mygrommi

I just bought a portable Singer 99 electric (from 1956) but I don't have it in my possession yet. I want to convert it to a hand crank and I want to change its current solid handwheel to a spoked handwheel. (I know I can convert the machine because it has the motor boss necessary to convert to handcrank.)

I know that online I can purchase a reproduction spoked handwheel (copy of the Singer with 9 spokes) and a reproduction handcrack, but I prefer to have an original Singer spoked handwheel (with 9 spokes). (I have learned that Singer made two spoked handwheels, first the 9-spoked one and then later a 6-spoked one, but it is the 9-spoked wheel I want to use.)

I have found a seller with an original Singer spoked handwheel (9 spokes) taken from a Singer 128 (from 1921) and would like to buy it. Before I do, I want to be sure the reproduction handcrank will fit the original Singer 9-spoked handwheel.

The seller of the original Singer 9-spoked handwheel from the Singer 128 told me the original handwheel will fit my 1956 Singer 99. It's not that I don't trust the seller, I just want to confirm before I purchase.

Also, since I have never seen a reproduction handcrank in person, I don't know how it attaches to the spoked handwheel. I'm hoping since the reproduction handcrank is made to attach to the reproduction 9-spoked handwheel, the handcrank will also fit the original Singer handwheel that I want to purchase.

Can someone help me with answers to these two questions?

Thanks much.

Renea
mygrommi

J Miller

To convert Singer 99K to HC:

>1: Acquire electric 99

>2: Remove motor and light, only two screws. One for the light bracket, a bigger one for the motor bracket. Put the two screws in a zip lock bag with the motor, light, controller and cords so you don't loose them.

>3: Loosen and back out little stop motion knob stop screw, remove stop motion knob and washer.

>4: Carefully work solid hand wheel off.

>5: Clean shaft thoroughly to remove old varnished oil. Put two drops of oil on the two bearing surfaces of the shaft.

>6: Slide spoked hand wheel on. ((Note: Hand wheels are interchangeable from the dawn of the last century to the end of production of the old Singers, allowing for manufacturing tolerances and wear of course. So the 9 spoke hand wheel should fit your 99. However do note there are variations in thickness of the hand wheel hub and the length of the maine shaft that the HW mounts on. You might run into problems with the stop motion knob not being able to tighten up on the HW or being too tight. ))

>7: Instal stop motion clutch washer. Washer fits with the two center tabs facing the stop motion knob. If the knob won't tighten up, remove it and rotate the washer 180º then reinstal the knob. Tighten the little retaining screw.

>8: Instal the hand crank. The boss on the hand crank body mounts to the same boss as the motor bracket, one screw. The aftermarket kits come with a new screw.
((NOTE: The Chinese mace aftermarket kits are not anywhere near the quality of the original Singer units. They can be rough and noisy. But they work. I have one on one of my 99K's and it works fine. It was quite noisy when I first installed it but has quieted down a lot. Of course I greased up the internal gears with Tri-Flow grease and keep the oiled part oiled with Tri-Flow oil.))

>9: You'll probably find your case won't fit back over the machine and latch with the HC on. Mine won't.

Hope this helps. It's really very simple. Here's a couple pics of my 99K with it's HC on.
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Joe

ThayerRags

I think that you will find that the 6-spoke balance wheel predates the 9-spoke balance wheel. The 9-spoke came later, after the hand attachment boss had been added to castings (incorrectly referred to as a “motor boss” - they made motor mounts later to fit the “hand attachment” boss).

CD in Oklahoma

J Miller

CD,

Is the 6 spoke wheel the one that has the huge rim compared to the ones pictured on my 99 above?

Joe

ThayerRags

There were at least four 6-spoke wheels for the model 66 before and during the time of the Singer 99 construction (#2008, 2804, 32588, & 32581; all 6-spoke) and 15282, a 9-spoke, but none of them were associated with the model 99, that I can tell. The 15282 appeared at about the time as the coming of the hand attachment boss (ie, “motor boss”) on the 66. Some of the 6-spoke wheels had a thick rim, but not all. They varied mostly in pulley size. Some had a “light rim” for Drawing Room Cabinets and Cabinet Tables.

The 99 had a hand attachment listed for the 99-1 model that had a #33604 balance wheel, but I haven't ever seen a photo of it. It was surely a spoked wheel, but I don’t know how many spokes. However, by the time that the 99-12 came along, the balance wheel was #33652, of which I've not seen a photo of either, but I suspect that it was a disc wheel. By the time that the model 99-13 came along, it shared the same disc balance wheel, #33672, with the model 66-6 & 66-8. An interesting note is that when the model 99-31 came along, the balance wheel was changed to the “hand wheel”, but it was still #32672.

The 9-spoke wheel (#15282) from a model 66 fits nicely on a model 99, and is probably what was used as a model for the new aftermarket balance wheels that we can get new today. As a matter of fact, that’s the number that they now use for them.

CD in Oklahoma

miriam

The after market spoke wheels work just fine since you are not treadling. The bigger wheels do not fit the machine - too deep to be attached.

mygrommi

Sorry, I had my information incorrect about the timing of the Singer spoke handwheels. The 6-spoke pre-dated the 9-spoke. I had it backward in my earlier post.


Joe, can you wind a bobbin on your 99 handcrank with the aftermarket handcrank kit?

Thanks

Renea

miriam

I have done a bit with hand cranks. The 99s need to have a screw taken out or modify the bracket to wind the bobbin with any spoked hand wheel. The screw out is the option I use - no harm done.

The Singer 15s or 27s that have been converted to electric and are as found using a 'new' 'conversion' bobbin winder with the conversion hand wheel will not likely work with a spoked hand wheel at all - the bobbin winder tire extends past the part of the wheel it should ride on and into the spokes. I don't know of any bobbin winders you can put on them and will work. Plus many of the real old machine do not have that mounting for the HC attachment. I have two 27s that were converted to electric. The Singer badge was removed and the mounting block for the bobbin winder was ground off. Then there was a replacement bobbin winder installed on the top of the machine at the belt guard hole. These do not convert back to the spoked wheel and still wind a bobbin whether a 27 or a 15-30 conversion.

Back to the question of winding a bobbin on a 99 - yes it will wind on the 99 with a spoked wheel. In the picture, the screw driver is resting on that bracket. The screw that holds the bracket can be removed or modify the bracket to allow the bobbin winder to reach the wheel.
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KLO

This all was such a great read. Thanks to all who responded! I have a 99K in a Bentwood Box that I would love to change to a hand crank especially since I have another 99K in a cabinet. However, I would want it to still fit the wooden box so not sure that I will do that. Have to do more research on it and then find a hand crank and spoked wheel if I decide to go that way.

miriam

You can take the HC off when you put it away or you can cut a hole in the case. CD does that on his. I tried it on one and it works beautifully. The HC attachment comes off so easily. Just quilt a little bag to keep it in.