Colorado get-together?
09-29-2021, 05:35 AM
#271
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,247
October 2021 Colorado Sewing Machine Get-Together - Part 1
An air of autumn is falling across Colorado. It's still very nice weather, it is ten to twenty degrees cooler and some leaves are starting to turn. We've had snow in the mountains, but not yet at the lower altitude in Denver.
For our October meeting, we are getting together remotely again. Several people have emailed pictures and notes about what they have been doing, which we are sharing here for each other and for any of our readers who wish to take a look. So let's begin.
James
James has acquired two machines this month and sends the following:
I picked up two sewing machines since the last meeting. The one I am featuring is a very small transverse shuttle machine. It has a boat shuttle with a bobbin inside. Decals are mostly gone but where they were shows cavities that I will try the gold paste rub on to fill the cavities so virtually all of the decals can be restored. The seller could not find any identifying info on the machine but I believe it to be a Remington Family Machine from the early 1870s based on some similar features. The last Patent date on the slide plate is for 1871. It could also be a Remington 2 but I cannot find any photos of what it looked like. The only thing a bit off for the ID is that the bed does not have that raised circle portion for some sort of attachment as seen in some photos of the Remingtons. Later Remingtons like the Remington 3 have a casting on the belt guard that plainly say Remington 3. Machines after that have a different shaped fiddle base. I am including a watch so you can see how small it is!
There is a cherub for the center bed decal. Not sure what it was supposed to be holding. It has an interesting looking front toothed tension. It is the same Remington as the arms company. After the Civil War they branched out into other fields like sewing machines to make up from the decline for demand for weapons.
The needle is a bit bent but whole. I will have to find out what size it uses but it is probably similar to the Singer 12 or most German transverse shuttle machines.
James
... to be continued
For our October meeting, we are getting together remotely again. Several people have emailed pictures and notes about what they have been doing, which we are sharing here for each other and for any of our readers who wish to take a look. So let's begin.
James
James has acquired two machines this month and sends the following:
I picked up two sewing machines since the last meeting. The one I am featuring is a very small transverse shuttle machine. It has a boat shuttle with a bobbin inside. Decals are mostly gone but where they were shows cavities that I will try the gold paste rub on to fill the cavities so virtually all of the decals can be restored. The seller could not find any identifying info on the machine but I believe it to be a Remington Family Machine from the early 1870s based on some similar features. The last Patent date on the slide plate is for 1871. It could also be a Remington 2 but I cannot find any photos of what it looked like. The only thing a bit off for the ID is that the bed does not have that raised circle portion for some sort of attachment as seen in some photos of the Remingtons. Later Remingtons like the Remington 3 have a casting on the belt guard that plainly say Remington 3. Machines after that have a different shaped fiddle base. I am including a watch so you can see how small it is!
There is a cherub for the center bed decal. Not sure what it was supposed to be holding. It has an interesting looking front toothed tension. It is the same Remington as the arms company. After the Civil War they branched out into other fields like sewing machines to make up from the decline for demand for weapons.
The needle is a bit bent but whole. I will have to find out what size it uses but it is probably similar to the Singer 12 or most German transverse shuttle machines.
James
... to be continued
09-29-2021, 05:57 AM
#273
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,247
October 2021 Colorado Sewing Machine Get Together - Part 3
Courtney
Courtney, from northern Colorado, has been working on both sewing machines and quilts. He writes to us about what he has been doing:
This month I have been working on a Christmas quilt and a few sewing machine projects. I am sewing the quilt on a 1945 Featherweight from the first Featherweight allotment after WWII. The quilt is for the woman who gave me the Featherweight and matching card table.
