Colorado get-together?
11-01-2023, 05:30 AM
#361
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,254
November 2023 - Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together - Part 1
The weather sure has been strange this month with several highs above average and even breaking a record at 86 on the 20th. Then this past weekend the temperature didn't get above freezing for a couple of days and had the fifth largest first snow with 7.5 inches at DIA.
This month Loraine, Dianne and Courtney sent reports and pictures.
Loraine
Our most newest member tells of her recent machine and what she has sewn with it.
Two quick photos show my recently acquired older Bernina 830 (multiple built-in stitches), and a project I’m using to get acquainted with the machine.
The machine came as you see it: case, cords, packing styrofoam, manual, several feet, and table extension. This setup weighs ~ 44.6 pounds. Not easily portable by me.
My project is small (~ 3”x6”) lavender sachets I use throughout my closets to repel wool-damaging moths. I include two samples of my raw material: lavender harvested from my backyard and lavender purchased from Natural Grocers. I kept the pattern of the sachets and the stitches very simple (straight stitch - for simplicity’s sake, super easy & quick on this machine) . The sachet is refillable (annually), can be linked together for long garments and, hopefully, won’t ‘leak’ lavender. I love wool products and work to protect them from moths. I have quite a few more sachets to make & will likely play with some stitches, and maybe feet, as I proceed.
The Adventure continues . . .
Best,
Loraine
When asked if she used quilting cotton, she responded.
Yes, I use quilting cotton, prepped as follows:
wash in hot water with good agitation and tumble dry on high heat, to wash out any ‘loose’ dye and to tighten the weave to reduce ‘leaking’, rather like cotton ticking.
I make a fold-over top closure so no extra effort is needed to attach closures of any kind; it’s faster and less finicky. Finally, I add a hanging cord of some kind, whatever I have left over from other projects or something thrifted for this kind of use.
Dianne
Dianne tells of a small hand crank machine that she has had for a while, but what she has recently used to make some blocks. She has also included some history of the machine.
Vesta ½ size handcrank #1046384
Late in September this machine was taken out, oiled, adjusted, and used to sew exchange blocks for TreadleOn. The blocks had freeform curves, so using a handcrank to perform them initially caused some concern, but proved to be no problem.
This Vesta was purchased on eBay in 2009 from Sparta, Wisconsin. It arrived with no damage, but was quite grimy. The gears had to be literally scraped to get them clean and turning easily. The stitch length slider was frozen. Transverse shuttle machines were new to me, so it took some fussing and fiddling to get this one sewing, but it does sew nicely once it is figured out!
The closest manual found in 2009 is from Relics, “Instructions for using the Straight Shuttle Lock-Stitch Sewing Machines” which fairly closely matches the Vesta. The machine uses a bobbin with a hole in one end cap, and winding bobbins seems to require and extra hand, but once started goes quickly. Oil holes are clearly marked. This machine uses the 12x1 needle, so those need to be preserved and only changed when absolutely necessary. My notes indicate that a replacement needle (MY1014B or 8) was tried, but did not work. If someone has gotten that needle to work, or has found a different needle to work in this model machine, please send a message about it.
The LOD company, or L. O. Dietrich, is a very old firm, founded in 1869 in Altenburg, Thuringia, Germany. The three founders, Leopold Oscar Dietrich, Winselmann, and Kohler, had worked together with Clemens Muller in his sewing machine factory. They left and started their own company, but shortly after Winselmann and Kohler moved on and each one started a company. Winselmann made the Titan machines, some of which are very similar to this Vesta. The machines made by these firms were very popular, highly regarded, and widely available. Even today they are frequently seen on eBay and similar venues. In 1945, the end of WWII saw most of the company’s assets taken away as part of war reparations, and what was left merged with other sewing machine companies.
My best guess, judging by the serial number, (#1046384) this machine is an early one which might date from about 1890 to 1900. A similar machine (#1632485) pictured on sewmuse is surmised to be from 1920-1930. The low Saxony-style wheel, which connects to the main drive shaft at the top rather than the middle, is an attractive feature. It is a lovely, light weight little machine, still capable of sewing nicely and fun to use.
to be continued...
This month Loraine, Dianne and Courtney sent reports and pictures.
Loraine
Our most newest member tells of her recent machine and what she has sewn with it.
Two quick photos show my recently acquired older Bernina 830 (multiple built-in stitches), and a project I’m using to get acquainted with the machine.
The machine came as you see it: case, cords, packing styrofoam, manual, several feet, and table extension. This setup weighs ~ 44.6 pounds. Not easily portable by me.
My project is small (~ 3”x6”) lavender sachets I use throughout my closets to repel wool-damaging moths. I include two samples of my raw material: lavender harvested from my backyard and lavender purchased from Natural Grocers. I kept the pattern of the sachets and the stitches very simple (straight stitch - for simplicity’s sake, super easy & quick on this machine) . The sachet is refillable (annually), can be linked together for long garments and, hopefully, won’t ‘leak’ lavender. I love wool products and work to protect them from moths. I have quite a few more sachets to make & will likely play with some stitches, and maybe feet, as I proceed.
The Adventure continues . . .
Best,
Loraine
When asked if she used quilting cotton, she responded.
Yes, I use quilting cotton, prepped as follows:
wash in hot water with good agitation and tumble dry on high heat, to wash out any ‘loose’ dye and to tighten the weave to reduce ‘leaking’, rather like cotton ticking.
I make a fold-over top closure so no extra effort is needed to attach closures of any kind; it’s faster and less finicky. Finally, I add a hanging cord of some kind, whatever I have left over from other projects or something thrifted for this kind of use.
Dianne
Dianne tells of a small hand crank machine that she has had for a while, but what she has recently used to make some blocks. She has also included some history of the machine.
Vesta ½ size handcrank #1046384
Late in September this machine was taken out, oiled, adjusted, and used to sew exchange blocks for TreadleOn. The blocks had freeform curves, so using a handcrank to perform them initially caused some concern, but proved to be no problem.
This Vesta was purchased on eBay in 2009 from Sparta, Wisconsin. It arrived with no damage, but was quite grimy. The gears had to be literally scraped to get them clean and turning easily. The stitch length slider was frozen. Transverse shuttle machines were new to me, so it took some fussing and fiddling to get this one sewing, but it does sew nicely once it is figured out!
The closest manual found in 2009 is from Relics, “Instructions for using the Straight Shuttle Lock-Stitch Sewing Machines” which fairly closely matches the Vesta. The machine uses a bobbin with a hole in one end cap, and winding bobbins seems to require and extra hand, but once started goes quickly. Oil holes are clearly marked. This machine uses the 12x1 needle, so those need to be preserved and only changed when absolutely necessary. My notes indicate that a replacement needle (MY1014B or 8) was tried, but did not work. If someone has gotten that needle to work, or has found a different needle to work in this model machine, please send a message about it.
The LOD company, or L. O. Dietrich, is a very old firm, founded in 1869 in Altenburg, Thuringia, Germany. The three founders, Leopold Oscar Dietrich, Winselmann, and Kohler, had worked together with Clemens Muller in his sewing machine factory. They left and started their own company, but shortly after Winselmann and Kohler moved on and each one started a company. Winselmann made the Titan machines, some of which are very similar to this Vesta. The machines made by these firms were very popular, highly regarded, and widely available. Even today they are frequently seen on eBay and similar venues. In 1945, the end of WWII saw most of the company’s assets taken away as part of war reparations, and what was left merged with other sewing machine companies.
My best guess, judging by the serial number, (#1046384) this machine is an early one which might date from about 1890 to 1900. A similar machine (#1632485) pictured on sewmuse is surmised to be from 1920-1930. The low Saxony-style wheel, which connects to the main drive shaft at the top rather than the middle, is an attractive feature. It is a lovely, light weight little machine, still capable of sewing nicely and fun to use.
to be continued...
Last edited by OurWorkbench; 11-01-2023 at 05:38 AM.
11-01-2023, 05:43 AM
#362
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,254
November 2023 - Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together - Part 2
Courtney
Courtney shares what he has been up to with a couple of new acquisitions and some additional notes about the Stella he told us about last month.
