I'm unwound

Does the Singer Rocketeer (500) require a special cabinet or will it fit in any standard cabinet?

Macybaby

Yes and no - it will fit in a Singer cabinet that fits a 300 or 400 series, and it will fit in an older Singer cabinet that has a lift, if you want to modify the front flap. If you have an older Singer cabinet that does not have the lift (most do) the opening will not be large enough. And you do need to remove the lift.

Here is what you need to look for.

If the Singer cabinet has this style of front with the brackets, it will fit.



If it's this style, it will not fit unless you trim the lip down (or off and add the brackets). AND it came with the lift that you will remove so there is enough room for the larger machine.



The 400 and 500 series have deeper bases, and won't clear the larger wood lip. The base has notches cut so it will clear the brackets.

Macybaby

Here is a picture of an older cabinet with the lift that helps to raise the machine into place.



If you take that out, then the opening is just the right size for the 400/500 machines. The hinges are in the correct spot.

If you want a Non-Singer cabinet, it will have to be one that Singer fits (like a lot of the Japanese made machines) But pre WW2 older cabinets for White, National, Free, etc - all have enough differences that the cabinets are usually manufacturer specific.

Macybaby

BTW- what do you mean by "standard" cabinet?

Before WW 2 and the rebuilding of Japan, there was no standard in the US market. Each Manufacturer may have standards for their machines, but there was little common ground. Some started coping Singer because that was the popular one.

In rebuilding Japan, the US allowed them to use the Singer patent design for the 15. Not sure if that was Singer's idea or not . . . and pretty soon, that became the most common. For the US market, the size needle Singer used became "standard" as with bobbin size (class 15 and class 66) and even feet - before that, Singer was one of the few US companies that used side clamp attachments. Now that is almost all you find except for some European Manufactures that didn't get bought out and changed.

I find when most people say "standard" they mean "Singer Size", but cabinets made before 1945 would almost always need to be Singer to fit Singer.

I'm unwound

Thank you so much for the info. I thought I remembered reading somewhere that the Rocketeer had some special needs in a cabinet. I didn't know the finer points. I have my treadle cabinet and a couple of others--one with no machine in and I was just trying to figure out if the Rocketeer would fit before I started physically trying! Thanks again!!

bkay

I bought a Singer Touch and Sew in a cabinet (very similar to the second one MacyBaby posted in the "What is this machine?") a couple of years ago. The Rocketeer fit it perfectly.

bkay