The project that has taken most of my time is actually for another friend. He said that he had an old treadle singer that didn't work and asked if I could get it running. I said that I would be willing to give it a try. When he brought it over, I could see that it was an old red eye Singer 66. I have a matching red eye myself from the same June 27, 1923, allotment. They are only about 2500 numbers apart. When I got Chucks machine it had a lot of treadle grunge on it and thread was wrapped all around the bobbin area completely jamming up the machine. My first job was to get all the thread out of the bobbin area so I could at least turn over the machine. Next, I gave the machine a good lubrication. I then set the timing and put in a new needle before working on the tension. The sewing machine seemed to sew fine however it was still quite grungy. So I washed it off with just soap and water which made an enormous difference. I then gave it a once over with a bit of WD40. Finally, I gave it a quick cleaning sewing machine oil, before putting on a bit of wax. The decals on the bed were starting to deteriorate and silver a bit and I wanted to get a bit of protection on them. I must say, when I was done, the machine looked quite respectable.
Another of my projects was to start on my aluminum Singer 99 which was delivered last month during our monthly zoom call. I haven't messed with the electrical components yet, just removed them. It's amazing that the motor seems to weigh almost as much as the machine. The machine did need a good cleaning, so I worked on that. It's not going to be pristine, but it does look much better. The case also needs a lot of work as the veneer on the back has come lose. With the electrical work on the machine as well as the woodworking on the base, it will take me another couple of months to get it presentable.
I did fall apart yesterday at a garage sale. There was this old treadle machine for $20. What made me spend my money was that it displayed a medallion of the Cash Buyers Union out of Chicago. I figured it was made some time in the 1890's as the company was founded in 1895 and burned down in 1904. The machine was made by National but had Kenwood painted on the head. The name was mostly gone on this machine. The treadle top has the typical problem with water delaminating the veneer, but the drawers were in good condition and the drawer pulls also had Cash Buyer's Union on them. The drawer pulls are probably worth what I paid. I had always wondered why companies who sold badged sewing machines spent so little on painting their names on the machines that their names often wore off, but they paid so much to have their name cast on the treadle stands. I found that the Kenwood which appeared to be cast into the metal uprights was actually a very thin casting of about a quarter inch thick that bolted into place and was made to look like it was cast into the base. They could pay for a generic treadle but make it look very expensive. Learn something new all the time!
Courtney
... to be continued
Courtney, from northern Colorado, has been working on both sewing machines and quilts. He writes to us about what he has been doing:
This month I have been working on a Christmas quilt and a few sewing machine projects. I am sewing the quilt on a 1945 Featherweight from the first Featherweight allotment after WWII. The quilt is for the woman who gave me the Featherweight and matching card table.
The project that has taken most of my time is actually for another friend. He said that he had an old treadle singer that didn't work and asked if I could get it running. I said that I would be willing to give it a try. When he brought it over, I could see that it was an old red eye Singer 66. I have a matching red eye myself from the same June 27, 1923, allotment. They are only about 2500 numbers apart. When I got Chucks machine it had a lot of treadle grunge on it and thread was wrapped all around the bobbin area completely jamming up the machine. My first job was to get all the thread out of the bobbin area so I could at least turn over the machine. Next, I gave the machine a good lubrication. I then set the timing and put in a new needle before working on the tension. The sewing machine seemed to sew fine however it was still quite grungy. So I washed it off with just soap and water which made an enormous difference. I then gave it a once over with a bit of WD40. Finally, I gave it a quick cleaning sewing machine oil, before putting on a bit of wax. The decals on the bed were starting to deteriorate and silver a bit and I wanted to get a bit of protection on them. I must say, when I was done, the machine looked quite respectable.
Another of my projects was to start on my aluminum Singer 99 which was delivered last month during our monthly zoom call. I haven't messed with the electrical components yet, just removed them. It's amazing that the motor seems to weigh almost as much as the machine. The machine did need a good cleaning, so I worked on that. It's not going to be pristine, but it does look much better. The case also needs a lot of work as the veneer on the back has come lose. With the electrical work on the machine as well as the woodworking on the base, it will take me another couple of months to get it presentable.