Dear All,
Short Synopsis
Stella’s Stella is finally ready to go (I mentioned this last month). All adjusted and sewing like new. I have also put together a present for Stella’s grandmother (my old friend) to help with the sewing; a variety of fat quarters and two or three larger yardages so they will have plenty of fabric to play around with. I have three small quilts in our Library’s “Stitches and Stories” small quilt show. They have 23 quilts this year which may be a record number. I did survive my third Featherweight Maintenance class in Erie and only have three more to go. Think I will take a break after the January class though.
Longer Discussion
About a month ago I got two machines, one given to me by a friend and the other a garage sale find for $35. They are both quite interesting. The garage sale machine was a Pfaff 332: large, heavy, but in nice shape for being 67 years and made in 1956. The seller said it was her mother’s machine and it appears to have been well taken care of and maintained. It includes the embroidery unit which gives it 80 built-in stitches. No cams, no nothin’ extra needed to do the fancy sewing. Actually, there were some extras included but they are not required to make the fancy stitches. The extras included an instruction book (very necessary) and a full set of attachments including 9 presser feet. It also included the infamous stitch wheel which is often missing now. The stitch wheel is a thin piece of plastic which has a circular diagram of 80 specialty stitches and the machine settings for each stitch. I have not had time to play with the machine much yet, but it is running very smoothly so I hope to have fun when I get some time. I have included some pictures of the Pfaff and my other machine the Favta but you must remember the Pfaff is in the back and looks smaller than it actually is.
I have spent most of my time this month working on the little Favta Automatic. It was given to me by an old friend. She said she used it for many years but it was no longer working. It is certainly an interesting little machine. It is Swiss made so it was worth spending a bit of time on it. It is a free arm machine not much larger than a Featherweight. However, it is an automatic zig-zag machine. This means besides straight and zig-zag stitches it will also do a variety of fancy stitches via Bakelite cams similar to the Elna. I don’t know how many cams they offered but I do know I have the five cams the machine originally came with. Unlike many sewing machines which try to simplify their mechanical working, the Favta definitely is a machine. It looks like a machine and works like a machine, no cutsie here at all. It came with a plastic container for bobbins, presser feet and cams. Unfortunately, it only had a few of the original presser feet but at least it uses standard low-shank feet. One of the most important things was that it also came with an original instruction book. The machine had been sitting for many years, so I did have to give it a good lubrication and now it is sounding more like a Swiss machine. The only problem was the part that holds in the hook and provides the nook for the bobbin case’s finger had gotten worn and a bit lose so that the bobbin case would just spin and produce a rat's nest. A small amount of pressure bent the bobbin case’s finger just enough to remain stationary in the little nook and now the machine is stitching nicely. I haven't had time to try out the cams, but they are next when I get some time.
I think things will only get busier with Thanksgiving then Christmas so I am not sure how much sewing machine time I will have in the near future. At least I will grab what I can. Hope you all have a great month.
Courtney
Thank you, Loraine, Dianne and Courtney for the contributions to this months post and thank you to our readers. See you next month.
Courtney shares what he has been up to with a couple of new acquisitions and some additional notes about the Stella he told us about last month.
Dear All,
Short Synopsis
Stella’s Stella is finally ready to go (I mentioned this last month). All adjusted and sewing like new. I have also put together a present for Stella’s grandmother (my old friend) to help with the sewing; a variety of fat quarters and two or three larger yardages so they will have plenty of fabric to play around with. I have three small quilts in our Library’s “Stitches and Stories” small quilt show. They have 23 quilts this year which may be a record number. I did survive my third Featherweight Maintenance class in Erie and only have three more to go. Think I will take a break after the January class though.
Longer Discussion
About a month ago I got two machines, one given to me by a friend and the other a garage sale find for $35. They are both quite interesting. The garage sale machine was a Pfaff 332: large, heavy, but in nice shape for being 67 years and made in 1956. The seller said it was her mother’s machine and it appears to have been well taken care of and maintained. It includes the embroidery unit which gives it 80 built-in stitches. No cams, no nothin’ extra needed to do the fancy sewing. Actually, there were some extras included but they are not required to make the fancy stitches. The extras included an instruction book (very necessary) and a full set of attachments including 9 presser feet. It also included the infamous stitch wheel which is often missing now. The stitch wheel is a thin piece of plastic which has a circular diagram of 80 specialty stitches and the machine settings for each stitch. I have not had time to play with the machine much yet, but it is running very smoothly so I hope to have fun when I get some time. I have included some pictures of the Pfaff and my other machine the Favta but you must remember the Pfaff is in the back and looks smaller than it actually is.
I have spent most of my time this month working on the little Favta Automatic. It was given to me by an old friend. She said she used it for many years but it was no longer working. It is certainly an interesting little machine. It is Swiss made so it was worth spending a bit of time on it. It is a free arm machine not much larger than a Featherweight. However, it is an automatic zig-zag machine. This means besides straight and zig-zag stitches it will also do a variety of fancy stitches via Bakelite cams similar to the Elna. I don’t know how many cams they offered but I do know I have the five cams the machine originally came with. Unlike many sewing machines which try to simplify their mechanical working, the Favta definitely is a machine. It looks like a machine and works like a machine, no cutsie here at all. It came with a plastic container for bobbins, presser feet and cams. Unfortunately, it only had a few of the original presser feet but at least it uses standard low-shank feet. One of the most important things was that it also came with an original instruction book. The machine had been sitting for many years, so I did have to give it a good lubrication and now it is sounding more like a Swiss machine. The only problem was the part that holds in the hook and provides the nook for the bobbin case’s finger had gotten worn and a bit lose so that the bobbin case would just spin and produce a rat's nest. A small amount of pressure bent the bobbin case’s finger just enough to remain stationary in the little nook and now the machine is stitching nicely. I haven't had time to try out the cams, but they are next when I get some time.
I think things will only get busier with Thanksgiving then Christmas so I am not sure how much sewing machine time I will have in the near future. At least I will grab what I can. Hope you all have a great month.
Courtney
Thank you, Loraine, Dianne and Courtney for the contributions to this months post and thank you to our readers. See you next month.
11-29-2023, 07:56 AM
#363
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,254
December 2023 - Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together - Part 1
Denver has had some roller coaster type weather. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving the high was 68° then it went down from there. It was 41° early Thanksgiving morning and didn't get back to 41° until midday Sunday, with the low Saturday of 12°. Close to seasonal the last couple of days.
We have notes from Loraine, Courtney and Dorothy this month.
Loraine sent pictures of her recently acquired treadle with after treatment and a couple of before her treatment.
Loraine
I tried to send you several photos.
Hopefully you got 7? photos?
I am treating the wood cabinet of the 1910? Standard treadle sewing machine I recently acquired.
Two photos are ‘before’ images.
The rest of the photos are after one application of homemade product, as follows:
1/3c each white vinegar, turpentine, and linseed oil mixed in a glass jar and
applied with 0000 grade steel wool. The machine is sitting in the garage as the product odor is rather strong.
I applied the treatment to all the wood I could reasonably reach, drawers included. I have a little bit of product left over which I plan to apply when the weather is warmer (as with the first application). Then it will be time to move it into the house & replace the belt so it can be put into working condition.
All for now.
Best,
Loraine
to be continued ...(with the before pictures)
We have notes from Loraine, Courtney and Dorothy this month.
Loraine sent pictures of her recently acquired treadle with after treatment and a couple of before her treatment.
Loraine
I tried to send you several photos.
Hopefully you got 7? photos?
I am treating the wood cabinet of the 1910? Standard treadle sewing machine I recently acquired.
Two photos are ‘before’ images.
The rest of the photos are after one application of homemade product, as follows:
1/3c each white vinegar, turpentine, and linseed oil mixed in a glass jar and
applied with 0000 grade steel wool. The machine is sitting in the garage as the product odor is rather strong.
I applied the treatment to all the wood I could reasonably reach, drawers included. I have a little bit of product left over which I plan to apply when the weather is warmer (as with the first application). Then it will be time to move it into the house & replace the belt so it can be put into working condition.
