PJisChaos

I am wondering, how many of ya find it hard to want to work on your "modern" machines after sewing on one of these beauties?

I am finding this rather difficult myself so thought I would ask. ;-)

jtapp9

Oh gosh, I was just saying this today...lol. I have exclusively used my 301 in the 6 weeks I've had it. I had to turn and use my Brother PC6000 the other day and it wasn't even fun anymore....and I LOVED that machine when I got it! Awww heck, I still love it. I won't get rid of it, but I doubt it will get much use anymore :?

jtapp9

Ok, I came home with a tan 301A for $100. I also got the 500A and the 503A. They each have a few issues so she ended up selling them to me for $50 each. She changed the motor in the 500A while I was there and it had been newly rewound, so I think I got my money back there..lol

The 500 was bound up a bit but she got it loose and the motor started smoking. She changed the motor and then everytime you put thread in it it would break thread. Then the handwheel would loosen and spin like you were winding a bobbin. She kept saying since it wouldnt work right she would have to take it to her sewing machine person. I asked whats the least shed take and she said $50 since she put the newly wound motor in it. So, any ideas of what I should work on to fix this issue? It will sit and "sew" all day until I put thread in it. The the handwheel will start spinning seperately like doing a bobbin..the smaller section comes loose.

OK. The 503 was her favorite. She does alterations and really prefers a machine without all the extra built in stitches. I would be awesome except that the top lid is missing. The knob on the stitch lenght selector is missing. And the bobbin winder is missing because she said she had a new motor put in and her guy didn't have one at the time that had the bobbin winder extension on it.

I think there is an assorted set of about 10 cams for one and maybe 8 for the other (duplicates devided by 2).

The 503 will probably run fine for me but have to get manuals for them in order to know where to set things for the cams.

She wanted $65 for the 503 but when I went to write the check she lowered the total price on down to $200, which was $50 for that one also.

So, any ideas about the 500?

irishrose

PJisChoas, My newest machine is hard for me to consider vintage, though she is. My Elna and I have been through so much together, I will never want to give up up sewing on her. Nothing I have picked up sews like that machine, though the Necchi may give her a run for her money, but it doesn't zigzag, make buttonholes or decorative stitches. It's not the Elna's fault that she's not a quilting machine. It's the designer who didn't make the pressure foot adjustable. Right now I'm having a little trouble with the 301's tension, so I may be cleaning up another one until I can get a new spring for her. But I need the 301 to FMQ this week. G-r-r-r.

I guess I'm not the one to answer that question as I have no plastic machines other than the serger which is broken, as usual.

I like having the 301 set up for quilting and the Elna set up for sewing an apron and a sundress so I can switch back and forth.

vintagemotif

Yes, and why I hunted down my Singer 328K to use in treadle. I'm so into treadling!
I like to finish off my bindings with a decorative stitch. After piecing, quilting, and binding with the vintage machines, it felt abnormal and weird using the Janome TB30 on the decorative stitches for this binding work. I'm so happy to have the Singer 328 in treadle.

Glad to read that you are enjoying your machine!

HanNatNana

I was thinking exactly the same as I was making winter dressing gowns for 2 x DGD's at the weekend on my Janome 6500, it's a fast machine and as is usual with Janome machines they make the most perfect buttonholes.

My new sewing room is setup so I can wheel from one machine (sewing) to the next (overlocker) while the embroidery machine is doing another project in the background, then the coverstitch machine is waiting for another project. Won't have all my old machines setup properly until I collect the next two when visiting family next weekend. Maybe then my machine layout might need to change a little...time will tell!

Can't wait to use them more though but moving into a new house has kept me out of the sewing room quite a bit lately.

Bronwyn ;-)

miriam

I did the happy dance when I got rid of the Janome - it was ok in some ways but drove me nuts in others. I just prefer the vintage.

miriam

Get some kerosene on the moving parts of the machines. That should loosen up any old dead dried up oil - spread it on good - make sure not to get anything on the paint or wiring or the motor - I do it routinely when I bring in a 'new' machine. Then use some good sewing machine oil on the same moving parts. It may take more than one shot at it. The motor might have been smoking because someone got oil in it - I bought one that the lady thought the motor was the problem when the machine was all stuck up with old dried up oil so she oiled the motor - talk about smoke... I don't really know what makes the balance wheel go off like that - maybe she assembled it wrong - open it back up and flip the little cog thing over and see if it works better? A couple pages back I posted a link to a SERVICE manual. This will tell you a lot if info how to repair the machine. It is good for both machines. It is $12. I got one and it is very helpful. First, you need to get a free USER'S manuals from http://www.ismacs.net/singer_sewing_...e-manuals.html - you just print it out.

miriam

Unless you are into beauty pictures, you won't miss that top door at all (gets in the way of business... LOL) Trade the motor & winder from the 500 to the 503 and have a good machine. (You can find that info in the service manual)

To work the cams - set the lever on the right all the way on the left. Set the lever on the left in the middle. Drop the cam in. Don't try to put one in or out unless it is set that way. When you work the cam you can set that right lever on any of the widths. Then your stitch length can be any length you like.

Troubles I have seen: If the stitch length is too long it looks like a really odd straight stitch instead of a decorative stitch. So simple. A friend uses a 403 (works the same) One day she emailed and said hers wouldn't sew a straight stitch down the middle. So we tracked it down. She had the right lever set clear to the right but no cam. Once she got it all the way to 0 it worked in the middle again.

The 500 & cams: Using the cams works the same for the 503 & the 500 - lever at 0 to drop or remove the cam - then what ever width you please and what ever stitch length you like.

Design knobs on the 500: There is a guide for the design knobs on the hinge top cover. You can't control the width as much on the decorative stitches though - the design actually can change by setting the lever on the right in a different position - it tells that on the lid. Take some time and thoroughly READ the lid - then read it again any time you need to use it. It took me a while to get it.... That info is in the 500 manual but I figured it out from the lid + trial and lots of error. The lid is handier than looking it up in the manual all the time.

okiepastor

Naomi and I have gotten five lap quilt tops ready to finish for the vet center--and I have now made over 200 9P blocks from vintage for the family memory quilts. Naomi is in daily use---and we will be FMQ on her soon! I wanted her for her toughness and ease of maintenance! Love my Vikings, but they are NOT easy to work on!