I did fall apart yesterday at a garage sale. There was this old treadle machine for $20. What made me spend my money was that it displayed a medallion of the Cash Buyers Union out of Chicago. I figured it was made some time in the 1890's as the company was founded in 1895 and burned down in 1904. The machine was made by National but had Kenwood painted on the head. The name was mostly gone on this machine. The treadle top has the typical problem with water delaminating the veneer, but the drawers were in good condition and the drawer pulls also had Cash Buyer's Union on them. The drawer pulls are probably worth what I paid. I had always wondered why companies who sold badged sewing machines spent so little on painting their names on the machines that their names often wore off, but they paid so much to have their name cast on the treadle stands. I found that the Kenwood which appeared to be cast into the metal uprights was actually a very thin casting of about a quarter inch thick that bolted into place and was made to look like it was cast into the base. They could pay for a generic treadle but make it look very expensive. Learn something new all the time!
Courtney
... to be continued
09-29-2021, 06:04 AM
#274
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,247
October 2021 Colorado Sewing Machine Get Together - Part 4
Cheryl and Chris
Cheryl and Chris, also from northern Colorado, share news about a recent windfall with us:
Last night a friend of mine brought over a bunch of sewing machines, cabinets and foot pedals since she is moving.
There are two 27 heads, one 115 head without a bobbin case, a nice looking Singer 99 in a cabinet with kneebar. The 99 is missing a motor, but we found a motor and Singer foot pedal that will work. A bag of foot pedals - some old metal, some plastic, none are Singer. Two old 27 treadles with the old style cross bar. One is pretty much trash except the irons, the other is very nice. The nice one has drawer handles from the late 1880s, early 1890s, could put the 27 head in it.
cheryl
... to be continued
Cheryl and Chris, also from northern Colorado, share news about a recent windfall with us:
Last night a friend of mine brought over a bunch of sewing machines, cabinets and foot pedals since she is moving.
There are two 27 heads, one 115 head without a bobbin case, a nice looking Singer 99 in a cabinet with kneebar. The 99 is missing a motor, but we found a motor and Singer foot pedal that will work. A bag of foot pedals - some old metal, some plastic, none are Singer. Two old 27 treadles with the old style cross bar. One is pretty much trash except the irons, the other is very nice. The nice one has drawer handles from the late 1880s, early 1890s, could put the 27 head in it.
cheryl
... to be continued
09-29-2021, 06:10 AM
#275
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,247
October 2021 Colorado Sewing Machine Get Together - Part 5
Cheryl later followed up with another message about her new things. She said:
I should have mentioned that all of these are FREE to whoever wants them. I have no room.
Two things that my friend brought over that I'm not giving away are this Davis treadle that fits my David head and this cool Singer cabinet that I'm going to move one of my 15-91's into.
cheryl
... to be continued
09-29-2021, 06:21 AM
#276
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,247
October 2021 Colorado Sewing Machine Get Together - Part 6
Thanh
At our last meeting, Thanh was anticipating getting a machine. He sent us the following after picking it up:
It's a very beautiful...Brunswick! made by National for Montgomery Ward
Looks to be in wonderful condition and it comes complete with the Greist attachments, manual, an interesting cigarette tin and about a dozen needles!
)
... to be continued
At our last meeting, Thanh was anticipating getting a machine. He sent us the following after picking it up:
It's a very beautiful...Brunswick! made by National for Montgomery Ward
Looks to be in wonderful condition and it comes complete with the Greist attachments, manual, an interesting cigarette tin and about a dozen needles!
)
... to be continued
09-29-2021, 06:22 AM
#277
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 2,817
Originally Posted by OurWorkbench
Two things that my friend brought over that I'm not giving away are this Davis treadle that fits my David head and this cool Singer cabinet that I'm going to move one of my 15-91's into.
cheryl
Attachment 635643
Attachment 635644
... to be continued
bkay
09-29-2021, 06:28 AM
#278
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,247
October 2021 Colorado Sewing Machine Get Together - Part 7
Leon
As a final note, Leon from Kansas, who we call our member at large, sent a very brief note from the airport as he passed through Denver earlier this month.
Waving at you. Sitting at the Denver airport. Will leave soon, alas. Seeing relatives.
In Closing
We extend thanks to our members who take pictures and do write-ups, making our remote interaction possible. It's the best we can do to see and share things with each other, without meeting in person.