All for now.
Best,
Loraine
to be continued ...(with the before pictures)
11-29-2023, 08:00 AM
#364
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,254
December 2023 - Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together - Part 2
While Courtney has been traveling, he was able to send a note.
Courtney
This report will have to be short as Connie and I are on the road. I do have some things you might help me with. I have been asked to be the introductory speaker for a quilt show in Pueblo in early April. I am trying to come up with an interesting topic. If any of you have some ideas I would greatly appreciate any suggestions.
Over vacation I got an email from an old friend asking about sewing machines for blind people. I wrote back saying I had never thought about it but would do a bit of research and get back to him. The question came from his son so I have no idea if he is interested in a sewing machine for someone totally blind or someone with some degree of seeing impairment and is legally blind. Here was the exact question: “Is there any sewing machine you would recommend for someone who's legally blind? Something that could be threaded more easily than most?” I have never found the automatic threaders on machines easy for a sighted person to use. I did do a quick internet search and found some sites that talked about sewing machines for the blind. Some talked about automatic needle threaders while others talked about hand held needle threaders. If you have any personal comments I would love to hear them. When I get home I have a few machines that have automatic needle threaders and I purchased a couple of hand held needle threaders so I am going the do some experimenting!
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and that Christmas preparations are going well.
Courtney
Dorothy responded to Courtney's contribution.
Dorothy
I have been fascinated by Sewing for the blind since a school was set up in Eau Claire WI in late 70's.
On a more current subject and not for the individual - there was (are) factory set up for the blind to sew. There is a lot of automation in the set up and sew which both sighted or non-sighted have to use to make the cost needed. The plant I reviewed was sewing the multiple web straps found on military items. The automation will spread the web across the item and bartack in place at selected intervals. The company was very forward in being an employer in the region (Texas) that was partially owned by the blind.
I would recommend a machine that allowed attachments like hemmers, edge guides, etc depending on what will be sewed.
Dorothy
As Christmas draws near, we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
See you next year.
01-03-2024, 08:47 AM
#365
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,254
January 2024 Colorado Get-together
Happy 2024 to one and all.
Denver's weather has been another roller coaster month. December 19th saw a high temperature of 67° which tied the record from 1917. We got snow Christmas Eve and then even more the day after Christmas.
Many were busy with holiday preparations, yet there were some able to get some acquisitions, there was some helpful sewing machine service and even some sewing done by our group.
Dorothy
Dorothy was able to get a Necchi that she is going to rehab.
Hello!
Happy New Year to one and all!
I had supper with the first person I met in Colorado, the day I moved here, all those years ago. She casually mentioned she had her mother's Necchi that was purchased the year my friend was born. Imagine my surprise to see her open up the Necchi desk and there was a dusty BU Nora!
The machine is very dusty having sat for at least 10 years at another relatives house. The motor has been replaced. It was not stitching properly binding up at the bottom. There were 5 bobbin cases! It started to stitch with choice #4 which I suspect is the original black tab Necchi bobbin. I am very excited to be allowed to get it into sewing shape eventually!
Her Mother used it to sew outfits for her job at an Asian restaurant along with other clothing, etc.
There is also an unknown Bernina with "same sewing issue". I assume cleaning, oiling & tension adjustments will fix it also.
Looking forward to the meeting!
Dorothy
Cheryl & Chris
Cheryl was able to get a sewing machine back to working order for someone to learn to sew.
This week my daughter brought over a 1941 Singer 15-91 from a friend. It had been the friend's mother's machine. The friend didn't know a thing about it but wanted to learn to sew and she wanted the machine in working order.
When Emily first told us about it, we expected the usual bad wiring etc. but someone had already done a decent job of rewiring it in the past. It just needed cleaning, oiling and lubing, tension adjustment and new bobbin winder tire. The motor brushes look great. I also printed out a manual for it and threw in some decent bobbins.
C & C
Thanh
Thanh was able to acquire a machine and is working on another.
Happy New Year!!
I had one acquisition this month which was a Bernina 530 Record for $40. The seller stated it was skipping and bunching up stitches. I figured the vertical nylon gear was cracked, but for the price it was worth the repairs. After I got it home and inspected it, I was surprised to find that both vertical and cam stack gears looked intact. With a little cleaning and oiling, it was no longer skipping stitches and all the decorative stitches were working as well. All in all, a great find for $40.
Other than that one purchase, I've been working on repairing a Pfaff 230 Automatic. There's a pin missing from a piece that attaches underneath the lever that sits on the top cover. The original pin looks like it may have been press fitted into place. As a replacement, I cut a nail that was about the right diameter and epoxied it into the shaft of the broken part. I still need to clean the Automatic Unit before testing the strength of my repairs, but I hope that solves the problem.
Courtney
Courtney received a vintage machine as a Christmas gift and tells of his tests of machines that would be suitable for someone with visual troubles.
Dear All,
Much of the last month has been taken up with holiday preparations. Our daughter has been home for over two weeks! It is the longest she has been home in 27 years! It has been busy but lots of fun. As far as sewing or sewing machines are concerned, not much has been accomplished. I did sew Connie 6 potholders for Christmas. They were red and white, and Santa hung them up on Christmas eve and they have stayed there through the holidays as decorations. For Christmas, Connie gave me a nice 1952 black Singer 301. I haven't gone through it yet but from the condition on the outside I expect it to be in good condition on the inside.
I did spend some time investigating sewing for the visually handicapped. I mentioned this last month. Early in the month Janey and I came across the Schmetz (705 HDK) easy thread needles at just about the same time. The easy thread needles come in two sizes (80/12 and 90/14) but because there is a small slot in the middle of the needle eye on one side, I think I would recommend only the larger needles because they are less likely to break. I ended up ordering two packs because the first pack seemed to get lost in the mail. It did eventually show up.
It seems as if mechanical machines are recommended for the visually handicapped because turning dials to the correct position can be operated more reliably by the visually handicapped than punching buttons and trying to read screens. I tried several machines. A little vintage Bernina 801 with a CB hook seemed to work fine, however a new Necchi K408A with a CB hook did not work at all because the easy thread needle kept coming unthreaded. All the other machines I tried were drop-in horizontal bobbin machines with full rotary hooks and they all seemed to work as the hook always mover to the left as it passed the needle. I tried a vintage Elna Stella machine with the bobbin behind the needle, and two machines with the bobbin in front of the needle, a Janome 6500 machine and a Kenmore 385.1622 machine. I think I can recommend the easy thread needles for use with the drop-in horizontal bobbin machines. I have not yet tried the easy thread needles with a Featherweight which has a vertical bobbin but I expect it to work fine as the hook moves in the correct direction with respect to the needle. I look forward to trying out the easy thread needles with my new Singer 301!
Hope everyone has a great New Year!
Courtney
Dianne
Dianne was able to get some sewing in and also writes of some needle sharpening tools and experiences.
Hi Everyone,
The last month, with the holidays, made sewing difficult, but five quilts did get finished for Firehouse Quilts, and some hexagonal coasters made as small gifts for neighbors and friends.
Having some hand needles, used for basting, become obviously dull, I looked into sharpening them. One needle’s point, using a 10x loupe, looked like the end of a well-used rock chisel - the end you beat on with a big hammer! A Clover ‘Sweet ’n Sharp Macaron’ was acquired. It ls plastic, but looks like two twist-off bottle caps facing each other, with a gap filled by black squishy stuff that does the sharpening. The loupe later confirmed the needle’s point to be in much improved condition after a couple dozen pokes - not like new, but usable again. Those tomato-and-strawberry pincushions and sharpeners have been around forever, although I don’t remember having one until it came with items from a neighbor’s estate. Very old and not in good condition, so not a fair test. A new pair, costing less than a dollar, came looking nearly identical, but with the tomato pincushion smaller than the old one, and the strawberry the same size. Poking the strawberry a few times with a needle, it seemed the fabric might disintegrate. Not a good business plan.
