antique machines and only where the manual tells you to. Not all 'holes' are oil holes. Use some common sense too.... lol... it's unlikely that you're going to want to put oil into the motor! It will smoke up a storm!
Also, it's a good idea to put a drop where there are moving metal parts sliding on moving metal parts. You'll see those 'Carter liver pill' oil ports/arrows in the manual - notice that many times the oil points are underneath, and inside the side (behind the faceplate) and in the back underneath the metal plates. So get a screw driver and unscrew the plates and oil it in there too. That's why there are readily removable plates there... so users can access the inner workings to clean out fuzz and oil.
These old machines are not 'self-lubing' so to speak. But they're not really hard to take care of either. One drop and one drop only, in each oil spot... on a maintained machine is good. If you're refurbishing a machine or it's sat for 20 years... it'll need cleaning, and a lot of oil to get it to work. But it will work after you're done with it!
If you sew a lot, constantly, then you might need to oil it every 6 months or so. If you're an occasional sewer, then 1/year or so. After using the machine for a while, you get a 'feel' for when the machine is going to be 'thirsty'. Some people say they can 'hear' their machine metal parts starting to rub more, or that they can 'feel' it needing oil.
Some of the early electrified Singers (and potentially some of the similar, non-singer machines) also had 'grease tubes' for the early motors. The manual will show you where/if you have them. Use Tri-flow or Singer sewing machine grease/lub only. Do not use appliance grease, white lithium grease, automotive grease, etc. Many of those have additives that won't help your machine. If you have a specific question about all that, check with others on the site, like Billy, Glenn, or ???
And lastly.... if anyone else comes along and gives you more advice... go with them! <grin> I'm still new to antique machines, but have progressed a LONG way with the help of this board and this topic/thread.
Have fun with your machine, take a bit of reasonable care... and it will outlast you... and your children.
Whenever I see a machine on here and want to see it sized up compared to other ones I just pop in his store and see if he has one. I did tell him to contact me if he comes across a 15-91.
I think I'm going to have to go up there, with the machine, and have him show me the places that I need to take apart to de-lint. He made sure to tell me the little piece of red lint near the bobbin isn't lint at all but the oil wick and not to try and remove it.
I wish I could figure out some of these attachments. I really think they are for clothes making more than anything else. I don't sew, but would like to make pillow cases and stuff like that. Perhaps those projects will give me a reason to play with some of the attachments she came with.
05-06-2011, 07:29 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Posts: 354
Hey ya'll, how are ya?
I have come seeking help and am gonna be reading this thread while I wait as it sure is a doosey! I did post a thread in the main section, here: http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-121359-1.htm but it was suggested to post in this one as well, so here I am. :-)
Hubby got me this for Mothers Day and I am beyond thrilled with it but have no info or ideas about any of it. I have found very little about it actually. I do know the belt is broke, it was in one of the drawers. But, it does have 4 of those long bobbins, and the shuttle is intact and had another one in it. She sure needs a ton of TLC, which I will be checking out the tutes on that as well. Just need some help on how old she is and more info about her. Thanks to all that can help me here! My brain hurts from over 4 hours of surfing the net to see what I can find, which wasn't much. :(
I have come seeking help and am gonna be reading this thread while I wait as it sure is a doosey! I did post a thread in the main section, here: http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-121359-1.htm but it was suggested to post in this one as well, so here I am. :-)
Hubby got me this for Mothers Day and I am beyond thrilled with it but have no info or ideas about any of it. I have found very little about it actually. I do know the belt is broke, it was in one of the drawers. But, it does have 4 of those long bobbins, and the shuttle is intact and had another one in it. She sure needs a ton of TLC, which I will be checking out the tutes on that as well. Just need some help on how old she is and more info about her. Thanks to all that can help me here! My brain hurts from over 4 hours of surfing the net to see what I can find, which wasn't much. :(
cabinet
[ATTACH=CONFIG]194043[/ATTACH]
machine
[ATTACH=CONFIG]194044[/ATTACH]
serial plate..??
