handyhubby

Hey folks! We're new to the board and newish to quilts, but what brought me here is our machine we found in a Restore Thrift store for $25 dollars. I had stored it in the garage for a few months, but brought it up tonight and cleaned it off.

It seems to run great! It had a spare cable, a spare pedal, and the original manual. I've ordered a spool pin for the arm, and I have some finer cleaning to do. Also need to get some motor grease and oil. I was going to use 3 in 1 oil, but it appears from what I'm reading it's best to use the proper oil.

Anyway, nice to meet you folks.

--Dave

quiltsRfun

Welcome to the group. That’s a nice looking machine and a great find at $25. Beware. This could be the start of major addictions to both quilting and collecting machines.

Friar_Tuck

You are starting this obsession with a great machine!
Jim

J3General

@Handyhubby - Dave, no 3-n-1 oil. You will really make your machine's life miserable. Stick with either sewing machine oil or TriFlow Superior Lubricant oil (preferred). As for recommended grease for gears, etc., I use Vaseline (petroleum jelly). I have read the currently available sewing machine grease is more suitable for newer - not vintage - machines.

You have a beautiful 15-91, enjoy it. I am in the last steps of cleaning up one I found too (wiring repair) and look forward to using it.

John Thomas in NC

J3General

BTW, Dave, what is the serial number shown on your machine? I was curious about the mfg date and cannot quite read it from the angle of your photo.

handyhubby

Sure thing. Think it falls on June 10 1947. It's AH152666.

NZquilter

Lovely 15-91! My first vintage machine was a 15-91 and I use it everyday. Welcome to the Quilting Board!

Mickey2

You have the version with the more elaborate decor on the face plate and the round plate in the back? I hope to find one too : -) The later ones are sort of pin striped. It's a lucky find, yours are in nice conditon too. My 201 has the striped plates.

Like mentioned, 3-1 oil are know to turn machines sticky and sluggish, particularly if left to fend for the selves for a while. I have cleaned machines up with spray can oil, then turn to Triflow or Finish Line Ceramic, added teflon can make a difference sometimes. They use vaseline for the grease wick, since modern syntetic greases are solid and doesn't behave the way it should. Some use teflon grease for the worm gear and parts behind the hand wheel, but for the motor bearings, something else is needed. It's hard to find the saponified grease Singer used to sell in small tubes.

Best of luck with your new machine, model 15 is many peoples favorotie :- )

Kelsie

Welcome. It looks like you have a lovely cabinet as well as a pretty machine.

Cari-in-Oly

Welcome! You have a lovely machine. Like others have said, sewing machine oil is what you need to use, no synthetic grease in the motor on this beauty. This machine has a different motor than most and its wicking system needs a low melt grease, in fact Singer recommended using Vaseline as a replacement for the original Singer motor lube which is no longer available. A couple of on line shops carry their own line of expensive lube that they tout as the best replacement for the original Singer lube, but I'm not convinced it's any better than Vaseline.

Cari