Machine needles could likely be sharpened, and a product just for them used to be available. It was made by 3M, and labeled Scotch Instand Needle Conditioner. It is a pad 1 1/2 x 6 inches that you run through your machine a few times. Unopened packages of these show up on eBay, and the least expensive offer (by far) was purchased. Opening the vintage package can’t be done without damaging the cardboard, so whether it works or not is not known. It will be saved for potential use on unobtainium needles.
Piecing has been done on a 15-91 held as a backup to my main machine. It is from 1951, and has had the motor rebuilt. It is noisy, and slow, but sews very nicely. The slow speed might make it good for free-motion quilting, if it will do that trick.
Happy New Year!
Dianne
In Closing
Wishing you all a great 2024.
Thank you for reading and will post again next month.
Denver's weather has been another roller coaster month. December 19th saw a high temperature of 67° which tied the record from 1917. We got snow Christmas Eve and then even more the day after Christmas.
Many were busy with holiday preparations, yet there were some able to get some acquisitions, there was some helpful sewing machine service and even some sewing done by our group.
Dorothy
Dorothy was able to get a Necchi that she is going to rehab.
Hello!
Happy New Year to one and all!
I had supper with the first person I met in Colorado, the day I moved here, all those years ago. She casually mentioned she had her mother's Necchi that was purchased the year my friend was born. Imagine my surprise to see her open up the Necchi desk and there was a dusty BU Nora!
The machine is very dusty having sat for at least 10 years at another relatives house. The motor has been replaced. It was not stitching properly binding up at the bottom. There were 5 bobbin cases! It started to stitch with choice #4 which I suspect is the original black tab Necchi bobbin. I am very excited to be allowed to get it into sewing shape eventually!
Her Mother used it to sew outfits for her job at an Asian restaurant along with other clothing, etc.
There is also an unknown Bernina with "same sewing issue". I assume cleaning, oiling & tension adjustments will fix it also.
Looking forward to the meeting!
Dorothy
Cheryl & Chris
Cheryl was able to get a sewing machine back to working order for someone to learn to sew.
This week my daughter brought over a 1941 Singer 15-91 from a friend. It had been the friend's mother's machine. The friend didn't know a thing about it but wanted to learn to sew and she wanted the machine in working order.
When Emily first told us about it, we expected the usual bad wiring etc. but someone had already done a decent job of rewiring it in the past. It just needed cleaning, oiling and lubing, tension adjustment and new bobbin winder tire. The motor brushes look great. I also printed out a manual for it and threw in some decent bobbins.
C & C
Thanh
Thanh was able to acquire a machine and is working on another.
Happy New Year!!
I had one acquisition this month which was a Bernina 530 Record for $40. The seller stated it was skipping and bunching up stitches. I figured the vertical nylon gear was cracked, but for the price it was worth the repairs. After I got it home and inspected it, I was surprised to find that both vertical and cam stack gears looked intact. With a little cleaning and oiling, it was no longer skipping stitches and all the decorative stitches were working as well. All in all, a great find for $40.
Other than that one purchase, I've been working on repairing a Pfaff 230 Automatic. There's a pin missing from a piece that attaches underneath the lever that sits on the top cover. The original pin looks like it may have been press fitted into place. As a replacement, I cut a nail that was about the right diameter and epoxied it into the shaft of the broken part. I still need to clean the Automatic Unit before testing the strength of my repairs, but I hope that solves the problem.
Courtney
Courtney received a vintage machine as a Christmas gift and tells of his tests of machines that would be suitable for someone with visual troubles.
Dear All,
Much of the last month has been taken up with holiday preparations. Our daughter has been home for over two weeks! It is the longest she has been home in 27 years! It has been busy but lots of fun. As far as sewing or sewing machines are concerned, not much has been accomplished. I did sew Connie 6 potholders for Christmas. They were red and white, and Santa hung them up on Christmas eve and they have stayed there through the holidays as decorations. For Christmas, Connie gave me a nice 1952 black Singer 301. I haven't gone through it yet but from the condition on the outside I expect it to be in good condition on the inside.
I did spend some time investigating sewing for the visually handicapped. I mentioned this last month. Early in the month Janey and I came across the Schmetz (705 HDK) easy thread needles at just about the same time. The easy thread needles come in two sizes (80/12 and 90/14) but because there is a small slot in the middle of the needle eye on one side, I think I would recommend only the larger needles because they are less likely to break. I ended up ordering two packs because the first pack seemed to get lost in the mail. It did eventually show up.
It seems as if mechanical machines are recommended for the visually handicapped because turning dials to the correct position can be operated more reliably by the visually handicapped than punching buttons and trying to read screens. I tried several machines. A little vintage Bernina 801 with a CB hook seemed to work fine, however a new Necchi K408A with a CB hook did not work at all because the easy thread needle kept coming unthreaded. All the other machines I tried were drop-in horizontal bobbin machines with full rotary hooks and they all seemed to work as the hook always mover to the left as it passed the needle. I tried a vintage Elna Stella machine with the bobbin behind the needle, and two machines with the bobbin in front of the needle, a Janome 6500 machine and a Kenmore 385.1622 machine. I think I can recommend the easy thread needles for use with the drop-in horizontal bobbin machines. I have not yet tried the easy thread needles with a Featherweight which has a vertical bobbin but I expect it to work fine as the hook moves in the correct direction with respect to the needle. I look forward to trying out the easy thread needles with my new Singer 301!
Hope everyone has a great New Year!
Courtney
Dianne
Dianne was able to get some sewing in and also writes of some needle sharpening tools and experiences.
Hi Everyone,
The last month, with the holidays, made sewing difficult, but five quilts did get finished for Firehouse Quilts, and some hexagonal coasters made as small gifts for neighbors and friends.
Having some hand needles, used for basting, become obviously dull, I looked into sharpening them. One needle’s point, using a 10x loupe, looked like the end of a well-used rock chisel - the end you beat on with a big hammer! A Clover ‘Sweet ’n Sharp Macaron’ was acquired. It ls plastic, but looks like two twist-off bottle caps facing each other, with a gap filled by black squishy stuff that does the sharpening. The loupe later confirmed the needle’s point to be in much improved condition after a couple dozen pokes - not like new, but usable again. Those tomato-and-strawberry pincushions and sharpeners have been around forever, although I don’t remember having one until it came with items from a neighbor’s estate. Very old and not in good condition, so not a fair test. A new pair, costing less than a dollar, came looking nearly identical, but with the tomato pincushion smaller than the old one, and the strawberry the same size. Poking the strawberry a few times with a needle, it seemed the fabric might disintegrate. Not a good business plan.
Machine needles could likely be sharpened, and a product just for them used to be available. It was made by 3M, and labeled Scotch Instand Needle Conditioner. It is a pad 1 1/2 x 6 inches that you run through your machine a few times. Unopened packages of these show up on eBay, and the least expensive offer (by far) was purchased. Opening the vintage package can’t be done without damaging the cardboard, so whether it works or not is not known. It will be saved for potential use on unobtainium needles.
Piecing has been done on a 15-91 held as a backup to my main machine. It is from 1951, and has had the motor rebuilt. It is noisy, and slow, but sews very nicely. The slow speed might make it good for free-motion quilting, if it will do that trick.
Happy New Year!
Dianne
In Closing
Wishing you all a great 2024.
Thank you for reading and will post again next month.
Last edited by OurWorkbench; 01-03-2024 at 08:51 AM. Reason: insert pictures
01-31-2024, 10:22 AM
#366
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,254
February 2024 Colorado Get-together
Like the rest of the country, Denver was hit with some frigid weather in January. January 15th the high temperature was only 2 degrees F (-16.66667 C) which broke the record from 1930. January 16th tied the record low temperature of minus 19 F (-28.33333 C) from 1930. The last few days of January warmed up to the high 50s and low 60s. Looks the temperatures froze up the group as only two have sent notes for our get-together.
Dorothy
We'll start with Dorothy, who was able to get out in spite of the frigid temperatures.
I did get to the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum and saw Courtney's quilt! It is a lovely quilt. Kind of amazing series of quilts displaying a lot of talent!
The first meeting of the Longmont Stitchers was a small group, but larger than anticipated due to a date change. The original day was one of the freezing days. We anticipate Feb meeting to be better attended as there will be better notification!