[ATTACH=CONFIG]194045[/ATTACH]
05-06-2011, 07:33 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Northern California
Posts: 34
On page 983, I posted a picture of my Richmond treadle sewing machine. I have the manual but it is somewhat unclear exactly how to thread the tension spring plate mechanism that is located on top of the machine---I think I've seen it referred to as a flyer-type tension, a vindex-type tension, and I'm pretty sure there was even a threading example shown somewhere but a search is not leading me to it. Can anyone with a similar machine help with some photos or tell me a page number to go back to? Thanks so much.
machine with top tension device
[ATTACH=CONFIG]194046[/ATTACH]
05-06-2011, 07:48 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: SE Kansas
Posts: 393
Originally Posted by tomilu
Originally Posted by Weedwoman
Originally Posted by tomilu
Here is the freebie DH came home with. Singer Golden Touch and Swear 640. It did clean up nice, but is missing the 5 prong cord and slide plate. My slide plate for the 401 fits it, but I don't want to rob the 401. The plastic gears seem ok, but won't know until I get it running. I was able to download a manual for the 600s and instructions for threading and bobbin winding for this model. Now to locate the parts.
Tommie
Tommie
Tommie
05-06-2011, 08:14 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Cadillac, MI
Posts: 6,487
Treadlep, I think we decided your Richmond is another little National like my Leader. Here is ther tension threading page from my manual. You can zoom in to read it - 150% or 200% works for me. It's a scan of a copy - I don't like to handle the original too much.
05-06-2011, 08:16 PM
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Originally Posted by mpeters1200
I think it's so much fun navigating the fun site with all the questions about the machine. At some point, I'll answer them all correctly and it'll tell me that I own a 66, in the meantime, I am getting a great education on the different parts of the different model machines.
A quick question about maintenance. It wasn't until the last year that I started oiling my regular machine. I took it in for her oil change every year and apart from brushing out gunk periodically, she sat without me having to do anything from maintenance to maintenance. I was telling one of my quilting buddies this once and I was in concern for her health as her face turned bright red and her eyeballs went all cockeyed. She absolutely insisted I was
"killing" my machine. Of course, my machine didn't have a name or gender then, she was just a machine. SO... she showed me the odd spot back behind the bobbin casing I needed to put one drop of oil every or every other bobbin change and brush frequently. Ok...I brush out the lint at every bobbin change, but I'm probably oiling at every 3rd or 4th. I'm still not noticing a big difference.
So...fast forward to the vintage machine. I have 2 full pages in my owners manual with 24 odd places of interest for oil. REALLY!?!?! I have to oil this every 4 hours? How am I supposed to keep track of the hours? So, I went to my singer guy and asked. He insists that she doesn't need anything except once a year. What do you all do?
I don't want to break or otherwise hurt the machine or her production by either oiling/cleaning too much or too little or in the wrong places. There's more arrows on my manual than Carter has liver pills. I just have no idea what I should be doing with her.
Any help is appreciated.
A quick question about maintenance. It wasn't until the last year that I started oiling my regular machine. I took it in for her oil change every year and apart from brushing out gunk periodically, she sat without me having to do anything from maintenance to maintenance. I was telling one of my quilting buddies this once and I was in concern for her health as her face turned bright red and her eyeballs went all cockeyed. She absolutely insisted I was
"killing" my machine. Of course, my machine didn't have a name or gender then, she was just a machine. SO... she showed me the odd spot back behind the bobbin casing I needed to put one drop of oil every or every other bobbin change and brush frequently. Ok...I brush out the lint at every bobbin change, but I'm probably oiling at every 3rd or 4th. I'm still not noticing a big difference.
So...fast forward to the vintage machine. I have 2 full pages in my owners manual with 24 odd places of interest for oil. REALLY!?!?! I have to oil this every 4 hours? How am I supposed to keep track of the hours? So, I went to my singer guy and asked. He insists that she doesn't need anything except once a year. What do you all do?