We plan on meeting again next month and we will post here then.
11-03-2021, 06:19 AM
#279
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,247
November Colorado Get Together - Part 1
It's been a beautiful and long lasting autumn in Colorado. Leaves turned color late and are now beginning to fall from the trees. Overnight temperatures are only now falling below freezing with the feeling that winter is finally on its way.
We have contributions from several of our members and lots of pictures. So let's get started.
Dorothy
We begin with Dorothy, who tells us about a knitting machine that she has had for many years and worked with this past month:
Hello!
Singer and its many variations today, I guess. Most know they did all sorts of manufacturing- guns for WW2, vacuums, various tools and knitting machines.
I hauled out my knitting machine from its 20 year storage to find it is a Studio Model 700 which, as near as I can figure, is the Singer/ Silver Reed marketing brand name for Canada. There is a Copyright date in a manual of 1987.
At one time Brother, Toyota, Knit King and Singer (under various names) were manufactured in Japan while Passap and 1? other brand were manufactured in Europe.
Now only Silver Reed/ Singer Co. are manufacturing with some Chinese attempts to make machines.
Knitting machines look imposing with 200 needles and the carriage that moves the yarn across the needles forming stitches.
I can't knit with it until the sponge bar (or needle bar) is updated. Mine has degraded foam and is flat instead of having a 3/8" loft. The foam bar pressing on top of the needles holds them in place preventing dropped stitches.
Replacement foam shows up next week, so I am going to be cleaning/ lubricating needles, knit head and the needle board removing dust, lint, fibers, etc. This is done with a mix of 10% gun oil & 90% Isopropyl Alcohol (91% concentration).
In the photos are a pile of 50 removed needles ready to wash in solution. All 200 needles will be cleaned and rotated.
The underside of the carriage, foam bar and storage in the lid for tension stand and part 2 of the carriage are in the other photos. Depending on needle position, and which levers are engaged, plain knitting, intarsia, fair isle color can be accomplished. Add the ribbing bed and knit purl patterns can be done in the pass of the carriage!
Have a Great month!
Dorothy
... to be continued
We have contributions from several of our members and lots of pictures. So let's get started.
Dorothy
We begin with Dorothy, who tells us about a knitting machine that she has had for many years and worked with this past month:
Hello!
Singer and its many variations today, I guess. Most know they did all sorts of manufacturing- guns for WW2, vacuums, various tools and knitting machines.
I hauled out my knitting machine from its 20 year storage to find it is a Studio Model 700 which, as near as I can figure, is the Singer/ Silver Reed marketing brand name for Canada. There is a Copyright date in a manual of 1987.
At one time Brother, Toyota, Knit King and Singer (under various names) were manufactured in Japan while Passap and 1? other brand were manufactured in Europe.
Now only Silver Reed/ Singer Co. are manufacturing with some Chinese attempts to make machines.
Knitting machines look imposing with 200 needles and the carriage that moves the yarn across the needles forming stitches.
I can't knit with it until the sponge bar (or needle bar) is updated. Mine has degraded foam and is flat instead of having a 3/8" loft. The foam bar pressing on top of the needles holds them in place preventing dropped stitches.
Replacement foam shows up next week, so I am going to be cleaning/ lubricating needles, knit head and the needle board removing dust, lint, fibers, etc. This is done with a mix of 10% gun oil & 90% Isopropyl Alcohol (91% concentration).
In the photos are a pile of 50 removed needles ready to wash in solution. All 200 needles will be cleaned and rotated.
The underside of the carriage, foam bar and storage in the lid for tension stand and part 2 of the carriage are in the other photos. Depending on needle position, and which levers are engaged, plain knitting, intarsia, fair isle color can be accomplished. Add the ribbing bed and knit purl patterns can be done in the pass of the carriage!
Have a Great month!