See you all in March!
Courtney
Courtney also was able to get out and was able to pass off a sewing machine.
Dear All,
I am hoping things calm down a bit now that the holidays are over. It was great however having our daughter home for the longest time in 25 years. I did get a nice looking Singer 301 for Christmas ad I taught my last Featherweight Maintenance on the 14th. Since both the December and January classes were threatened with bad weather, I have decided to hold off on more classes until we can count on better weather. The next weekend was rather hectic. Connie and I were both guests at a science fiction convention in Colorado Springs. We went down on Thursday afternoon for a dinner and panels started on Friday afternoon. I had to leave my 4 o’clock panel a little early to drive up the the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum’s opening reception for their Quilts Made by Men quilt show. Because it was early evening on a Friday my guidance system kept changing how I should go as the accidents started to accumulate. I wasn’t completely stopped anywhere but it was slow going once I got to Denver. I finally made it about 5 minutes late. I was very excited that they did their introductions and program directly in front of MY Pythagorean Theorem quilt (See picture.) I didn’t want to drive back to Colorado Springs late on a Friday night so I stayed with some old friends and made the drive down the next morning in the daylight. I will be on a men’s panel for the museum’s Sunday at the Museum on February 11th. While back at the Science Fiction Convention I was able to hand off the sewing machine and other articles for my friend’s son who is visually handicapped. I thought it was fun researching all the information on sewing for the visually handicapped.
Since the weather is supposed to be very nice this week I am trying to build two or three boxes to hold some sewing machines. They are not very fancy just 23”L x 10”W x 16.5”H but should help protect some on the machines I move around regularly like the hand-crank I got from Cheryl and Chris. I hope things quiet down some soon so I can get back to a more regular life!
Courtney
When asked as to which machine that was handed off Courtney replied that it was a more modern machine
I gave him a Kenmore 385.1622. It is made by Janome and appears to be similar to a Janome HD 3000. It seems to be a very study manual machine which I think will be important. It does have a drop in bobbin and a rotary hook which constantly pulls the thread to the left. It has a good needle threader that actually threads the needle without too much trouble. (I think most needle threaders are harder than doing it the old-fashioned way.) I also gave him a Dritz needle threader which pushes the thread through the eye. I found it the best of all the various needle threaders I tried. Finally, I gave him some of the Schmetz easy thread needles which are truly easy threading. I wanted to give him as many options for threading the needle as possible. The one problem with the machine is the stitch changer. It is not easy to work with but as a beginner I think he will be using the straight stitch, and I don't think he will be using the stitch changer much. We will cross that bridge when we have to. The other machine I was looking at was a Singer 4411 Heavy Duty. I went with the Kenmore because I had it and it was ready to go.
Janey remembered that Courtney had done a differently colored Pythagorean Theorem quilt back in 2022, which can be found at Colorado get-together?
"Proof
The green square is inscribed in a larger square with four triangles. The red and orange squares are inside a larger square with four triangles. The large squares are the same size (each side is equal to the short leg plus the long leg of the triangles) so they have the same area. Since each large square has four of the original triangles whatever is left must be equal, thus the green square is equal to the red and orange squares."
In Closing
That is all we have for this month. Thanks to our contributing members and to all who read. We will post here again next month.
Dorothy
We'll start with Dorothy, who was able to get out in spite of the frigid temperatures.
I did get to the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum and saw Courtney's quilt! It is a lovely quilt. Kind of amazing series of quilts displaying a lot of talent!
The first meeting of the Longmont Stitchers was a small group, but larger than anticipated due to a date change. The original day was one of the freezing days. We anticipate Feb meeting to be better attended as there will be better notification!
See you all in March!
Courtney
Courtney also was able to get out and was able to pass off a sewing machine.
Dear All,
I am hoping things calm down a bit now that the holidays are over. It was great however having our daughter home for the longest time in 25 years. I did get a nice looking Singer 301 for Christmas ad I taught my last Featherweight Maintenance on the 14th. Since both the December and January classes were threatened with bad weather, I have decided to hold off on more classes until we can count on better weather. The next weekend was rather hectic. Connie and I were both guests at a science fiction convention in Colorado Springs. We went down on Thursday afternoon for a dinner and panels started on Friday afternoon. I had to leave my 4 o’clock panel a little early to drive up the the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum’s opening reception for their Quilts Made by Men quilt show. Because it was early evening on a Friday my guidance system kept changing how I should go as the accidents started to accumulate. I wasn’t completely stopped anywhere but it was slow going once I got to Denver. I finally made it about 5 minutes late. I was very excited that they did their introductions and program directly in front of MY Pythagorean Theorem quilt (See picture.) I didn’t want to drive back to Colorado Springs late on a Friday night so I stayed with some old friends and made the drive down the next morning in the daylight. I will be on a men’s panel for the museum’s Sunday at the Museum on February 11th. While back at the Science Fiction Convention I was able to hand off the sewing machine and other articles for my friend’s son who is visually handicapped. I thought it was fun researching all the information on sewing for the visually handicapped.
Since the weather is supposed to be very nice this week I am trying to build two or three boxes to hold some sewing machines. They are not very fancy just 23”L x 10”W x 16.5”H but should help protect some on the machines I move around regularly like the hand-crank I got from Cheryl and Chris. I hope things quiet down some soon so I can get back to a more regular life!
Courtney
When asked as to which machine that was handed off Courtney replied that it was a more modern machine
I gave him a Kenmore 385.1622. It is made by Janome and appears to be similar to a Janome HD 3000. It seems to be a very study manual machine which I think will be important. It does have a drop in bobbin and a rotary hook which constantly pulls the thread to the left. It has a good needle threader that actually threads the needle without too much trouble. (I think most needle threaders are harder than doing it the old-fashioned way.) I also gave him a Dritz needle threader which pushes the thread through the eye. I found it the best of all the various needle threaders I tried. Finally, I gave him some of the Schmetz easy thread needles which are truly easy threading. I wanted to give him as many options for threading the needle as possible. The one problem with the machine is the stitch changer. It is not easy to work with but as a beginner I think he will be using the straight stitch, and I don't think he will be using the stitch changer much. We will cross that bridge when we have to. The other machine I was looking at was a Singer 4411 Heavy Duty. I went with the Kenmore because I had it and it was ready to go.
Janey remembered that Courtney had done a differently colored Pythagorean Theorem quilt back in 2022, which can be found at Colorado get-together?
"Proof
The green square is inscribed in a larger square with four triangles. The red and orange squares are inside a larger square with four triangles. The large squares are the same size (each side is equal to the short leg plus the long leg of the triangles) so they have the same area. Since each large square has four of the original triangles whatever is left must be equal, thus the green square is equal to the red and orange squares."
In Closing
That is all we have for this month. Thanks to our contributing members and to all who read. We will post here again next month.
Last edited by OurWorkbench; 01-31-2024 at 10:38 AM.
02-28-2024, 08:44 AM
#367
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,254
March 2024 Colorado Get-together -Part 1
February has had some record breaking weather. Boulder recorded its wettest winter day on record (since 1893) on the 3rd of February. Denver International Airport got 5.5 inches of snowfall on the 3rd. Even more impressive, Saturday was the third wettest February day in Denver history. The following Saturday, Greeley got between 12 and 13.5 inches of snowfall. We have had some fairly decent days since. Even into the upper 50s and low 60s. It looks like Denver may have one of the top 5 wettest February in history
We only got one report for this month, but Dorothy did say that she had been to various sewing functions.
To be continued.... sneak peak attachment
We only got one report for this month, but Dorothy did say that she had been to various sewing functions.
To be continued.... sneak peak attachment
Last edited by OurWorkbench; 02-28-2024 at 09:02 AM.
02-28-2024, 08:50 AM
#368
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,254
March 2024 Colorado Get-together -Part 2
Courtney
Courtney gives us a report on replacement bobbin cases for the 221/301.