I don't want to break or otherwise hurt the machine or her production by either oiling/cleaning too much or too little or in the wrong places. There's more arrows on my manual than Carter has liver pills. I just have no idea what I should be doing with her.
Any help is appreciated.
Billy
05-06-2011, 08:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Grandmother23
http://neworleans.craigslist.org/atq/2365572119.html
This one just might want to find a cozy home with me. I really like the cabinet. Says it is a singer.....
This one just might want to find a cozy home with me. I really like the cabinet. Says it is a singer.....
Billy
05-07-2011, 02:45 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Wichita, KS
Posts: 1,601
[quote=Weedwoman]
I have a Touch & Sew 626 that I've had for years and I totally love that old machine. I truly like how the bobbin fills right in the machine and the fact it can be set up to chain stitch.
It takes 3 accessories to make it chain stitch. A slotted needleplate (slotted opposite of zz plate), a thread guide that inserts above the needle a way up and a bobbin cover plate. If you can't find a manual, I can scan the chain stitch portion of mine for you.
I actually have those 3 items in an acc. box. However, I need to clean the camstack. I have never removed and cleaned one, so that will be an experience.
Originally Posted by tomilu
Originally Posted by Weedwoman
Originally Posted by tomilu
Here is the freebie DH came home with. Singer Golden Touch and Swear 640. It did clean up nice, but is missing the 5 prong cord and slide plate. My slide plate for the 401 fits it, but I don't want to rob the 401. The plastic gears seem ok, but won't know until I get it running. I was able to download a manual for the 600s and instructions for threading and bobbin winding for this model. Now to locate the parts.
Tommie
Tommie
05-07-2011, 03:16 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 15,507
[quote=tomilu]
I have a Touch & Sew 626 that I've had for years and I totally love that old machine. I truly like how the bobbin fills right in the machine and the fact it can be set up to chain stitch.
It takes 3 accessories to make it chain stitch. A slotted needleplate (slotted opposite of zz plate), a thread guide that inserts above the needle a way up and a bobbin cover plate. If you can't find a manual, I can scan the chain stitch portion of mine for you.
I actually have those 3 items in an acc. box. However, I need to clean the camstack. I have never removed and cleaned one, so that will be an experience.
cleaning the cam stack is pretty easy. you can buy a service manual online for about $10 more or less and it is well worth every penny. It tells how to pull the cam stack out - really easy but I can't explain as well as the manual.
Originally Posted by Weedwoman
Originally Posted by tomilu
Originally Posted by Weedwoman
Originally Posted by tomilu
Here is the freebie DH came home with. Singer Golden Touch and Swear 640. It did clean up nice, but is missing the 5 prong cord and slide plate. My slide plate for the 401 fits it, but I don't want to rob the 401. The plastic gears seem ok, but won't know until I get it running. I was able to download a manual for the 600s and instructions for threading and bobbin winding for this model. Now to locate the parts.
Tommie
Tommie
05-07-2011, 03:56 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posts: 74
Hi there, thank you for posting your new baby. All this talk about fw's and I had absolutely no idea what one looked like. She is just beautiful. The closest I could get to patting her was to pat the screen on the computer. She feels so smooth and lovely. I had to blow her a little kiss, hope you don't mind. I was just going to post a message to ask if someone would post a picture for me but I'll probably be OK now. Thank you. Gee, I hate to be the only one to miss out on anything. You
know, I used to be sane before I joined the Quilting Board but whatever you guys have seems to be catching and I have caught it. Thank Heaven for that. I now feel as though I have lots of quilting buddies out there and I am not alone any more.
Thank you, Lol from Gleniveve
know, I used to be sane before I joined the Quilting Board but whatever you guys have seems to be catching and I have caught it. Thank Heaven for that. I now feel as though I have lots of quilting buddies out there and I am not alone any more.
Thank you, Lol from Gleniveve
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