Bobbin issues with my 99
 

Hi from Alaska!
This is my first post on QB. I've been reading it for a couple of years now but never bothered to sign up. I have been reading posts on this thread for 2 months now ever since I found a Singer 99 (1934) at a local yard sale. Believe me when I say Alaskan yard sales never have good deals like this. She was missing the cord and foot pedal and slide plate bobbin cover, no table or carrying case, and had a broken light cover. But when the lady said she'd take $10.00 for her, I figured if nothing else, she would make a good door stop.
So I came here hoping to find some ideas and you all helped me with cleaning her up (finding non-pumice Go-Jo required a 110 mile one way trip to Anchorage and stopping at no less then 6 stores) and polishing her chrome, downloaded a manual, cleaned and oiled all the right spots, ordered a new foot pedal and cord and slide plate ($95.00 including shipping), bought the correct bobbins (66) and got the DH working on a box of sorts for her to sit in.
So now I'm ready to see how well she sews only to discover that the bobbins, which do fit in the machine, won't fit on the bobbin winder. The hole in the bobbin is too small for the spindle. My DH is ready to grind down the spindle, but I told him to hold off until I could ask all of you for advice.
Any thoughts or suggestions would really be great!

Modern bobbins vary a lot from the originals. Some like the ones sold by the box stores can run the gamut from OK to flat junk. I've had the best luck buying bobbins from Sew-Classic.

Rather than mess up the machine, make sure the winder shaft is clean of gunk and if nothing else check the holes in the bobbins and enlarge them.

I've got many machines that use the Class 66 metal bobbins and those I've gotten from Sew-Classic have fit all of them.

Basically I'd suggest ordering some from them rather than wasting time "fixing" the others.
~Or~ use another machine they will fit, or one of those Sidewinder type bobbin winders for now.

Joe

I've been using Sarah, my 1941 15, for years by winding the bobbins on a 1970s machine. Just today I decided to put one on the spindle and found the hole in the bobbin is too small. So these newer machines do have a function after all! Love Talkeetna, attended a blue grass festival there in 1979.

I have a Singer 201K hand crank, which uses the same bobbins. I bought a Side Winder. Walmart sells them for about $17.00. That way, I can wind about 10 to 15 bobbins at a time.

I will vouch for sew-classic bobbins. You did get class 66 bobbins? I wouldn't put a light on the machine too hot - IKEA makes such nice LED lights....