Modern Featherweight Bobbin Cases
I decided to test some of the modern inexpensive bobbin cases for the Singer Featherweight. I bought three bobbin cases on eBay and eventually 3 on Amazon. The 7h bobbin case was one I had purchased several years ago very cheaply. I think I purchased it on eBay. I do not remember anything about this bobbin case or who sold it. I included it in the testing because I had it.
For each bobbin case I attempted two tests to begin with. The first was a simple “Will it fit” in the machines. The second test was can I turn the hand wheel freely with no binding. I did the first two tests on all the following machines: 1933,1948,1951,1960(white).1960(tan),1956(222),195 2 (301),1956(301). If I felt binding anywhere I did not try the other tests. The third test was to see if some of the machines that passed the first two tests would actually sew as I manually turned the hand wheel. My final test was would three machines (1949,1951,1956(301)) that passed the third test actually sew when plugged in to the electrical supply. I had to limit the actual electric sewing to three machines (1949,1951,1956(301) because of time.
There have been rumours that many of the new bobbin cases made in China will occasionally hang up while sewing especially in late 40’s and early 50’s machines. I chose machines for the sewing tests that fit this category. Being limited on time, I unfortunately was not able to sew long enough the give this a good test. Time will tell.
Case 1. Generic - Purchased several years ago off eBay for about $12. I had never tried this bobbin case. I don’t know the number of this bobbin case but it looked just like the #45751 bobbin cases I purchased for this test
Fit - YES
Hand Turn - Except for the 1933 machine which had some problems with all the new bobbin cases. In all the other machines I could turn the hand wheel smoothly without any binding.
Hand turn sew - Yes, sewed in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Electric sew– Sewed well in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Case 2. Industrial? - #45750 New Type from dilang001. Guaranteed to fit. Purchased on eBay for $17.47. Delivery 13 days from China. It appears that the same bobbin case is available on Amazon (YICBOR Bobbin Case (New Type) #45750 for Singer 221, 301) for $18.90.
This case looks like an industrial case, in that a portion of one side, where the finger normally sticks up, is cut out. The bobbin case removal lever is square instead of pointed. (see picture)
Fit - This case would not fit into any of the machines even though it was guaranteed to fit. The case has too large a diameter. I could perhaps file it down but I think there are better options. I returned it and got my money back. No other tests were performed on this bobbin case.
Case 3. Evernice - #45751 from Premium Sewing Machine Parts. Purchased on eBay for about $16.46 Delivery 13 days from China. Evernice is a common Chinese brand of sewing machine parts.
Fit - YES
Hand Turn - Except for the 1933 machine which had some problems with all the new bobbin cases. In all the other machines I could turn the hand wheel smoothly without any binding.
Hand turn sew – Yes, sewed in all three machines tested.1949,1951,1956(301)
Electric sew – Sewed well in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Case 4. CKPSMS - #45750 from dg-motor. Purchased on eBay in Australian money for about the equivalent of $20. Delivery 12 days from China. I know CKPSMS is a common Chinese brand of sewing machine parts but I know nothing about dg-motor which seems to sell this bobbin case and several auto accessories. I bought it because it was advertised as a #45750 bobbin case.
Fit - YES
Hand Turn – This bobbin case bound up in a couple of the machines. I could easily turn past the bind but would be hesitant to actually use this bobbin case in these machines (1933 Featherweight, 1952 Model 301) In all the other machines I could turn the hand wheel smoothly without any binding.
Hand turn sew - Yes, sewed in all three machines tested.1949,1951,1956(301)
Electric sew– Sewed well in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Case 5. YEQIN - #45751 Purchased on Amazon for $21.99 with 5 bobbins. Delivery 2 days from US. I was not familiar with YEQIN but had over 300 high reviews of this bobbin case.
Fit - YES
Hand Turn - Except for the 1933 machine which had some problems with all the new bobbin cases. In all the other machines I could turn the hand wheel smoothly without any binding.
Hand turn sew - Yes, sewed in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Electric sew - Sewed well in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Case 6. HONEYSEW - #45751 Purchased on Amazon for $20.90 with 5 bobbins. Delivery 2 days from US. Like the YEQIN above had over a 100 good reviews of this bobbin case.
Fit - YES
Hand Turn - Except for the 1933 machine which had some problems with all the new bobbin cases. In all the other machines I could turn the hand wheel smoothly without any binding.
Hand turn sew - Yes, sewed in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Electric sew – Sewed well in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Case 7. CKPSMS - #45751 Purchased on Amazon for $18.00. Delivery 2 days from Amazon. I purchased this bobbin case after the others since I thought I should try a CKPSMS bobbin case actually sold by the company.
Fit - YES
Hand Turn - Except for the 1933 machine which had some problems with all the new bobbin cases. In all the other machines I could turn the hand wheel smoothly without any binding.
Hand turn sew - Yes, sewed in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Electric sew – Sewed well in all three machines tested.1949,1951,1956(301)
PERSONAL CONCLUSIONS
At present I have not sewn long enough to see if there may be long term problems. I do think I have done enough to ease my mind in trying one of these bobbin cases before spending $100.
The bobbin cases in the machines I tried were all marked #45750 or were older replacement bobbin cases that were on the machines when I purchased them. All of the new #45751 bobbin cases seemed to sew in the three machines I tested for actual sewing. Although I tried a number of things to try and get a problem to occur, none appeared.
I tried two new #45750 bobbin cases. One did not work at all and the other on quick inspection appeared no different than the #45751 bobbin cases and was a bit more expensive. I see no reason to to fiddle with the #45750 bobbin cases at this time.
My recommendation would be to purchase a #45751 bobbin case from a well known sewing parts brand (CKPSMS or HONEY SEW) from the appropriate Amazon store. The YEQIN bobbin case from Amazon, also performed well and did have the most reviews on Amazon. I think it might also be a safe bet. The Evernice bobbin case is only available on eBay but did perform as well as the other bobbin cases. I have purchased other Evernice parts before and have been satisfied with their performance. I would recommend purchasing from Amazon over eBay because it is just as cheap, has faster shipping, and has a much simpler return policy if necessary.
Since the #45751 bobbin cases worked well in my limited experience with machines that they are specifically supposed to have problems with I think they are probably worth a try if you need a new bobbin case.
I would like to hear of any other experiences with these new bobbin cases.
Courtney
In Closing
Thank you, Courtney, for the in depth report of your findings. Also thank you to our faithful readers. Will post again next month.
Courtney gives us a report on replacement bobbin cases for the 221/301.
Modern Featherweight Bobbin Cases
I decided to test some of the modern inexpensive bobbin cases for the Singer Featherweight. I bought three bobbin cases on eBay and eventually 3 on Amazon. The 7h bobbin case was one I had purchased several years ago very cheaply. I think I purchased it on eBay. I do not remember anything about this bobbin case or who sold it. I included it in the testing because I had it.
For each bobbin case I attempted two tests to begin with. The first was a simple “Will it fit” in the machines. The second test was can I turn the hand wheel freely with no binding. I did the first two tests on all the following machines: 1933,1948,1951,1960(white).1960(tan),1956(222),195 2 (301),1956(301). If I felt binding anywhere I did not try the other tests. The third test was to see if some of the machines that passed the first two tests would actually sew as I manually turned the hand wheel. My final test was would three machines (1949,1951,1956(301)) that passed the third test actually sew when plugged in to the electrical supply. I had to limit the actual electric sewing to three machines (1949,1951,1956(301) because of time.
There have been rumours that many of the new bobbin cases made in China will occasionally hang up while sewing especially in late 40’s and early 50’s machines. I chose machines for the sewing tests that fit this category. Being limited on time, I unfortunately was not able to sew long enough the give this a good test. Time will tell.
Case 1. Generic - Purchased several years ago off eBay for about $12. I had never tried this bobbin case. I don’t know the number of this bobbin case but it looked just like the #45751 bobbin cases I purchased for this test
Fit - YES
Hand Turn - Except for the 1933 machine which had some problems with all the new bobbin cases. In all the other machines I could turn the hand wheel smoothly without any binding.
