headonz

Hi all,
I have just bought my first sewing machine at 62yrs old .OK I'm a carpenter/builder so maybe not that unusual .

I have received my 401G ($81) today ,in its case with 3 strips of sellotape around the base as 'packaging' !!!?? and still managed to get here in one piece as far as I can tell.

I am wanting to buy a 320 but need to know the weight for the shipping company.Can someone please tell me what it would weigh approx.I would imagine the 401 , 320 or others of the era would be close enough.

photos to follow

sewbeadit

Welcome to the group, it is never too late to start a new hobby and one that is this fun is really awesome. You were really lucky to receive your machine in one piece with no packing! So many are not so lucky. I can't help you with the weight but wanted to welcome you. Would love to see pics.

headonz

Hi,thanks for the welcome.
Here is the first one .... seems to run ok ,but all metal parts look a little dry ,there is old oil streaks on the out side so has been oiled at some time.

headonz

Here is the new 320 ,just bought online (hasnt been sent yet).This person wants me to organize shipping AND packaging ??!!
Whats wrong with these people ??

Belfrybat

By the time you add packing material and the box, I'd guess about 30-35 lbs. Those older machines have some weight to them.

Manalto

If it's been sitting a long time, it doesn't hurt to take the machine outdoors and flush the old oil out of the mechanism with some kerosene or mineral spirits. Let it dry and give it a proper oiling and greasing. (Old oil, because of the drag it creates, can be particularly troublesome in getting a machine to operate properly at low speeds.)

Congratulations on the 320 - terrific machine. I've given up my quest for one; they're practically non-existent in the U.S.

I'll interpret your "What's wrong with people?" question as rhetorical and just offer my sympathy.

Rodney

Welcome! You must have been doing some research before you decided to buy. Congrats on both machines. Both are at the very least uncommon to rare here in the states. As much as I want a 320 I would have passed on getting it with the conditions on shipping. They probably wanted to remove the responsibility of shipping it from themselves. If machines are not packed correctly they're easily damaged. I'd say in the neighborhood of 40 lbs (18 kilos) for shipping and there might be some oversize charges as well.
If it was me, I'd pack foam all around the machine including the bottom inside the base so it can't move inside the case and a layer of cardboard then foam sheets around the outside of the case too so nothing can move. The foam outside will help protect against punctures. Bubble wrap and packing peanuts aren't stable enough and will allow the machine to move. It's the movement that tears things apart. Picture a bunch of gorillas tossing the box around. That's the kind of treatment you need to expect from shipping companies here. Maybe things are better in NZ.

Manalto: I've heard of using kerosene but not mineral spirits. Have you tried mineral spirits? I've used it before on parts I've removed but not to flush out the inside of a machine. I have some here but would have to buy the kerosene.
I have a Brother that works fine at high speed but the blind stitch setting doesn't work well at lower speeds. I also haven't figured out how to take it apart to get to the cams inside. Brother built the machine with the stitch selector in the base of the pillar where it's hard to reach.
Rodney

manicmike

Mine's 17.8Kg. I've had to organise shipping quite a few times, but packaging will be hard unless you're going there to package it

Get them to double box it and stuff a lot of newspaper inside to stop the box of cams and FC floating around in transit. You organise a courier to collect it. In Australia, couriers can be cheaper (and are always faster) than Australia post

Manalto

Rodney, I meant to say "paraffin" because what we call kerosene in the States is known as paraffin in Great Britain, in case that's the term used in NZ.

I've used mineral spirits, but only with extreme caution, as I'm not sure how it would react with the finish of the machine. Kerosene is safer (and stinkier).

KLO

I too want to welcome you to the QB. There is so much good information to be found here that you need to be retired to be able to read it all ... or maybe just a faster reader than me. Either way, you should be able to get all the knowledge you need to bring those babies back to practically pristine. Love the looks of the second one and hoping that it still looks that way when it gets into your welcoming hands. Good luck with packing/sending. Is it located in NZ also and not too far away? That might help but "fingers crossed" for it might be a good thing to do also. So, what do you hope to sew and will it co-ordiante with your building/carpentry work or are you starting a new "hobby"?