Wards Signature J278B sewing machine
01-29-2019, 07:59 AM
#11
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 8,145
I think your service guy is being rather closed minded. And I don't think many of the machines that don't say "singer" were made by Singer in the 60's. Singer was not one of the companies that made machines for other back then. And by the 60's, so much was being outsourced that Singer may not have been making their own machines either.
As to needle length, before the advent of Japanese made machines, domestic machine used a wide variety of needle lengths. At the time Singer used what several of the foreign companies used, but most of the other US manufacturers used something different. The Japanese started out making machines that followed the Singer 15 design, and they used the same needle that Singer used - and then it became common and most people don't know that there once was a wide variety in needle lengths.
I have several Boye needle cases, and set out to collect an example of a machine for each needle length and each shuttle they sold. I think there were around 12 different needles. Some are quite close in style, and some very different.
As to needle length, before the advent of Japanese made machines, domestic machine used a wide variety of needle lengths. At the time Singer used what several of the foreign companies used, but most of the other US manufacturers used something different. The Japanese started out making machines that followed the Singer 15 design, and they used the same needle that Singer used - and then it became common and most people don't know that there once was a wide variety in needle lengths.
I have several Boye needle cases, and set out to collect an example of a machine for each needle length and each shuttle they sold. I think there were around 12 different needles. Some are quite close in style, and some very different.
Last edited by QuiltnNan; 01-30-2019 at 06:26 AM. Reason: shouting/all caps
01-30-2019, 11:17 AM
#12
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 601
I just got the machine back a few minutes ago, and am going to go up and play with it. The man in the little shop, selling vacuums and servicing sewing machines, has 3 machines to sell in his shop, all oldies, and one of them is my exact model and has ALL that came with it in the 60's, he thinks. The many feet looked completely unused. He let me borrow the manual long enough to copy many pages on my printer -- I am a happy camper!!!
01-30-2019, 04:29 PM
#14
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,789
Oh, how many more surprises? I changed out the needle on this machine, as it looked weird -- turned out to have two color bands on it, which I have never seen before and was a tiny bit longer. On the front of this machine there is an etched diagram of a needle and the words "exact needle length 1-17/32". I have never seen other lengths of needles -- does anyone know what this is about?
05-26-2023, 09:45 AM
#17
Member
Join Date: Dec 2021
Posts: 28
I just took this machine to a guy who has been servicing the old ones forever, and learned some stuff. He says needle length has not changed in these old domestic machines (my imagination at work, I guess), and all the old ones sold around here in the 60's were made by Singer. In his little shop he actually had the exact same machine - model number and all - that he took as a trade in! He has the actual manual, and I am going to try to get him to sell me a copy of it - hope that's not a copyright issue. Oh yeah, he says the adjustments I need are the usual ones and I'll get it back later today.
AFAIK Singer never made a Montgomery Ward sewing machine. Maybe he meant that Singer was the originator of the 15x1 needle size, but lots of companies made them, even back then.
Technically the work is under copyright but if Ward's doesn't make it available I'd do what I had to do to use my machine.
Do you have JA/JC numbers off the bottom of the machine? We could probably tell you who made it from that. It is probably Happy.
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