Hand turn sew - Yes, sewed in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Electric sew– Sewed well in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Case 2. Industrial? - #45750 New Type from dilang001. Guaranteed to fit. Purchased on eBay for $17.47. Delivery 13 days from China. It appears that the same bobbin case is available on Amazon (YICBOR Bobbin Case (New Type) #45750 for Singer 221, 301) for $18.90.
This case looks like an industrial case, in that a portion of one side, where the finger normally sticks up, is cut out. The bobbin case removal lever is square instead of pointed. (see picture)
Fit - This case would not fit into any of the machines even though it was guaranteed to fit. The case has too large a diameter. I could perhaps file it down but I think there are better options. I returned it and got my money back. No other tests were performed on this bobbin case.
Case 3. Evernice - #45751 from Premium Sewing Machine Parts. Purchased on eBay for about $16.46 Delivery 13 days from China. Evernice is a common Chinese brand of sewing machine parts.
Fit - YES
Hand Turn - Except for the 1933 machine which had some problems with all the new bobbin cases. In all the other machines I could turn the hand wheel smoothly without any binding.
Hand turn sew – Yes, sewed in all three machines tested.1949,1951,1956(301)
Electric sew – Sewed well in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Case 4. CKPSMS - #45750 from dg-motor. Purchased on eBay in Australian money for about the equivalent of $20. Delivery 12 days from China. I know CKPSMS is a common Chinese brand of sewing machine parts but I know nothing about dg-motor which seems to sell this bobbin case and several auto accessories. I bought it because it was advertised as a #45750 bobbin case.
Fit - YES
Hand Turn – This bobbin case bound up in a couple of the machines. I could easily turn past the bind but would be hesitant to actually use this bobbin case in these machines (1933 Featherweight, 1952 Model 301) In all the other machines I could turn the hand wheel smoothly without any binding.
Hand turn sew - Yes, sewed in all three machines tested.1949,1951,1956(301)
Electric sew– Sewed well in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Case 5. YEQIN - #45751 Purchased on Amazon for $21.99 with 5 bobbins. Delivery 2 days from US. I was not familiar with YEQIN but had over 300 high reviews of this bobbin case.
Fit - YES
Hand Turn - Except for the 1933 machine which had some problems with all the new bobbin cases. In all the other machines I could turn the hand wheel smoothly without any binding.
Hand turn sew - Yes, sewed in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Electric sew - Sewed well in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Case 6. HONEYSEW - #45751 Purchased on Amazon for $20.90 with 5 bobbins. Delivery 2 days from US. Like the YEQIN above had over a 100 good reviews of this bobbin case.
Fit - YES
Hand Turn - Except for the 1933 machine which had some problems with all the new bobbin cases. In all the other machines I could turn the hand wheel smoothly without any binding.
Hand turn sew - Yes, sewed in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Electric sew – Sewed well in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Case 7. CKPSMS - #45751 Purchased on Amazon for $18.00. Delivery 2 days from Amazon. I purchased this bobbin case after the others since I thought I should try a CKPSMS bobbin case actually sold by the company.
Fit - YES
Hand Turn - Except for the 1933 machine which had some problems with all the new bobbin cases. In all the other machines I could turn the hand wheel smoothly without any binding.
Hand turn sew - Yes, sewed in all three machines tested. 1949,1951,1956(301)
Electric sew – Sewed well in all three machines tested.1949,1951,1956(301)
PERSONAL CONCLUSIONS
At present I have not sewn long enough to see if there may be long term problems. I do think I have done enough to ease my mind in trying one of these bobbin cases before spending $100.
The bobbin cases in the machines I tried were all marked #45750 or were older replacement bobbin cases that were on the machines when I purchased them. All of the new #45751 bobbin cases seemed to sew in the three machines I tested for actual sewing. Although I tried a number of things to try and get a problem to occur, none appeared.
I tried two new #45750 bobbin cases. One did not work at all and the other on quick inspection appeared no different than the #45751 bobbin cases and was a bit more expensive. I see no reason to to fiddle with the #45750 bobbin cases at this time.
My recommendation would be to purchase a #45751 bobbin case from a well known sewing parts brand (CKPSMS or HONEY SEW) from the appropriate Amazon store. The YEQIN bobbin case from Amazon, also performed well and did have the most reviews on Amazon. I think it might also be a safe bet. The Evernice bobbin case is only available on eBay but did perform as well as the other bobbin cases. I have purchased other Evernice parts before and have been satisfied with their performance. I would recommend purchasing from Amazon over eBay because it is just as cheap, has faster shipping, and has a much simpler return policy if necessary.
Since the #45751 bobbin cases worked well in my limited experience with machines that they are specifically supposed to have problems with I think they are probably worth a try if you need a new bobbin case.
I would like to hear of any other experiences with these new bobbin cases.
Courtney
In Closing
Thank you, Courtney, for the in depth report of your findings. Also thank you to our faithful readers. Will post again next month.
Last edited by OurWorkbench; 02-28-2024 at 09:03 AM.
04-10-2024, 08:59 AM
#369
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,254
April 2023 Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together - Part 1
We got a couple of snow storms in March one really heavy in places and with a lot of moisture. E Denver got 10 inches but with some areas of the foothills getting over 3 feet of snow - biggest foothills snowstorm since March 2003, but Denver International Airport only reported 5.7 inches. Then on the 24th we got some thunder storms that turned to snow with Denver International Airport reporting 3.2 inches but Denver downtown got 6.5 inches. Then we had a weekend of high winds with a lot of power outages. The high winds brought a lot more tree branches down.
This month we got notes from Courtney, Dianne, Leon who is our member from Kansas and Thanh.
So let's get started.
Courtney
This month Courtney was able to help a young lady interested in a vintage sewing machine and has been doing some alterations to sewing machines to get them usable.
A while ago I mentioned that a young lady in the physics department was interested in a sewing machine. She was interested in one of the old black machines. I found an Singer 15-91 down in the basement. I cleaned it up and oiled it. It is running nice and smooth now. I have enclosed a picture of the young lady and her new (1947) machine.
I have an old Singer 201-2 who’s motor is completely shot, so I have been fiddling with ideas of how to make it useful again. After I removed the old potted motor, I grabbed one of the wooden balance wheels I had made for my 99 machines so I could use them as hand cranks with the kids. Of course a slotted balance wheel would have been better but they cost around $20 and I am cheap! I already had the ¾ inch MDF so all I had to do was cut out the circle and a quarter inch spacer. The wooden hand wheel worked well with a hand crank on both the 99 and 201. A real slotted balance wheel would have one advantage though, it could be used in a treadle and treadling with a 201 is a very smooth experience. For another try I removed the belt guard and balance wheel from an old model 15 clone. The holes in the model 15 belt guard do not match up with the holes for the potted motor on the 201 but I found that if I rotated the guard a bit clockwise it would rest on the screws that originally held the motor. I found when I tightened down the screws, the flange on the screws would hold the guard securely. I could then put on the balance wheel and my hand crank adapter and the machine would work nicely with a hand crank. If you wanted a motor driven machine it would be easy to remove the hand crank and adapter and hang a motor from the boss where the crank attached. While I don’t think it looks too bad, there is one problem, the bobbin winder would work but only to wind #15 bobbins and the 201 takes a 66 bobbin.
About 10 years ago I was given a distant relative’s old Singer 115 (it belonged to my wife’s grandmother’s sister’s son-in-law’s mother!) The machine was in a treadle but did not run well even after I had oiled it up. It has been sitting in a corner of the shop since then. I thought if nothing else I could use the spoked balance wheel for some other projects (like the 201 for example). When I went to dig it out I found that it was turning pretty well and when I oiled it up again the 115 was working quite nicely. I think someone had used 3in1 oil or something similar and the additives had gummed up the machine as it sat idle for 30 or 40 years. After I had originally oiled the machine, it sat (like most of us) through covid but the new oil was eventually able to dissolve or wash away some of the old crud. Now I will have to keep it well lubricated and I think it will work nicely. The 115 is a very smooth machine because I think it was Singer’s first domestic full rotary machine. The bobbin and bobbin case for the 115 is much different than a model 15 and are in short supply. Originals are rather costly, however when I looked at the bobbin it looked a lot like a modern “L” style bobbin. Since the 115 bobbin case does not have a positioning finger and the bobbin cases for the modern “semi-industrial” machines also do not have positioning fingers, I thought I would give a modern bobbin case and bobbin a try. I pulled a bobbin and bobbin case from a Janome 1600 machine and gave it a try. It worked! On my first try I was able to sew a seam about 4” long. I don’t know if it will work in the long run but at least it worked so far.