Dorothy
... to be continued
11-03-2021, 06:25 AM
#280
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,247
November Colorado Get Together - Part 2
Courtney
Courtney, from northern Colorado, visited Cheryl and Chris (also from northern Colorado) and sends us pictures of machines he has been working with:
Dear All,
This last month I have spent quite a bit of time with a little featherweight. Shortly before the pandemic I got a call from some old friends who were moving. They asked if I would be interested in a Featherweight and a table. We did not talk about how much they were asking but I dropped over to their house anyway. The machine was a 1945 Featherweight (first batch after the war) that belonged to her grandmother (she uses a 201 that belonged to her mother.) The machine was in excellent mechanical condition on the inside. On the outside it looks pretty good but is starting to have some clear coat deterioration. The table was in very good condition. It is a model 312 with a wooden frame and metal legs. The combination of Featherweight and card table can start to get pricey but when I asked about price they said they just wanted to give it to me! I have had the machine and table down in the basement and thought now would be a good time to give it a good once over and try and use it on a real project, a Christmas quilt. I now have the top pieced and had no problem with the machine. I have included a picture of the machine and tabletop (a small portion of quilt top can be seen rolled-up in the background.)
I originally thought the Featherweight was all I was going to talk about this month, but then Chris and Cheryl had the free Singer 15-91 in a model 42 mid-century cabinet. The cabinet is in fair to poor, but the machine is in good working conditions. After we had loaded the cabinet and machine in the back of my car, they invited me down to their workshop. It was great to finally visit their inner sanctum. I got to see several of their old treadle machines, and Chris's beautiful refinish work. The fellow who originally had the model 15 had just dropped off about 20 other machines the night before. There were several nice machine but most were in some state of disrepair. It looked like the owner had started to take the machines apart to refresh them, but once she got them apart, she lost interest. At least she had put the parts in baggies and had included the serial number of the machines they were taken off of. Before I left for home the sewing machine fairies and slipped a couple of other machines in my car. One of the machines was a white EFKU hand-crank machine that I will use with my 4th graders if the city every opens up Centennial Village so we can start having History Fest again. The other is a very nice 1949 black-side model 128. It is in very good shape and even has the front slide plate! It was missing the key to the arch top case but I grabbed my Dremel and cut a new key to fit. All machines are now working. I have included a picture of the three machines (and the case key.)
Courtney
PS The quilt top is completed and basted, now all I have to do is quilt it!
James
James acquired no machines this past month, something a little unusual. So he tells us about a machine he mentioned at our last month's meeting:
I have not acquired anything new since the last meeting. This is the second sewing machine I mentioned but did not feature before. Unfortunately the case suffered shipping damage but looks repairable. The dome top had separated from the sides but the break is along the glue joints so that is easily repaired but I will not trust to pick up the case by the handle after the repair due to the thin connection between the dome top and the sides. The case bottom had zero packaging material at the bottom of the box. It split along the side and the top of the base but I believe I can glue and clamp back in place.
No damage to the machine head though. It is a Domestic made New Willard sewing machine made sometime in the 1920s as the slide plate has a 1920 date and the wiring is the older 3 way junction connection type. Decals are in pretty good shape. I really like the Art Deco style inspection plate. The hand wheel moves super smooth so it should sew well once I make the repairs.
The most interesting thing about the machine is the unusual swing away motor bracket. As you can see in the photos the bracket is in two parts with one end screwed into the machine base. There is a little tab that keeps the motor in place for sewing configuration. It runs off a belt instead of a pulley as in other swing away motors I have seen. The machine actually came with a stapled leather belt of the correct length. I may adapt this design for machines without a motor boss that I want to make portable but still have a motor without modifying the head.
It came with a good selection of attachments that were between two boxes. One was a Domestic branded box and the other a torn black box that I assume was Greist as many attachments have that Griest label. It came with two bullet shuttles which look different so the other may not actually fit. The shuttle pictured on the left was in the machine. I have a total of 7 bobbins which is very welcome!
Lastly in the attachments I had among the usual broken needles, pins and buttons an antique button hooker tool that probably dates before WW1. Not sure what it was used for, shoes or gloves as I have no idea of the size difference between them.
James
... to be continued
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