Little help! 1936 Singer
05-01-2013, 08:55 AM
#12
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: PA, NC, or as-paid
Posts: 287
I found this information on VintageSingers group at Yahoo. You might want to join that.
Maybe it's a 15-86 or 15-96, if it's too early to be a 15-90. I don't think it matters that much, anyhow, at least not foe sewing with one, hehe.
Maybe it's a 15-86 or 15-96, if it's too early to be a 15-90. I don't think it matters that much, anyhow, at least not foe sewing with one, hehe.
Singer 15 class machines between the 15-30 and the 15-88/89/90/91
The four models in question are the 15-86/87/96/97. They kind of filled in the period between when the 15-30 was discontinued and the 15-88/89/90/91 came out. They were basically the same mechanism as the 15-30, and the series was short lived. The only way I can tell them apart is by going to my parts diagrams, because I have seen them so seldom.
In the parts page that covers all four models, I note that the BW on the 15-86/87 has the cam driven finger to guide the thread, while the 15-96/97 has the later type without the mechanical guide finger. Then I note that the 15-87/97 have the disk hand wheel, indicating that they were sold as electrics, while the 15-86/96 have spoke hand wheels, indicating that they were sold as treadles or hand cranks. In all of them, they had a lever action stitch length control, which would differentiate them from the 15-30.
Bill Holman
The four models in question are the 15-86/87/96/97. They kind of filled in the period between when the 15-30 was discontinued and the 15-88/89/90/91 came out. They were basically the same mechanism as the 15-30, and the series was short lived. The only way I can tell them apart is by going to my parts diagrams, because I have seen them so seldom.
In the parts page that covers all four models, I note that the BW on the 15-86/87 has the cam driven finger to guide the thread, while the 15-96/97 has the later type without the mechanical guide finger. Then I note that the 15-87/97 have the disk hand wheel, indicating that they were sold as electrics, while the 15-86/96 have spoke hand wheels, indicating that they were sold as treadles or hand cranks. In all of them, they had a lever action stitch length control, which would differentiate them from the 15-30.
Bill Holman
05-01-2013, 09:26 AM
#13
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: PA, NC, or as-paid
Posts: 287
Also see http://needlebar.org/15/ for determining which 15.
I have a black 15-75. I named it "Hammerhead" lol I love its look. It took me a while to find one, though.
I have a black 15-75. I named it "Hammerhead" lol I love its look. It took me a while to find one, though.
05-01-2013, 11:38 AM
#15
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: St. John's NL Canada
Posts: 110
this one does have a spock wheel, then maybe it was a tread that was modified as a electric. I'm going to clean her up a little tonight and have a better look, start tearing her down to do a proper cleaning. This will be a first for me, therefore going to take a lot of pictures, and label everything to be able to put it back together right!
05-01-2013, 11:43 AM
#16
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Northern CA near Sacramento
Posts: 1,107
The 15-90 and 15K-90 had the belt driven motor and solid hand wheel.
Take a look at the bobbin case. When looking at the solid side does the finger point to 11:00 or 1:00?
The 15-88/ 89/ 90/ 91 have the 11:00 finger. The 15-30, the 15-86/87, and the 15-96/97 all have the 1:00 finger.
Hope this helps,
Cathy
Take a look at the bobbin case. When looking at the solid side does the finger point to 11:00 or 1:00?
The 15-88/ 89/ 90/ 91 have the 11:00 finger. The 15-30, the 15-86/87, and the 15-96/97 all have the 1:00 finger.
Hope this helps,
Cathy
Originally Posted by NL quilter
It is a belt driven motor. So would that make it a 15k-90?
05-01-2013, 11:53 AM
#17
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Not Here
Posts: 3,817
Originally Posted by Caroline S
Your machine was made in St. Johns, New Foundland. At least you have a date.
http://www.sewshop.com/date-your-machine.html . This site has the manufacturing locations
http://www.ismacs.net/singer_sewing_...-database.html . This site is where you can date Singer sewing machines. But there is not a listing for JB.
http://www.sewshop.com/date-your-machine.html . This site has the manufacturing locations
http://www.ismacs.net/singer_sewing_...-database.html . This site is where you can date Singer sewing machines. But there is not a listing for JB.
http://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/stjohns/
http://www.sewmuse.co.uk/Canadian%20...ufacturers.htm
http://www.sewalot.com/dating_singer...ial_number.htm
http://wikimapia.org/8051938/Singer-...-Machine-Plant
05-01-2013, 01:25 PM
#18
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: St. John's NL Canada
Posts: 110
well started to clean it up, and thinking it is a 15-88, the light is plastic, and motor looks like an add on as well. As for the debate on where it was made, from what I understand St. John's, Newfoundland (where I do live) did have a Singer assembly plant in the 30-40's. in 1936 the manufacturing year, Newfoundland was not a part of Canada (joining confederation in 1949) and some items from that time period to list Newfoundland as a part of Quebec (there was a huge boundary dispute, who `owned` Newfoundland at that time.
05-01-2013, 10:05 PM
#19
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Not Here
Posts: 3,817
Do you know where it was? I'm really interested in knowing, because I can't find any information on it at all.
The Quebec factory was in operation from 1904 to 1986, and was recently (2011) knocked down. I would think that having 2 plants in one country with the same city name would be confusing from a shipping standpoint. (Sort of like Springfield, USA) My suspicion is that the location in NFLD did something else for Singer, but had their name on it, so the general consensus was that it was a factory. I wonder if it's where stuff (like the featherweights) entered the country to have their motors fitted, etc.
Here are some interesting pics of the building just before it was knocked down, and long after abandonment:
http://ubaldesign.com/project/singer-sewing-co/
and a little history on it:
http://www.urbexplayground.com/urbex...bandoned-plant
It was a massive complex.
The Quebec factory was in operation from 1904 to 1986, and was recently (2011) knocked down. I would think that having 2 plants in one country with the same city name would be confusing from a shipping standpoint. (Sort of like Springfield, USA) My suspicion is that the location in NFLD did something else for Singer, but had their name on it, so the general consensus was that it was a factory. I wonder if it's where stuff (like the featherweights) entered the country to have their motors fitted, etc.
Here are some interesting pics of the building just before it was knocked down, and long after abandonment:
http://ubaldesign.com/project/singer-sewing-co/
and a little history on it:
http://www.urbexplayground.com/urbex...bandoned-plant
It was a massive complex.
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