My remarks on quilting with antique and vintage sewing machines at the Southern Colorado Regional Quilt Show in Pueblo seemed to go well and be well received. A special thanks to all the members of our group for allowing me to interview them and giving me inspiration and ideas.
Until next month,
Courtney
to be continued...
This month we got notes from Courtney, Dianne, Leon who is our member from Kansas and Thanh.
So let's get started.
Courtney
This month Courtney was able to help a young lady interested in a vintage sewing machine and has been doing some alterations to sewing machines to get them usable.
A while ago I mentioned that a young lady in the physics department was interested in a sewing machine. She was interested in one of the old black machines. I found an Singer 15-91 down in the basement. I cleaned it up and oiled it. It is running nice and smooth now. I have enclosed a picture of the young lady and her new (1947) machine.
I have an old Singer 201-2 who’s motor is completely shot, so I have been fiddling with ideas of how to make it useful again. After I removed the old potted motor, I grabbed one of the wooden balance wheels I had made for my 99 machines so I could use them as hand cranks with the kids. Of course a slotted balance wheel would have been better but they cost around $20 and I am cheap! I already had the ¾ inch MDF so all I had to do was cut out the circle and a quarter inch spacer. The wooden hand wheel worked well with a hand crank on both the 99 and 201. A real slotted balance wheel would have one advantage though, it could be used in a treadle and treadling with a 201 is a very smooth experience. For another try I removed the belt guard and balance wheel from an old model 15 clone. The holes in the model 15 belt guard do not match up with the holes for the potted motor on the 201 but I found that if I rotated the guard a bit clockwise it would rest on the screws that originally held the motor. I found when I tightened down the screws, the flange on the screws would hold the guard securely. I could then put on the balance wheel and my hand crank adapter and the machine would work nicely with a hand crank. If you wanted a motor driven machine it would be easy to remove the hand crank and adapter and hang a motor from the boss where the crank attached. While I don’t think it looks too bad, there is one problem, the bobbin winder would work but only to wind #15 bobbins and the 201 takes a 66 bobbin.
About 10 years ago I was given a distant relative’s old Singer 115 (it belonged to my wife’s grandmother’s sister’s son-in-law’s mother!) The machine was in a treadle but did not run well even after I had oiled it up. It has been sitting in a corner of the shop since then. I thought if nothing else I could use the spoked balance wheel for some other projects (like the 201 for example). When I went to dig it out I found that it was turning pretty well and when I oiled it up again the 115 was working quite nicely. I think someone had used 3in1 oil or something similar and the additives had gummed up the machine as it sat idle for 30 or 40 years. After I had originally oiled the machine, it sat (like most of us) through covid but the new oil was eventually able to dissolve or wash away some of the old crud. Now I will have to keep it well lubricated and I think it will work nicely. The 115 is a very smooth machine because I think it was Singer’s first domestic full rotary machine. The bobbin and bobbin case for the 115 is much different than a model 15 and are in short supply. Originals are rather costly, however when I looked at the bobbin it looked a lot like a modern “L” style bobbin. Since the 115 bobbin case does not have a positioning finger and the bobbin cases for the modern “semi-industrial” machines also do not have positioning fingers, I thought I would give a modern bobbin case and bobbin a try. I pulled a bobbin and bobbin case from a Janome 1600 machine and gave it a try. It worked! On my first try I was able to sew a seam about 4” long. I don’t know if it will work in the long run but at least it worked so far.
My remarks on quilting with antique and vintage sewing machines at the Southern Colorado Regional Quilt Show in Pueblo seemed to go well and be well received. A special thanks to all the members of our group for allowing me to interview them and giving me inspiration and ideas.
Until next month,
Courtney
to be continued...
04-10-2024, 09:03 AM
#370
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,254
April 2024 Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together - Part 2
Courtney continued
Sorry All. I hit send too soon on the last post and hadn't included the last picture of the 115 with a handcrank.
Courtney
Dianne
Dianne tells about a machine that she hasn't used for a while to make some crumb blocks.
MS Word seems to not work anymore, so here is my report:
In March a Superba D sewing machine by Wertheim was pulled out for some exercise. My notes say it was purchased in 2009, and last used in 2012. This is a lovely machine, with MOP (abalone shell) on the bed and plentiful gold detailing. It is similar to the Singer 48k, technically a high-arm transverse shuttle machine. Actual date of manufacture seems to be sometime between 1890 and 1910. The machine has a serial number of S6873727. It uses 12x1 needles, so extensive use is not planned. I do have a supply of those needles, but also several other machines that use them and so do not want to run through my supply. That said, when first received and being ignorant about needles, I found it was possible to work this machine with 15x1 needles…….not easy, but possible. The machine needed lots of cleaning. The open shuttle looked challenging, but it proved straightforward, although it does involve threading through a very small opening. Several abalone chips were gone, and replaced with thin inlay shell purchased, by the square inch, on eBay. Looking at it no, I cannot determine which chips were replaced and which are original.
The machine’s wood base is drilled for a treadle, so it might have been convertible between treadle and hand crank operation.
While dusting and oiling, all seemed well until it was observed that the bobbin winder tire had perished. It looked quite new, but my notes don’t mention replacing that before. A drawer search found some tires intended for the Singer 12 machine, and they fit and work except for being a bit too large. They don’t slip, but the winder runs all the time, as the adjustment for it is very small between turning and not turning. As the tire isn’t as tight as usual, it could be removed when the bobbin winder is not in use. Another rediscovery is that the stop motion knob does not function. Not wanting to force it unduly or disassemble the machine, that is how it was returned to the shelf after sewing most of 30 mile-a-minute crumb blocks for a small quilt. This is a lovely machine, and I hope to have more time to address these problems in the future.
Dianne
to be continued...
Sorry All. I hit send too soon on the last post and hadn't included the last picture of the 115 with a handcrank.
Courtney
Dianne
Dianne tells about a machine that she hasn't used for a while to make some crumb blocks.
MS Word seems to not work anymore, so here is my report:
In March a Superba D sewing machine by Wertheim was pulled out for some exercise. My notes say it was purchased in 2009, and last used in 2012. This is a lovely machine, with MOP (abalone shell) on the bed and plentiful gold detailing. It is similar to the Singer 48k, technically a high-arm transverse shuttle machine. Actual date of manufacture seems to be sometime between 1890 and 1910. The machine has a serial number of S6873727. It uses 12x1 needles, so extensive use is not planned. I do have a supply of those needles, but also several other machines that use them and so do not want to run through my supply. That said, when first received and being ignorant about needles, I found it was possible to work this machine with 15x1 needles…….not easy, but possible. The machine needed lots of cleaning. The open shuttle looked challenging, but it proved straightforward, although it does involve threading through a very small opening. Several abalone chips were gone, and replaced with thin inlay shell purchased, by the square inch, on eBay. Looking at it no, I cannot determine which chips were replaced and which are original.
The machine’s wood base is drilled for a treadle, so it might have been convertible between treadle and hand crank operation.
While dusting and oiling, all seemed well until it was observed that the bobbin winder tire had perished. It looked quite new, but my notes don’t mention replacing that before. A drawer search found some tires intended for the Singer 12 machine, and they fit and work except for being a bit too large. They don’t slip, but the winder runs all the time, as the adjustment for it is very small between turning and not turning. As the tire isn’t as tight as usual, it could be removed when the bobbin winder is not in use. Another rediscovery is that the stop motion knob does not function. Not wanting to force it unduly or disassemble the machine, that is how it was returned to the shelf after sewing most of 30 mile-a-minute crumb blocks for a small quilt. This is a lovely machine, and I hope to have more time to address these problems in the future.
Dianne
to be continued...
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